Online Shopping: How to Choose the Perfect Engagement Ring

Getting married soon?

Congratulations! But the hard part of planning your wedding is only just about to get real. There’s a lot to think about and it all starts with choosing the right engagement ring.

With most people shopping online these days, it’s no surprise you can find the perfect diamond or ideal engagement ring online too. But there are a few things to consider first.

Don’t worry, we’ll help you out. Keep reading our list here to learn how to shop for engagement rings online:

Set Your Budget

Before you even click on a website to shop for engagement rings, set a budget. No matter what, try to stick to that budget.

Don’t believe the old adage that an engagement ring has to cost as much as three months’ worth of your salary. That’s an old way of measuring the value of a ring. Nowadays it’s more practical to stick to what you can afford and then work from there.

Metal

Start by choosing a good metal for the band. Most engagement rings use gold or platinum. Those are the safest choices but don’t settle for whatever you see.

Learn how to value gold and platinum by their purity. Their weight matters too.

If you don’t like traditional looks, there are a few alternatives. You can try an engagement ring that uses black gold, rose gold or white gold.

You can also look for platinum engagement rings. There are also sterling silver, tungsten and cobalt engagement rings. They look very different from platinum and gold.

Gemstone

Decided on the metal for the ring band? Good, but that’s only half the design process. You also need to choose the right gemstone.

When it comes to gemstones, diamonds are the default choice. That doesn’t mean you have to stick with them though. Depending on availability, quality and your budget it might be better to choose an alternative gem.

Don’t worry, we’ll break it down for you below:

Diamond Engagement Rings

You can’t talk about engagement rings without deciding on a diamond.

Choosing a diamond isn’t easy either. You have to know your Four C’s to choose the right one. The Four C’s refer to a diamond’s colour, carat, cut and clarity.

Natural diamonds are expensive but there are cheaper alternatives like lab-grown diamonds. They have many of the same chemical properties as real diamonds.

Of course natural diamonds are the preferred choice for many. Finding a diamond that meets all the Four C’s is rare and more valuable.

Moissanite

Looking for a piece of jewelry even rarer than what diamond offers? Consider getting natural moissanite, one of the rarest gem in the world. This is because moissanite only comes from meteors that landed on Earth.

Moissanite and diamonds look similar to each other. To an untrained eye it’s easy to mistake one for the other.

Like diamond engagement rings, you’ll also find rings using lab-grown moissanite. These are way more common and more affordable. They have the same characteristics as real moissanite except they didn’t come from outer space.

Other Gemstones

You don’t have to stick to diamonds and moissanite. There are other valuable gemstones out there. They may not be as fancy as a pure diamond or as rare as a moissanite but they have sentimental value.

Sapphire gems are one of the most valuable alternatives. These gems come in many colours but blue is the most popular. Rubies are actually sapphires with a red impurity instead of blue.

Not a fan of blue or red? You can even look for opaque black sapphires or white sapphires. There’s also the extra rare orange-pink impurity found only in Sri Lanka called a Padparadscha gem.

Ring Designs

Unlike wedding bands you have many more options to choose from when it comes to engagement rings. Not only do you have to choose the design for the metal band but also how the diamond sits. Jewelers call this the ring setting.

The most common setting is the Solitaire Ring. In this style there is a lone gem in the center. Other options are Three-Stone setting, Halo Rings, Pave and Bezel setting.

Luckily you don’t have to stick to the traditional options. Don’t be afraid to look for a jeweler who offers custom options. More often than not it’s better to go with a custom design to get something more unique and memorable.

Choose a Reliable Jewellery Store

Of course you need to get your engagement ring from a reliable jeweler. Don’t just shop at the first online store you see. You can’t try the ring out since it’s an online transaction but there are ways to make a smart purchase.

First, check the store options. Can you buy wholesale in Vancouver from this provider? Do they offer instalment plans or ring customization?

Make it a habit to read reviews too. People trust online reviews and for many good reasons. Actual customers wrote those reviews after all, so you get a better insight on the store’s customer service and the quality of their jewels.

Buy Now

Now you know what to look for when shopping online for an engagement ring. Check the gemstone, choose the right metal and then the ring setting. Read reviews, choose a reliable store and always stick to your budget.

Get an engagement ring for your loved one now? You don’t have to look far!

We have the best engagement rings and wedding bands, check us out! Contact us and let us help you find one for her today!