There are few things in life where you want to make sure you spend enough money. This is especially true on a purchase as costly as an engagement ring. It is certainly understandable though, considering the significance of the potentially major moment in your lifetime you could be about to experience when asking your loved one to marry you. As such, how does one decide how much to spend on an engagement ring? First off, rest assured this is by far the most commonly asked question that diamond experts encounter on a day to day basis. The answer quite obviously varies from person to person and the financial situation that a person may be in at that moment. While the pressure to go as big as possible is going to be there, and while it is commendable that you want to spend a large sum to signify the love you have for your significant other, the fact is, you really shouldn’t go “crazy” so to speak. You don’t need to spend a million dollars for your future fiancé to make her friends jealous! By knowing what to look for and what a legitimate price for a particular diamond should cost, you will be in an excellent position to make the most of the money you decide to spend, no matter how small or large the sum may be. Ultimately, it is the symbolic nature of the diamond itself that expresses your everlasting and enduring love for another person while the size of the diamond itself, doesn’t play into that symbolism in any way for most people. First, the simple fact is, you need to be honest with yourself as to exactly how much you are willing to and/or able to spend on an engagement ring. By setting a budget for yourself and going into the process with price you are comfortable spending it will make the whole engagement ring shopping process that much simpler for you. Under no circumstances should you spend well outside your established range, most notably if you don’t have the funds to back up such a purchase. Beginning a new marriage under the crushing weight of debt is not exactly the ideal way to start a new life with your significant other. If it makes things easier for you, there is a long and well-accepted practice of spending two months’ salary on an engagement ring. While this works for some but not for others, at the very least you can and/or should utilize that number as a jumping off point. Know What to Look For So you know how much you want to spend, yet you don’t have the slightest clue as to what makes a diamond worth its’ value! While you can’t reasonably be expected to be an expert in any sort of way, you should be well-versed in a few key areas that will help to keep you from falling prey to crooked jeweler looking to make a quick buck off of you. Before you commit to purchasing anything you need to do some comparison shopping and look around. In order to ensure you are going to get a fair market value price, you should know these following characteristics of a high quality, valuable diamond. The four most important characteristics of a beautiful diamond are known as the four C’s: • Clarity • Color • Cut • Carat Weight It is very important that you keep in mind that each the importance of each of the four C’s fluctuates from diamond to diamond. Meaning what is important on one diamond may not necessarily be the most important aspect of another diamond. For example, many people falsely attribute the beauty of a ring to its size. In actuality, carat weight really doesn’t indicate brilliance of a diamond. A smaller diamond which was crafted by a true diamond expert will contain a greater amount of clarity, beauty and brilliance than a larger diamond which is the same price but doesn’t measure up to the smaller stone’s cut, clarity and/or color. In the end, you want the diamond that glistens and gleams in the light resulting in a gorgeous sparkle and brilliance, regardless of the size. More to Consider It is essential that you keep in mind the four C’s are merely a guideline to be followed but not strictly adhered to. If a diamond you fell in love with, fulfills much of the criteria you are looking for, in terms of price, size, shape, cut and clarity, then go for it. Just make sure you have looked around and know what else if available to you before you finalize anything. Furthermore, here are a couple more tips to keep in mind when you about to purchase an engagement ring: • It is extremely highly recommended that you purchase a diamond in which the dealer can produce a diamond certification paper for. What this certification will do, is confirm and verify that the four C’s in which you have been told the diamond you are about to purchase contains, does in fact contain those characteristics, thus protecting your investment. The two most well-known and well-respected independent diamond certifiers are the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) and the AGS (American Gem Society). • Though sometimes your eyes can deceive you, in the search for the perfect diamond, your eyes are a major part of the decision process. Make sure you get around to seeing a lot of different types of diamond from different dealers. Don’t only rely on the four C’s. Make sure you look for the one that fits the personality of the person in which you are purchasing it for. After all, it is they who you hope will be wearing this diamond for the next half century at least.

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