What’s the best time to buy a diamond? For many jewelry enthusiasts, there’s never a bad time to buy a diamond. Whether it’s for an investment, a gift, or a family heirloom, there’s always a reason to include diamond rings in your jewelry collection.
But given recent times, where diamonds have been considered more as frivolities than investments, you may find yourself struggling for a reason to buy. If this is where you find yourself, it’s best to explore the different reasons for buying diamonds.
What’s The Best Time To Buy A Diamond?
More than just asking yourself, “What’s the best time to buy a diamond?” ask some of these basic questions. Deliberation right before that big buy can help make sure you’re getting the best sparkle for your buck.
The Whys Of Buying Diamonds
Many people see the term “treat yourself” as an excuse to buy almost anything. As long as it’s a reward for a job well done or for achieving one of your goals, it seems to be a free pass to get yourself whatever you want.
This may hold true and well for a day at the spa. But pampering yourself and spending big on some fine jewelry are two different things. Always ask yourself, why are you buying a diamond ring? When you do, these six questions may be a good starting point.
Buying for the future
If previous generations loved diamonds due to the value that they held from the get-go, some newer jewelry enthusiasts also see it for its value in the future. While some people believe that gold can be a fairly stable ground for investment, other veteran collectors and enthusiasts know that diamonds can be as stable as they are hard—and that’s saying quite a lot!
The volatility of the economy can be threatening to some. Gold can be more volatile in two ways. First, ownership of gold does not always result in getting the actual gold. Unless you buy gold jewelry, you may end up with ownership mostly on paper. And even when you do have on-hand gold jewelry, gold prices itself has seen more fluctuations in recent memory.
Compare this to diamonds; this precious stone, though not necessarily rare, still comprises a small portion of the jewelry scene. And with stricter guidelines for grading and appraisals, it’s easier to hold onto a diamond’s value in view of the market’s fluctuation.
Best of all, when you buy a diamond, chances are you not only get to hold onto the actual diamond, you get to wear it too! This is why a lot of people still buy diamond jewelry for investment. Not only does its value remain despite the years, you also get to enjoy wearing them too!
Buying as a gift
Perhaps in the same rank as the first reason is purchasing a diamond ring for a partner or a family member. For some, more important occasions—coming of age, weddings, engagements, childbirth, and various life achievements—call for the best way to celebrate. And what better way to do that than to have a diamond ring mark the occasion.
Thus, if you tend to hold these family gatherings as dear to you, it might be easier to keep track of the question, “What month is the best to buy a diamond?” Because even though diamonds do not have a particular harvest season, some occasions and months become more common for giving and receiving jewelry pieces.
You can avoid the hassles in the jewelry scene by choosing a season for some of these occasions. Wedding season peaks around July. Engagement seasons may vary more. But trends suggest that the time between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s, and the entire month of December
In the jewelry scene, there is no such thing as that one date to start buying diamond rings. Most buyers tend to start with their intention for buying the diamond. If you want to buy the diamond ring as a gift, another hurdle to remember is that the date you’re eyeing may not fall under a specific season.
This may be where long-term planning can help you with costs. Since a lot of jewelry shops also tend to follow certain seasons and holidays, you may want to buy during this time.
Buying for the family
You may wonder, how different is it to buy diamonds as an investment from a family keepsake? For the most part, investments tend to consider purely the monetary appeal of the jewelry piece.
If you’re looking to invest in a diamond ring, you prefer to get the best bang for your buck. For many collectors, this means the best clarity, the most colorless available, and even the best cut for resell. Investors may not even mind the actual appearance of the ring, because appearance does not affect the value. On paper, diamonds adhere to the GIA grading. Unless the stone is set on more expensive metal material, such as tungsten or platinum (such as the one in this De Beers review, then appearances take the backseat.
However, buying for the family as a keepsake considers more the taste of the first owner. Heirlooms tend to reflect the owner’s preferences. For instance, the rose cut diamond features quite a rare appearance. It may not be to everyone’s taste, and it may be more expensive than other types of gemstones. But if it falls within your preference, there’s no stopping you from making the choice.
Buying for your engagement
Perhaps one of the more common reasons for buying a diamond ring remains the celebration of an engagement. Many couples mark the legal beginning of the rest of their lives with engagement rings.
