Quick and Easy Buying Guide

Carat weight: 1 carat = 200 milligrams = 6.5 mm diameter. Doubling weight doesn't double diameter.

Diamond clarity: FL/IF/VVS/VS = super expensive, near perfect. SI = best value if you can check a photo for obvious inclusions (defects).

 

Color: D-G = colorless, expensive, only if you have money to burn. H-J = best value. Can go lower in gold metal settings than white metal.

Cut: Better cut ratings let more light into a diamond, making it sparkle more. Very important property, don't skimp here.

Set a budget and minimum cut (Premium). Go J color for gold and I/H for white metals. Go searching for SI1/SI2 clarity diamonds at James Allen. Pick a diamond with small/no inclusions. Choose a ring setting and buy it risk-free (60-day returns).

Cheap Diamond Rings For Women

So you are searching for a cheap diamond ring and you're wondering where you should be looking? Well, you have a number of options depending on what your exact goal is.

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There are two major decisions you need to make to help narrow down your search. The first is whether you are going to buy your diamond ring online, or you whether you want to buy from someone in person so that you can actually see the ring "in the flesh" so to speak.

Bear in mind that the past disadvantages of buying a diamond ring online are rapidly disappearing. Companies such as James Allen provide high-resolution photos of the actual diamonds and rings that they sell. This means you are able to check out specific details of the diamond, such as inclusions, which you are only able to previously do in person at a store.

The second decision that you need to make in your quest to find a cheap diamond ring is whether you want to buy a new ring or are happy to buy a second-hand one. This question is made a bit more complicated because you can do a combination of both. For example, you could buy a second-hand diamond and combine it with a brand-new ring setting, or vice versa.

The decision about buying second-hand will likely depend just as much on the personal preferences of the person who will end up with the ring. If the ring is going to serve as an engagement ring, then the prospective bride may or may not be happy with getting a second-hand ring - the key here is to communicate early and find out what everyone thinks.

If you decide to buy a second-hand ring, you can get one from local classified advertisements, online on the Internet from auction sites such as eBay, from a pawn shop, from friends or family (perhaps an heirloom ring) and from estate auctions.

If you decide to buy a ring online, you are best off going with one of the major online diamond retailers such as James Allen or Blue Nile, who are both well established online diamond companies.

If you decide to buy in the flesh, then you're best off looking for cheap diamond rings at wholesalers or discount jewellery chains, or at your local store but only when they have a significant sale.