Saturday, November 29, 2008

How Can I Find a Cheap a Low Cost Engagement Ring?

By Tom W. Mason

Most of us find engagement ring shopping to be pretty intimidating, and it's no secret why. This is an expensive item that has a lot of personal meaning - we all want to get it right. However, there are ways to pay less, reduce your stress, and know you're getting a good deal.

Everyone wants the biggest diamond possible - bigger is considered better. This is one of the things that stresses us out so much. No one wants to pay a lot, but a bigger diamond is the goal.

Fortunately, there are ways to get a high quality, large diamond for a lot less than you might think. It's all about getting the most out of your money.

Here's an example that'll tell you more.

Every diamond out there has been graded according to four major characteristics. These are carat, clarity, cut and color. We'll take a look at color to show you more.

Color grading scales range between D and Z, with D color grading indicating the best color. To decide what quality color a given diamond has, each one is inspected under very high magnifications.

What's the catch? D-grade diamonds look the same as H-grade diamonds, unless you have a microscope. That's a difference of four grades.

Unless you look at the diamonds beside one another, on a white background, and under close magnification, you'll never notice the difference. The naked eye just can't see that level of detail. You might spot a difference between D and I if you know what you're doing, but even grades I and J are hard to see a difference in.

So what's the point? You should never pay for a D grade diamond when the human eye can't distinguish it from an H!

The price difference between the two ranges is enormous. You could pay thousands of dollars more for a D grade diamond. Most jewelry stores encourage buyers to choose the highest grades, of course. Most people fall into this scheme, and pay a lot more than they need to.

This is only one example of a way to save when you buy an engagement ring. Pick a diamond with a lower grade in color, and you'll be able to buy one that's a lot bigger for the same money. - 16083

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