This is a simple, no-nonsense guide to buying an engagement ring in Brisbane, from a guy who has lived in Brisbane his entire life and who recently purchased an engagement ring (and then got married). After a lot of extensive research online, in shops and through word of mouth, this is the guide that worked for me in buying the perfect diamond engagement ring for my partner.
Spend a little time browsing through jewellery catalogues, brochures, and online jewellery sites such as James Allen or Blue Nile. This can be done by yourself or with your lovely lady.
Sit down with your lady and decide on the following things so you can narrow your search:
Decide on a budet and STICK TO IT. You should only do this once you've had enough of a look online and in brochures to realize how much various options cost. For example, at current prices, a one carat diamond solitaire ring costs anywhere from $3499 to $10000 and more. This way, you can set yourself a firm budget and have an idea of what you will and won't be able to get within that budget.
The jewellery industry has perpetuated the idea that you spend 3 months salary on a ring - ignore this and choose a number that is consistent with what you spend on other big purchases in your life, and that you would be comfortable with. Nothing is worse than buying something and then feeling guilty and stressed about the repayments you have to make. Read this article on how much to spend.
Swear again to yourself that you'll stick to your budget!
Get your lady to get her engagement ring finger sized again. Don't do this when it's cold as her finger will expand when it gets warmer.
Go searching in stores and online. Whenever you look at a ring in a store, make sure you write down the details about the ring and diamond - the ring metal type, ring design, diamond size, color, clarity and shape being the most important to note. Whenver you find a ring in a store that you like, try creating a custom ring that closely matches it on an online site such as James Allen.
For a budget ring, consider a diamond color between H and J, and a clarity rating between VS2 and SI2. Because they are the only online retailers with extensive photos of their diamonds, James Allen is a good place to focus your searching.
Engagement Ring Guru has partnered with James Allen to provide you with an unique 10% off any engagement ring setting coupon code. Just type in "ringgu10" during the purchase process and you'll get 10% off the ring setting price (doesn't include the diamond).
So for example, if you picked a solitaire ring setting worth $800 and a diamond worth $2000, you'd save $80 off the total price. Not bad for only typing in 8 characters!
If you're confident, make the final choice of ring yourself. Or you could run it by your beloved as well to be safe. If you've decided to buy online, make sure you've got enough money on your credit card and place the order. Keep an eye out on the package using a tracking service, and make sure it's insured. Follow up with customs in your country if you have to pay taxes and duty to clear it from customs.
If you've decided to buy from a store, and have already shown significant interest, they've probably offered you a discounted price already, somewhere between 10 and 30% off. Offer them a lower price and be prepared to walk away. It never hurts to try and you might save a few hundred dollars extra which will be useful on the honeymoon!
Propose! Good luck!