There is a great deal to consider when purchasing a diamond – especially a diamond
engagement ring! The tradition of presenting a woman with a diamond engagement ring when proposing began as long ago as 1477 when Archduke Maximilian presented
a diamond ring to Mary of Burgundy . Since that time the tradition has been maintained and in most cases, the woman you plan to propose to will expect a ring to accompany that proposal or to be supplied shortly therafter!
First one must determine how much ring you can afford. A good rule of thumb is to use the ‘two months salary’ rule. This means that the ring should cost the equivalent of two months of your current salary. Because you still have other bills to pay, saving up for this amount of money may take quite a long time. If you feel you are under time pressure you could consider financing the ring but if you do be mindful of starting your life off togther in significant debt.
If you want to go down this route simply go to the jeweller of your choice and tell them that you plan to buy an engagement ring, and that financing will be necessary. Go ahead and get your credit check out of the way, find out what your payments will be, and how much of a down payment is required.
Now, get your mother, sister, or your girlfriend's best friend to take your girlfriend
shopping, and make sure that they look at the engagement rings to get an idea of what she might like. Make sure that the jewellery store you buy the ring from will allow you to return the ring, if that is required, or will allow your girlfriend/fiancee to exchange it for another if she isn’t happy with it!
This should get you started and on the right track. Next week we will talk about how to select the right diamond. For more information on organising the perfect wedding vist www.perfectwedding.co.za
