Even thought buying a diamond engagement ring is the same as buying any other engagement ring, there are a few things you should think about before you step into the shop and let the experienced salesperson talk you into paying your last 3 months of hard work away.
One thing is sure. You made up your mind, you are going to ask the big question, you got the night all planned in your head… but you still need a ring to seal the deal. Take your time and read this through, ring buying can be very expensive for someone who doesn’t do any research, There is much to consider when purchasing a diamond – especially diamond engagement rings, do what a men do and have been doing throughout the last 300 years, get down to your knee and look for that small box in your pocket… now try and get all those words out correctly, and you may have to start thinking about wedding rings.
Most woman will expect a ring to accompany a wedding proposal, so make sure you got some idea of what her taste is like and who she is, would she go for a small, modest ring, or would she love to have everyone understand she is getting married just by the shine of a huge rock sitting on her finger, remember that an diamond engagement ring is also a clear sign for society to start congratulating both of you.
Budget is an issue here, since one can spend unrealistic sums of money when you are talking about diamonds rings, try and think of how much you can spend (not saying how much you want, since we all want to spend a lot on an engagement ring) and what kind of ring you can afford, not everyone can put in a few months of his hard work into this, and realistically, maybe you should save a little for after the weeding, don’t blow it al on the diamond engagement ring. Usually the ‘two months salary’ rule is the one to use. This means that the ring should cost the equivalent of two months of your current salary. Consider financing, go to the jeweler of your choice and tell them that you plan to buy an engagement ring, and that financing will be necessary. Make sure you do not give in easily to the jeweler and start getting into the numbers, see what kind of rings you can afford, and what is the general cost of different rings.
When in the store, keep a negotiation going, try not to let the sales people walk you through the buying experience, be involved and alert, and stick to what you want. Keep talking about prices, what you actually get in each ring and why is the price different, get a few rings that you like in front of you and keep comparing them. The average salesperson works on commission, and that the profit on these sales is huge, you can cut prices if you know how to talk shop with these people, even if you are not good at this – you can always try this system. Compare as many rings as you like, put them all in front of you, keep asking about prices and make sure you go back to the one you like a few times. You can also say that you really like it, and ask if he can make the price a little sweeter for you. Not a lot of sales people let a sale walk out the door, if you play your cards right, you can cut some of the price.
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