With most events moving towards digital experiences – from business meetings to happy hours – purchasing an engagement ring is no exception. Take ring shopping for a virtual spin and “try on” a few different styles to best find your perfect ring.   

It is easy to shop virtually for your engagement ring in the safety of your own home with these tips from Andrew Brown, a celebrated diamond expert and CEO of Gemma by WP Diamonds. Below, he offers his top 5 tips and best practices when buying your engagement ring online:

1. Gather Your Inspiration on Pinterest or Ask Her To Do So

Start by setting up a Pinterest page and pin your favorite designs. Whether you prefer gold to platinum bands, a classic solitaire to Art Deco design, an emerald to oval cut, colored stones to traditional diamonds, simple Tiffany band to an intricate Halo setting – knowing what you love and grouping similar styles together will help in narrowing down your online search.

2. Know Her Ring Size

You can easily measure her ring size at home with measuring tips via this link. The engagement ring should fit snugly enough on her finger that it will not easily fall off, but loose enough to slide over your knuckle without too much effort. Note that her wedding finger on her left hand might be a slightly different size to her right hand, so check the correct hand/finger!

3. Brush up on the 4 C¹s

Together, these make up a grading system that determines the quality and price of a diamond ring. 

• Cut – The cut refers to the shape of the diamond and also how well the diamond has been cut and polished. The better the cut, the more sparkly the ring will be. Different cut shapes include round, cushion, princess, emerald, oval, marquise, pear, heart-shaped, radiant, and asscher.  Rounds, cushions, ovals and pears tend to be more sparkly. 
• Carat – This refers to the weight of the diamond. The misconception is that the larger the carat weight, the better the diamond.  Each of the 4 Cs is a trade off against the other for overall price.
• Clarity – Clarity refers to how flawless the diamond is or rather, if it contains any imperfections (known as inclusions) like crystals or fractures. Flawless is the highest grade, but most Americans buy VS (very slightly included) or SI (slightly included) diamonds for engagement rings!
• Color – This refers to the hue of the diamond on a spectrum of D (colorless) to Z (light yellow hue). The absence of color determines the grade and value.

4. Set Your Budget

The traditional rule was to save two months’ salary to spend on an engagement ring; but the majority of US couples today spend anywhere from $1,000 to $25,000 for a ring, with the average being $5,000-7,500. The good news is that shopping for engagement rings online is typically far more cost-effective than shopping at a brick and mortar retailer thanks to lower overhead costs. And shopping pre-owned is always more affordable than shopping brand new, without compromising on quality. Ask for help, and chat with a diamond expert who can guide you through the buying process. The knowledgeable experts at Gemma by WP Diamonds function as high-end personal stylists, helping to curate a selection of diamonds based on your preferences and budget. They can also expertly match your engagement ring to the best wedding bands. 

5. Shop Sustainable Diamonds

Shop Gemma¹s wide range of pre-owned engagement rings, an environmentally responsible and sustainable way to shop. Why? Because every 1 carat of mined diamonds causes 9 liters of fuel consumption, 2,500 liters of water usage and half a ton of Greenhouse Gas emissions. One single gold ring creates 20 tons of waste, containing toxic Cyanide. As such, it is far more eco-friendly to shop for pre-owned engagement rings than new engagement rings. It reduces the demand for mining, which in turn reduces the damage that this causes our planet.