How To Get More Bling For Your Buck
The lovely Liza Baron of Wedding Rings Direct has let us in on some brilliant trade secrets that reveal how careful choice of carat size and metal can nab you a dazzler on a budget that’s virtually indistinguishable from a more expensive ring to all but the experts.
The missus can’t possibly ever ask how much you spent (though believe us, she’ll wonder) so there’s no harm in using a few little shortcuts to save money without her ever guessing. Even if she does find out, in most cases you should be able to convince her of the genuine benefits of using different metals and stones, beyond the monetary savings. Besides, we’re sure she’ll appreciate your canny nose for a bargain.
First of all you need to learn your terms. Most of them you’ll recognise and may even think you have some idea about, but when it comes to the carat, you may have the wrong end of the stick;
Carat: The weight of the diamond
Table: The surface area across the top of a diamond
Colour: The degree by which the colour of the diamond deviates from “white” (clear like water) to yellow, on a scale from A-Z where A is the whitest possible.
Clarity: The degree by which the diamond is made opaque by internal blemishes, or “inclusions”. This scale has a more convoluted code system, with a flawless diamond being graded ‘Fl’ and an included diamond at the opposite end of the scale being ‘Si13′.
Cut: Also referred to as “make”, the depth of the diamond; too deep or too shallow and the brilliance is compromised.
Fire: The pretty, rainbowy, prismy stuff.
Now that you know what they mean you’ll be able to speak confidently about how they affect the quality of what you’re buying. Even if you are bullshitting.
The Carat and No Stick
They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but how well do you really know your friends? One thing they’re unlikely to know is that there’s a massive jump in price between the so-called “milestone” sizes.
The carat of a diamond refers to its weight, not its size, so a 0.49ct diamond might have the same table size as a 0.50ct stone but will be much cheaper. The difference in price between 0.50ct and 0.51ct will be less noticeable, as will the jump from 0.99ct to 1ct.
The moral is, go for a slightly lower carat, save yourself some money and she’ll never know the difference. And yes, we recycled our carat pun there, but it was that or a really filthy joke about Bugs Bunny.
Brilliant
Girls also want sparkle, and this is another area in which a higher carat diamond might fall short.
You could come across two near identical diamonds and find that the lower carat is the most brilliant. There’s absolutely no point in paying more for the bigger diamond when it’s of a relatively poorer quality.
Make sure you don’t compromise on the colour and clarity; keep it to (colour) H (clarity) Si1 or better.
You could always try to dissuade her from getting a diamond in the first place (good luck), but if you want to be more sneaky you can convince her to keep it to just a few bits of sparkle with a reminder that eternity rings with diamonds all the way around are traditionally given on anniversaries or on the birth of children – she won’t want to miss out on this later on. You’ll bag yourself some brownie points for a gift you haven’t even bought! Yet. Better start saving.
Metal Gear Solid
Most engagement rings on the high street are only sold in platinum and 18ct white gold, so our top tip is to go online and get palladium. Palladium is a metal with very similar properties to platinum, but is much cheaper because it’s not as rare. Her friends won’t be able to tell the difference and she only will if she asks. It also means that a) you won’t have to tramp around the shops in the rain; and b) you’ll almost definitely make further savings – online jewellers spend less on rent and other overheads than retail stores and will pass the savings on to you.
Another thing to remember is that she needn’t have the same metal for her wedding ring as for her engagement ring. Although some retailers may tell you otherwise just to get a better sale, there’s nothing wrong with wearing palladium with platinum, or 9ct white gold with 18ct.
You can even wow her with your concern about the durability of the rings – it works out nicely for your wallet that 9ct gold is stronger than 18ct and therefore less likely to get scratched.
Hardcore Pawn
Buying stuff second hand is now officially cool. Girls have been going wild over vintage glamour for years and you can use this to your advantage. Buying vintage is an awesome opportunity to get something really unique without splashing out on bespoke. She’ll go wild over how thoughtful you’ve been and brag to her friends about how much effort you put into finding the perfect ring.
Of course you can find gorgeous second-hand pieces in vintage jewellery shops, but don’t forget eBay and even pawn shops. Just don’t forget to check for hallmarks and ask about diamond certification to make sure you can insure the jewellery if needed.
Box Clever
When it comes time to drop down on one knee, remember that you’re going for the WOW factor – first impressions are everything, so make sure the ring is displayed for maximum sparkle. Black backgrounds are ideal to offset white metals and diamonds, while white or cream give that extra touch of class to yellow gold. If you’ve bought a vintage ring, don’t put it in a shabby old box – splash out a few quid on a nice leatherette display box to add invaluable glamour to the moment.
Check out the weddingringsdirect.com advice section for more info on engagement rings and wedding rings
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