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Getting married isn’t cheap. Between the wedding, honeymoon, and setting up your new household, your bank account might be suffering. On top of all that you want to propose with the perfect engagement ring.
Fortunately, you can create an expensive-looking engagement ring without breaking the bank. Check out our tips for spending less but ending up with more. We’ve seen these strategies used successfully time and again. They’ll help you create a ring she’ll proudly wear for decades to come.
When it comes to selecting diamonds, you’ll have to weigh your preferences and make some compromises. Since natural diamonds form over millions of years deep down in the earth’s crust, they’re all flawed and unique. Some have inclusions, and others have brownish tints.
As you shop for diamonds, you’ll become familiar with the 4Cs: carat, colour, clarity and cut. Many people equate large stones with expensive rings, but a large, flawed diamond doesn’t exude the same kind of quality as a smaller, nearly-perfect stone.
If you’re aiming for an expensive-looking ring, make the colour a high priority. A lovely colourless diamond radiates class and quality.
Good design is one of the hallmarks of an expensive engagement ring, but you don’t have to spend a fortune to get exceptional design. Some classic settings, such as the solitaire, have withstood the test of many years and are surefire bets for an expensive-looking ring.
When you’re aiming for classy, try to avoid trendy settings that will look dated in a few years. If you see all of her friends wearing the same style of ring, try for something a little different.
When an engagement ring features pave stones, the colouring of those stones doesn’t matter too much because they’re so small. But if the ring features several larger gems, it’s essential to match their colour.
Let’s say you’re looking at three-stone rings, similar to the one Prince Harry gave Meghan Markle. If the side stones don’t have a similar colour rating as the centre stone, the ring will appear cheap. Try to match the colour of the stones for a luxurious, high-quality appearance. If your centre diamond is rated F on the colour stone, shoot for side stones with an F/G rating. If you skimp on the colour of the side stones (say, an H rating), the difference will be distracting.
Expensive-looking engagement rings have a flawless finish. You wouldn’t want to disrupt that finish with scars from resizing. If you’re not sure about her size, choose an easy-to-resize setting.
Some rings are easier to resize than others. Hard metals like platinum don’t accept changes easily, and you may not like the results. Intricate craftsmanship also makes it difficult to resize rings. If you’re planning on purchasing an ornate or Edwardian-style ring, triple check to make sure you select the right size to begin with.
Additionally, if you want to avoid expensive resizing hassles, avoid choosing a tension setting, which requires specialised engineering by an experienced jeweller. Eternity bands are also tough to resize because the diamond sizes and prongs are made to exact specifications and measurements.
As you begin shopping around, you’ll notice substantial differences in the pricing of various precious metals. And that’s not where the differences end.
Traditional metals like gold, silver and platinum are malleable enough to support complicated filigree work. Some of the newer space-age metals like tungsten, titanium and cobalt are just too hard to take on details. For people with sensitive skin, the hypoallergenic properties found in titanium, platinum, palladium and silver can be a life-saver. And if durability is necessary for her lifestyle, look to titanium, tungsten, cobalt and stainless steel for the most impressive wear-and-tear.
By using one or more of these strategies, you can create an expensive-looking engagement ring without adding stress to this special time in your life.
When you find the perfect engagement ring, insure it with Q Report jewellery insurance. You can purchase it directly from a Q Certified jeweller in your area, or we can help you to secure it online. We look forward to protecting your carefully chosen engagement ring.
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