What You Need To Know When Buying an Engagement Ring Online

First and foremost, we want to wish you luck and congratulate you in advance, because if you are reading this “what you need to know when buying a diamond engagement ring online” article, then you will be taking a big step in your life very soon. Marriage is a beautiful thing and at Diamonds By Raymond Lee and Raymond Lee Jewelers, we are here to help make this special moment last a lifetime. 

Clearly, if you are thinking about buying an engagement ring online, you are a progressive thinker…But the truth is, these days, the ‘online’ in “online shopping” has almost become redundant, especially with how consumer behavior has changed over the past 6 months due to COVID-19. The huge upswing in online shopping will not change even when things with COVID settle down. The percentage of shopping that takes place online will eventually surpass in-person shopping. Why? Because online shopping is far more convenient and cost-effective, and this applies to engagement rings as well!

In this guide to buying an engagement ring online, we are going to talk about the advantages of buying an engagement ring online, how to ensure you are shopping for an engagement ring online safely (after all, this is a big purchase), and what you need to know when purchasing an engagement ring online. We are also going to tell you why Diamonds By Raymond Lee and Raymond Lee Jewelers is one of the best places to buy a diamond engagement ring online. 

Without further ado, let’s get started. 

ADVANTAGES OF BUYING AN ENGAGEMENT RING ONLINE VS IN STORE

In theory, purchasing a high priced product that is immersed in emotion online doesn’t seem like the best choice. However, the engagement ring market is proving this wrong. Not only has the number of online engagement rings sales grown by 20% annually over the last few years, and even more so since the COVID-19 pandemic, but people are also reporting back with incredible experiences. 

Thanks to all the free knowledge out there on diamonds, precious metals, engagement ring settings and so on, a person who knows nothing about engagement rings can learn everything they need to know to make a smart, informed decision that they will be happy with for the rest of their life. 

Note: In this article, we are going to teach you and direct you to exactly what you should learn if you are shopping online for an engagement ring. We will also provide links to more in-depth resources from our blog. 

So, if you think expert advice is essential, you are right, but you don’t need it in-store at a jewelry shop. There are plenty of experts like Diamonds By Raymond Lee and Raymond Lee Jewelers sharing their trade secrets online with the world, for free. 

In some cases, going in person to see an “expert” at a jewelry store is actually negative. Because these same experts are salesmen. They want to sell you no matter what.

Of course, that isn’t the case with all jewelry stores, as many of us have strong reputations to uphold and we want the best for our customers. At Diamonds By Raymond Lee and Raymond Lee Jewelers, we take great pride in honest, transparent advice and satisfying our customers. However, not all jewelers and especially not all pawnshops are like this.

The point is, you need to be wary. But as long as you are getting your information from a good source, you can be sure it is legit, and thanks to GIA certificates, you will know exactly what kind of diamond you are buying.

Now, the benefits of shopping online are plentiful, which is why it has become so attractive in recent years. Here are some of the most obvious advantages of buying an engagement ring online:

• Wider Selection: You can browse hundreds of engagement rings in a fraction of the time it would take in-person. 
• Better Value: Oftentimes you will get the best bang for your buck online as there are no middlemen to deal with, upsells or pressure to get something more expensive. 
• Privacy: This one is obvious. You will feel no judgment and no pressure. It’s a beautiful thing. 
• Convenience: It doesn’t get any more convenient than shopping from your home or anywhere you please. You can do it at your leisure, 24/7 any time you want. No rush or pressure tactics, it’s nice when you can do your due diligence at your convenience. 
• Return Policy: Online retailers often have the best return and warranty policies as they know how important that is for online shopping. 
• Easy to compare pricing: Find a ring you like, feel free to compare it with other shops. At Diamonds By Raymond Lee and Raymond Lee Jewelers, if you find something similar at a better price, you can contact us. We know our prices are super competitive so we have no concern on that front. 

IS IT SAFE TO BUY A DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING ONLINE? 

Providing that you shop with a trusted online jeweler like Diamonds By Raymond Lee, Raymond Lee Jewelers, Blue Nile, and so on, buying an engagement ring online is one-hundred percent safe. The whole, “I might get scammed with a fake ring” or “what if it gets lost or stolen in the mail” is a non-issue as all engagement rings from reputable online shops have third-party certificates (i.e. GIA certs for the diamonds) and shipping is fully insured. All of your concerns about shopping online have been thought of and covered by reputable online sellers. It’s 2020, the future is online shopping, so it’s safer than ever to buy online. 

