How To Get An Engagement Ring That is Within Your Budget

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You’re on a journey to hunt for the perfect engagement diamond ring for the love of your life, but you’re overwhelmed with stress. It’s not so much about having too little options either – there’s an abundant of designs to choose from, you’re bound to find one or two that fits your partner’s preferences to the tee. The stress now boils down to finding the perfect bling all whilst sticking with your budget.

“Keeping within your budget” is a phrase easier said than done – especially when hunting for the perfect proposal ring for the love of your life. A huge part of your engagement ring journey is knowing how to sieve through the myriad of rings in the market and narrowing it down to a few options. One way is to use the 4Cs as a guideline and prioritising one C over the other. If you’re not sure what these 4Cs are, we’re here to help!

 

The Importance Of 4Cs

When the prices of diamonds were on a steady increase, with some even surpassing the price of cars and houses, a small change to these diamonds often translates to a lot of money for the consumers. Hopes for better manage quality control, a universal standard for grading diamonds was established – the 4Cs of diamonds.

The purpose of this system was to create a unanimous language for both the diamond industry and its consumers to communicate when it comes to describing the attributes and qualities of a diamond. For consumers, this meant that you could rest assured that you’re getting what you’re paying for.

Introducing The 4Cs

The 4Cs in the diamond grading scheme stands for Colour, Cut, Clarity and Carat Weight. With these 4 attributes, you are able to better grasp the quality of a diamond and compare the diamonds against each other. Each of these quality factors is carefully examined, evaluated and put on a spectrum that will quantify them. Knowing where your diamond stand in the spectrum will allow you to make a better-informed decision on whether to pay the amount stipulated.

  • Diamond Colour

Ironically, when grading a diamond for its colour, we’re actually looking at the diamond’s lack of colour. Colours are graded on a scale of D-Z, with the former being the purest and most lucid colour. As you go down the scale, the diamond will adopt a slight tone of colour, typically either yellow or brown.

If you’re looking to find the best value for money in this category, you can opt for a G grade colour. If you’re opting for a ring with a yellow gold setting, you can go down one more colour grade to H.

  • Diamond Cut

Contrary to popular belief, the diamond cut does not refer to the shape of the gem, but rather the quality of the diamond’s “make” – this includes the number and size of facets, whether they are deep or shallow, or if they are aligned to each other. How well the diamond is cut will reflect how well the gem will reflect light, and by extension, how much brilliance and sparkle it will display.

The grades are given on the scale of Fair, Good, Very Good and Excellence. When it concerns a diamond’s cut, the pricing increments are often negligible, especially compared to what you are getting. As such, always try to opt for a diamond with an Excellent cut grade whenever possible.

  • Diamond Clarity

Diamond clarity simply refers to the appearance of inclusions within or on a diamond. The grading for clarity goes as follows: FL, IF, VVS1, VVS2, VS1, VS2, SI1, SI2, I1 and I2.

If you wish to stretch your buck, you may consider SI1 clarity diamond as it’s considered to be an eye clean diamond. This means that the diamond possesses inclusions that are too minute to the naked eye. After all, why pay to remove things that you can’t see without magnification?

  • Diamond Carat

Diamond carat refers to the diamond’s weight, and it’s an important factor, especially when it comes to the pricing, as these gems are typically priced per carat.

When it comes to diamond weight, one naturally would think that the higher the carat, the bigger the diamond, but this is not necessarily so. The physical diameter (face-up size) of the diamond is also reliant on the cut grade. In some cases, the stone’s cut grade is often compromised in an effort to gain carat weight, translating to a big gem with little to no brilliance or sparkle. When buying a diamond, figure out whether you wish to prioritise the diamond’s visual quality or the carat weight before settling with a single gem.

If you wish to opt for the carat weight, you may consider staying below the weight classes. Instead of buying a 1 carat diamond ring, opt for a 0.95 carat diamond ring!

The Best Of Both Worlds: Lab Grown Diamonds

If you’re looking for an alternative that can rival the beauty and allure of a mined diamond but still save a quick buck, we have just the thing for you. Introducing: lab grown diamonds.

As the name suggests, lab grown diamonds are diamonds that are produced and manufactured in a controlled environment that mimics the natural geological environment that promotes the growth of the beautiful diamond. Despite having two very different origins, lab grown diamonds are physically, chemically and optically identical to their mined counterparts. This also means that their quality and characteristics also come in a spectrum, which means that they are, too, subjected to the 4Cs diamond grading scheme.

If there is one thing that lab grown diamonds do not share with their mined counterparts, it’s the price point. Lab grown diamonds are priced at a fraction of the cost of their mined counterparts. You can expect to pay 50% lesser for a typical 1 carat lab grown diamond ring, or revel in a stone that’s 50% bigger. No longer will you need to sacrifice financially in order to propose to your significant other with their dream rock.

At Star Carat, we wish to journey with you in your hunt for a diamond proposal ring that will sweep your loved one off their feet. With an extensive catalogue, you will have more options to choose from; options that will fit into both your partner’s preferences and your budget. Head down to our outlets to see our beautiful collection for yourself, or book an appointment with us to find a swoon-worthy diamond ring to slide on your partner’s finger.