What you need to know before buying a diamond wedding ring: Understanding the 4C’s, your budget, real diamonds vs lab grown and finding a reputed seller.
Buying a wedding ring is probably one of the most significant purchases you’ll make in your life. After all, this piece of jewelry will be with you for many years to come, and it may even outlive you.
But why diamonds? Well, diamonds are the most preferred stones for wedding rings. They are timeless and symbolize your love, strength, and compassion. The Big Survey 2021: Selling, published in the InStore Magazine, shows that diamonds are the biggest sales volume generators.
That’s why choosing a ring that reflects your style and your partner’s personality is important. This guide will show you how to buy the perfect wedding diamond ring for yourself or someone else. It will also list tips on how ring marketplaces like Rare Carat and others can help you find the best deals for your wedding engagement rings.
Know Your Diamond Ring Budget
To help you understand your budget, here are some general guidelines for how much you’ll need to spend on a diamond ring. If your partner makes more than $150k a year, plan to spend about 3% of that amount on the ring. This is what industry experts recommend as a good starting point.
You must also consider your overall budget for the wedding. This will help you determine how much of your budget you can allocate to the diamond ring. According to a survey conducted to analyze wedding spending, it was found that wedding jewelry, at 16.7%, makes up the highest wedding spending, followed by food and bar catering and venue.
Next, consider your financial situation. If you are on a tight budget, you may want to consider a less expensive ring. Finally, research different jewelers to compare prices and ensure you get the best value. For the best comparison experience, you can visit a ring marketplace like Rare Carat.
The website allows you to compare prices across 150+ vendors while its AI and human experts help consumers to find the best deals. Moreover, you can also read Rare Carat reviews from genuine customers on the website to ensure that the vendors registered on the platform can be trusted. Look for one such marketplace, and buying a wedding diamond ring will become easier.
Look for Customizing Your Ring
Customizing your ring is another way to make sure you get exactly what you want. You can choose the style of diamond, such as round or princess-cut, and then pick the color based on your preferences.
If money is tight, but you still want a high-quality stone, consider going with a graded or treated diamond instead of one that’s completely natural. You can also have the ring made to fit your finger perfectly, so it doesn’t slide around when worn daily.
You can also choose to buy loose diamonds of different carats and then have them made as one single ring. This way, you can choose diamonds of different carats and colors and mix them together to create a perfect wedding ring. However, you must communicate with your partner before doing any of these.
Rare Carat marketplace offers a wide range of loose diamonds you can buy and put together. This will let you reflect your partner’s personality on the ring. For instance, if your partner prefers only diamonds, you can choose different diamonds and put them together. On the other hand, if your partner also like other gemstones, you can go with a combination of diamonds and other stones like emerald, ruby, etc.
A wedding will lead you to a delicate relationship with your partner. If you don’t communicate everything clearly, it will lead to challenges in your relationship. This can further result in divorce. Many couples now understand this. Hence, the US divorce rate has constantly been declining for the past decade.
Choose Between Natural or Lab-Grown Diamond Ring
When it comes to choosing between natural or lab-grown diamonds, there are a few things to consider. However, before knowing the factors to consider, it is vital to understand what are lab-grown diamonds.
Natural diamonds are mined from the earth and typically have a higher level of carbon than their lab-grown counterparts. This means that they’re harder and more durable and hence more valuable.
On the other hand, lab-grown stones retain all the characteristics of their natural counterparts but are less expensive because they don’t need to be mined out of the ground like naturally occurring gems do.
Additionally, due to their relative rarity compared with other types of stones, many people feel that buying a natural ring can be both extravagant and ostentatious. If this sounds like you, then consider purchasing an imitation instead.
In addition, lab-grown diamonds are often more consistent in size, shape, and color than natural diamonds. Another important factor to consider is the environmental impact of each option. Natural diamonds are mined from the earth, which can have a negative impact on the environment. Lab-grown diamonds, on the other hand, are created in a lab and therefore have a much lower environmental impact.
Consider the 4 C’s When Buying a Wedding Diamond Ring
A diamond’s cut and color are crucial to its overall appearance. The cut plays a huge role in determining how sparkly the diamond is, while color affects the brilliance of the stone. If you’re looking for a slightly more subtle look, you may want to consider purchasing a stone with lower color grades.
Carat (CT) size refers to the weight of your diamond. Try not to select a carat size that’s too large or small for your ring size so that it doesn’t look out of proportion once mounted on your finger. A 3 CT diamond ring will be suitable for a wedding.
Clarity refers to how clear or cloudy your diamond appears when you look through it from above or below. This refers back again towards cut as well since clarity can affect how much light reflects off its surface at any given time.
When you buy wedding rings from Rare Carat or other such marketplaces, checking and comparing all these C’s of the diamond ring is easier. Besides the 4 C’s, you can also consider other features, including shape and price, to find the best deals.
Find a Reputed Seller
A reputable seller will be transparent about their business, and they’ll make it easy for you to find out if the company is a member of a diamond trade association or a member of the Better Business Bureau. Some sellers may even post their certificate from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) on their website, verifying that they are properly trained to sell diamonds.
You can also find your perfect wedding ring online. In fact, the trend of buying wedding rings online is growing. According to the Engagement Ring Survey 2021, around 11% of buyers purchased engagement rings on the internet.
You can again take the help of a ring marketplace here. Marketplaces like Rare Carat often inspect the diamonds and the seller before listing any product on their websites. This ensures complete authenticity.
Conclusion
Buying a wedding ring is an important decision and should be taken seriously. You can make this process easier by doing your research first, getting an idea of what you want from the piece of jewelry, and then visiting a jeweler who will help guide you through the process.
Start by looking for reputable retailers that offer customized rings, as well as ones that have been around for some time now, so they understand what goes into designing each piece perfectly before showing it off on their website. Also, look out for stores with great reviews because these places will treat customers right when dealing with diamonds at all times.
