Is There a Best Time To Buy An Engagement Ring? (And If So, When Is It?)

In proposals, as in life, timing is everything. All your life, you've been concerned about doing things at the right time — college applications, career benchmarks, asking out that special someone, then popping the big question. Something you may have been wondering: When it comes to that question, is there a better time than others to buy an engagement ring, pricewise?

We can ease your mind a bit there. Engagement rings aren't like white sales. There isn't a specific time of year when they're radically cheaper. That said, here are some things to keep in mind when timing your engagement ring shopping, so you can get the best deal on a style she'll love — and stay sane in the process.

Decide when you're going to propose

And work backward from there. There's no need to put off the proposal for a specific season so you can get the best price on a ring. Yes, there are some sales, but the ultimate deciding factor for when to propose is when it feels right for you as a couple.

Give yourself 2 to 3 months to shop

If you've heard this once, you've heard it a million times, but give yourself some room to breathe — this isn't a decision you want to make at the last minute.

It takes some time to learn about engagement rings and diamonds (though loose diamonds will take the bulk of your time). Unlike engagement rings, diamonds are unique. You can browse a completely different set of diamonds on a Wednesday than on the Tuesday right before.

Set your budget

Spend some time browsing our comprehensive guides to diamond education. You should know about the four C's — cut, color, clarity and carat — and decide which you want to prioritize; get to know the basic engagement ring setting styles; and learn about the different metal choices for the band. (Did you know that "silver" isn't silver? Your options for a silvery hue include white gold and platinum.)

If you want to make things even easier: With Clarity offers a home try-on program if you want to involve your special someone in the decision. That way, they can see if the ring fits their lifestyle before they commit to it forever. (Just factor in an extra week, including a couple of days for shipping. We give you three days to wear the rings and send them back.)

Once you've made your decision, factor in a week for shipping your ring, just to be safe (this is very important!)

Engagement ring sales

First of all, avoid loose diamond sales. Quality diamonds never go on sale.

You'll find sales on engagement ring settings around the Christmas season, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. With Clarity ran our first Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale on engagement ring settings in 2018. But because we're online and negotiate directly with ethical diamond sources and cutters around the world — saving you the overhead and middleman fees of brick-and-mortar retailers — our rings are affordably priced every day.

The loose diamond is the majority of the cost of an engagement ring, not the actual setting, so it's a good idea to talk to a gemologist about maximizing your budget, instead of waiting for a setting to go on sale. We have expert on-staff gemologists who are experienced in finding the perfect ring on any budget and work with couples to find the right diamond and ring daily.