There’s no rule saying that you absolutely have to buy a diamond ring from a retailer. Some may argue a number of reasons as to why you shouldn’t get your engagement ring from a pawn shop, but there are so many benefits in doing so that it would be irresponsible to not consider it as a viable option. The largest upside to buying from a pawn shop is that it’s significantly cheaper, but how do you know that you’re getting a quality ring for the price?
Know Your Stuff
To know if you’re getting a good deal, you need to understand what you’re looking at. You don’t need to learn enough to earn a certificate in gemology, but there are a few things that you can identify with the naked eye so you can make knowledgeable decisions even as a casual admirer of jewelry.
Diamond Anatomy
When it comes to a diamond’s make and structure, you may have heard of the “4 C’s”. If you don’t know, this refers to the color, cut, clarity, and carat of the gem. All of these traits play a part in the overall grade rating of a diamond.
- Color doesn’t necessarily mean the hue of the gem, (diamonds are typically white, after all) but rather how clear they appear to be. A clouded diamond will be less valuable than one that sparkles.
- Cut comes in many different forms. Round, princess, emerald, cushion, and pearl are among the most popular, and they play a huge part in the ring’s overall style.
- Clarity refers to the absence of blemishes. As you can guess, a diamond devoid of flaws is more valuable than one with apparent blemishes.
- Carat is simply the size of the stone. The larger the rock, the higher the carat.
By informing yourself of these main diamond traits, you won’t feel as clueless when looking at a ring. At the very least, you will have a rough idea of whether or not the stone you’re holding is even remotely valuable.
Types of Metals
The next important component of a ring is the metal that it rests on, making it just as important as the diamond itself. Ring metals are usually either yellow gold, white gold, or rose gold. Sometimes rings will be made of platinum which is a bit pricier but is made to last longer than a lifetime. The way the stone rests in the metal is called the gemstone setting which also comes in a bunch of different styles.
Choose Your Style
| Diamond Cut | Precious Metal | Gemstone Setting |
|---|---|---|
| Round | Yellow gold | Bezel |
| Princess | White gold | Basket |
| Emerald | Rose gold | Channel |
| Cushion | Platinum | Peg head |
| Pearl | Illusion | |
| Decorative | ||
| Trellis |
Have a Plan
Now that you have a general idea of what you’re looking for in a ring, what comes next is how you handle that information when you take it to a pawn shop. With the right tips and enough discipline, your final purchase will feel that much more rewarding after all of the care and effort you put into the process.
Establish a Budget
The absolute most important thing to do when shopping is to stay in your budget. It can be very tempting to go over your budget if you find something that catches your eye, but then you won’t have the satisfaction of making a smart purchase with your personal insight. Plus, staying true to your budget is how you end up with a lower price through negotiating.
Practice Patience
It can take a while to find the ring style that you want within your budget. This is another advantage to pawn shops since stock is likely to change more often than that of a retailer. You could go to the same franchise store every day for a month and see the exact same rings every time, but doing the same at a pawn shop will bring you more varied results. The key is patience and diligence in staying true to your goals. It’ll be much more satisfying when that perfect ring finally shows itself.
Find the Right Place
Many people view pawn shops as a sketchy place to be doing business, but that only applies to places that aren’t reputable. There’s such a thing as pawn shops that actually help out the community by offering great deals and easy processes. Finding out if a certain pawn shop is trustworthy is as easy as checking out reviews online. Looking at reviews is a great way to judge a pawn shop’s reliability and the more they have, the more authentic they are. A bad pawn shop wouldn’t put in the money to buy hundreds of ghost writer reviews to fake their credibility.
Pawn Shop Tips
The time has finally come. You found the perfect diamond ring and now you’re at the counter ready to make your transaction. Follow these tips to get the lowest price you can:
- Open negotiations. It can feel a little awkward to negotiate especially if you tend to be a shy person. If you wouldn’t haggle at any other retailer, why would you start now? Pawn brokers actually expect you to negotiate and this is the first step to getting a lower price.
- Bring items to trade. If you have unwanted jewelry or other valuable items you don’t mind getting rid of, you can set them on the counter to add to the bargain. Whatever the value of the item is will be knocked off the price of the ring you’re looking to buy.
- Pay in cash. You’ll have a much easier time negotiating when you carry cash because the broker will see that you have a set limit that you can’t go over even if you wanted to. It will also save them the transaction fees that may come with a credit card purchase.
Where to Buy In the San Gabriel Valley
If you’re wanting to know which pawn shops in the San Gabriel Valley are reputable for buying a diamond ring, Azusa Pawn is your best bet. With over ten years in the area and hundreds of outstanding reviews online, you know you’re dealing with trustworthy people. The inventory is constantly rotating for a different selection each time you visit and the buying process can be done in a flash with no credit checks required. You can even view Azusa Pawn’s ring selection online before you swing by!