5 Tips for Buying Your Perfect Engagement Ring By Jewelry Designer Aryn Oleinick
Aryn Oleinick
TIP 1: BUDGET
The First thing you should do when starting your engagement ring shopping process is to set a budget. Like most luxury items these days, today’s market for stones can be a bit crazy. Knowing your top spend will help you keep your sanity and make sure you get the perfect stone within your comfort zone.
TIP 2: PRIORITIZE YOUR C’S
Get familiar with the 4 C’s of diamonds (Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat) and decide which ones are most important to you. These decisions will help to guide your search and design your perfect ring. As a rule of thumb, I always recommend putting the bulk of your budget into the center stone.
TIP 3: BROADEN YOUR SEARCH
To get access to the largest selection of stones, work with a trusted private jeweler. Unlike a typical retail or online jewelry store, where you might need to pick from a limited on-hand inventory that may not match your preferences, an experienced private jeweler can provide access to a large network of diamond suppliers. These combined sources will provide you more opportunities to find your perfect stone.
TIP 4: FIND A UNICORN
A “unicorn” stone is a magnificent diamond that maximizes your investment. Here are two suggestions I give to my clients:
· Don’t sacrifice on cut; instead go for eye-clean clarity and color. Diamonds with excellent or ideal proportions cost slightly more, but will look larger and more brilliant than any other cuts.
· Select an “under-size” diamond (a diamond that weighs just under a cutoff weight such as 1 carat or 0.5 carats), to save substantial amounts of money on a diamond that looks essentially the same as a cutoff weight diamond to the naked eye.
TIP 5: GET CREATIVE
More than ever, my clients are making personalized, non-traditional choices for their engagement rings. For example, some of my clients have been choosing eternity bands or colored stones over a traditional diamond setting for their ring. Working with a bespoke jeweler will allow you to design something completely unique - a piece you'll treasure for years to come!