How to Buy an Engagment Ring

There are a large number of considerations when buying a diamond, particularly when it is a diamond engagement ring! The custom of giving a lady a diamond engagement ring while declaring oneself started in 1477 when Archduke Maximilian bestowed a diamond ring on Mary of Burgundy. In most instances, the girl you are planning on marrying will be expecting a ring to accompany your marriage proposal!

To begin with you will need to decide how much ring you are able to afford. Generally men apply the 2 months earnings rule. This suggests the engagement ring you are purchasing should cost the same as two months worth of your current earnings. Since you have additional bills to pay, saving up two months of pay could take quite a long time. You might need to thing about financing. Simply go to the jeweler you plan to purchase the ring from and tell them that you are planning on purchasing an engagement ring, and that you will need financing. Go a head with getting your credit checked and out of the way, find out what you payments would be, and the amount of money required down to proceed.

Now ask your girlfriends best friend to take your girlfriend shopping, but make sure this friend can be trusted to be discrete. Make sure that your girlfriends best friend knows to take your girlfriend to a jewlry store to see what type of engagement ring your girlfriend might prefer if she were getting engaged. 
Once you have a general idea of what may please your lady, make sure that the jeweler
you buy the ring from allows you to return the ring, for either an exchange or in the rare chance your girlfriend is not prepared for this step yet. You will want to be sure the jeweler has an exchange policy as you want your girlfriend to love the ring she will be sporting for the rest of her life.