This post is sponsored by Diamonds Direct. ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN!
BEFORE YOU SHOP:
- SET A BUDGET
- Budget was the very first thing Drake and I talked about!! This is a very big financial decision and investment so being on the same page is very important and makes the shopping process more “enjoyable”!.
- The articles I read said the “base” or “average” is 2 months salary– obviously, you DO NOT have to follow that but that’s where we started and went up or down from there.
- DO SOME RESEARCH BEFOREHAND- know what styles you DO & DON’T like!
- I say some research because being too picky can make it hard! I researched styles and had a few inspo pics from Pinterest, but the Diamonds Direct team steered me most of the way.
- DON’T WORRY TOO MUCH ABOUT THE DIAMOND…
- INSTEAD, GET EDUCATED BY AN ACTUAL EXPERT.
- Going in I had little to no knowledge of the diamonds themselves and I’m actually very thankful for that because it made the design process and picking a diamond so much easier!
- Diamonds Direct was a HUGE HUGE help in this! They sat down & educated me once before when I was in the showroom by myself, and again with Drake present after we picked out the setting.
OUR DESIGN PROCESS
Now to the fun part, HOW WE DESIGNED OUR RING!!
Do you hear the words, “design a custom ring,” and just see dollar signs?! Because WE DID! I honestly didn’t even think about going the design route because of the costs but, Drake and I were PLEASANTLY SURPRISED to know it was actually possible in our budget!
1. HOW WE STARTED:
Before Drake and I went in together I had picked out a couple of styles I loved during a previous trip to the showroom so we had somewhere to start. After reallyyy looking at the ring I THOUGHT I had my heart set on there were a few things I didn’t love about it so…we just designed it instead We worked with the Diamonds Direct team + one of their designers A. Jaffe to make our final ring and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way!
2. DREAM DESIGN
It’s kind of like when you’re picking out an outfit…the more you try on, the more confused you get! We looked all around for a good 30 minutes and finally narrowed it down to 4. From there, the designer held them all up together and had me pick the TOP 2. After the final 2 were left standing she could tell I wasn’t completely IN LOVE with either so she said, “okay, what don’t you like about each one?” I pointed them out, and next thing you know she comes back with, “let’s make that ring then!!” My mouth literally dropped to the floor because I thought there was 1. no way and 2. we couldn’t afford it. Since Diamonds Direct can offer better prices they were able to completely customize the setting all under our budget! Once we settled on the setting itself, it was on to the diamond!
3. PICKING THE DIAMOND:
Being in a room with sparkly diamonds getting to pick which one I wanted sounds like a dang dream…and it was!! One of our favorite things about the process is that they only showed us items within our budget so we felt completely comfortable really looking at each diamond.
For me, it was about how it looked not really all of the numbers behind it (cut, clarity, etc.) and for once in my life, I was VERY happy to not be so picky! Not only did we get to learn about each diamond’s “4 C’s”(cut, color, carat, and clarity), but we got to look INSIDE the diamond with a little magnifying glass! Yes, this was VERY cool but it also made you feel even more comfortable knowing you get to spot any “imperfections” inside the diamond you’re purchasing! Just a tip ladies, the diamonds may look small…but wait until it gets into that setting!!! Then you really see it shine!
AND THEN WE GOT OUR DREAM RING!! While I knew the idea of what it was going to look like I was still very surprised when he got down on one knee and opened up that little purple box. I will forever rave about the Diamonds Direct team and how AMAZING they were during the entire design process!
MORE ON WHY WE CHOSE DIAMONDS DIRECT:
I worked with Diamonds Direct on other jewelry “projects” before I even started looking for rings and after the first visit, I knew this was going to be the place I would get my future engagement ring!! There are TONS of benefits to shopping with them compared to other retails but here were our big reasons….
- Actual diamond importers!
- Believe it or not, they get all of their diamonds straight from the source, so NO MIDDLEMAN. This means better selection of diamonds and LOWER PRICES!!
- EDUCATION
- Every Diamonds Direct customer receives a personalized diamond education and everything shown to you is based on your budget! This was that personal touch that really drew me in! Since it’s such a big investment and a piece of jewelry you’ll wear forever, you should be 100% knowledgeable about what you’re buying.
- Lifetime warranty
- All services for cleaning and tightening, as well as the loss of side diamonds (assuming the loss was not caused by damage), are covered FOR LIFE…this is a BIG perk!!
- 110% lifetime upgrade
- This sounded too good to be true but IT’S REAL! Diamonds Direct’s lifetime upgrade allows customers to trade their original engagement diamond, solitaire diamond pendant, and diamond studs for a different size, quality or shape. Think of it as a diamond savings account – you can come in as often as desired to trade in the original diamond and you’re only required to pay the difference between the two!
- 30 day money back guarantee
Diamonds Direct has 22 locations nation-wide, listed here!