Design a Ring - Engagement Rings Don't Have to Break Your Bank Anymore

 So, you'd like to create your own custom design ring...Engagement rings are important, it's certainly reasonable to want to have ultimate control. I made the mistake of going to a jeweler when I wanted to propose to my girlfriend, I thought that a jeweler would have my best interests at heart...I couldn't have been more wrong.

I've never felt more pressured to spend money in my life. Jewelers know exactly what's going through your head, and they'll guilt your wallet out of your pocket faster than you can say "Jack". So how do you get the most value out of your custom design ring? Engagement is a very serious thing, and you should certainly do your best to provide your girl with the best ring you can. Well, I'll tell you what qualities you should look for when you build your ring.

OK, so the first thing to do is decide on your budget. Decide the MAXIMUM amount you'd like to spend on a custom design ring. Engagement doesn't do anyone any good if you run out of money to support you’re soon to be wife. Got it? Seriously, you should write it down.

Now, here's the trick: Pick out your diamond first. Now, why would you do that, you ask? Because, the diamond is the most important part of the ring. Then once you pick your diamond you can pick a setting to show off the diamond you picked the best.

I feel like most people pick their settings first, then get to the diamond with an intended budget, and they pick a diamond. Great, right? But then they scroll down the list a little "Just for kicks"...and they see a similar diamond, that's a WHOLE LOT nicer and just a couple hundred more.

OK, so they decide what's a couple hundred compared to the $2k+ I'm already spending. So they go with that diamond. And maybe right below it is a diamond for only $100 more that's so much nicer than this diamond. And it goes on and on until...BAM. You've spent $500 more than you meant too!

So here's what I will recommend to you to start out with: I'd recommend staying under a single carat. This is because past one carat the price starts to go up exponentially. A 2 carat diamond is about 5 - 10 times as much as two 1 carat diamonds.

If you do want to go above 1 carat, make sure that you're not sacrificing the color or clarity of your diamond for size. If you've got a 3 carat diamond, but it's like a "J" or something, then you've just got a big yellow diamond. Not doing anyone any good. Remember, the bigger the diamond, the easier it is to see imperfections!