Due to the current world financial crisis, the cost of jewelry components like gold, platinum, silver and gemstones, has swiftly risen. Hence, the cost of jewelry has also risen dramatically. What should the guy who wants to propose to his girlfriend do? Well, it shouldn’t cause him to postpone proposing. There are ways to get around the high prices and to make your girlfriend a very happy fiancee.

Brand – A popular brand name ring is always going to cost you more than a stone that does not carry a brand name. This is much the same as buying popular brand name clothing, rather than lesser known brands. If you want to save some money on the ring, seek out the most beautiful unbranded diamond you can find. Brand names come and go so that in a few years the brand may not matter whatsoever and you may still be paying back the cost of a brand name.

Negotiation – Just with many items, haggling for the price can save you quite large amounts of money. It is common for jewelers to mark up jewelry 200% or more so therefore they have a lot to bargain with. Don’t be afraid to negotiate with them to a price you are comfortable with.

Shape – Some diamond shapes are much more expensive than other diamond shapes. The least expensive cuts are oval and pear. The reason behind this is not that oval or pear shapes are in any way inferior to any other shaped diamond. The oval and pear shapes appear, due to the way they’re cut, to be larger than diamonds cut in other styles. They are also less in demand than other styles so there is usually a good deal awaiting you if you buy one of these cuts.

Band – People immediately notice the diamond in the center of an engagement ring. The band is secondary. It makes lots of sense to choose a simple band and put that saved money into the centre stone. Your fiancee will be blown away by the beautiful centre diamond and that’s what everyone else will notice too.

Stone – A common mistake among purchasers of diamond rings is purchasing the stone from the same retailer that will set the stone. It saves big money if you purchase the stone from one retailer and have a second retailer set it into the band.

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