Cheap Engagement Rings:
More Bling for your Buck

You might be rolling your eyes and cringing trying to imagine what cheap engagement rings might look like. Well you can stop rolling and cringing. What if I told you that you can find a $36,000 engagement ring for $12,000? Or how about a $12,000 engagement ring for $4,000?

There are a few ways to find such amazing deals on your bling, but I am going to start with my favorite. Can you guess?? Yup - ebay.
Just like with your dream designer wedding gown and many other high price tag wedding items, you can get an amazing cheap engagement ring on ebay that looks anything but.

Some of you may be wondering how sellers on ebay can offer such incredible deals on something like this, and the reasons are really quite simple. If you are buying/bidding from an ebay jewelry store, that online merchant not only doesn't have the overhead that a brick and mortar store does, but they cut out several layers of middlemen in order to acquire their jewelry inventory. And yes, that online merchant saves sooooo much in overhead and middlemen costs that they can afford to sell rings at such a low markup, and still make a nice profit. Hence the $12,000 ring for $4,000!

If you are buying from a single individual who is selling an engagement ring, there could be many reasons why they decided to list it on ebay. Maybe they inherited it and the type of ring is not their taste, maybe they got an upgrade, or maybe it's a broken engagement or divorce. In this case, their loss is your gain.

If you think finding a cheap engagement ring on ebay is a fantastic idea (as you should), then make sure you exercise care and caution, just as you would with any online purchase.

Helpful tips to help you along your cheap engagement ring hunt on ebay:

Investigate the seller's history and what their feedback is like. If they have a lot of satisfied customers, then this is a reputable seller. (98% or above positive feedback at minimum). Also make note of how long he or she takes to get back with you on any questions you might have emailed them.

Find out what the seller's return policy is. ANY reputable diamond seller on ebay will allow you a certain period of time to examine the ring and have an appraisal done to make sure it's the exact ring you paid for. Run away from any seller who's policy is "all sales final." Also check to see if they have a restocking fee for any item returned.

Make sure you ask the seller if the ring pictured in the auction, is the exact ring you are getting. Most of the time it's not, and that's ok IF they are willing to email you a picture of the exact ring. Some ebay jewelers do so much business and have so many of the same items to sell, that they use the same picture each time the same style of ring is relisted. Again, this is totally acceptable if the seller is willing to email you a picture of the actual ring being offered.

Always use a trusted form of payment, such as PayPal, which will cover up to $1,000 if the transaction turns sour - but only if that seller provides PayPal buyer protection. So pay attention to the fine print. Your best option for payment is to use an escrow company. This company would charge a small fee (the buyer or seller can pay this fee, or it can be split between them) to hold your money until you are satisfied and give them the go ahead to release the funds to the seller. That way there is no chance for the seller to sell you a misrepresented ring and get away with it.

Last but not least, make sure your cheap engagement ring comes with a certificate of authenticity. To ensure that you know what you are looking at, visit GIA, Diamond Grading, and Pricescope. These sites are an excellent education resource and have more information than you will ever want or need to know about diamond buying.

If you do your homework there is no reason why you can’t have a seamless transaction experience for your fabulous cheap engagement ring from ebay.

For those still not convinced that ebay is the best place to get the most bling for your buck, there are lots of other online jewelry stores that will still have some great “below retail” prices.
Brilliance, Diamond, Shenoa Diamonds (they also sell their rings on ebay), DivaDiamonds, PriceRock, UltraDiamonds, Diamond Ring, SuperJeweler, World Jewels, SunJewelry, Diamond Brokers of Florida, Peter LaRouche Diamonds (also an ebay seller), The Jewel Store (also has an ebay store - prices in ebay store less expensive), and Natalia-Diamonds to name a few.

If you don’t plan on purchasing your ring online at all, make sure to pay attention to the sales around holidays. Jewelry stores, especially large retail chains, will significantly mark down their inventory, and there is a good chance you will find a fabulous cheap engagement ring during one of those sales.

