Engagement rings are available for men and women in South Africa from shops like American Swiss, Sterns and Galaxy just to name but a few popular jewelers with stores at malls and shopping areas around the country.
As with most jewelry available to buy at both physical stores in SA or over the Internet at online jewelery shops, unique rings can either be designed by the client or chosen from a range of pre-designed stock.
Specials and promotions are often available to those who time it right and cheap yet quality pieces can be bought for a lot less money than the usual costs.
The following engagement ring shopping tips will help you to manage your shopping experience and will help you to find the perfect ring for yourself or your partner.
Buying an engagement ring, especially if it is for someone else as is usually the case, can be incredibly stressful and overwhelming.
This is because of the following reasons:
- There is so much choice when it comes to engagement rings
- There are so many different stores to shop at
- There is a lot of pressure to get the right ring for your partner
- The ring will be a focal point for your fiancé’s friends and family and you want them to approve of it
- Engagement rings, and good quality jewellery in general, can be incredibly expensive
To help you get past the above stresses take note of the following engagement ring shopping tips:
Tip # one: find out what sort of ring your partner would like
If you are buying an engagement ring for your partner and if you are shopping in secret, you will be under a lot of pressure to find a ring that he or she will adore.
There are several ways to make sure that you are making the right choice including:
- Look at your partner’s other jewellery, particularly their rings and see if there is a common style (for example, do they seem to prefer silver coloured jewellery or yellow gold?)
- Think back to any comments they may have made about engagement rings (have they commented on how they think big stones are too showy or about how they want a ring like a certain celebrity’s?)
- Ask your partner’s close friends and family for their opinion. Your partner may have mentioned something about the ring that they would like in the past.
- Think about your partner’s hands. Are they slightly large or medium sized? Or are they dainty and delicate? A large, chunky ring does not always look good on a small hand while a spindly, delicate ring can look silly on a larger hand.
Tip # two: decide on a reasonable budget and consider opening a store account to pay your ring off
Finding the perfect ring that also fits your budget can be very tricky. It is a good idea to work out what your budget is and then make sure you stick to.
If you find the perfect ring and realise that you can’t afford it, consider opening a store account and paying it off over time.
Tip # three: shop outside the box
Another great way to find real bargains or very special rings is to shop outside of the box.
Instead of simply visiting the most expensive local jewellery store, try one of these options:
- Wait for a sale. Many jewellery stores hold regular sales and you can get as much as 70& off certain pieces. This could save you a lot of money!
- Shop at second hand stores and pawn shops. There are many great finds at these stores and you could even pick up a vintage ring with real history. This could be more meaningful than a brand new store bought ring.
- Shop online. There are a wide range of websites that offer good quality jewellery online. You can choose the ring, pay for it and have it delivered to you saving you a lot of effort and even some money.
Tip # four: decide what you want the ring to say
There are a great many different styles of ring, and once you have decided on a budget, where you want to shop and what sort of thing you think your partner would like, you should consider adding something extra special.
Different designs mean different things, for example the eternity ring, the looped ring and the two interlocked rings. Different precious stones also symbolise different things.
Do some research into what the different stones and designs symbolise and then decide what you want your ring to say.
Designing your own ring
Couples can choose to design unique engagement rings themselves at most respected jewelry stores such as American Swiss or Sterns who have professional craftsmen and women available to help.
They will usually get an idea of what it is a person or couple likes and their particular tastes and suggest different styles and stone settings in accordance.
If you are looking at designing your own ring for when you get engaged then it is a good thing to look through catalogues and at pictures of jewelry to get a positive idea of what it is that you’re after before approaching a designer.
Think ahead as well before having something custom made for you or even when buying off the shelf. Think about how you may want your ring to be and perhaps you can work it out so that they end up matching and complimenting each other perfectly.
Diamonds are very popular precious stones to have set in different designs but of course there are many other choices of stone available to choose from for your setting/s.
Most of all be patient in your research as there are a lot of options and shops that sell engagement rings in South Africa at very different prices.