Shopping for a diamond can be overwhelming if you’re not an expert, but once you know what to look for, you can find a beautiful diamond and also get a great bargain. Here’s how:

• Know what you’re looking for. Shop around and browse different styles, sizes and cuts of diamonds to get an idea of what you want and the average price of the rings you like. Keep in mind the Four Cs of diamonds when you are shopping: cut, color, clarity, and carats. Remember that the more carat weight a diamond has, the higher the price of the ring.

• Make sacrifices. You can compromise on some of the Four Cs but should hold steadfast to others. A diamond’s cut should always be a priority, as the cut influences the sparkle of your ring and how large or small the stone looks, and the right cut can mask other imperfections like flaws in the clarity or imperfections in the color.

• Pay attention to the ring’s setting. The right setting can also hide imperfections in your ring. Gold settings make white diamonds look more brilliant, which can help make lower grade diamonds appear more white and sparkling. Buying a lower grade diamond can save you thousands over the highest grade D colorless diamonds.

• Go for less popular diamond shapes. Round diamonds tend to be very popular and cost more than the rarer ovals, hearts and marquise diamonds.

• Forget the big brand names. If you really want to save on a diamond, you can find amazing deals and beautiful pieces that are not stamped with the big brand names like Tiffany & Co. Companies like Tiffany’s charge more right off the bat just for the name. Wholesale rings are often equally or more beautiful and will not carry the hefty name brand price tag.