Since the recent world financial crisis, the cost of purchasing gold and precious stones has steeply risen. This means that the cost of jewelry items has skyrocketed. This is hard on the men out there who have been waiting to propose to their girlfriends. But guys, don’t let it cause you to put off your engagement. There are ways to save money on stunning engagement rings that will make your soon to be fiancee a very happy woman.
Brand – A brand name diamond is always going to be much more expensive than an unbranded stone. In the same respect that branded clothing is more expensive than unbranded. If you are looking to save money on a ring then just go for a generic stone. Plus, just as clothing fashion comes in and out, so does jewelry fashion, so in a few years, spending a huge amount on a branded stone might not seem like such a sensible idea.
Negotiation – Just like lots of other items, there’s no shame in dickering over the price of your chosen stone. Jewelers often mark up jewelry 200% or even more. This gives them plenty of wiggle room in the price of the ring or stone. Anyone buying an engagement ring is smart to spend a little time discussing the price with the salesman and seeing if they can get him or her to lower it a bit.
Shape – Some shapes cost more than others. Look for an oval or pear shaped diamond. Diamonds that are cut into oval or pear shapes appear to be larger than they actually are, or than diamond cuts of equal carat weight. This is also a less popular diamond cut so that the price of these is naturally a little lower.
Band – The band of an engagement ring is important but who notices that first when looking at someone’s engagement ring? People’s eyes always go right to the center stone. Buy a simpler band and save some money to put into the stone.
Stone – A common mistake among purchasers of diamond rings is purchasing the stone from the same retailer that will set the stone. It saves big money if you purchase the stone from one retailer and have a second retailer set it into the band.