When I decided to propose to my long standing girlfriend I realised that I knew virtually zero about Diamonds and Diamond Rings. What I did know was that they were expensive. I also knew that to impress my girlfriend I would have to make damn sure I chose the right one! Along with a car and buying a house a Diamond Ring was potentially the biggest purchase I would ever make. Until the birth of our first child proposing to my girlfriend was the most monumental thing to happen in my life, ever! I needed to get it right!
We are now happily married with two children so I guess I chose wisely, both my wife and her engagement ring! I did however have some help from a good friend, in fact my best friend, my Dad. Here are some of the tips he gave me, I hope they serve you well as they did me.
Which Style
Never and I mean never choose an engagement ring for your girl that is to your own taste. Be very careful to choose a ring that your girl would choose herself. Have a look at the jewellery she already owns and which jewellery from her jewellery box she actually wears. I was very lucky and was able to ask my wifes friends and family for their help, if possible it is always a good idea to ask for their advice.
Understand the Basics
Once I started to look about and talk to people I started to hear about ‘The Four C’s’ these are Cut, Colour, Clarity and Carat. These are the four most important factors that govern the quality and also the cost of and Diamond.
Now unless you have taken the time to learn a bit about Diamonds you are probably under the impression that the bigger and more sparkly the Diamond, the better it is (I know I was). This is not the case, all of ‘The Four C’s’ are as important as each other. It is vital to understand the basics and the information is freely available so do your research.
I also believe that there is one other C to consider and you could argue that this is the most important of all, the fifth C is cost.
How Much to Spend
Now this is a hard one. Do you break the bank and spend all your savings and even go into debt to buy your special girl a special ring? Or are you sensible and only spend what you can afford and risk coming over as a cheapskate?
Well there is no right or wrong answer. I can tell you from experience though that you should buy the best quality you can afford. With any luck your girl will say yes to your proposal and wear the ring for many years to come. Buy the best you can afford, she is worth it.
You may hear that you should be spending between two and three months salary on an engagement ring. Well by all means if this is what you want to do then please do not let me stop you, after all your girl is worth it. However one word of caution, where do you think this little nugget of information originated?
From the publicity machine of the Diamond Houses!!
High St Jewellery vs. Online Jeweller
Now buying jewellery from the High Street and buying from an Online Jeweller both have their advantages and disadvantages.
I know that in the past I was always a hands on kind of guy and would always prefer to actually hold and see what I was buying as opposed to just looking at photos and videos. I always imagined that I would buy something online and when it arrived it would look nothing like the ring on the website. As more and more online shops have appeared on the internet and competition has increased I have realised now that as long as you are dealing with a reputable company you will fine.
The down side of buying from a High Street Jeweller is they have more overheads than the Online Jewellers and so of course they are more expensive and you will always get less for your money buying on the High Street which is understandable.
I think if you have done your research and you know what to look out for then it is a safe bet that you can choose wisely from the internet and get more for your money. Remember to choose a ring that your girl would choose, have a solid understanding the basics about Diamonds, deal with a reputable Jeweller and you will be fine.
Written by Ross Davies who bought his engagement ring from DeBretts Online Jewellery.