There is much to consider when purchasing
a diamond – especially diamond
engagement rings! The tradition of
presenting a woman with a diamond
engagement ring when proposing began in
1477 when Archduke Maximilian presented
a diamond ring to Mary of Burgundy – and
in most cases, the woman you plan to
propose to will expect a ring to accompany
that proposal!

First, determine how much ring you can
afford. Most people use the ‘two months
salary’ rule. This means that the ring should
cost the equivalent of two months of your
current salary. Because you have other bills
to pay, saving up this amount of money may
take quite a bit of time. You should consider
financing. Simply go to the jeweler of your
choice and tell them that you plan to buy an
engagement ring, and that financing will be
necessary. Go ahead and get the credit
check out of the way, find out what your
payments will be, and how much of a down
payment is required.

Now, have your mother, sister, or your
girlfriends best friend take your girlfriend
shopping, and make sure that they gaze at
the engagement rings to get an idea of what
she might like. Make sure that the jewelry
store you buy the ring from will allow you to
return the ring, if that is required, or allow
your girlfriend to exchange it for another if
she isn’t happy with it!

Buying jewelry wholesale is really quite easy. The Internet gives you access to all of the wholesale jewelry companies you could ever need to make your selections, so you can buy exactly what you want or need – at very competitive prices.

There is a difference between online jewelry stores and online wholesale companies. Online jewelry stores sell jewelry at retail prices, even though the price may be slightly discounted. Wholesale companies sell jewelry at wholesale prices – which of course are cheaper than retail prices.

There are many sites where you can purchase directories of wholesale companies, but this really isn’t necessary. Just use a search engine like Google to find what you are looking for. If you are looking for an engagement ring at a wholesale price, for example, simply type ‘engagement ring wholesale’ into the search box – a whole slew of wholesalers who carry engagement rings will pop up in the search results.

Be aware that some wholesaler’s will only sell in bulk. Of course, if you just want to buy one engagement ring, you do not want to buy in bulk. But there are many companies that will sell just one item – you just have to look for them.

If buying online isn’t what you are interested in, consider joining a discount club, such as Sam’s. Here you will find jewelry at deeply discounted retail prices, which is the next best thing to jewelry wholesale prices – but again, the wholesale prices will be lower.

When dealing with an online wholesale company, you need to do several things. First, you want to be sure that you are buying the real thing. There are many companies out there that will advertise that their jewelry is ‘authentic.’ Read the sales copy very carefully, and educate yourself quickly. For instance, beware of words like ‘gold plated’ or
‘realistic.’ This is an indication that the jewelry isn’t gold, or that stones are fake.

Also find out if the company has a refund or exchange policy, as well as a 100% money back guarantee. This is important, and it will protect you if you find that you are not happy with the pieces you have purchased, or if they are of lesser quality than you expected.

Also consider using eBay to find jewelry wholesale prices. Again, use caution. Check the seller’s feedback and ratings, and make sure that you are dealing with a reputable person or company. If the jewelry is an important piece, use the escrow service that eBay recommends – even if you have to pay the escrow fees yourself!