At last, you have decided to pop the big question after all those years of dating. Finally, you have decided to ask the woman of your dreams her hand in marriage.
Hold on, what about that time-honored tradition of giving her a glittering engagement ring to win her heart and then looking for wedding and eternity rings that are equally sparkly and would perfectly match it? For most guys, that will definitely put a scowl on their faces but not because of confusion or anxiety of their upcoming marriage. It’s because of the money involved in getting this valuable symbol of love. Engagement rings are pretty costly and can eat up a huge chunk of finances.
But don’t despair because you can still find engagement rings without having to cry over your malnourished wallet and still get the best wedding you deserve. You just need to be resourceful. In fact, looking for gold, diamond, or platinum modern engagement rings can lead you to some of the most interesting of places. With a little bit of perseverance, creativity, and luck, be surprised when the right engagement ring shows up (okay, not literally).
A Licensed Jewellery Dealer
If it’s an engagement ring you’re after, try not to buy a brand-new piece from the shopping centre. There are plenty of dealers that offer good prices on engagement rings than a jewellery counter in a shopping centre. Have a good search around and you are bound to find a truly authentic ring (possibly with a good story behind it).
When getting rings from a dealer, make sure that the dealer is certified and licensed by the Gemmological Association of Australia, National Council of Jewelry Valuers, and other established trade organisations. This assure you that you are dealing with a reputable dealer.
How About the Jewellery Exchange
Another good place to find cheap but classy antique engagement rings is the local jewellery exchange. They’re a lot more likely to have jewellery pieces that people want to get rid of, be it after a parent has died, they’re selling of their estate, or they’re processing a divorce.
Antique rings can turn up in the most unusual of places simply because people sell them for the value of the metal. Often, they don’t realise that the pieces are valuable, or they simply don’t care. The jewellery exchange usually has an abundance of items so you’re highly likely to find something there.
A Body of Water – Now That’s Unusual
Oh, come on! You don’t say!
One of the most unusual places to look for engagement rings is in a large body of water. Yes, that’s right! In fact, some hobbyists really enjoy grabbing a metal detector and running it over areas where people tend to congregate and swim. You’d be surprised at what you might find!
You might wonder how come they’re in the water. Well, rings tend to sink quickly when they slip off a finger, much faster than people tend to realise as they try to catch it before it sinks down into the sand or mud. You’ll never know, you may just find a treasure that fetches an impressive price at the local exchange.
If you like walking along the beach and fancy doing a bit of metal detecting, you may just be surprised at what you discover. It simply takes some patience—and luck!
Pawn Shops
Pawn shops may be a little less unusual when it comes to finding treasured antique or modern engagement rings. These stores have the same advantage as that of jewellery exchange establishments in that people may bring in their mother or grandmother’s old rings for quick cash. That means you may just find a fantastic deal since pawn shops owners simply want to make a sale to get the money back out of the item that they loaned to the person who brought it in. You might even find a very valuable antique or modern engagement ring, but the pawn shop owner doesn’t realise its high value!
Best of all, pawn shops sometimes let you barter for the items.
Looking for antique diamond rings or platinum modern engagement rings in usual and unusual places may well yield some fantastic deals on antique rings. Consider looking in places you never thought of before, and you never know what might turn up.
