So you are ready to propose - you have a great proposal idea in your head, you know exactly what you are going to say and you can't wait to put a ring on her finger. There's just one problem - you don't have the ring! Money's tight though, so you want to find a cheap engagement ring - is it possible?

First off, I never like to use the word "cheap" when describing a diamond ring. So instead of saying "cheap engagement ring", I'm going to say "affordable engagement ring". Just sounds nicer doesn't it?:)

Ok, step one is to set a budget. Decide how much you want to spend on your engagement ring. And please be realistic - don't say $56. Not gonna happen.

An engagement ring is going to set you back a few bucks. You will probably have to save up for a bit or tap into existing savings. It's a big purchase - and an extremely important one.

So set a budget that you can afford. Many people try to spend about two months salary, but that isn't always possible. You might have a lot of other bills that you are responsible for - it simply isn't possible for everyone to fork out that much.

That's fine - don't worry about it. You can find gorgeous rings at affordable prices. It's all about getting the most for your money.

My suggestion is to have at least $1000 to spend though. Remember that this is a ring she will wear forever. It is a sign of your committment and love for her - buying it should involve some form of sacrifice. Obviously $1000 is well below the average amount spent, but it can actually take a long ways if you know what to look for.

Go to my site and grab the Diamond Buying Guide - it will show you a ton of tricks on saving money on engagement rings. It's amazing how many people waste money on this purchase. I'll make sure get every last bit of your money's worth.

First off, go for a very simple setting. And stick with 14K white or yellow gold. There is no need to spend the extra on 18K or platinum. You want the majority of your budget to go towards the diamond.

For the diamond, the key is getting the biggest size rock for your pricerange. Diamonds are graded in a number of different categories - the diamond guide I put together shows you exactly what combination to go for when you're on a budget. Without this information you will either waste a bunch of cash or get a low quality diamond.

I often am asked to help find someone a unique engagement ring. This puts in a very awkward spot! The term "unique" is so broad that it helps to define it a little bit.

If you are looking for a unique engagement ring, first ask yourself what you want to be unique about it. Is there a particular style you know you are looking for. Do you simply want it to be a design that nobody else has? It is important to narrow down what it is you want in your engagement ring.

If you are a guy who is searching for an engagement ring and your special lady has specificall told you she want a unique ring, ask her what exactly she means by that. You have already talked about the ring if this is the case, so get a little clarification from her. She can let you know what style she wants - this will make your shopping a whole lot less stressful!

On the other hand, if you are shopping for an engagement ring and have decided yourself that you want to buy her a unique engagement ring, I suggest not looking for anything too over the top. Engagement rings are a symbol of your love and commitment to her. She will wear it forever. For this reason, you don't want to pick anything that risks going out of style. There is a reason why classic looks - such as the solitaire ring - are still the most popular today. A simple and classy setting makes you never have to worry about her growing tired of it.

There's nothing wrong with want something a little different than the ordinary though. I suggest looking at tension settings. These rings show off the diamond in a unique way. The diamond isn't in prongs like it usually is, but rather is kept in place simply by the tension of the metal on each side of the diamond. I probably haven't painted a clear picture for you - do a search online for "tension settings" and you will see what I mean.

You can also look at Pave settings. Here the band looks like it is "paved" with diamonds - there are diamonds all along the ring (with one central diamond). Again, do a search and you will see some examples.

I always suggest trying to find out what her "dream ring" is. Get a friend of hers to find out if she hasn't dropped any hints and you don't want to ask her yourself. Just remember that any ring you give her will be unique in the sense that YOU gave it to her. Don't feel as though you have to get her a ring that looks unlike anything else she has seen - sometimes the most classic rings are the best.

Also make sure you focus on getting the best cut diamond you can. You want that diamond to "dance" and sparkle like no other - this is what will make her stare at it for hours (with a smile on her face!). And don't stress out over the price of diamonds - Go to my website to read a Diamond Buying guide I put together. I give out all sorts of tip and tricks that can literally save you thousands - I hope it helps!