Engagement rings come in all shapes and sizes. Some couples prefer the traditional classics, like the round and princess cut diamonds. Others go for the romantic allure of pear-shaped and marquise cut diamonds. And for some, elongated and rose cut diamonds showcase both a unique cut and more diamond surface for your money.
Whatever your preferred style is, what you need to note when buying an engagement ring is that it’s all about taste. While you should not spend all of your budget on the shopping for an engagement ring, think of it as the marker for that special occasion. All that matters is that you and your partner love the ring for how it is.
Buying based on your astrology
Nowadays, many people aim to harness the benevolent energies in gemstones and diamonds. Some people give it as gifts—the right gemstone can cleanse energies and help boost certain aspects of one’s life.
Other buyers even explore their natal charts in asking the best day to buy diamond astrology. When buying jewelry in accordance with your birth chart, it pays to know which gemstones coincide with the greatest energies with your own.
For example, diamonds, while being a main favorite for many jewelry enthusiasts, may be more concordant with an individual who is a Libra, Gemini, Taurus, Capricorn, Aquarius, or Virgo. If you consider this as a major factor, make sure to find the right fit for you.
Buying for yourself
Who says you need a big occasion for a celebration? While diamond preferences and trends are changing, the brilliance of a diamond still sparks joy in some jewelry enthusiasts. So if you’re one of these jewelry enthusiasts, it’s really not about “What’s the best time to buy a diamond?” Because it’s highly likely you’ll say “yes” at every chance.
So instead of asking “What time of year is best to buy a diamond?” you may just consider where you stand in the moment. Since diamonds are already a good investment, buying your own still has its advantages. Provided, of course, that your budget allows you to do this at the moment.
Questions to Ask Before Going Diamond Shopping
Once you’ve decided your purpose in buying fine jewelry, lay out the facts that you need to consider. Even though you may be buying this as a reward for yourself or as a celebratory symbol, it’s good to be prepared and to know what awaits at your favorite jewelry store.
What should I prepare for?
For a lot of diamond collectors, buying a new diamond ring may be a matter of capability. When you have the means to splurge, it’s the time you may find yourself doing some window shopping. However, it’s also a wise idea to do your shopping with a budget in mind.
Apart from your budget, it’s also good to come prepared with your top choices for looks. Sure, you may find something that speaks to you while you’re in-store. But having a budget prepared means you can set parameters for what you can consider as a good splurge over a bad buy.
Some may ask, “Do diamond prices go up and down?” While it would be nice to track down certain seasonal price changes, diamonds do not become cheaper or more expensive with the demand. On the contrary, its grading, premium feel, clarity, color, and even rarity of the gemstone that dictate just how valuable the stone is.
It doesn’t matter when you decide to make that purchase. You may want to decide first on what kind of diamond your budget can accommodate.
Is it worth getting a 1 carat diamond?
Have a limited budget? Some buyers assume that getting the smallest diamond—regardless of gemstone type or grade—would be the best move. This can be quite tricky. Some jewelry experts note that a 1-carat diamond has its charms, just like the one in this Zales review.
Smaller doesn’t always mean less, not when it’s about a sparkling diamond ring. Consider other aspects of the ring, including its setting, the diamond’s overall grade, the metal band that can enhance the diamond’s appearance, and even the likely usage.
Big diamonds can be very attractive to the eyes—but it’s not so practical if it also means always being on edge when you wear the diamond. Some jewelry wearers tend to have more active lifestyles. This may take them to places—some of which may not be that good or that appropriate for a very large diamond ring.
It’s not always about the size. Even a one-carat diamond will shine if it has a good cut, a clear and near colorless appearance, and a shape that you love.
Is there a season to time my purchase?
For the most part, diamonds tend to retain its price point. It doesn’t fluctuate with any season. That said, however, some stores may participate in seasonal sales. If the movement of their store’s stocks seems slow and a big holiday is nearby, you may want to keep an eye out for some announcements.
Holidays like Black Friday and Christmas tend to be crucial touchpoints for sale in some retail stores. While you should not base your purchase solely on these holidays, it’s still possible to save some of your money on a good deal.
Before these holidays hit, visit your favorite jewelry store or go online and start your search. Jewelry shops typically showcase their stocks during this period. Take note of the price, look for the designs that catch your eye, and visit the store when the holiday hits.
Still not sure when is the best time to buy diamonds? Read up on some inspirational diamond engagement rings in our article, “Touchdown! The Best NFL Engagement Rings.”
