| Many people assume that buying engagement | | | | fashioned ring? The engagement ring setting may |
| rings and economic down turns should not be | | | | be tired, worn, or just plain awful, but the stones |
| included in the one sentence. Nothing could be | | | | or diamonds can be put to great use. Without the |
| further from the truth. No matter the state of | | | | cost of a center stone, or surrounding stones as |
| the economy, people will always be falling in love | | | | the case may be, the price of the engagement |
| and proposing. For some, the prospect of a | | | | ring will fall dramatically. Custom jewelers can be |
| smaller budget can just be a case of shopping | | | | advised as to the best possible use of family |
| smarter. For others, it maybe more of a scenario | | | | stones for an engagement ring setting. |
| of not wanting to showcase a lot of expensive | | | | Playing it Down. |
| looking bling. Read on for some handy tips on how | | | | Some may feel that is possibly not the best time |
| to buy engagement rings in a recession. | | | | to be thought to be flaunting their better fortune. |
| Online Jewelry Stores. | | | | This doesn't mean that couple should have to |
| Online jewelry stores are always going to be | | | | reduce their budgets. Better clarity, cuts, and |
| competitively priced. The main reason? No | | | | colors of diamonds can all be used to create |
| expensive stores and sales people to add to the | | | | perfectly sparkling diamond engagement rings that |
| bottom line. Use your research skills and shop | | | | are perhaps not quite so big. Hand crafted |
| around. Look for warranties and | | | | engagement rings, and intricate settings such as |
| recommendations. Valuations are also a must. | | | | Tacori or Verragio are other great ways to obtain |
| Compare quotes between your local jeweler and | | | | beautiful investment engagement rings. |
| an online jeweler and you may well be astonished | | | | Palladium Engagement Rings. |
| at the price difference. Your dream engagement | | | | Want a platinum engagement ring but are |
| ring may become an affordable reality. | | | | struggling with the price tag? Why not opt for |
| Colored Stones. | | | | white gold or palladium? While white gold will need |
| Another way to dramatically reduce the cost of | | | | regular rhodium plating to maintain the luxury |
| an engagement ring is to think about replacing | | | | platinum looking shine, palladium is a hard wearing |
| some of the diamonds with colored gems. | | | | metal that is naturally shiny. Palladium is from the |
| Precious stones such as rubies, emeralds, and | | | | same rare metal family as platinum, and like |
| sapphires, can make a dramatic visual impact to | | | | platinum is hypoallergenic. Palladium is less costly |
| an engagement ring. Lesser priced colored | | | | than platinum, but a little more than gold. |
| diamonds, along with semi precious stones will | | | | However, with palladium you will not be having to |
| significantly reduce the final costing. Colored | | | | pay the jeweler to reapply the rhodium plating as |
| stones can also be a clever way to add a twist | | | | you would with white gold. |
| to a more traditional setting to end up with a | | | | Affordable engagement rings can still be the |
| more unique engagement ring. This can be an | | | | stunning ring of your dreams. Shopping smart, |
| excellent option for the girl who has a favorite | | | | thinking creatively, and online jewelers are all |
| color that she wears all the time. | | | | options for those buying an engagement ring on a |
| Family Heirlooms. | | | | budget. |
| Has Great Aunt Gertrude left you her rather old | | | | |