It’s that incredible time in your life when you’ll finally ask the love of your life, to spend a lifetime together. After reading through a quick guide to buying an engagement ring, it’s time to go diamond ring shopping. If you’re looking for a stress-free and affordable approach, engagement ring shopping online is the way towards the budget-conscious future. These are all the important things you need to know before shop for the perfect ring on the world wide web.
Have an Idea of What Ring You are Looking For
It’s easy to get lost in the deep-deep online world of shopping. Hundreds of online jewelry shops, thousands of sales and deals, and pretty much ad after ad popping up everywhere from Facebook to Youtube. It can get quite overwhelming. This is why it’s important to have a good idea of what ring design you are looking for before you start engagement ring shopping online.
Engagement Ring Designs to Know:
- Solitaire – This is a ring design that features only one center stone diamond. It’s the simplest of all the ring designs.
- Sidestone Rings – This design features a center stone enhanced by smaller side stones on either side of the main diamond.
- Halo Ring – The halo ring design is one that creates the illusion of a larger center stone size. Small accent diamonds encircle the large center stone.
- Three Stone Design – This is a center diamond that’s accompanied by two smaller diamonds on each side.
- Bridal Pair – This is a popular choice as both the engagement ring and wedding band is designed to fit comfortable together
Diamond Shapes to Choose From:
- Princess – The Princess Shape is the classic engagement ring diamond shape.
- Round – The Round Shape is known to look the brightest and most brilliant as it has the most surface area that reflects light. If you want a diamond that shines the brightest, it’s this one.
- Cushion – The Cushion Shape resembles that of a pillow shape. It is the perfect cross between the Princess and Round-cut; A square shape, with rounded edges. It is also a popular choice for ring designs.
- Oval – The Oval Shape, known for its vintage look, is a great choice if you’re looking to create an elongated illusion when worn. It is a shape recognized for the way it complements the appearance of a hand when worn.
- Pear – The Pear Shape has its ever mythical feel to it. It’s a non-traditional engagement ring shape and quite a unique one. It’s perfect for someone who wants something completely unique.
Popular Ring Metal Colors to Choose From:
- White Gold – White Gold is the most popular choice as it is the most sought after by both men and women. It resembles the color of the diamond the best, and works beautifully at framing the brilliant stone.
- Yellow Gold – Yellow Gold does an incredible job at being the perfect contrast that compliments the diamond the most. Its golden color helps make diamonds stand out the most. It is also recommended if you happen to have a diamond that isn’t entirely colorless as this will appear white on a golden band.
- Rose Gold – The Rose Gold engagement ring has quickly shot to the top of the list in the past 10 years as we see the growth in popularity of this slightly pink gold hue. It is a great choice for a unique, yet subtle ring design
If you’re struggling to know what ring design your partner would want, have a look at their social media pages, ask their closest friends, or try to analyze their own style, and try to determine whether they want something simple or loud. Have a good idea of what ring design/s you’re leaning towards buying, before engagement ring shopping online. This will make the process a lot easier for you.
Different Online Shops Have Different Prices
There are hundreds of jewelry shops online and the prices of diamond jewelry are not all the same. A 2 Carat solitaire princess cut design may cost $8000 in one shop, but $15,000 in another. It’s always a good idea to do your research and quite a bit of window shopping before settling to buy from one shop.
Helpful tips for engagement ring shopping research:
- Bookmark websites that you are interested in so as not to lose it
- Take note of different prices for different jewelry shops to compare later
- Confirm that the diamond rings are certified
- Check for insured shipping
- Read descriptions to guarantee that you know what you’re buying
Finding the right ring for the right price will depend entirely on how well you do research before engagement ring shopping online. You can guarantee that you will make a comfortable and happy purchase if you get to know the differences between the different online stores, the choice of where and what to buy will be easier.
You Need to Read Google Reviews
Many online jewelry shops share their customer reviews, but this may not be completely transparent or unbiased. Take advantage of Google Reviews where you can confirm that you are reading real, up to date reviews about a shop and their products. Google reviews are reliable, and you’ll be able to get a good idea of what to expect from an online jewelry shop.
When you read through reviews, take these into consideration:
- The most recent reviews
- The reviews about the products
- The reviews about the service
- Look out for reviews about after-purchase services
- Look for reviews discussing warranties and cleaning/maintenance services
It’ll immediately become apparent when a shop is the best choice for your engagement ring shopping online when you begin to read through all of their most recent, and significant Google Reviews. You can choose according to the type of service you are hoping for, and what you think will work best for you and your shopping experience.
Learn How to Spot a Secure Website
There’s one concern about shopping for engagement rings online, and that’s the security of your payment details. You will most likely be asked to pay using a credit card or an online payment service such as Paypal. This is where knowing exactly how to spot a secure website will be important.
How to spot a secure website:
- Check the URL – A website’s URL that starts with HTTPS is secure for online payments. One that starts with HTTP (without the ‘S’) is not.
- Double-Check reviews – Find proof that other customers have safely purchased from this website.
- Don’t Use a Debit Card- It’s always best to use a credit card, and avoid using a debit card. If a website asks for a debit card specifically, this is not safe.
In most cases, if an online jewelry store has a good reputation through Google Reviews and has a secure URL, then you should be able to make a safe purchase. It’s better to check and be safe, before buying anything online.
Final Thoughts
You can make the most out of the great prices and services of online jewelry stores. In fact, it’s well-known that jewelry stores that sell exclusively online, have significantly affordable prices compared to the traditional jewelry shop at a mall. Preparation is key when it comes to engagement ring shopping online. Plan and prepare everything ahead of time, and you’ll find yourself with a great ring, bought at a great price.
