Saving money is not easy. However, if you are saving for something you will give once in a lifetime, then it is indeed worth it.
In buying a diamond engagement ring, it is imperative to have a budget. From there, make regular deposits to your savings account, solely dedicated to the ring. Stick to the plan until you have enough money that can avoid high-interest credit cards and financing.
This method works in whatever diamond carat you are eyeing for. But what if you still want to slash the price, without compromising the aesthetics? We have good news for you —buy more diamonds!
Why buy more diamonds?
This may sound unreasonable, but a simple ring with many small stones is cheaper than the classic solitaire (single-gem) ring. When shopping on a tight budget, you’ll want to find a diamond that looks bigger and better than its grade. Practically, the ring’s value is not what the weighing would say but how beautiful it looks daily.
Therefore, instead of shelling out your budget for one big rock, you could save money by having several multiple diamonds that will make your ring larger in appearance.
A popular choice right now is a three-stone ring. It has a rich cultural history and is customizable with having three stones of equal size or adjacent rocks of different sizes. Another favored ring setting with multiple tiny stones is the halo. A halo setting can make a smaller carat diamond appear bigger because of the small stones that circle the center gem.
Three-stone ring
As the name suggests, a three-stone ring boasts a center gem that is usually bigger than the two diamonds or other gemstones on both sides.
The most popular meaning of the three stones is love in the past, present, and future. Each stone defines a specific time in your relationship that you have loved, loves, and will forever love the person who will wear it.
Other meanings were also introduced. Some represent the three rings as friendship, love, and fidelity (the most critical factors in a relationship). Religious couples believe in the connotation that the three stones symbolize the Holy Trinity – the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit – as the center of their relationship.
Meanwhile, Meghan Markle wears a three-stone engagement ring in honor of her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana.
Aside from a rich culture, you could easily customize a three-stone engagement ring. For example, if your girl loves blue, then sapphires could be the perfect side stones. You could also use both your and your girl’s birthstones if you want to.
Halo Ring
The halo ring setting encircles a center gemstone using a collection of small, round pave or diamonds (or other faceted color stones).
When the halo engagement rings first came out commercially, it rapidly became the second most favored engagement ring style next to the classic solitaire. The halo style offers options for upsizing diamond looks, personalization, and customization. Most of the halo rings feature a big stone on a narrow, clean band.
Halo rings traces far back to the early Georgian era in Europe in 1714-1837. At this time, round diamonds, which were slightly smaller than the center gem, were used. Occasionally, pearls were also used. During the Victorian era in 1837-1901, colored center gemstones became popular as they look like sparkly flowers.
Today, the classic diamond halo setting is inspired by the styles of Art Deco in the 1920s. Art Deco is a movement that emphasizes symmetry and geometric patterns. Since then, the classic halo is well-known for having small circular diamonds that surround a circular center stone.
Bonus: Do you have an old set of diamond earrings? Guess what, you can use them as side stones! Do you have more than a pair? Perfect, that looks great for a halo! Easily update a ring to your style with a ring reset service.
Any ring can be reset. However, some rings require a more complicated job than others. The more complex it is, the higher the jeweler will charge you. A ring resetting cost varies on the following factors: choice of jewelry, size of diamonds, type of material used in the band. It will typically range anywhere from $80 to $250.