It has come time for you to buy a diamond engagement ring and you are dreading every moment. Number one, it is your time to shine... You have to come through on this because it will be with her for the rest of your life. It can either be a ring that she will look at and love for ever and ever, or it will be a reminder of why did she ever say yes. Don't fear. I have already been through this process and it is not so bad and you can actually get a large diamond engagement ring without going too broke in the process.

Number one, forget everything that your girlfriend said about the size of the diamond not mattering, it definitely does matter. Number two, don't be offended and think any less of your soon to be wife for wanting a large diamond... it's perfectly natural and okay. Now what.

You need to learn a little bit about diamonds in order to succeed in this. You don't have to become a gemologist; you just need to know a few important points in order to make a good decision. Learn the diamond 4Cs: Cut, Clarity, Color, and Carat. There are links at the end of this which will tell about the 4Cs. Next set your budget; just name a price that is the absolute most you want to spend and stick to it.

Shop for you diamond in pieces. This means that you will need to buy your diamond and your engagement ring setting seperately. It is okay to buy loose diamonds online. In fact, that is how you are going to save the most money and be able to buy a larger diamond. There are many reputable diamond sellers online and I have a directory of some of the better ones at the bottom of this article as well.

When you are searching for your diamond, put in the price range that you are able to spend on the diamond. Next, adjust the clarity down to SI2. SI2 clarity is the lowest clarity that is still eyeclean. This means that unless you carry around a jeweler's loupe, you are never going to notice any imperfections. What this means to you is that you can buy a good looking large diamond engagement ring, but without the excess cost. Another area that you can increase your size and decrease your expenditure is by lowering the color quality. Anything from D Color to J Color is perfectly fine.

This means that reducing the Diamond Color to I or J, along with reducing the Diamond Clarity to eye clean quality of SI2 or SI1 will greatly increase the size of the diamond that you will be able to afford.

Try to buy your setting locally and get the input of your fiance on the type of setting she is looking for. Unless you know your girlfriend's ring size exactly, it is better to have your diamond set locally by a qualified jeweler who will be able to size and resize the ring accordingly.

It's not so hard to get the ring that she will love for years to come and will want to wear and show off to all of her friends too. Take charge of this one and it will pay off in the end.

Read more about diamond engagement rings. Learn how adjusting diamond color and diamond clarity can greatly increase the carat size. Click here to see a trusted Directory of Online Diamond Retailers.

• Checklist of Flowers for Your Wedding Day


• Wedding Day Emergency Kits


• Planning Your Second Wedding


• Marriage-Records: Do You Have Yours?


• Weddings - You Are Not Who I Married Yesterday


• The Wedding Dress You Pick For Your Big Day


• Autumn Wedding Maple Leaf Menu


• Assertiveness in Marriage


• Forgiveness in Marriage: 5 Biblical Aspects You Should Know


• Does Marriage Counseling Work?