Don't Buy a Cheap Engagement Ring

The worst financial and relationship decision you could ever make would be buying your future bride a cheap engagement ring and telling her it’s the real thing.

Many men have been busted by their bride-to-be, right after she returned from the local jewelry store. Even is she does not find out right away, she will know later on when her finger turns green.

If you want the marriage to last, then don't buy her a cheap engagement ring. Instead, save a lot of money by designing the engagement ring yourself. Because you will need to select the precious stones to be used, you might want to break tradition and get her involved.

Alternatives to Cheap Engagement Ring

Precious Stone

A gemstone or gem -- also known as a precious stone or semi-precious stone – can be cut and polished so that the mineral can be used to make jewelry. Most gemstones are very hard, and this attribute can be used in detecting counterfeit cheap engagement rings.

Of course, the rarity of a gem greatly affects its value. Besides hardness, genuine gems have attributes of a refractive index, dispersion, specific gravity, cleavage, fracture, and luster.

Diamonds

Real diamonds -- not the counterfeit ones found in cheap engagement rings – are a girl's best friend. The diamond is a gemstone whose value is determined in a different way than all other gemstones. Traditionally, a diamond is valued mostly for its physical properties such as hardness and brilliance.

Rubies

Ruby originates from the Latin word "rubber," which means red. Rubies have an ancient history in civilization, being the most frequently named precious gem in the Bible. Known as one of the four precious stones, rubies have a hardness level of 9 on the Mohs scale, but diamonds are the hardest of all, with a level of 10.

Oftentimes a bogus, fake, cheap engagement ring can be uncovered by the recipient trying, and failing, to cut glass with the "diamond" or "ruby" gemstone.

Sapphire

Being as hard as a ruby, with a 9 on the Mohs scale, sapphires are used in many applications in addition to jewelry, such as infrared optical components, watch crystals, and wafers for the deposition of semi-conductors. Although blue is considered the normal color for sapphires, they can be found across a full range of spectral colors like brown, colorless, grey, and black.

Some natural sapphires are completely transparent, or "white." They usually come out of the ground as light grey or brown and are then heated to make them clear.

Emerald

Emeralds have a hardness of 7.5 on the Mohs scale and are included, so their brittleness is classified as generally poor. Emeralds come in many shades of green and bluish green. There is a large spectrum of clarity, depending on the inclusions and fractures in the crystal.

Remember that there are a lot of counterfeit, cheap engagement rings out there that are very difficult to detect. If the deal appears too good to be true, then it probably is!

Cheap Engagement Ring

	1.50CT Vintage Diamond Engagement Wedding Ring Set 14K List Price: $4,286.70
	This fancy womens vintage engagement ring set features a .50ct center and two .12ct sides. All diamonds are prong set in solid 14k white gold mountings. 1.50ct total diamond weight.

	IGI Certified Platinum Round-Cut Diamond Engagement Ring (2.0 cttw, H-I Color, SI1-SI2 Clarity)

	Luxurious Ruby and Diamond Engagement Ring on 18k White Gold
	Ultra Luxurious Ruby and Diamond Engagement Ring is the ultimate symbol of style and luxury. Showcasing a total carat weight of more than 8.5 Carats this beautiful Ruby Diamond Ring would definitely sweep her of her feet with its style and beauty...

	0.75 Carat Princess Cut Diamond Diamond Engagement Ring on 10K White Gold
	0.75 Carat Princess cut Diamond Diamond Engagement Ring Express your love and commitment with this timeless Bridal Set Engagement Ring made on gold of your choice. Customize the Engagement ring with your choice of center diamond...

	1.25 Carat Princess Cut Diamond Diamond Engagement Ring on 10K White Gold
	1.25 Carat Princess cut Diamond Diamond Engagement Ring Express your love and commitment with this timeless Bridal Set Engagement Ring made on gold of your choice. Customize the Engagement ring with your choice of center diamond...

	1.67 Carat Princess Cut Diamond Engagement Ring on 14K White Gold
	1.67 Carat Princess cut Diamond Engagement Ring Express your love and commitment with this timeless Bridal Set Engagement Ring made on gold of your choice. Customize the Engagement ring with your choice of center diamond...

	1.42 Carat Round Cut Diamond Designer Diamond Engagement Ring on 14K White Gold
	1.42 Carat Princess cut Diamond Designer Diamond Engagement Ring Express your love and commitment with this timeless Bridal Set Engagement Ring made on gold of your choice. Customize the Engagement ring with your choice of center diamond...

	1.67 Carat Round Cut Diamond Halo Diamond Engagement Ring on 10K White Gold
	1.67 Carat Round Cut Diamond Halo Diamond Engagement Ring Express your love and commitment with this timeless Bridal Set Engagement Ring made on gold of your choice. Customize the Engagement ring with your choice of center diamond...