You’ve been in the relationship for years and you’re ready to tie the knot. You’re nervous, afraid even, but in your heart you know that they’re the one that you want to spend the rest of your life with. It’s time you got the ring, but now what do you do?

When you shop for a ring it can be really stressful. That ring is a symbol of how much your love means to you, and you want it to capture that perfect. For most, buying an engagement ring is the first time they’ve experienced the ride that is jewelry shopping. They might have been in a store before, even bought a gift here and there, but an engagement ring is on a completely different level. You’re about to take a major step in your life, full of love, responsibility and commitment. You shouldn’t treat it like a casual event, especially since there are multiple factors you’ll need to consider. If you fail to buy the right necklace for someone it’s not a big deal, but if this ring is meant to embody your love and your view of the person you’re with, and you fail to get it right, well that’s going to hurt.

Engagement ring shopping is an art, and luckily, enough people have been practicing this art to help create a definitive guide to help find the perfect ring for your forever partner.

How much does a ring Cost?

It’s not a fun topic, but it can’t be denied that these rings are expensive. Long before you enter a shop you should have a price range already decided on. Have a goal amount that you would like, and a maximum that you will never, for any reason, go over. The jeweler can use this information to show you rings that are actually within your price range. You can negotiate with a jeweler just like you can a car salesman. Don’t follow oldschool rules like “2 month’s worth of salary” because they simply aren’t reliable or necessary. This might lead to mental strain and a possible hot button topic that could pop up later on in the relationship. Stay in your range, after all you’ll be buying them a better ring later on.

Learn more about four-prong set mounting.

Do Research on Your Partner

Picture that you’ve got the ring. It’s gorgeous, pricey, and you’re itching to take it with you to dinner. As you place it on the tip of their finger, a sudden realization washes over you: it’s the wrong size. What was your big moment has become quite awkward and very embarrassing. This is the most common mistake people make when they buy a ring, and it’s luckily an easy fix, but imagine how much more magical that moment would have been if it was already the perfect fit. The easiest solution is to have the ring size ready before you walk through the jeweler’s door. In fact, one of the first things they’ll ask you when shopping is if you know their ring size. Don’t just “estimate” it. Have this info ready to go before you buy. This will save you a lot of trouble later on.

Try to figure out their style as well. You may be paying for the ring, but they’re going to be the one thats wearing it every day. What you consider beautiful may look bland to them. This is an easy fix as well with a little bit of sleuthing on your part. Just look, they’re going to be wearing their style pretty much constantly. Maybe they wear a lot of gold or silver. They might have their birthstone on them regularly, or show a preference for a certain type of gem. Do they wear things that are a little more showy or down to earth? Think about what they’re like, and what might complement them.

Chances are it won’t quite be what you had in your head, so when you’re unsure just ask your partner about their preferences and size. You can go about this directly, or subtly if you still want to maintain the element of surprise, but either way you should make sure that you have all of the necessary information to make a comfortable purchase.

How to pick a band and Gem?

Before we discuss the pros and cons of silver, gold, and platinum, you should remember that the decisions made should be based on your subjectivity. If you know that they want something in gold, buy gold. If they prefer silver, then buy silver. Whatever bonuses each metal may have, this ring is about your partner most of all.

With that in mind, platinum is an extremely durable metal. It takes a lot of neglect to damage platinum rings, and it will last a long time. It loses that initial luster quickly, and is the most difficult amongst the three to restore it. It’s much easier to maintain it’s shine via polishing and buffing, a shine which is greater than that of platinums. Gold is a very soft metal though, and will wear down or break a lot more easily than platinum. Silver is more luminous than platinum, and is much stronger than gold, so it acts like a nice middle ground between the two metals.

Once you have the band selected, it’s now time to focus on the star of the show, the diamond. When looking at the diamond, always remember “The Four C’s”: Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat weight. You’ll have a better time negotiating price with the jeweler if you’re informed on the diamonds true worth by using these four characteristics.