What’s more, any good online engagement ring store will have a no-question asked return policy. So, if you don’t like your purchase, you can return or exchange it. These fantastic return policies have to be in place for shopping online or else fewer people would take action. Take advantage of this. It’s just how it is when shopping online. The experience is catered to the demands and concerns of online shopping. 

CAN YOU BUY A QUALITY ENGAGEMENT RING ONLINE?

If you shop with a reputable company, then you will get the quality that is stated on the website for the engagement ring in question. If you know what the 4Cs of diamonds are and you know about other things like precious metals, designer brands, and so on, then you will know exactly what kind of quality you are getting. It’s all completely transparent. When your ring arrives, you will have documentation from the company to prove that. If you ever need to resell your engagement ring, then this documentation is important. 

HOW TO BUY AN ENGAGEMENT RING ONLINE?

When shopping for an engagement ring online, there are a few important things you need to consider and learn about. Not just so you get good value for your purchase, but also so you get a ring that you love. Below we will run through the most important aspects of engagement rings that you should study up on before making a purchase. We will provide links to in-depth resources where necessary. 

Budget

The first thing you need to do is determine your budget, then you can narrow down your search to get the best engagement ring bang for your buck.

Now, there is some debate on how much you should spend on an engagement ring. Some say two months salary. While that may be tradition and a general rule of thumb, you can really put that thought to the side. 

Your budget should be determined by how much you can afford, it is that simple. Remember, the engagement ring is just one of many expenses that are associated with marriage and a wedding, so be wise with your money. 

Her Style

The next thing you need to do is consider her style. What kind of taste in jewelry does she have? You can figure this out by looking at her current jewelry collection and asking her questions. If you want to keep things a surprise, then ask in a smooth, subtle way so you don’t give it away. 

You could also ask her family or friends. They will give you some tips. But, we recommend that you take this advice with a grain of salt. It’s likely you know her better than anyone! That said, maybe she’s told her friends about her dream engagement ring before.

Another option is just come right out and ask her. It can still be a surprise even if she knows it is coming, at some point. This is not a bad option as you are guaranteed to get her a ring she loves, and the fact of the matter is, that is more important than a surprise. In this day and age, many couples are choosing the engagement ring together. If you think your soon-to-be fiancé will appreciate this, then just sit her down and talk about it in a fun manner. 

Style points to consider? Well, you have the precious metal, setting, and diamond shape, all of which are equally important to an individual’s personality. 

Now, let’s move on to the stuff of value. 

Precious Metal

The first step should be to choose a precious metal, as the diamond you choose often depends on the precious metal. 

We did a precious metal comparison that you can read about here. This will help you decide between platinum, white gold, yellow gold or rose gold, or some other metal that we wouldn’t recommend unless you know your girlfriend’s peculiar taste. 

Overall, there are pros and cons for all the metals, but preference trumps all. 

Setting

The next thing you need to decide on is the setting. Although you could choose a loose diamond first, then figure out the best setting for it.

A setting is a big part of the style of the ring.

For settings, you have solitaire (the most classic), halo (another popular choice), double halo, three-stone, and cluster. There are more, but these are the most common.

From there, you have the band to consider too. Will it be a plain band, twisting band, split shank, channel-set diamond band, pave diamond, shared-prong diamond, bypass, and so on.

Check out the various engagement ring settings. It will help you in deciding on which diamond is best for your ring. 

For example, if you get a halo, you can go for a smaller carat size. Cluster rings you can get a great value as well, as multiple smaller diamonds are much more affordable than one larger diamond even if the total carat weight is the same. For a solitaire setting, you need to put greater emphasis on the 4C’s, as the diamond will completely be the center of attention.

Learn more about engagement ring settings.

4Cs

The 4Cs of diamonds are cut, color, clarity and carat weight. Each play a role in the beauty of a diamond and the price. Make sure that you learn as much as you can about the 4Cs. This is how diamonds are graded and valued. 

If you shop for an engagement ring without understanding the 4Cs, you are putting yourself at a serious disadvantage, both online and in-store. 

