if you are reading this you are probably in the market to buying your girlfriend or fiance an engagement or/and wedding ring. here are some pointers for you so that you don’t go crazy and don’t buy her or him something that you’ll regret.
Here are 3 points to consider:
- Your budget
- Type of ring (the 4 C’s)
- Your lifestyle
Your Budget
Like planning your wedding day, always put into account your budget $$$, as much as you want to get the best of everything, be realistic, not everyone are trust fund babies or have won the lottery lately, though it would be nice. searching around the internet, the common rule of thumb is usually 3 months of a man’s salary, so if you make $2000 a month you should budget $6000 for the ring. Also, they say 3% of your total wedding budget should be used for both rings, so if you have a 60K budget, you should be spending $6000 on both rings. This is only a basic guideline of where to start from, if you want to spend more on your rings, then go for it, after all your wedding ring is the symbol of an everlasting relationship that will last forever, that something to invest in, if your going to be wearing it for a while.
Type of Ring
The most important thing to the women is the rock that sits in the ring and not so much what’s around it. So a Diamond would be the first choice of most women today. There are 4 things when looking for a diamond, known as the 4 C’s, color, cut, caret and cost.
Color: With the exception of “fancy colored diamonds”, the more colorless a diamond is, the more valuable it is. Jewelers grade diamonds on a scale from D (colorless) to Z (light yellow). Anything more yellow than D is considered fancy and is much more expensive.
Cut: Many people make the mistake of thinking that cut means the shape of the diamond. Rather, it means the way the diamond was faceted to allow light to reflect from it. In a well cut diamond, light enters the diamond and reflects straight back to the viewer’s eye. Some cutters will sacrifice cut to create the largest possible diamond, thus making too shallow or too deep of a cut and causing light to “leak” out the sides and bottom of the diamond.
Cut can be something very difficult for a layperson to evaluate, which is why it is important to get an AGS Certificate or a GIA Certificate verifying the quality of your diamond. Cut is graded Ideal, Premium, Very Good, Good, Fair, and Poor. Generally you should seek an Ideal to Very Good Diamond. Budget-conscious shoppers may opt for good.
Clarity: Diamonds frequently have inclusions, or small flaws, air bubbles, scratches, or other minerals inside the diamond. The less inclusions a diamond has, the more valuable it is, and the more beautiful it is.
The scale for grading diamond’s clarity is:
F Flawless – no internal or external inclusions.
IF Internally Flawless – no internal inclusions, slight external inclusions.
VVS1-VVS2 Very Very Slightly Included – minute inclusions that are very difficult to detect under 10x magnification, even by an experienced grader.
VS1-VS2 Very Slightly Included – minute inclusions that are invisible to the naked eye and seen only with difficulty under 10x magnification.
SI1-SI2 Slightly Included – invisible to the naked eye, yet easily seen by an experienced grader under 10x magnification.
I1-I3 Included – inclusions are visible to the naked eye and affect brilliance.
Stones that are VVS2 to F are very rare and thus very expensive. Most couples will opt for something between SI2 and VS1, and will never know the difference.
Caret: This refers to the size of the stone. While some value caret above all, with 1 caret or bigger is envious size by all women, while others prefer a small ring regardless of budget. If you’re buying a ring as a surprise for someone, consider how flashy their other jewelry is. If they’re not someone who wears a lot of designer labels or big jewelry, perhaps you’ll want to opt for a smaller stone. This site has a very useful chart to see how the most common sizes look on a model’s hand. Ideally, you’ll be able to try on a variety of sizes within your budget to see which size looks best on you or your love.
Cost: As noted in the beginning of the post, 3 months salary of 3% of total wedding budget, make sure you get what you paid for, bigger is not always better in this case, make sure to review the 4 C’s.
The 3 traditional metals used for rings are yellow gold, white gold, and platinum.
Yellow gold:
the most traditional of metals; for many gold is a symbol of the warmth and love of a marriage. Look at the mark inside the band to see what quality the gold is – usually 14k, 18k, or 24k. While 24k is the most pure, it is also the softest. If you work with your hands, you may want to choose 14k or 18k to prevent scratches.
White Gold:
A hot trend because it coordinates with both silver and platinum jewelry, yet is cheaper than platinum.
Platinum:
This very stylish metal is also the hardest metal, making it for many a symbol of enduring love. Also, because its not mixed with the lesser metals that gold is, platinum is safe for those with allergies. However, you’ll pay more for platinum than for gold.
Your Lifestyle
last of all, make sure whatever ring you do finally choose that you choose a ring that matches your style and your work. Some jobs require you not to wear any jewelry or rings because it’s a safety hazard.
if you are going to wear your ring daily make sure that you find something that fits your style and fashion, you don’t want to look like a gold digger or something that has a giant ring and you walk around in your t-shirt and flip-flops all the time.
No matter what ring you choose to get make sure that you are happy with your decision and you don’t go into debt paying for your dream rings. hope this helps out and remember the reason why you are getting married and don’t let it be the reason to get into a fight over, happy planning!
