Laurie Adalle Photography
Budget, Budget, Budget
Setting a realistic budget is an important first step to wedding ring shopping. Wedding ring budgets are a personal choice for each couple, so there is no hard and fast rule here. A good place to start is to spend 3% of your wedding budget on your ring. If your wedding cost $25,000, then your budget would be $750. You could also choose to spend 2 to 3 months salary on a ring, so if you make $2000 a month your wedding ring budget would be $4,000 to $6,000. Maybe you spend a little more on the ring and less on the band, food or flowers!
Brittney Welch Photography
The 4 C’s of Wedding Ring Shopping
When wedding ring shopping, understand what the 4 C’s are prior to entering the store. This will save you time and money. We could write a whole wedding blog about these, but we will just discuss the basics here. The four C’s are: cut, clarity, carats, and color.
-Cut: The cut is the shape of the diamond and is the only aspect of the stone that is not influenced by nature. This factor refers to the quality of the diamond’s cut, not the shape or size (although these can be interchangeable), and how well the stone is faceted, proportioned, and polished. This also determines how the diamond interacts with light.
-Color: Diamond color is graded on a scale from D to Z. D is colorless and Z is showing a yellow hue. The cut of the diamond can hide or accentuate the color of the stone. Longer diamond shapes reveal more color. Diamond color is a personal preference and does not indicate quality.
-Clarity: The clarity of a diamond is how many natural inclusions or flaws are seen in the stone. Also graded on a scale from FL (flawless) to I (included). Note that not all stones have to be at the top of the scale in order to look perfect to the naked eye.
-Carat: This is probably the most well known of the four ‘C’s”. A diamonds carat refers to the actual weight of the diamond. One carat is 0.2 grams which is about the same as a paper clip. No two diamonds are the same, so carats should be used as general guideline.
The Crakes Photography
Cut Not Carat
A common questions we most often hear in regards to wedding rings, is “How many carats is that ring?” As noted above, cut is the most important of the C’s. The better the cut of the diamond, the more it will sparkle. Cuts are usually offered in four grades: good, very good, ideal, and Astor ideal. Statistically, the majority of brides choose an ideal cut.
Snap Chic Photography
Fancy is Fun
Fancy diamonds are diamonds that aren’t round. Round brilliant diamonds are the most common diamonds. Odd shaped fancy diamonds usually appear larger but typically cost less. There are many different cuts of fancy diamonds: princess, emerald, Ascher, cushion, marquise, radiant, oval, pear and heart. It doesn’t hurt to take a look at some of these less traditional diamond cuts when wedding ring shopping. They’re unique and you can save some money too!
Hannah Charis Photography
Always Wait
Good things come to those that wait. Never buy under pressure and make sure to look at several different jewelers before you buy. When my husband and I were ring shopping, I was sure that I had found the ring I wanted. We went on a weekend getaway to Austin planning on buying the ring the following Monday. As fate would have it, we were strolling through downtown Austin. As we passed by a local jeweler, I feel in love with my wedding ring. I was so glad we didn’t make an impulse purchase!
Monica Roberts Photography
Local Vendor
There are many fabulous jewelers in San Antonio and Austin that can help you with your wedding ring shopping We have a local favorite for shopping for wedding rings in New Braunfels. Ernesto’s Jewelers is hands down our favorite place to send Gruene Estate brides to. Locally owned and operated, Ernesto’s has been in New Braunfels for 40 years and provides first class customer service and knowledge that can’t be beat when shopping for wedding rings in new Braunfels and San Antonio.
Wedding ring shopping can seem like a daunting task. There are so many choices to choose from when shopping for that wedding bling. Plan accordingly with a realistic budget and educate yourself on the ins and outs of wedding ring basics. We all love diamonds! We love weddings too, so send us some information about your dream wedding and we’d love to show you around Gruene Estate
