Many people assume that buying engagement rings and economic down turns should not be included in the one sentence. Nothing could be further from the truth. No matter the state of the economy, people will always be falling in love and proposing. For some, the prospect of a smaller budget can just be a case of shopping smarter. For others, it maybe more of a scenario of not wanting to showcase a lot of expensive looking bling. Read on for some handy tips on how to buy engagement rings in a recession.



Online Jewelry Stores.

Online jewelry stores are always going to be competitively priced. The main reason? No expensive stores and sales people to add to the bottom line. Use your research skills and shop around. Look for warranties and recommendations. Valuations are also a must. Compare quotes between your local jeweler and an online jeweler and you may well be astonished at the price difference. Your dream engagement ring may become an affordable reality.

Colored Stones.

Another way to dramatically reduce the cost of an engagement ring is to think about replacing some of the diamonds with colored gems. Precious stones such as rubies, emeralds, and sapphires, can make a dramatic visual impact to an engagement ring. Lesser priced colored diamonds, along with semi precious stones will significantly reduce the final costing. Colored stones can also be a clever way to add a twist to a more traditional setting to end up with a more unique engagement ring. This can be an excellent option for the girl who has a favorite color that she wears all the time.

Family Heirlooms.

Has Great Aunt Gertrude left you her rather old fashioned ring? The engagement ring setting may be tired, worn, or just plain awful, but the stones or diamonds can be put to great use. Without the cost of a center stone, or surrounding stones as the case may be, the price of the engagement ring will fall dramatically. Custom jewelers can be advised as to the best possible use of family stones for an engagement ring setting.

Playing it Down.

Some may feel that is possibly not the best time to be thought to be flaunting their better fortune. This doesn't mean that couple should have to reduce their budgets. Better clarities, cuts, and colors of diamonds can all be used to create perfectly sparkling diamond engagement rings that are perhaps not quite so big. Hand crafted engagement rings, and intricate settings such as Tacori or Verragio are other great ways to obtain beautiful investment engagement rings.

Palladium Engagement Rings.

Want a platinum engagement ring but are struggling with the price tag? Why not opt for white gold or palladium? While white gold will need regular rhodium plating to maintain the luxury platinum looking shine, palladium is a hard wearing metal that is naturally shiny. Palladium is from the same rare metal family as platinum, and like platinum is hypoallergenic. Palladium is less costly than platinum, but a little more than gold. However, with palladium you will not be having to pay the jeweler to reapply the rhodium plating as you would with white gold.

Affordable engagement rings can still be the stunning ring of your dreams. Shopping smart, thinking creatively, and online jewelers are all options for those buying an engagement ring on a budget.