How To Buy An Engagement Ring

And stick with it. It may sound like common sense, but there is a lot of ridiculous noise out there about spending three months salary on a ring. That’s all marketing. Don’t fall for it.

Much like buying a car, take the time to do some research. Do a bit of research on the 4Cs: cut, clarity, colour, and carat and you’ll learn how to get the best quality for the best price.

Cut is the most critical of the 4Cs (raise your hand if you thought it was Carat) because it determines a diamond’s brilliance. Get the highest Cut grade your budget allows.

As a diamond’s colour and clarity grade improves, its price increases, but at a certain point, the human eye cannot detect the difference in grades. For the best value choose a near colourless (graded G-H) and eye-clean (graded VS1-VS2) diamond.

Diamond prices jump significantly at the carat and half-carat mark. Purchasing just shy of those weights can save a significant amount of money and the slight size difference will go unnoticed.

The unofficial fifth C is independent certification. Insist that your diamond comes with a grading report from the GIA (Gemmological Institute of America) to guarantee it’s what the seller says it is.

Round brilliant diamonds are very popular, but don’t rule out other shapes, such as pear, oval, emerald, and princess. Fancy shapes, as they’re called, can look larger and cost less than a round diamond of similar carat size. Now, that is fancy.

Your phone is smart; use it to compare diamonds—even if you can’t see them side-by-side. Use the independent grading report to your advantage and visit several retailers, online and off, to compare the prices of two diamonds with the same Cs.

We pride ourselves on our low prices and high value, but if you find a comparable GIA-graded diamond at a lower price than ours, we'll match it. It’s that simple.

Just in case, make sure that the jeweller has a good return policy. It’s hard to believe, but some companies still only allow returns within 24 hours and some don’t accept returns at all. Blue Nile offers a 30-day return policy, no questions asked.