There are many options to buy engagement rings today. If you don’t have the time to buy diamond rings at the store then you can even purchase them online. There are many sites today that cater to diamond rings. In fact being online has increased the business for many diamond merchants.

You can just go online today and search for a diamond ring store. If you are purchasing from a reputed online store then you should have no trouble in getting the diamond ring meeting your requirements. A good diamond ring store will also have a return policy that you can make use of if you are not satisfied with the diamond ring.

You can also get great deals and discounts when you buy engagement rings online. This way you can get a good deal of your purchase of diamond rings and also get something of much higher quality and value at a much lower rate.

Twenty years ago, people were worried about typing into a chat box online.

Today, it's nothing to buy a ring online. You can buy a diamond engagement ring online because you can spec out exactly what you want, comparison shop among all the reputable vendors, and get a certification from a trusted national organization (GIA or AGS). Once you buy it, get it independently appraised and evaluated to ensure it matches the certificate. If it doesn't, or you're otherwise unhappy, you return it and try again.

The time has come for you to make the last commitment – you better get this next step right!

Talk to your partner!

A marriage proposal may be a surprise but never unexpected.

If you were going to wear something for the rest of your life, you want to have a say in it.

Well, that's exactly what an engagement ring is! You need to talk about what she likes, what styles and settings she prefers, and how much she wants to spend — get as many details as possible. Go ring shopping with her if you're brave enough.

If you feel weird asking her, ask her best friend. Ask a few of them. She's probably talked about it at some point. If you don't know who her best friend is, you probably shouldn't propose!

Find out not only what she likes in a ring but how important it is to her. Some women care a lot about the ring. Some women don't care one bit. Some want you to go all out and show her your commitment. Some see it as a waste. You probably have a good idea but it never hurts to find out for certain. It's a significant purchase, you want to make sure you understand her expectations.

How are diamonds measured & graded?
Diamonds are measured on four C's – cut, color, clarity, and carat.

They're known as the four C's:

Cut – A diamond is a stone and the cut is the shape of the stone. The cut has an impact on the sparkle of the diamond because less light will be lost out of the bottom and sides of the diamond. This is often considered the most important of the 4Cs.
Color – A diamond is not perfectly clear, it'll have some color to it and the “whiter” it is, the more it's valued. This is the second most important C.
Clarity – A diamond is also not perfect, it will have imperfections known as inclusions. A higher grade means fewer visible inclusions. This is the third most important since inclusions aren't usually visible to the naked eye. Anything graded SI2 or higher has no visible (to the naked eye, thanks Drew!) inclusions.
Carat – The weight of the stone.

You have a budget and it's time to make some tradeoffs – which are the “smart” ones to make?

If you have an infinite budget, you can get the best of everything. You can get a massive colorless, flawless, ideal cut diamond.

Since you don't, you need to make tradeoffs to match your budget. You have a set number of points and you have to decide which of the four C's you're going to put those points.

Here is where having that conversation with your partner is so valuable – you want to get exactly what she wants.

If your fiancée wants a yellow gold ring, then you don't need to get the highest grade on color (colorless). If your fiancée wants a platinum or white gold ring, then you'll want to move higher on the color attribute. Color matters more because the diamond can appear yellow against the white band as a backdrop. Those are the types of things you should think about.

Conclusion
If you want to save a lot of money on a diamond engagement ring, the first step is to educate yourself on how they're graded, how they're priced, and where you can make tradeoffs.

When you buy at a retail store, you're paying for the rent, the utilities, the employee salaries, the insurance AND the diamond engagement ring.

At the very least, you can use the free diamond ring designer at Italo to see what design you might want. It'll help you price it, so you have a good frame of reference, and then go to the mall or jewelry store. Once you're there, you'll find out just how much those stores mark up jewelry – it will shock you.
Then, once you're ready to buy, come back online because you can save 30-40% off retail prices quoted in a physical store. With all the protections and bonus services in place, it's usually an even better buying experience than in person too.