Thinking of popping the question, but scared that making it extra special for the lucky lady will surely break the bank? Not to worry – these things don’t have to go hand-in-hand anymore! With the right strategy and planning, purchasing your girl’s dream engagement ring featuring some lovely certified diamonds won’t be as costly as you think. Today we’ll tell you how.

The first thing you should do is to create a budget, and stick to it. You’ve got to hold on to those guns, cowboy, and make sure that you don’t spend over the limit you’ve set for yourself! Budgeting will keep your focus on a certain price range, as well as make the choosing process much easier – if you tell your jeweler that you’re only willing to spend this much on the rock, he’ll only show you the merchandise that you can afford.

Second, do your research. Isn’t it amazing what you can find on the internet these days? With a few keyboard strokes and some clicks, you can compare and contrast diamond engagement ring prices from different retailers. Plus, did you know that it’s actually cheaper to buy online than from a physical jewelry store? Online retailers contend with each other for a share of the market so the prices are cut down considerably. A great website is Brilliance.com—you’re assured of quality customer service like you’d get from a local jeweler at competitive prices.

Want to really bring down that price tag? Purchase a loose diamond instead. Smaller ones will be a lot cheaper than one huge rock with a greater carat size, and will look just as pretty and sparkly on her lovely hand if placed into the correct settings.

The diamond is the most expensive part of the ring, so if you can lower the cost on the stone, then the overall price of having a custom-made ring will be greatly reduced. One way to do this is to buy one that is square or rectangular-cut—it’s much cheaper than a pear or a heart-shaped diamond. Another way is to find a stone with minor, invisible flaws—these minor quality reductions are invisible to the naked eye and only an experienced jeweler will be able to tell the difference between that stone and a flawless one. Finally, slightly colored diamonds are also more low-priced than clear ones. You might want to consider that, if your lady is into colored stones.

Finally, consider the metal used with the ring. Platinum is expensive—these days, it goes for almost as much as yellow gold! Choosing something in white gold is your best bet if you want to really save up, plus, it’s just a lot more modern and stylish.

We hope these tips helped you out somehow! To learn more about diamonds, log on to Brilliance.com. Here you’ll find a lot more useful pointers, an entire section about diamond education, and some of the most beautifully designed engagement rings at prices that you can afford. They also sell loose diamonds, all certified, of course! Happy shopping, and good luck! Go get ‘em, tiger!