Diamonds Q and A: I'm wondering
the best way to go about accomplishing the perfect ring purchase.
-- Do I go to a jeweler and describe the ring and deal with him/her
on the stone (according to your many guidelines), then have that
jeweler put the ring together?
-- Do I possibly buy the stone online or from another source
then have it placed into a setting made my someone else?
-- Is it better to just deal with one place?
-- How do I factor in the total cost of everything, once it's
all said and done? -- How much for the stone, the setting, the
band, etc? Thanks a lot.
-- Steve F.
Great questions. I suggest buying a loose stone, presenting
the diamond loose, finding a reliable jeweler in your area, pick
out a setting you both like, and have the jeweler set your diamond.
My main reason for this approach is price. In almost every case,
you will save a lot of money buying a diamond from one of the
major Web dealers (as opposed to buying from a local brick-and-mortar
store). On a find quality 1 carat diamond you might save enough
to pay for a romantic weekend away with your sweetheart to make
your proposal in style. For ideas about this, you can go to our
article on proposal ideas
Here's how (and why
you should do it this way):
1 ) Read the article on our site
entitled: "Loose
Diamonds are Better"
This will tell you why we feel you will achieve a much better
result for less money with a loose diamond rather than buying
a ring that is already finished in a jewelry display. It also
tells you how to present the diamond loose, so you can involve
your sweetheart when most women prefer to be involved -- selecting
the setting. The fun is creating the ring together!
2 ) Read the article on site called:
"How
to Choose a Diamond Dealer."
This will tell you how to find a dealer that you can trust. Also,
read our article on how
to avoid the major scams
that are still used in find stores across the country.
Use our free Five
Easy Steps to
guide you through the 4 Cs and beyond.
Ask the Experts if you have any remaining questions.
It's free.
Sometimes there can
be some value to having everything done in one place. Many of
the best dealers (like the ones in our Dealer Ratings) offer excellent prices on
settings as well as loose diamonds. The only problem with this
is seeing the setting before you buy, since online photos are
not enough. The best online dealers will send you the settings
in the mail before setting them, but this adds shipping costs.
So I recommend using a local jeweler for the setting. This gives
the two of you a little time together creating a very special
ring with your sweetheart.
You should also decide
on your wedding rings options at this time also, since the wedding
ring will need to match or work well with her engagement ring.
Hope this helps. If
you have any further questions, use our Ask the Experts form to include your own question and add to our
growing database of knowledge for future visitors!
Robert Hensley
President
Diamond Helpers
Keywords: loose diamond,
setting, how to buy, settings, rings, buying online, web dealers,
internet dealers, internet jewelers, web jewelers
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