Buying Wedding Rings on Amazon: Is It Worth It?

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Iris bought her wedding rings on Amazon. They outlasted the marriage. She regrets her choice of husband but not the rings!

My husband and I bought matching rings from Amazon

Amazon Wedding Rings

One out of six women are disappointed with their engagement ring. 36% of them say they would much rather have picked the ring themselves. The commonest reasons for disappointment are usually the diamond being too small and the ring’s design not being to their tastes (despite detailed instructions!).

If you’re planning to propose soon, there’s no doubt you want things to go well, and for it to be a beautiful memory for both yourself and your partner. So, protect yourself against this risk by buying your wedding ring online.

Pros of Buying Online

Thousands of different styles – Buying online has a whole bunch of advantages. For instance, on Amazon, you can choose between thousands of different styles and view buyer guides and reviews, so you can get a better idea of what your special lady will like. And if she’s around, you can look together! It’s something she’ll wear for the rest of her life, so you should make sure it’s to her tastes.

The difference in cost – Another major factor – the biggest, in my opinion – is the difference in cost. Did you know that the average American spends $6,351 on a wedding ring? The amount is staggering, but what’s more surprising is the fact that the same ring can cost up to 50% less if bought online. When choosing a lesser-known brand, the discount for a ring of the same quality can be even steeper, like an insane 97% savings on what you pay. Jewelry stores – especially established ones – are notorious for marking up their prices. It’s not uncommon for them to have a 300% mark-up on popular rings. Furthermore, the average ring on Amazon costs way less because of higher competition and transparency.
Super convenient – Buying online is also super convenient. No need to get dressed and go to a store where the employees will try to push you into buying something then and there. If you’re looking with your partner, it’s better still! You won’t need to find a time that suits both of you and then find the energy to actually go out. Lie in bed and have some snacks while browsing through the designs.
No outside opinions – One other factor is that online, your decision will be completely your own. In a store, employees have their commission and monthly goal to consider. There have been times when I’ve been desperately asked to make a purchase, with the employee stating outright that she’s short of her monthly goal. You’ll never encounter that sort of pressure (or veiled emotional blackmail) online – especially on sites like Amazon.

Cons of Buying Online

Of course, buying a wedding ring online has its downsides as well. Here are some of the most prominent ones:

Sizing problems – While most of us know our t-shirt and shoe size, ring size is a wholly different matter. While buying online, this is one issue that might arise – although some websites send out free ring sizers (they look like a mix between a miniature measuring tape and a zip-tie) and others, such as Amazon, often have helpful sizing charts online. And like Joe, you can always go to a store to get measured. Some others buy a couple of different sizes and return the ones that don’t fit.
Sketchy websites – Amazon is a pretty safe bet while buying anything online – especially if the product is Amazon fulfilled. However, if you want to go with another website, such as an online jewelry store, do the necessary research and make sure the site is safe. Even with the price differential, wedding rings are still an expensive purchase! Try to only buy rings that come with an authenticity certificate.
How it’ll look on your hand – Some people need to try out clothes and accessories and see how they look on them, before they can make a decision. Unfortunately, that will be a problem online. It can be done with a bit of creativity, or you can always return a ring if you decide it doesn’t look that great on your hand, but it will make online shopping a slow, inconvenient process.
Missing out on discounts – Prices fluctuate a whole lot online, so it might happen that a few days after you place your order, the price of the item you ordered drops by a couple of percents. Or you might find a coupon that you could’ve used, had you known about it. To prevent this from happening, you can use a price tracker such as CamelCamelCamel, and/or coupon finders such as Honey.

Reviews of Amazon Wedding Rings

Let’s hear the opinions of some people who bought their wedding (or engagement) ring online.

Review #1

Andrew Emerson Ryan, 25-year-old CNA from Spokane, WA says: “I bought my wife's engagement ring online for about $680. I really enjoyed the experience, because I was able to customize the ring so it suited my wife and made her happy, all without breaking the bank. I feel like if I’d gone to a store I would’ve been shown a lot of options I did not want to choose, and ultimately I might’ve been unsatisfied with the ring I ended up picking.

“I was able to customize the ring to my own specifications that I knew my wife would like. I went with a ring that had exclusively colored stones in it. I chose aquamarine accents because my wife likes blue and green. The center stone was a mint Swarovski zirconia, and I decided on 14k yellow gold for the whole setting.”

Would he recommend buying a wedding ring online? “Yeah,” he responded. “Buying online allows you to customize exactly how you want, without looking at any options you don't want to or feeling pressured to make choices that don't seem ideal.”

Review #2

Joe, a 29-year-old businessman from Kearney NE says: “The ring I bought costs $159.20, though I happened to catch them doing a sale so I got a decent discount on it. The ring is Titanium, with a carbon-fiber interior that glows once it absorbs UV light. They also had copper, gold, silver, stainless steel, and some non-metallic options. My fiancée (and soon-to-be-wife) said she loves it.”

When asked about his experience buying a wedding ring online, he said: “I had an excellent experience. The hardest part was getting both of us sized – for which we had to go to a jeweler. Other than that, it was great. It arrived promptly. No-fuss, no issues needing returns, just a quality product that’s served me well over the past year.”

Now that you’ve saved yourself some time and effort, in addition to a considerable sum of money, you can buy something useful with it! Treat yourself, take your partner out on a date, or spend the extra money on a fantastic proposal. After all, even if she knows what the ring will look like, she has no way of knowing what else you’ve got in store for the special day!