Cut: This is about angles and proportions, not the shape of the diamond. This is the only factor that is not completely reliant on nature to form, as it is determined almost entirely by the vendors who cut them. A good cut will result in better reflections, meaning that the diamond will sparkle more gloriously in various lightings. Diamonds that haven’t been well cut, either by being too shallow or too deep, will appear dull as more light is dispersed than reflected.

Color: Everyone believes that diamonds can only be white. That’s not the truth though. Diamonds have a variety of colors that you can choose from. They’ve been seen in blue, yellow, red, gray, white, pink, and orange. The most valuable diamonds are considered to be colorless, but other than that, color doesn’t have as much influence on the price as the cut does.

Clarity: As with other minerals found in the earth, diamonds may contain traces of other minerals within them. Clarity refers to the amount of imperfections found in the ring, referred to as “inclusions”. The fewer the inclusions, the nicer the diamond looks, and therefore the more expensive it becomes. The diamond will lose some of its brilliance if the inclusions are near the middle or top of it.

Carat Weight: Carat is simply how much a mineral weighs. More carats equals heavier mineral, and therefore a price increase. This is less important than the other C’s, as it really boils down to aesthetic appearance. Jewelers are actually able to change how big the diamond looks depending on how they mount it and shape the ring.

Should I buy the ring Online or In-Store?

This is a pretty common debate. The fact of the matter is that both online and retail shopping has pros and cons. While people often speak about the risks taken with online shopping, retail also has potential problems. However, so long as you’ve educated yourself on the matter then this experience shouldn’t be problematic. By comparing the good and bad side to each option you’ll have a better experience overall.

What’s Involved in Shopping for a ring Online?

Shopping in-store and shopping online can both be equally secure. While some of the more shady websites can turn into an expensive mistake, all officially recognized online jewelers will offer a safety guarantee policy, ensuring that your information is kept secure. This doesn’t equal a better jeweler; it simply means that your sensitive information, like your mailing address or your credit card numbers, will be protected by them.

Just like retail stores, there are good and bad online sites. It’s important to be able to recognize a good deal from a potential scam. There is a plethora of online tutorials that will teach you what exactly you should be looking for online, like how you can recognize the various important features, including “The Four C’s.” Education is probably the most important part of purchasing a ring.

With the problems with online shopping laid out, it’s time to focus on the perks.

It’s undeniable that online shopping is the cheaper option. This is because the cost of operations for online vendors are way lower than retail. On top of this, they have the same access to the same name brand diamonds, if not more so. Taxes can also be less of a problem if you’re purchasing a diamond from out of state. No matter what, you’ll save a lot of money when you shop online.

Say that you’re not pleased with your purchase and want to make a return. With online shopping, more than likely the vendors operate under a “no questions asked return policy”, meaning that getting a return on the ring is hassle free. Online stores are aware that each purchase comes with a potential review. The companies place their reputations on the line, so they will generally do whatever it takes to avoid getting a bad review, after all, consistently bad reviews brings no business.

What do I need to do when Buying a Ring In-Store?

Don’t forget that retail stores work like car dealerships do. Employees operate under commission, meaning that their paycheck is dependent on how much inventory they sell. Vendors will often encourage higher sales over higher quality service. There is a huge difference between a diamond “salesperson” and a diamond “expert”.

Overhead is also a huge issue for retail. Because they have to pay for upkeep, staffing, and inventory, retail vendors will bring up the price of their products. Those who buy large inventories at high prices will rarely mark down their selection, no matter the current market value.

With that being said, there’s nothing quite like seeing the ring face-to-face. Though their collections may not be as grand as an online store’s, most will still have a relatively large selection for you to look through. And while you will spend more in-store than online, there’s something to be said about the service of having a professional jeweller walk you through their selection and allowing you to examine the products firsthand.

Despite the initial expense, you’ll find in-store is often the better means by which you can get financing, and you may even find they offer an upgrade or buy back policy, meaning you can trade your rings in later on. As well, if something happened to the ring, like the diamond falling out, you’ll find yourself with more peace of mind knowing you can take it to a local store.