GUYS: Mistakes you make when you buy an engagement ring

When you are in love with the woman of your dreams, and you are ready to ask her to marry you, it is important that you do it right. This means not only do you need to plan out the perfect proposal, but you also need to find the perfect engagement ring.

Many men tend to make the same mistakes when buying engagement rings. Here are 10 of the top mistakes for you to avoid making in order to impress your future bride.

1. Making a Rushed Purchase

Reading through 100 reviews on your next N100,000 laptop, but only spending 2 minutes for your N150,000 engagement ring? Don’t just go out and get any nice ring, you need to take your time to make sure that you have picked out the perfect engagement ring. Make sure that you shop around, and see what the various jewelers, both online and brick and mortar stores have to offer.

2. Create Your Own Engagement Ring

Custom-made doesn’t necessarily mean ultra-expensive. In fact, you may be able to spend less money, and get a much nicer ring than you would find in a jewelry store. However, a custom-made ring is most likely to be non-refundable. A brief online search will allow you to uncover a large variety of styles, carats and settings so it will be special for sure.

3. Not Setting a Budget

You need to have a budget in place before you start shopping for an engagement ring. Otherwise, you could end up spending a lot more than you can afford. When you set a budget, you will only be looking at rings that are within an affordable price range.

4. Only Shopping in Chain Stores

Chain stores all seem to have the same pieces. If your future fiancée is unique, her engagement ring should be as well. Look for rings that aren’t mass produced.

5. Not Talking to a Specialist

This is a person who can help you choose the perfect diamond for the engagement ring. This is a person who specializes in diamonds, and they know what they are talking about.

6. Falling for Biased Review Sites

You may think that you have found the perfect engagement ring from an online seller. So, you check out reviews of the ring, and the seller, and see a lot of rave reviews. How do you know if they are real? Authentic reviews are usually long reviews with a lot of emotions. Berg recommends picking a loyal forum or website and paying attention for multiple comments.

7. Only Researching Online

You don’t always get accurate information online, especially when someone is trying to sell you something. Look at engagement rings in stores and get some prices before doing any online research, so you can compare rings and prices.

8. Not Telling Your Girlfriend’s Best Friend

Your fiancée is going to be wearing this ring for the rest of her life, so it only stands to reason that you should involve her best friend in the purchase. Simply find out what she likes, her ring size, etc. so you can find a ring that she will love. You can even get her to pick out a few different styles so you have some examples to choose from.

9. Not Researching Diamonds

You don’t need to take a course in gemology, but you should learn a bit about diamonds, such as how they are rated. That way, you will know if you are being charged too much for a ring. Learn about the four C’s: cut, color, clarity, and carat.

10. Only Shopping in Department Stores

While the bright lights in department stores can make the jewelry they sell look shiny and pretty, it is usually of inferior quality. Sure, you may get a great deal, but how great is it when the ring is just something that was mass produced, and poorly at that?