If you’re currently browsing through various engagement rings, you may want to consider a lab-grown ring. Lab-grown engagement rings have natural diamonds, except the stones are engineered or created through labs. And since they’re created in a lab, the stones are free from inclusions and discoloration, unlike their earth-mined equivalents.
Furthermore, the stones created for these rings are engineered responsibly, making them an excellent eco-friendly choice. But of course, it’s perfectly normal if you don’t know how to get one for yourself or your partner. After all, it’s likely your first time finding out about these rings, to begin with.
Luckily, this guide is here to help you shop the right way for lab-grown engagement rings. Read on to know more below!
Make Sure to Purchase from a Reputed Shop
Before anything else, you should ensure you’ll purchase lab-grown engagement rings from a reputed shop. Nowadays, many shops claim to sell lab-grown rings but actually sell imitation diamonds instead. As previously mentioned, lab-grown engagement rings have natural diamonds that are created responsibly in lab-controlled environments.
If you want to know if you’re purchasing an authentic lab-grown diamond, ensure that your purchase comes with a certified grading report from a recognized laboratory like GIA, IGI, or EGL USA. If your ring doesn’t include a report from any of those labs, it’s likely not a lab-grown ring.
In addition, you should also determine if the shop you intend to buy from. For instance, if you’re purchasing online, you can check if the shop has excellent customer service, shipping policies, special services, and the like.
Determine Your Budget
It’s essential to know your budget before stepping into any physical or online shop for engagement rings. This ensures you won’t stretch your wallet dry just to get your preferred engagement ring. Fortunately, lab-grown engagement rings are known for being an eco-friendly and cost-effective investment.
Besides, compared to earth-mined diamonds, lab-grown diamonds are thirty to forty percent less expensive. But depending on your budget, some options may still be quite expensive. For that matter, you can learn about the four C’s, which will be discussed in the next part.
Understand the Four Cs
The four Cs stand for clarity, cut, cost, and carat weight. All of them play a significant role in a lab-grown ring’s overall quality and cost. So, it’s important to understand these four C’s to find the best ring that fits your budget and tastes.
Without a doubt, colorless and clearer stones will cost more. Furthermore, a particular lab-grown diamond cut (like circle cuts and oval cuts) will be much more expensive than other cuts. The same goes for size, where bigger ones will cost more.
Determine Your Partner’s Tastes
You shouldn’t forget about this crucial step! For example, do they prefer bigger cuts? Do they want a colored stone? Also, is there a specific ring band style they really like? You have to take all of these into consideration as well when getting your partner the engagement ring of their dreams.
After all, your partner is going to wear their engagement ring forever, so you should make sure to get them a ring in their preferred style. That said, you can discreetly determine their tastes by checking out the jewelry they wear. Furthermore, you can also go ahead and ask their family and friends about their preferences!
Doing all of that ensures that they won’t be disappointed with your purchase. Additionally, you also have to make sure that their preferred ring band style and lab-grown diamond size go well together. Lastly, don’t forget to get a ring that fits them perfectly!
Consider Customized Designs
As stated above, lab-grown engagement rings are a lot more affordable compared to rings with natural stones. So, if your budget permits it, you can check if your chosen shop offers customized designs for their lab-grown engagement rings.
This is your best bet if you want a uniquely designed lab-grown engagement ring for your partner. By considering a customized lab-grown engagement ring, you can guarantee that your partner will surely love the ring you’ll give to them. And since you designed them yourself, the ring becomes extra special too.
Wrapping Up
Finding the ideal lab-grown engagement ring for you and your partner is definitely a tedious task. And it’s okay if you want to take your time! Just make sure you’re purchasing from a trustworthy manufacturer, and you’ll have an excellent engagement ring that your partner will absolutely love.
Theresa Smith is an experienced fashion blogger. She has been blogging for nearly 10 years, and her blog posts are often featured in major publications. Her blog posts cover everything from the latest trends to tips on how to wear certain pieces of clothing. Theresa’s favorite style icons include Audrey Hepburn and Michelle Obama, who she cites as having great style.
