Most men don’t like to shop for clothes, let alone the ring they’ll use when they ask a woman for her hand in marriage. Engagement Rings in Fort Myers are an overwhelming purchase for some men; to cut the confusion, we’ve assembled several tips on getting the ring of her dreams at a reasonable price.
Forget the old pricing guidelines: Conventional wisdom says to spend three months’ salary on an engagement ring, but that’s an unfortunate myth–especially in today’s economy. There’s no hard-and-fast number, but you should make a budget, and stay as close to it as possible.
Remember the four C’s: There are four rules in diamond buying: color, cut, carat weight and clarity. Of the four, the cut is the most important aspect, because a diamond’s cut determines its level of ‘sparkle’. For instance, a smaller, well-cut diamond will appear more brilliant and bigger than a poorly-cut, larger stone.
Don’t discount smaller vendors: Over $9.64 billion was spent on engagement Rings in Fort Myers in 2010, and over $1 billion was bought online. A good online retailer offers prices up to 40% lower than a traditional vendor.
Don’t worry about buying a smaller stone: You can save significantly by knowing Bradley’s Jewelers‘ carat vs. pricing structure. The biggest price increases are seen at the half- and full carat marks; if you want to save, buy a diamond just slightly smaller–we promise no one will notice the difference!
Let your eyes lead you: A flawless stone is disproportionately more expensive than one that’s ‘eye clean’. Most flaws occur naturally, but are invisible to the naked eye. For the best combination of looks and value, ask for a G-H graded diamond (near colorless), instead of a D-F graded stone (colorless).
Ask about returns: If your intended doesn’t like the ring you’ve picked, you may have difficulty returning it at a high-end jeweler. However, many have loosened their return restrictions, offering at least a 30-day policy.
Buy certified diamonds. Not all diamonds are the same, and you shouldn’t pay anything until you’ve seen at least one type of independent certification (from either the GIA or the AGS). If your diamond was graded in-store, the grading may not be as reliable.
