Tips On Buying An Engagement Ring

If you've read my life update post, you know that I got engaged! I thought it would be fun to do some wedding related posts as I'm planning my wedding for next year.  I work in the industry so I have a lot of experience (bad and good) dealing with couples getting engagement and wedding rings. This one will be a "mini" post on, what I think, are the most important things to keep in mind when buying engagement ring.  I can't possibly put everything down in one post, so if you have any more questions about engagement and wedding rings, shoot me an email!

• Bigger doesn't mean better
  Every year it seems like the average size of an engagement ring diamonds gets bigger. I think this year the average is close to 1.50ct.
  
  In my opinion, THE SIZE OF YOUR DIAMOND DOESN'T MATTER!
  
  I'm the least romantic person you're ever going to meet, but even I think an engagement ring is a symbol of a couple's love and shouldn't be used as some weird way to show your wealth or a way to show that you're better than other couples. I've personally witnessed people that bought a larger than average ring only to have the relationship fall apart even before the guy proposed or before the wedding date. 

• Be realistic with your budget
  You don't need to spend a ton of money to get a nice ring, but you do need to realize that you won't get the same ring with a $10000 budget vs a $3000 budget. The quality of ring you're getting will depend heavily on who you're buying the ring from. I know some stores won't even entertain people unless they have a budget greater than $10000 (which I think is horrendous). Make sure you find a retailer that won't force you to get something that THEY think you should get just because you have a certain budget in mind. A great retailer will try their hardest to get you the best diamond and ring that fits within your budget.
  
  
  
• Talk about your budget
  One of the most awkward situations that I've been in is being in an appointment with a couple that hasn't discussed how much they want to spend on their wedding rings. Some couples have literally argued in front of me, because one person or another doesn't want to spend X dollars on the ring. To avoid the embarrassment, PLEASE discuss your budget before you go into a jewelry store. I don't think it's a good sign for a couple to not be talking about financial matters before they get married, and having wedding budget discussions is a good test on how you'll do when it comes to other important financial matters (ex. buying a house).
  
• Beware of too-good-to-be-true deals
  There are really lucky people that are able to snag amazing deals online or in stores. However, getting a good deal on a pair of shoes online is completely different from getting a good deal on a diamond ring. I've heard horror stories of people spending a fortune on a diamond and ring (that they didn't see in person before buying) that wasn't worth anywhere near what they paid. My advice is always to view the diamond and ring in person if at all possible. Just because it says the diamond is X on a certificate, it's still better to look at it yourself and compare it to a few other diamonds to see which one you truly like. Don't depend solely on the certificate! 

Now that I've bored you with that wall of text, here's some pictures of my ring and the steps to make it! We started with a 3D model of the ring to get the right proportions and then is made in wax. My ring had to be made in two separate pieces since the head of the ring has a complicated design. 

After casting and before polishing, the ring looks like this:

The finished ring: