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Fashion & Beauty

What It's Like Buying An Engagement Ring In 2020

  |  By Weddingbells

Though the engagement ring has a rich (quite literally!) and storied history, shopping for one isn’t the same as it was over 500 years ago. With the advent of online shopping and shifting consumer trends surrounding engagement rings, it’s important to know what to expect before embarking on one of the most important purchases of your life.

Here’s everything you need to know about how buying an engagement ring in 2020 has evolved and how to get the most out of your purchase!

History of Engagement Ring Shopping

Symbols of engagements or marriage have been around for a long time and can be traced back to Roman tradition. One of the earliest and most historically significant examples of the traditional diamond engagement ring comes from the Archduke of Austria, who commissioned a diamond engagement ring for his soon-to-be wife in 1477. The use of a diamond made engagement rings more of a status symbol, as they are one of the most expensive gems.

Now, engagement ring shoppers are looking for more than just a ring to display status. Consumers are much more concerned with purchasing ethical products with a sustainable origin and it is no different with engagement rings. As a result, we’ve seen a huge rise in popularity over the last few years of mined diamond alternatives such as lab-grown diamonds, moissanite, and birthstones.

How Engagement Ring Shopping Has Changed

Just like so many other industries, the engagement ring sector has had its fair share of change over time, but especially over the past 5 years. Here are some of the biggest changes to engagement ring shopping in 2020.

Buying the Ring Together

After years of men buying engagement rings for their partners, more and more couples are purchasing engagement rings together. The reasoning behind the practice is based on the logic that nobody knows your style better than you.

There’s no need to play a guessing game when it comes to buying a ring that your partner will be wearing for the rest of their lives. Plus, buying the ring together can be a bonding experience. Making the decision together ensures that your partner gets a ring that they will be comfortable and proud to wear for years to come.

Buying a Ring Online vs. In-Store

The most significant change to diamond buying practices is where diamonds are purchased. The rise of online shopping has made it easy to purchase a diamond engagement ring from an online vendor. There’s no need to take a trip to your local jeweler when you can purchase a ring from your couch. Many vendors are shifting to online storefronts as they are cheaper to maintain than a brick-and-mortar shop and can be more convenient for customers.

Lab-Grown Diamonds vs. Mined Diamonds

Consumers are hard-pressed not to seek out lab-grown diamonds over mined diamonds — with good reason. Mined diamonds can contribute to damaging ecosystems, funding militant war efforts, and force diamond miners to work in unsafe conditions. Lab-grown diamonds don’t contribute to those problems.

As they are created in a lab, these diamonds are the ethical, less expensive, and environmentally-friendly twin of their mined counterparts. They are physically, visually, and chemically identical to mined diamonds. Consumers are flocking to lab-grown diamonds, and this trend is expected to continue.

Seeking Out Recycled Metal

Also on the eco-friendly consumerism front is seeking out recycled materials to use in your engagement ring. Previously, rings were commissioned using new raw materials. Now consumers seek out recycled metal to be used in their engagement ring bands.

Not only is recycled metal less expensive, but it also brings a unique history to your engagement ring. It’s the eco-friendly option that will make your wallet happy.

Digitally Sharing Your Engagement Ring

Though an engagement ring is much less of a status symbol than it was in the late 15th century, it’s still a purchase we share with the world. The internet has allowed us to share major milestones, such as an engagement, via social media.

We get to inform our loved ones of our impending marriages and receive their reactions. Video conferencing apps such as Zoom have also made it possible to communicate with others in real-time — especially now more than ever with the impact COIVD-19 has had on the world. Now, we can share our greatest moments with the ones we love, even when they’re thousands of miles away.

Final Thoughts

Buying a diamond engagement ring in 2020 is full of surprises. We are certainly doing it a lot differently than our parents did. However, there are a lot of benefits to the changes. Now there are many more options, shopping is more convenient, and we can share our major milestones with loved ones more easily. Take advantage of these changes when buying the ring of your dreams this year! Visit cleanorigin.com for more information.

This article was originally published on Aug 01, 2020
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