One of the most frightening parts about anyone looking to propose to his or her significant other is the often terrifying price tag that many engagement rings have. However, there are a few methods that can help you save money on an engagement ring without having to resort to an undesirable or cheaply-constructed ring. Listed below are just a few tips that can help you save money when buying an engagement ring.
Buying Shy
A simple way to save some money on an engagement ring is to buy shy. Buying shy refers to the process of going down a fraction of a carat when picking out a diamond or other gemstone. The reason for doing this is that going down a fraction of a carat can greatly reduce the price of the ring without greatly reducing the quality of the gemstone.
For example, a one carat diamond will typically cost about 30 percent more than a 0.9 percent carat diamond. In addition to costing less, a difference as small as 0.1 percent of a carat will be almost impossible for anyone other than a trained jeweler to notice.
Consider Synthetic Gems
Another way to save quite a bit of money on an engagement ring is to consider synthetic gems. While there are many people that think that synthetic gems are somehow inferior to natural gems, synthetic gems are usually superior to natural ones. The reason for this is that while labs do use the same processes to create gems that nature uses, the creation process is more controlled and will result in fewer flaws in the finished product.
Since these gemstones are much easier to create than they are to mine, they tend to cost a fraction of the amount that you would spend on natural gemstones. In addition, purchasing synthetic gemstones is a good option if you are uncomfortable with the idea of potentially purchasing a ring with a gemstone that was mined by workers who deal with horrible working conditions or very low pay.
Consider Other Gemstones
Finally, you can save quite a bit of money when buying an engagement ring if you decide to avoid a diamond completely and use a different gemstone. This is very useful if your significant other has a preference for another type of stone or if he or she simply does not care about diamonds. In that situation, you can purchase a sapphire or ruby engagement ring for much less than you would spend on a diamond ring.
For more information, contact Rinehart Brothers Jewelers or a similar company.