What are some basic guidelines to follow when selecting an engagement ring?
First of all, determine your budget, and be reasonable. You don’t want to spend so much that it breaks the bank, but you don’t want her to feel like you were being too cheap, either. Just ignore all the “rules” that are put out there by the diamond marketers, such as two month’s salary, etc. There is not one-size-fits-all; it is all about what you can afford. I personally would not buy on credit unless it is a last resort. Figure out what you want to spend before ever talking to a jeweler, and don’t deviate from that. The jeweler is going to try to get you to spend more, that is their job.
If you can, figure out what kind of cut she likes, such as a traditional round cut, or a square princess cut. Unless you know she likes one of the more exotic cuts, play it conservative. She can always alter the overall look of the ring by pairing a classic diamond ring with a wedding band that adds a more unique style.
As far as the 4Cs go, they are important up to a certain extent. If you are rich, you should buy a very high quality flawless diamond. For the rest of us, you really want a diamond that is “Eye Clean”, meaning that you cannot easily spot imperfections with your naked eye. When your fiancée is showing off her new ring, her friends are not going to break out a jeweler’s scope. She wants something that looks white in color and appears perfect at normal viewing distances.
Shop around and don’t get talked into spending more than you can afford. Most women will appreciate it more if you are smart with your money, and don’t put her in debt for her wedding ring once she marries you. You can always make some upgrades to the ring later when you can afford it, such as adding side stones, etc.
Good luck and congratulations.
30 Answers
The 4 C's are a good start for stone quality... but it really comes down to what she wants... I would say that was the biggest guideline for me. Most girls DO want big stones, but that has to be balanced with the quality, no one wants a 5ct stone that's yellow and cloudy. This website
http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-and-jewelry-education?track=head
has some great info on searching for rings/diamonds even if you don't buy from them it's a great resource.
Congratulations (if this is for you!)
i tried asking this same question a few weeks ago and it never showed up. i'd like to expand the question some...
obviously the flawless diamond is the surefire way, but what level of compromise can be made on clarity in favor of size if a budget needs to be followed without going too far into the 'flawed' side of things?
Buy a black diamond and you won't have to worry about color or clarity.
First of all, determine your budget, and be reasonable. You don’t want to spend so much that it breaks the bank, but you don’t want her to feel like you were being too cheap, either. Just ignore all the “rules” that are put out there by the diamond marketers, such as two month’s salary, etc. There is not one-size-fits-all; it is all about what you can afford. I personally would not buy on credit unless it is a last resort. Figure out what you want to spend before ever talking to a jeweler, and don’t deviate from that. The jeweler is going to try to get you to spend more, that is their job.
If you can, figure out what kind of cut she likes, such as a traditional round cut, or a square princess cut. Unless you know she likes one of the more exotic cuts, play it conservative. She can always alter the overall look of the ring by pairing a classic diamond ring with a wedding band that adds a more unique style.
As far as the 4Cs go, they are important up to a certain extent. If you are rich, you should buy a very high quality flawless diamond. For the rest of us, you really want a diamond that is “Eye Clean”, meaning that you cannot easily spot imperfections with your naked eye. When your fiancée is showing off her new ring, her friends are not going to break out a jeweler’s scope. She wants something that looks white in color and appears perfect at normal viewing distances.
Shop around and don’t get talked into spending more than you can afford. Most women will appreciate it more if you are smart with your money, and don’t put her in debt for her wedding ring once she marries you. You can always make some upgrades to the ring later when you can afford it, such as adding side stones, etc.
Good luck and congratulations.
Learn about the 4C's and about which of them really matter to the appearance of the stone.
CUT is the most important for sparkle and brilliance; look for ideal or very good cut grades that will maximize the light return from the diamond.
COLOR: Most people will choose a "near-colorless" Color grade of G-H; in the setting this will look just as bright white as a D-E-F colorless grades, for a significantly lower cost.
CLARITY: The most important thing here is for it to be "eye-clean". As long as you can't see the flaws with the naked eye, the stone will be great in an engagement ring. Don't overpay for IF clarity, SI or VS ratings tend to be just as beautiful without magnification.
CARATS: This is the one that has the most impact on the price of the diamond. After you've settled on your range of quality grading above, you can determine the appropriate size diamond for your budget.
Then, of course, you have to pick out a setting. Most girls like Platinum settings these days. You should look at her other jewelry to get a sense of whether she likes things fancy and frilly or clean and simple. Maybe ask a trusted friend. Good luck!
There's a price bump at 1 carat, that starts to show up in stones over 0.9 carat, so if you're on a tight budget, shoot for 0.85. That said, she won't recognize bling value until you get over 1.1.
Color is more important than clarity when she's showing her girlfriends, so use H color as a minimum, and VS1 clarity as more of a target.
Cut shouldn't make the sale, but a VG cut or better will give you more sparkle for your carat.
If you have a stone with sentimental value somewhere in the family, that trumps the 4 C's: "My great grandfather mined this stone from a South African cave with his bare hands, just to give it to his wife on their 50th anniversary" and nobody will ever critique the inclusions.
Also, surprise counts, so steal a ring from her jewelry drawer while she's out, and get that sized.
Color, Cut, Clarity and Ring size...Ring size could be the most important!