Budgeting for an Engagement Ring - How Much Should You Spend?
You don't have to spend a fortune to buy a lovely, high quality engagement ring. Learn how to juggle stone size, stone quality, and cut to make the most of your budget.
Buying a diamond means investing in a piece of forever. A true miracle of nature dating from the beginning of time, each diamond purchase is special.
Every individual buying a diamond seeks out the best they can afford. Nature’s variety means that you will always find a diamond to suit your taste, budget and occasion. If you’re about to buy a diamond engagement ring, you may want to consider the often-quoted guideline of spending one to two month’s salary.
Many couples choose a Synthetic gemstone ring to begin their marriage with, then later purchasing a diamond, when it suits their budget better..
You can rest assured that the diamond you buy will be a sound financial investment. Their rare qualities have been sought after for thousands of years. Their desirability and value remain undiminished today and will continue through the years to come.
But, whatever you spend, your diamond will represent one of life’s deepest emotional investments. It may eventually be passed down for generations, cherished not just for what it is worth, but for what it means.
Shopping for gemstones and gemstone jewelry can be confusing, because prices are sometimes very different for jewelry that appears to be very similar. Some of the words used in jewelry ads can be confusing too, because gemstones are labeled as natural, genuine, synthetic, simulated, treated -- or a combination of those terms.
What Are Synthetic gemstones?Synthetic gemstones have the same properties as natural gems, but they are created in a laboratory. Lab gems are becoming more common and more popular throughout the jewelry industry.
What Are Natural Gemstones?
Natural gemstones are delivered to us courtesy of nature, with no interference from humans. By the time they appear in our jewelry they've been cut or polished, but they've not been altered in other ways.
What Are Genuine Gemstones?
A genuine gemstones is the real thing, but isn't natural anymore if it was treated in some way to enhance its appearance.
Enhancements allow jewelry manufacturers to improve the look of gemstones that consumers wouldn't otherwise purchase. Treated gemstones are genuine, but they are no longer considered natural. If naturally "perfect" stones were the only ones available, most of us couldn't afford them
Are All Natural or Genuine Gemstones Valuable?
No, they're not. Small to large gemstones of poor quality are common and often considered mining castaways. Get the facts about a specific gem before you pay a premium price for it.