7 Steps for Buying a Quality and Affordable Diamond Engagement Ring in Australia

Are you planning on proposing to your special someone, and looking to pick out the perfect engagement ring for them? This is a big decision, and hopefully, one that will be on display for the rest of your lives. It’s probably something you’re taking pretty seriously.

So how do you go about choosing such an important ring? And how do you find the perfect diamond engagement ring that's affordable and within your budget? It can be nervewracking, but with this helpful diamond ring buying guide, you’ll find yourself in good hands.

If you feel totally lost at the idea of choosing your engagement ring, you’re not alone. Almost everyone who’s ever bought their future spouse an engagement ring has been in the exact same spot that you’re in. Luckily, you have come across an expert fine jewellery blog and relevant article that will help you with exactly this issue.

Keep reading for a few tips and tricks on choosing the perfect ring for your perfect person.

Everyone wants to get a little bit spendy with the person that they love and cherish, right? Unfortunately, we don’t all have unlimited budgets. The average person in Australia spends around $5,500+ dollars on an engagement ring, which means some people go far above, and some people go below.

You need to adjust your budget for what you can afford for an engagement ring. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to get the perfect ring for your partner, especially when you shop at stores like Forever Chic Jewellery offering affordable luxury fine jewellery and a"best price Guarantee." There are plenty of beautiful diamond rings for the budget-conscious buyer.

(At Forever Chic Jewellery, we also offer easy interest-free financing and payment plan options for terms up to 12 months if preferred - Learn more here. )

If diamonds aren’t in your budget (or if your partner isn’t into diamonds as a gemstone) you have other options that might work better for your spouse-to-be and your wallet. Moissanite is the world's best (REAL gemstone) diamond alternative that still has the look, sparkle, shine, and feel of diamonds, but without the questionable ethical history or the high price tag.

Choose the option that works best for you and your partner, not necessarily the most expensive option. Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but an expensive ring doesn’t necessarily equal a perfect ring.

You know your partner better than anyone, and perhaps you’ve enlisted the help of their friends or family members to make this process a little bit easier. At this point, you would most probably know what they like.

Are they the kind of person who likes simplicity? A solitaire diamond on a simple band? Do they like the extra fabulous look of coloured gemstone and clusters? What do they normally wear, if they wear jewellery?

Don’t go for the flashiest piece if your partner doesn’t wear flashy jewellery. Remember, this is hopefully going to be on them for life! You want it to fit in with their day-to-day look.

Pay special attention to the jewellery that your partner wears often if they wear jewellery. Typically speaking, you’re going to have the options of light-coloured metals, yellow-toned metals, or rose-toned metals. Sometimes the light metals are white gold or platinum, occasionally sterling silver. Yellow and rose metals are a darker gold colour as their name suggests, yellow and rose in colour.

While this might not seem important to you if you’re not very interested in jewellery, to someone who wears it often, this might be a big deal. It could even be more important than the gem.

Diamonds and gemstones are not all shaped alike, so you should probably know your options before choosing an engagement ring. This wouldn’t be a diamond ring buying guide without a quick rundown of the more popular diamond shapes.

If you’re looking for something classic, a round diamond is a great choice. Cushion-cut diamonds, which are a little more square, also have that traditional and classically beautiful look that a lot of people really love.

Emerald-cut diamonds are a little bit more rectangular and elongated and have somewhat of a modern shape to them. They, alongside marquise cuts (which are similarly long and elegant), are great for a slightly larger sized primary gem.

If your partner would be into something a little bit “different”, you could opt for a heart-shaped diamond. They’re incredibly cute, and a great mark for the love that you’re about to share for the rest of your lives.

The shape of the gem can help dictate the setting of it in the ring. There are plenty of settings to choose from, but there are a few popular ones to start with.

A prong setting is great for a solitaire diamond and really lets it stand out against the band. A prong is little metal claw that grips the diamond tightly, holding it in place. Prongs can be rounded, pointed, flat, or V-shaped (see example below).

A bezel setting is also good for solitaires but has many other uses are well. It protects the outside of the gem from getting chipped or scuffed and protects the skin from sharp edges. Instead of holding the diamond with prongs, the bezel setting encircles the diamond, or centre stone, with a thin metal rim custom-made to hold the stone tightly in place (see example below)

Channel settings can put small gems all the way around the ring band, allowing the dazzle to extend all around the finger. Basically, in a channel set ring, diamond or other gemstone accents are placed in a “channel” formed by two strips of precious metal. Grooves on both walls hold the diamonds securely in place. When round diamonds are channel set, triangular-shaped spaces usually appear in the corners between the stones, creating a distinctive, captivating look (see example below).

There are plenty of options, but which is right for you? If you need personal engagement ring selection assistance contact Forever Chic Jewellery for free guidance.

Generally speaking, rings can be resized after the engagement happens. There’s something really special about being able to wear the sparkling new very special accessory right out of the box, though, so if you can get it right the first time you might get bonus points. If you need some helpful tips on how to find out a partner’s ring size without them knowing, check out this page.

If you’re working together with your partner to plan your engagement, you can just ask about their ring size, of course. Or they could get their ring size professionally measured at your local jewellery store. This makes the entire process a lot easier and less stressful. Otherwise, you might have to get just a little bit sneaky.

You can look at the rest of the jewellery that they have and see if you can swipe a ring from their personal collection to use as a size guide. You could also enlist the help of friends and family, though this will be nearly impossible without garnering a bit of suspicion.

Resizing a ring isn’t a difficult process, so don’t stress too much about this part.

Not everyone is up for asking for help, and that’s totally okay. If you’re really stuck, though, consider including your partner in the shopping process.

Whether the engagement happens before the ring is bought, or you plan it together, if you let them help you choose the ring, you’ll know for sure that they’ll be getting something that they love.

You could also consider a free personal jewellery concierge service. Contact Forever Chic Jewellery and ask for more info on this. It's a totally free service, that offers helpful styling and ring guidance and education based on personalised information provided by yourself within our discovery session.

Use This Engagement And Diamond Ring Buying Guide!

Buying an engagement ring doesn’t have to be a stressful process. You should be getting ready to do one of the most exciting things you’re ever going to do.

This is a happy time.Relax, trust yourself to know your partner’s taste, and go shopping. You’ll get it right.

To learn more or check out our collection of recent custom made beautiful diamond engagement rings, explore the Forever Chic Jewellery Jewellery diamond ring page.