These blogs are part of a week-long series in partnership with Bloomerent. To get more tips and facts about flowers and diamond costs, make sure to check out the Bloomerent and Rare Carat blog all week.
Knowing what the right price for a certain flower or diamond cut is a huge PITA for the
average consumer.
You’re not a professional, you didn’t go to school or spend a career in the industry and without spending a significant amount of time speaking to, researching and comparing different vendors, there’s no standardized pricing to guide you.
In a nutshell, that’s because, among many reasons, florists and jewelers set their own margins and prices. It is very unlikely that if you go to two florists or jewelers you’ll walk out with the exact same price for what you want.
In order to help guide you in this process, we have put together a few points on what flowers and cuts of diamonds will cost you more and what will save you money. Our companies, Bundles by Bloomerent and Rare Carat, exist to make the process of purchasing flowers and diamonds more transparent.
Let’s talk flowers first!
1. Local blooms will always save you money & imported blooms will always cost more!
Why?
This has everything to do with transportation costs. If your florist is sourcing flowers from a local farm, the transportation is basically negligible but if a florist has to source your flowers from Japan, the wholesaler has to account for the cost of transportation. Always ask your florist for what flowers are locally available. Even if you have a bloom in mind, there might be a substitute that will cut the cost dramatically and give you the same look for less!
2. In season blooms will always save you money & out of season blooms will always cost more!
This also relates back to transportation costs. If you’re dying for peonies in January for your New York City wedding, your florist can’t go to a local farm or even a regionally located farm to source them. Your florist has to go to a wholesaler and source the peonies from another country where the climate is currently in season for peonies. They then need to be flown in to arrive in time for your wedding. All of that will add a significant amount of cost to your flowers.
How do you make sure you get gorgeous in-season blooms, without compromising “the look” you’re going for?
Once you land on a date for your wedding, do a little research to find out what flowers will be in season. If there’s a specific flower that you love, ask your florist for an in season alternative. The below is a list of flowers that you can always count on to be in season.
Flowers you can typically always find in season:
- Roses
- Carnations
- Lilies
- Gerbera Daisies
- Baby’s Breath
Now that you know how to save a little moolah on the flowers, let’s chat about the bling. Have your heart set on some serious sparkle, but you’re not looking to live in your car?
Thankfully armed with Rare Carat’s data (and smooth moves) you can get all the sparkle your heart desires for a LOT less than you would on your own. However, if you want to get even the biggest bang for your bling, knowing what cuts are gonna cost you more will help knock the price down even more.
In the world of diamonds, this is what you need to know.
1.Round is Pricier - and Oval looks just as Good
Those round sparklers are classic balls of fire, aren’t they? They scream classic style, and their fire and shine are second to none. Which makes the round cut diamond the most popular diamond cut a bride-to-be can’t wait to get her pretty little fingers on.
But it’s not just popularity that drives up the price on round diamonds.
We’re also talking about waste. A modern cut, round brilliant diamond has 58 facets -- and to cut each one of those to perfection, a diamond cutter need a lot more rough diamond to work with. Square shapes take less rough material, and therefore aren’t quite as pricey.
But if you’re lovin’ that round look, but not the price-tag, why not try and oval on for size?
An oval-cut diamond is cut brilliantly like a round cut, has a dazzling amount of fire and sparkle and isn’t nearly as popular as the classic round. And while a round diamond lets you hide some clarity and color imperfections, an oval can look larger per carat on the finger. It’s also a unique shape, that not many people have, while still remaining elegant.
Read more here about why you should consider an oval diamond over a round.
2. Know what Cs Matter Most
Icy-white doesn’t mean a perfect diamond. And a diamond is flawless - as long as you can’t see the spot.
What do we mean?
Everyone’s heard of the 4 Cs. Clarity, Cut, Carat, and Color.
But some of these Cs are way more important than the other. You just have to know where to splurge - and where you can actually save.
Since a diamond’s cut is responsible for its fire, sparkle, and the overall way it reflects light, it’s important not to skimp on this C. Nobody wants a flat diamond that looks like dingy piece of glass.
But the good news? There’s a lot of room for savings on the other 3 Cs.
For example, while icy-white is the “modern” standard for diamond color perfection, you can’t even tell that a diamond has warmth (unless you compare it directly to a higher graded diamond side by side) until you start looking in the I-J category, and even then depending on the cut, it’s not always noticeable. Warm diamonds offer a ton of value, and some people love the slight tinge of color, since the icy white stones can feel a little sterile and not quite as romantic.
Clarity and carat are compromisable as well. While you certainly don’t want a stone that has galring imperfections and dark spots, you can actually find quite a bit of S12 diamonds (the lowest “acceptable” clarity grading) that have either strategically cut imperfections - meaning the setting will hide them or they’re barely noticeable at all. Especially if you’re trying to get sizeable stone that sparkles, lowering your standards a bit on color and clarity will help you stay in budget.
The good news?
Brilliant cuts - especially round diamonds - are the most forgiving when it comes to hiding stone imperfections and color. Splurge for an excellent cut round stone, and you’ll be able to compromise on the color and clarity -- while bumping up that carat weight!
We’d love to hear how you scored your favorite diamonds and flowers on a budget. And if we’ve missed any cost-cutting tips, make sure to tell us in the comments. We’re always all ears on how to get what we want - for less money!
