The 3 worst mistakes to avoid when buying an engagement ring, according to a jeweler who's seen ...

The first step to finding the perfect engagement ring is knowing how much you want to spend Though there's a well-known "Guideline" of spending two months salary on an engagement ring, it was actually born from a diamond company's marketing efforts Don't blindly fall victim to the "Four C's".

For years, calculating a diamond's worth has revolved around characteristics known as the "Four C's": cut, clarity, color, and carat size A diamond is rated on a scale for each characteristic by independent gemological societies, and those ratings play a role in how much a diamond is worth Consider two round-cut diamonds that are rated the same for color and carat size but differ only in clarity.

The diamond boasting better clarity on paper may cost more than the equivalent diamond with slightly more imperfections If the diamond's imperfection is on its edge, it's not terribly difficult to cover with a prong from the setting, says Dalton. . Source