If you live in - or are visiting - New York, spend a few days checking out the Diamond District. There are some incredible deals to be had on all kinds of jewelry, fabulous cheap engagement rings included.

Creative Considerations:
CZ Wedding Rings for your Cheap Engagement Ring

In the name of safety and sanity, more brides these days are wearing faux wedding jewelry while traveling, or even just day to day while running errands or playing in the garden. I purchased very nice faux diamond set in white gold and even my family jeweler had to do a double take - with his jewelers loop! - to find out that it wasn't the real deal.

If some brides are wearing faux diamonds for travel and other reasons and no one is the wiser, why can't you wear faux wedding jewelry all the time? If you do your homework and understand the differences in quality CZ or Moissanite jewelry, I promise you no one will know those jewels aren't the real deal.

A fake diamond set in sterling silver will be the cheapest option, but springing for white gold or platinum will be a sturdier choice, and worth paying a little more for the extra quality. Also, keep in mind that cubic zirconia is heavier/denser than a diamond, so a 1 carat CZ stone, will look more like a .80-.90 carat diamond. So if you want a center stone that appears to be a 1.5 carat diamond, pick a CZ stone that is around 1.75 carats or above. Choosing a high quality CZ or Moissanite diamond ring really is a smart, budget beautiful option for your cheap engagement ring.

Some FANTASTIC resources for faux cheap engagement rings are Ross-Simons, Ziamond, QVC, HSN, Emitations, CZ Jewels and Carat*Jewelry.

Cheap Engagement Rings:
Garner a Gemstone

A LOT of brides are incorporating colored gemstones into their engagement ring selections. Whether it be a birth stone, or other favorite gem, this is a huge cost cutter yet blings up the ring at the same time. I've always been a big fan of gemstones in wedding ring sets and engagement rings, but Monica from Friends created the craze for gemstones with her diamond and sapphire antique engagement ring from Chandler.

Choosing a ring with a diamond center with gemstones sides or accents versus diamond sides or accents will save you quite a bit, but make your ring all the more stunning.

Alternatively, choosing a ring with a gemstone center stone with diamond accents, will save you even more, and will be equally as stunning.

Affordable Antiques: Cheap Vintage Engagement Rings

To say that I am totally and completely obsessed with antique / vintage engagement rings would be the understatement of my lifetime. Whether it be Art Deco, Victorian or Edwardian, I love them all. Vintage engagement rings, more specifically CHEAP vintage engagement rings can be somewhat difficult to find. The best deals I have found have been in a few obscure antique stores in the French Quarter in New Orleans, and on the world wide web. (Where else?!)

Over the years I've purchased a few vintage diamond rings (that could have been engagement rings) from ebay, and been very pleased with each one. One in particular I purchased a few years ago for around $550. It's from the 30's and although absolutely stunning, had its fair share of wear and tear so I had my jeweler rebuild the platinum mount so that I could actually wear it without concern. That cost around $450. After the "re-building" was complete, he then appraised it for $4,200. I knew I had gotten a bargain, but I really had no idea just how much of one.

My recent cheap vintage engagement ring and wedding ring research has uncovered a few exceptional online jewelry dealers well worth your time to check out:
Fay Cullen
New York Estate Jewelry (store on ebay and online, online store is less expensive)
Dover Jewelry
Diamond Ten
Mels Antique Jewelry
Salvatore and Co. (antique jewelry reproductions - store on ebay, online, and in New York's Diamond District)
Nina Elle Jewels (antique jewelry reproductions)
Antique Engagement Rings

Hopefully you have learned from this page that regardless of whether you are hitting the mall or the web to find your cheap engagement ring, you can find what you want for a great deal with a little bit of planning and flexibility.

Related Articles:
Cheap Wedding Rings
Cheap Platinum Wedding Rings
Cheap Wedding Rings For Men
Design A Wedding Ring

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