If you find that your pearls and a few gems are scratched and your silver is tarnished; it may be that you are not storing and cleaning your jewelry properly. Cleaning and Storing of Jewelry doesn't have to be so hard nor does it have to be expensive. Jewelry can be stored properly using cheap readily available materials and cleaning can be achieved with the use of ordinary household cleaners. Here are a few tips that you might find handy when cleaning and storing valuaubles.

Cleaning:

Toothpastes and dish soaps are best left for use on the kitchen sink. It is not advisable to use these products when cleaning jewelry as they may be abrasive and cause stones to loose their luster. It is then advised that you use a sudsy solution when cleaning jewelry.

Soak jewelry in warm sudsy water for at least an hour before rinsing them under warm running water. After the jewelry has been rinsed. Pat them dry with a towel or another absorbent fabric. Most of the time, running jewelry under water is enough to get them clean but there are those that are studded. Grime and grease gets into the nooks and crannies. For these stubborn dirt you can use and eyebrow brush or a soft baby's brush to gently clean it.

To remove greasy residues on diamonds soak them in alcohol a few minutes before running them under water. Don't use alcohol on all your jewelry because most of them are not as hard as diamonds and may be damaged when they come in contact with it.

Be careful when using commercial cleaners because they may damage your jewelry when used improperly. An example of a commercial cleaner is an ultrasonic cleaner. Don't use an ultrasonic cleaner on the following stones: Emerald, Peridot, Tanzanite, Topaz, and Opals. When using ultrasonic cleaners, don't soak jewelry for more than a few minutes.

Storing:

Gems and precious stones have different gradients of hardness. Stones are on the top of the list. They are very hard to scratch but they can scratch other items. Diamonds are the hardest, below them are sapphire, rubies, etc. at the lower end of the list you will find pearls and metals like gold, platinum and silver. With that in mind, it is wise to store jewelry separately or at least in individual containers or pouches.

Velvet, cotton and felt are great for storing delicate stones like pearls. These materials are easily available in fabric stores. Swatches can be cut from the fabric and made to wrap around delicate jewelry. They can even be made into pouches making them easier to use. It is not advisable to cram jewelry into one box. This may result in scratching and chipping.

First off - if you are shopping for an engagement ring - congrats! It's a fun time and hopefully you have that perfect proposal all mapped out in your head. Of course, you are going to need a ring - hopefully I can make it easier for you!

When you walk into a jewelry store you are going to see a whole bunch of diamond rings in their showcases. They will range in diamond size, type of metal used and of course price. But don't think that you are only limited to the engagement rings they have on display. You can easily mix and match what you see and design the engagement ring to fit what you are looking for.

For example, maybe you see a ring that has the perfect band you are looking for. It is the style you are looking for but the diamond is too big and out of your pricerage. Not to worry - you can easily ask for a diamond within your budget to be mounted to that particular band.

I always recommend buying your diamond "loose" and not purchasing pre-set rings (where the diamond is already mounted). This way you can see the diamond from all angles and properly inspect it. Also, you open up a lot larger selection of diamonds this way. The diamond is obviously the most expensive part of the ring so you want to make sure you have some choices to choose from.

If you aren't able to find the exact setting or band you are looking for, there are many jewelers that will offer custom made rings. If you can't find the setting you are looking for from what is in stock (also search the internet), than having it custom made is your best option. The jeweler can show you a sketch of the ring based on what you tell them. Also, many jewelers will design the ring using a computer program and then send you the computer image for your approval.

Having a ring custom made actually isn't as expensive as you might expect. There is a slight increase in cost because of the labor involved, but the main portion of your price will come from the materials and metals used.

The best way to keep costs down is to learn how to save yourself money on the diamond you end up buying. Go to my website and have a look at the Diamond Buying guide I put together. You can literally save thousands from the information I put together. Hopefully it helps you out.

I talk to a lot of clients who are stressed out from shopping for an engagement ring. I always remind them of how special of a time it is and that it should be fun - not stressful! Remember - the engagement ring is really only two things - a setting and a diamond. You just need to know what you want in those two categories and you are ready to go hunting.