<prompt> Human: So this Thursday I am going to go buy an engagement ring from one of the big jewelry stores. I know they are going to try to get me to open up a credit card with them for the purchase. Should I open one up with them? Does it depend on the price? And what else is good general advice to go through this process? I would ask the sales person, but I feel like they will give me the runaround and try to screw me over.  <response>: And what else is good general advice to go through this process?Have the inside edges of the ring beveled. A straight edge looks nice, but cuts into the skin. Make sure the tines holding the stone are thick; if they look thin, then they are, and the stone will come loose and fall out. Have the tines swept, so again, they dont just go down and flat out, looking like they were glued onto the side as an afterthought, because the bottoms of the tines can dig into the skin. Buy the wedding band at the same time, and make sure the wedding band and the engagement ring sit flush next to each other. Its popular to have the two soldered together and this will give your future wife the option.Shop around. The point is youre going to go in there and get pushed around, then youre going to walk out feeling awkward, manipulated, and informed about what the next guy is going to try to pull on you. You can also see what everyone has to offer. You might not know what a thin, bullshit thin tine is until you see a proper setting.If you must buy a diamond, buy THE diamond youre looking at. Kay and Jared will pull the ol switcheroo where they show you a display ring, you say yes, and they actually give you a similar stone by weight and cut from under the counter. Their best jewelry is on display and they dont want to sell it unless youre explicitly clear you want this ring.Diamond engagement rings werent a tradition until Queen Victoria. Nor were white wedding dresses until her, as well. De Beers has an international monopoly, they are neither rare nor expensive - WE PUT THEM ON DRILL BITS. Chocolate and Black diamonds where the bottom grade that were unsellable just a few years ago... They never appreciate in value. They are not an investment in any sense of the word, not in your woman, not in your marriage, not in your future, because your love for each other and your future isnt predicated on the size and quality of a rock. Its a symbolic gesture, and that is all. Most diamonds are blood diamonds, quarried by slave labor, and sold to fund warlords and crime rings. More than half certificates of authenticity from the mines of Canada are faked, so any one a salesman shows you, if they can actually procure one, is likely fake. Everyone in the business is part of the system, and you cant trust them. Sorry. They will tell you different, just blow it off because of course theyre going to swear up and down. They might even believe it themselves, even though they know there are many middle men between the store front and the quarry.That said, consider buying alternatives. Moissanite has much more luster, though they tend to be slightly yellow - you typically only see it when compared to an actual diamond, so if you have multiple gems in a single setting, make them all the same. I got switcherood on that one... Paid for moissanite, ended up with cheaper diamonds. A light aquamarine can have a nice, slightly blueish tint to it. Tanzanite is a deep blue thats 1,000x rarer than diamond and a fraction of the price. Clear sapphire lots of precious gems are naturally occurring variants of aluminum oxide is indistinguishable from diamond and can be lab grown. You can buy your own stone and have a jeweler set it for you, as theyll be happy just for any business.Whatever you do, shes going to be the one wearing it, so know what she wants or expects, and come to an agreement about what the ring represents and how it should look. If you can save on the gem, which Im hoping you do, you can spend more on the setting. The setting is most of what people will see, and a good setting can make a mediocre stone pop, whereas a cheap setting can make an impressive stone gaudy and tacky, or lost, see above.If you do provide your own stone, photograph it in high detail. Some jewelers are not above stealing your stuff and giving you another of lesser quality, hoping you wont notice. Also, take pictures of the rings you buy and have them insured with your homeownersrenters insurance agency. Talk to them about the details.Always be prepared to walk away. Nothing is worth getting dicked. If theyre using pressure tactics, you probably dont want to be working with them in the first place. Buy it now, it might not be here when you get back!!! You know what? Kudos to you if you can sell it that fast, I dont need your business that bad. There are other rings, other stores, and the next one might be better. Go in, go through the motions, DO NOT GIVE THEM YOUR BUDGET FIRST, get an offer down on paper, then go to lunch. Come back, double check thats the same ring, and only then agree to the offer. 