Some things to consider about the 4Cs:

• Carat weight: The price of a diamond increases quite significantly when you go up a whole carat number. So, a .9 carat diamond and a 1-carat diamond will have a much greater price difference than a .8 carat and a .9 carat diamond. However, the actual size difference between a .9 carat diamond and a 1-carat diamond is negligible. 
• Face-Up Size: While carat weight is the determining factor of a diamond’s size, and thus value, face-up size, which is the actual dimension of the diamond from the top view, is equally important. For the different various shapes, there are good ranges for face-up sizes to stick too. So, when you choose a diamond shape, be sure to find the recommended dimensions. 
• Cut: Cut is vital to the brilliance of a diamond. It controls the diamond’s light performance. While Excellent is the best grade, it is not necessarily the best value. Consider the cut carefully, we recommend sticking to Good or Very Good for the best value. Note: Cut only applies to round brilliant diamonds, for fancy shapes (any non-round diamond), you need to look at polish and symmetry, along with face-up dimensions. 
• Color: Color is another important aspect to take into consideration. However, it is typically not as important than cut, pending it’s not a very low-grade color. For best value, get a diamond that appears colorless to the naked eye, which means a near-colorless diamond grade will do. A couple things to note, though. First, certain diamond shapes show more color than others, so get the recommend best value color grade for your diamond shape. Second, consider the precious metal. If you are going for yellow or rose gold, you can get away with a lower color grade as the diamond will show color because of the gold regardless. 
• Clarity: Clarity is probably the least important, but still important nevertheless. For diamonds around 1 carat or less, it is not such a big factor. The larger the diamond, the more important it becomes. It is also more important for step-cut diamonds (emerald and baguette diamonds), as those kinds of cuts are made to show clarity. All in all, you can go for a diamond that appears “flawless” or near-flawless to the naked eye. It’s not like anyone besides a jeweler is going to put the ring under a loupe to inspect its clarity

Learn more about the 4Cs of diamonds.

IS IT OK TO BUY A USED ENGAGEMENT RING?

It’s not only OK, we actually recommend it for most people. Especially those who want to maintain value. When buying a secondhand diamond engagement ring, the value you lose is significantly less than when buying new. In many cases, you won’t lose much value at all. Do you have to tell her the engagement ring is secondhand? Well, that’s up to you. Used engagement rings will look brand new as they will have a fresh polishing and both diamonds and precious metals are everlasting. 

TIPS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN BUYING AN ENGAGEMENT RING ONLINE

The best tips we can give you when buying a diamond engagement ring online are:

• Choose a trustworthy vendor. Make sure they have been in the game for a long time and they have a good reputation. Also, check reviews online.
• Verify the certificates of the diamond (GIA is the only one you want).
• Read the return policy carefully.
• Make sure it has shipping insurance.
• Follow the above points that we made on budget, style, precious metal, setting, and the 4Cs carefully. 

HOW TO DETERMINE HER SIZE?

If she has other rings, you can measure them. But the most important thing is to ask the jeweler if they do resizing and choose an engagement ring that can be resized, which is pretty much every engagement except the ones that have a very intricate band with a continuous loop of diamonds. If you are concerned about the size, choose a ring that has a plain metal band on the underside. That way they can resize the ring with ease.

Note: Most jewelers, like Diamonds By Raymond Lee and Raymond Lee Jewelers, resize rings for free if you bought it from them. 

WHERE CAN I BUY A DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING ONLINE?

Diamonds By Raymond Lee and Raymond Lee Jewelers is a top choice for buying an engagement ring online. We have a very wide range of designer and private label engagement rings. Our engagement rings come in all shapes, colors, cuts, sizes, clarity grades and styles. Moreover, we can make customization to the ring for you, such as ring size, the diamond centerpiece and so on. We even custom make rings from scratch. Everything is possible as we have a state-of-the-art jewelry workshop on-site with a master jewelry maker. This also means we have no middleman to pay, so our prices are the most competitive, unlike many of the largest online engagement ring retailers.

All in all, when it comes to value for money, returns and exchanges, shipping, customer service, and options to choose from, we are the best in the game.

Our company has been in business for nearly 40 years, and we take great pride in our strong reputation. We are all about transparency, providing value, and helping to make wonderful memories for our customers.

Now, we will let our outstanding collection of engagement rings speak for us…

Shop Engagement Rings Online at Diamonds By Raymond Lee

Shop Engagement Rings Online at Raymond Lee Jewelers 

If you have any questions, please contact us.