Buying an Engagement Ring?

SmartMoney posted some tips on how to get the most sparkle for you buck. Here’s the full article on buying diamonds online and some of the key tips.

1. Buy shy. Diamond prices jump at the one- and half-carat marks, says John Baird, diamond and jewelry expert at BlueNile. You can save hundreds of dollars if you find a diamond that’s just shy of that mark — say 0.95 carat rather than a one-carat, or a 2.44 rather than a 2.5 — while the difference in size is imperceptible. (If you’re spending $10,000, you can save around $200 or $300, Baird says.)

2. Leave some color. Find a near-colorless diamond (G or H on the color scale) rather than a colorless (D, E or F on the color scale). Very few people are able to tell the difference in color — even though the price difference is significant.

3. Be clear about clarity. The rarest and most expensive diamonds — and those highest on the clarity scale, are “flawless” and “internally flawless.” They’re followed by “very, very slightly included” (VVS1 and VVS2); “very slightly included” (VS1 and VS2); “slightly included” (SI1 to SI3) and finally, “included diamonds” (I1 to I3). (The term “included” means imperfections.) The best value is in VS2 stones, which have slight inclusions visible only under 10X magnification. Once you get in the SI range, you may be able to see those cracks, and with I1 and lower, you’ll likely see your ring’s inclusions every time you look at it, Benowitz says.

4. Avoid ranges. Some retailers, like Overstock.com, list a range for a particular stone’s measurements. For example, we recently pulled up a $3,599 diamond and were told it might range from 0.95 to 1.10 carats in size, have G-H color and I1-I2 clarity. Needless to say, getting the 0.95 H I2 stone will be a bummer compared to the 1.10 G I1, not to mention the difference in actual value.

Boston’s Running of the Brides Coming in February

Saavy bargain hunting brides know about the one and only Running of the Brides. Filene’s Basement has been doing their annual one day bridal gown sale since the 1940’s, and it has turned into an event women need mental and physical preparation for.  It took 30 seconds one year for 2500 dresses to get stripped from the racks!

Those of you familliar with Filene’s Basement in Boston know that it is undergoing construction. But that doesn’t prevent the RotB!

According to their site, Running of the Brides Boston will be at the Hynes Convention Center on February 20th, 2009. While doors open at 8am, brides start showing up super early. If you go, good luck! Here are some tips for brides willing to take the plunge.  Be ready for some serious shoving, elbowing, hoarding, and hopefully $aving!