Posts Tagged ‘inexpensive engagement rings’

 

Find Cheap Diamond Engagement Rings

Monday, June 8th, 2009

Finding a cheap diamond engagement ring doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice quality to find the ring of your dreams. For most couples, spending thousands of dollars on a ring just isn’t practical or realistic, so finding a quality ring without spending tons of money is important. Thankfully, there are several ways to find a cheap diamond engagement ring without settling for an inferior product.

 

What Are My Options?

 

When looking for an inexpensive diamond engagement ring, you have several options available to you.

 

Online Auctions

 

With online auctions, you are not limited to your physical location and can search hundreds of listings worldwide for a low-cost diamond engagement ring. While online jewelry auctions are a convenient way to shop for a ring, it’s important to only deal with reputable sellers. While you can often snag a beautiful engagement ring for much less than you could find elsewhere, completely research the seller and their feedback to make sure they are legitimate.

 

Secondhand Rings

 

Buying a used or secondhand engagement ring does have an undeniably negative stigma attached to it, but used engagement rings can be just as beautiful as the real deal for significantly less than you’d pay elsewhere. What’s more, many antique stores or vintage shops offer used engagement rings in unique patterns or styles you can’t find elsewhere.

 

Colored Diamonds

 

Choosing a colored diamond for your engagement ring rather than the traditional colorless stone can help you save money, as well. You can buy a colored diamond in nearly any hue, from blues to yellows and greens to black diamonds and everything in between.

 

Champagne diamonds are probably the cheapest option of all the colored diamonds, but no matter which color you choose they offer and affordable and unique alternative to traditional engagement rings.

 

Use a Cheaper Metal

 

To help find cheaper diamond engagement rings while still maintaining the quality of the piece, consider using a cheaper metal for the ring. Metals such as platinum are very expensive, but white gold is a suitable alternative and costs much less.

 

Other Things to Consider

 

Finding a cheap diamond engagement ring doesn’t have to be an exercise in futility, especially when you keep a few things in mind. For example, concentrate on buying the highest quality diamond you can afford. Even if you have to skimp on the setting, you can always have the diamond reset when you are more financially secure.

 

You should also ensure you only buy a certified diamond and that it comes with a certificate guaranteeing the stone as such. This will be necessary to insure your diamond and help protect your investment should anything ever happen to it.

 

Finding a cheap diamond engagement ring takes a little extra effort, but that doesn’t mean you have to buy a sub-par piece of jewelry just because you don’t have a large budget to spend.

 

No matter where you buy an engagement ring, it doesn’t matter how much you spend on the ring, but rather what the ring symbolizes – the love between two people who plan to spend the rest of their lives together.

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The Cost of an Engagement Ring

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

Engagement rings can be as affordable or as expensive as you choose, depending on your personal preferences, style requirements and budget. However, the final cost of an engagement ring depends on a variety of factors. In order to understand how each factor contributes to the final price of the ring, you should familiarize yourself with each one to find the perfect ring for your budget.

 

The Cost of Diamonds

 

Diamonds are the most traditional stone used in an engagement ring, and their price can vary widely depending a number of things. The quality of a diamond will drastically affect its price. For example, a diamond with few flaws, a high carat weight and a unique cut will be much more expensive than a lower quality stone.

 

However, because these factors significantly impact the final price, it is hard to compare two diamonds together. A finished diamond engagement ring can cost as little as a few hundred dollar or as much as a few thousand dollars or more depending on the quality of the stone. Even rings with similar settings and styles can vary drastically in price depending on the quality of the diamond.

 

In order to judge the quality of a diamond, take the time to familiarize yourself with the 4 C’s (cut, color, clarity and carat weight.) Each of these contributes to the value of a diamond, and it is in your best interest to learn how they affect the price of the stone.

 

If you plan on buying a loose diamond, the 4 C’s still apply, but you want to also consider how much it will cost to place the loose diamond into the finished ring. Loose diamonds can often be a bargain, but you need to determine how much the finished design will be before you go that route.

 

Other Factors

 

Other than the price of a diamond, there are other factors that affect the cost of an engagement ring.

 

The setting can affect the overall price of your ring, with a classic prong setting or channel setting being the cheapest option. More intricate, such as a bezel setting, will cost more.

 

Similarly, the design you choose will have an impact on the final cost of the engagement ring, as well. Three-stone rings and other intricate designs will obviously cost more than a simple diamond solitaire or other designs that don’t use multiple stones.

 

Finally, the type of metal you choose for your ring can be inexpensive, such as white or yellow gold, or quite costly if you choose platinum, titanium or two-tone rings.

Before you decide on the perfect ring, you have to take the cost of an engagement ring into consideration. While there are many rules for couples to help them decide how much to spend, it isn’t about rules than it is about how much you can afford to spend!

 

Carefully budget for the ring and decide which metals, settings and designs you can afford, and learn about the 4 C’s so you can choose the best quality diamond you can afford. An engagement ring will be a lifetime symbol of your relationship, and the final cost of that ring is an important thing to consider.

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How to Save Money on an Engagement Ring

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

You can save money on an engagement ring without compromising quality or beauty. In fact, a little planning can help you choose the perfect engagement ring for your bride-to-be without breaking the bank.

 

Reasons to Consider a Cheaper Engagement Ring


A beautiful ring symbolizes your love for one another, but why should love max out your credit card? An engagement ring can serve the same purpose whether you spent thousands of dollars or just a few hundred.

 

Weddings are becoming increasingly expensive. Add to that saving up a “nest egg,” buying a house and starting a family and you’ll soon see everything adding up!

 

You don’t have to postpone the wedding, but you should carefully consider your alternatives when it comes to a ring.

 

Alternative Metals

Before buying an engagement ring, consider purchasing one made with a lower quality metal. White and yellow gold is much cheaper than platinum, for instance; silver, on the other hand, is cheaper than gold.

 

Cheaper metals can help you save quite a bit on the ring. If you don’t plan to wear your engagement ring and wedding band together, you can even save up for a higher quality wedding ring and leave the inexpensive band for your engagement.

 

If you do plan to wear your wedding band and engagement ring together however, you should buy each band in the same metal. Wearing a lower quality metal against a higher grade metal can cause the higher grade metal to sustain damage.

 

Gemstones

While diamonds have always been the most popular choice for engagement rings, more couples are turning to other gemstones for their center stone. Colored gemstones are a beautiful alternative to traditional diamonds and can be found for much less.

 

Fortunately, there are many gemstones other than diamonds that would be suitable as the center stone in an engagement ring. Sapphires, rubies and emeralds are all beautiful choices, but others can work just as well.

 

Provided your choice is symbolic of your love and commitment to one another and has meaning to you, an alternative gemstone engagement ring can help save you money and look just as striking as a diamond.

 

Buy a Loose Diamond

If you are intent on giving your bride to be a beautiful diamond ring, consider purchasing a loose diamond from a dealer and having it set at a professional jeweler. Provided you aren’t having anything too fancy created for you, this can oftentimes save you quite a bit of money over buying the entire ring at one place.

 

Save on Settings

A simple, classic setting can save you a lot of money on an engagement ring. Chances are, your significant other will only be showing off the center stone – no one will be paying much attention to what it’s mounted in!

 

After a few years of marriage, you can always upgrade the ring to something a little more elaborate.

 

Buying an engagement ring symbolizes a lifetime of happiness, commitment and love for another person – but it shouldn’t cost a fortune! These money saving tips can help you find a beautiful engagement ring she’ll be proud to wear without skimping on quality.

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