After a home and car, the diamond engagement ring may be the most expensive purchase many consumers ever make. Even though diamonds are at some of the lowest prices in years, your bank account may not notice the difference. Since the desire (or demand) to get hitched doesn’t stop for a recession, here are some tips from Blue Nile, Lux Bond & Green, and Long’s Jewelers, on how to save money on the big ring.
Bundle the love
Buying the diamond and the ring as a complete package can easily save hundreds of dollars at the outset and much more if you need repairs down the road. And just as important, you want the jeweler to stand behind the quality of the diamond, the ring, and the setting work.
Use the family jewels
Couples with an heirloom diamond that has been in the family for generations can save thousands because the only cost is the ring itself. Jewelers can help reset the family diamond into a more contemporary mounting.
Go vintage
Check out merchants that carry a sizeable estate jewelry collection and hunt for a vintage diamond ring. There are often bargains to be found in these vintage collections.
