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If you’re reading this and it’s at all relevant to you, then congratulations! You’re thinking about getting engaged.
Even before you start figuring out proposal plans — not to mention wedding details — you may be thinking about an engagement ring. As someone who’s been through it myself, and watched friends do the same, I know that the process can get overwhelming rather quickly, especially if you’ve never shopped around for jewelry before.
If you’re the one getting the ring, hopefully you’ve been able to talk to your partner about what they want, what style they’re interested in, and what price range is reasonable. However, that might not be the case for any of a few reasons — especially if you want your proposal to be a surprise.
Whether you haven’t even set foot on square one yet, or you have some idea of where to start, there’s a lot to think about. The traditional diamond engagement ring is still the reigning classic, and buying a diamond can be complicated, between figuring out whether something is a fair deal or not, to learning what clarity and grades mean — not to mention cost and how to pay for the ring.
Fortunately, an online jeweler called Ritani has made it its mission to make the process easier for men and women everywhere. Whether you’ve ever considered buying a diamond ring online, or you know you’d rather go in-store, here are some of the things Ritani does to make it easy.
Click here to visit Ritani and learn more about choosing an engagement ring.
Ritani partners with local jewelers so you can see your ring before buying it.
Shutterstock/Serhii Bobyk
Although Ritani is an online seller, it has partnerships with independently owned local jewelry stores around the US. When you browse Ritani’s selection of diamonds and ring settings online, you can make an appointment to go see either the same type of ring, or even that exact one, in person at the closest store to you.
That way, you can get help figuring out what you want in person, you’ll know exactly what you’re buying, and you can make changes and really customize the ring — this is all before you’ve paid or even committed to making a purchase. When you’re ready to buy, you can either order it right in the store, or head back to Ritani’s website — either way, the store gets a commission.
This “clicks-and-bricks” combination of online commerce with the chance to see the stones and settings in-store makes sense, according to Ritani Vice President Josh Marion, because an expensive diamond ring is the type of thing that people aren’t keen to buy based on only a photo.
“A car, a house, and a diamond; people want to see these things, feel them, really know what they’re getting before they buy,” said Marion.
Other major retailers, like Kay Jewelers, also offer a website with in-store varieties. However, you may not be able to preview the exact diamond and setting you’re buying, and if you order something at all customized, you can neither preview it, nor make a return or exchange.
You can ship your ring to your home or a nearby store — and make changes thanks to the return policy.
Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
One thing that’s always risky is getting a ring as a surprise, without having your significant other’s input. There are so many differences, even within each style of ring, whether your looking at halos, solitaires, three-stones, or something else.
Fortunately, unlike many online jewelers, Ritani offers a return policy on all purchases — even custom designs and creations.
That means that you can buy the ring, and after you propose, if your partner had something else in mind, you can either send it back to Ritani for tweaks, or you can return it altogether and start fresh.
You can also bring it in to one of the local jewelers that works with Ritani to modify or return it. Plus, if you’re worried about having such a valuable package delivered to your home, but you order something that a jeweler didn’t have in stock, you can always have it shipped to the store and pick it up when you have a chance.
Ritani wants its customers to be informed.
Reuters/STR New
According to Marion, consumer education is crucially important to Ritani. In addition to encouraging potential customers to go into a local affiliate jeweler’s store to talk things through, Ritani offers a ton of walk-throughs and guides to help you get started, whether it’s figuring out the four Cs, what’s trendy these days, or how to pick a diamond shape or ring style.
Additionally, Ritani’s in-house customer support center is staffed with certified gemologists. You can call with any questions, whether general or basic, and get help.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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SEE ALSO: An engagement ring is a major purchase — here’s the best way to pay for it
