If you're in the process of shopping for a diamond engagement ring, it's important that you do some research and plan ahead. While the process is fun, it can be intimidating if you aren't prepared.

This article will equip you with some useful tips.

4 Tips for Diamond Engagement Rings

An engagement ring is special. It's more than a piece of jewelry. It's a symbol of your love and devotion to your soon-to-be spouse. It's also a promise of your focus and affection. And while your love isn't defined by a ring, it can certainly be reflected by it.

With this in mind, here are several proactive steps to ensure you buy the perfect ring for your bride-to-be.

1. Work With the Right Jewelers

People used to have very limited options when it came to buying diamond engagement rings. There were a couple of jewelry stores in every town and people had no choice but to work with one of them. But times have changed. Not only are there more brick-and-mortar jewelry stores today than there were a couple of decades ago, but there are hundreds of websites and online shops.

While it's good to have options, choices also create a level of uncertainty and risk. If you aren't prepared, you can easily end up working with the wrong jeweler. Research and due diligence have never been more important than they are today.

Only shop from reputable companies. This means working with companies that are totally transparent and "above board." Take Clean Origin as an example. They have a mission and commitment to selling lab created diamond engagement rings that are conflict-free and easy on the environment. If you do your research on them, you'll find that they practice what they preach.

Contrast this with most other online jewelers who are just looking to turn the highest profit margins possible. When profit margin is the most important factor, there are usually some questionable tactics being used behind the scenes. But when the priority is on cleaning up the supply chain, you can feel a little more confident that things are being done the right way.

2. Know Your Styles

There's a lot to consider when buying a diamond engagement ring. While you don't necessarily need to have every detail figured out before starting the shopping process, it does help to have a basic idea of the style you want. This allows you to channel your search and create a little more focus.

Style isn't necessarily the same as setting. Style doesn't refer to a specific type of diamond or setting. Instead, it's about the overall look and feel. Examples of styles include contemporary, antique, minimalist, ornamental, modest, or lavish.

3. Learn How to Compare Diamonds

While an honest, ethical jeweler will help you compare diamonds and make a decision based on the individual factors of each, it's helpful to have at least a working knowledge of what makes one diamond superior to another. You should start by learning about the four C's of diamond quality, which refers to cut, clarity, color, and carat. With a basic working knowledge of these terms, you can better understand what the jeweler is talking about.

4. Don't Get Caught Up With Big Brands

It's easy to get lulled into buying a diamond from a company because the ring has a pretentious name attached to it. However, if you're buying a ring because of the brand name, you're getting hosed. There's little (if anything) that actually sets that ring apart from a lesser-known brand.

"If you buy an engagement ring from a big-name brick-and-mortar jewelry store, you're going to overpay by hundreds or thousands of dollars," Diamond Buying School explains. "The bigger the brand, the more the markup."

If you want a beautiful (and affordable) diamond engagement ring, you should buy it from a reputable online company that has low overhead and is able to offer better prices.

Adding it All Up

Buying an engagement ring isn't something you do on a whim. For starters, you have to be sure that you're ready for marriage (and that you've chosen the right person to spend your life with). Secondly, you have to do your due diligence and make sure you're investing in the right ring. Let this article serve as a helpful guide in your decision-making process. Good luck!

I prefer no brank mentions, I will OK this one because it looks really organic, but I do not want these articles to include the brand name, please.

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