You don’t have to spend a fortune when buying a beautiful engagement ring. Read our tips on how to maximise your budget…
The four C’s
Every experienced jeweller will tell you that evaluating the four C’s of a diamond is crucial when purchasing an engagement ring. Even though cut, clarity, colour and carat are important to consider when purchasing a diamond ring, not all of them necessarily need to be weighed equally. If you want the perfect cut, you can save on clarity and carat, or choose a big bright diamond with a simpler cut.
The least expensive cuts don’t have too many facets, which means that your diamond will be less sparkly. However, this option allows you to choose a larger stone. While the round cut is the most expensive one, you can opt for the oval or cushion shape, since they are considered as less expensive alternatives. You can also choose the emerald or princess cut because they have large surface areas and small number of facets.
When considering clarity and the colour of a diamond, you should know that perfect diamonds are very difficult to find and that small imperfections and light pigmentation are often impossible to see with the naked eye. For example, colourless diamonds marked with D, E and F are the most expensive ones, but you can save a lot of money of you opt for G, H, I and J.
Choosing the band
The band doesn’t have to be too elaborate if you pick a fabulous stone. Forget about eternity bands and go for a simple style instead. It is important that the band complements the stone, so find the one that aligns it nicely. Twisted bands and split shanks are very popular choices at the moment.
When choosing a band for the engagement ring, it is best to go for a strong metal that isn’t prone to scratches and changes in pigmentation. While platinum is considered to be the most durable material and celebrities love it, you can opt for a band made from gold instead in order to save some money. While 24K yellow gold is the purest, it also the softest, therefore, it is better to choose 14 or 18K. White and rose gold are stronger than yellow gold and they are great alternatives to the more expensive platinum.
It doesn't have to be a diamond
A diamond is the most traditional choice for engagement rings, but there are plenty of other options. Think Lady Diana’s engagement ring that Prince William gave to Kate Middleton when he popped the question! This beautiful ring with blue oval sapphire encircled with small diamonds is a fabulous alternative to a classical diamond ring. You can also consider ruby, emerald, tourmaline or blue topaz and decorate them with smaller diamonds. You can also pick a less expensive gemstone that resembles a diamond. While pink sapphires look like pink diamonds, citrine is similar to yellow ones.
Think something old
Since vintage rings are very popular at the moment, you can try to find your engagement ring in an antique shop. Second hand rings are much less expensive, but they can be very chic too. You can also consider a family heirloom because an old ring has a meaning and history, and its timeless design will never go out of fashion. Another engagement ring budget tip is to reuse your old jewellery. Just take “something old” and give it a new, fashionable look. The jewellers featured on bridesdiary.com.au are the experts, and only too happy to help you create a fabulous engagement and wedding ring.
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