Engagement rings - do they have to break the bank?
You’re going shopping for a piece of jewellery which will be shown off and admired as a symbol of your love. It will be treasured by your bride- to- be as a reminder of your proposal. You want it to be beautiful, sparkling and special, but you haven’t won the lottery and you want to have some money left over for the reception. Well the good news is; it is possible to find an incredible ring, a diamond no less without going into debt. First make some decisions about quality. A perfect diamond will be graded highly on each of the 4 Cs, cut, clarity, colour and carat. The price will differ depending on your choice. Many engagement rings are available with a choice of stones, of different qualities. For example, a round brilliant cut diamond, in an 18 carat white gold ring with a Tiffany style, 4 claws setting, can start at £463 with a white coloured diamond with slight inclusions. However, at the other end of the scale, raise the standard of the colour to exceptional white and the clarity, to very minor inclusions invisible to the naked eye, and the price shoots up to £914.
If you then decide on a greater carat stone, the one we have been looking at is 00.30, but perhaps you prefer 1.00? This is certainly a bigger and more valuable stone, and so it should be at £10,332. The prices quoted here were obtained from a reputable internet jewellery company. If you decide to purchase the same ring on the high street, you will be forking out £19,541 for highest quality stone, and prices for the lower grades will be from, £882. It makes great sense then when surveying the various engagement rings on offer, to pay attention to the bargains available on the internet. The huge savings retailers can make on overheads makes it possible to offer great quality at a fraction of the price. We have seen the difference that the quality of a stone can make to the price of your ring. It is important to have a working knowledge of the 4 Cs to help you in making your selection. Don’t forget though that taste is a highly individual matter.
High carat diamonds may be worth a lot more money, but that doesn’t mean that they are necessarily more beautiful to your fiancée, who may prefer a smaller stone. Perfect clarity may be important to her, but when it comes to colour her tastes may not lie with ‘exceptional white’. Many women prefer a warmer tone, set off perfectly by a yellow gold ring. By looking at several rings, and then examining the qualities of the ones which most appeal to her, it will be possible to find a ring she will love, without needing to give up thoughts of a honeymoon. Engagement rings are the subject of much discussion, between the happy couple and also their friends and family. Make the right decision and the ring will always remind both of you of the most special time in your life.
