If you’re intimidated by the process of engagement ring shopping, you’re not alone. Most of us are worried about this large, important purchase. However, there are some ways you can save a lot of money and make the whole process much simpler.

One obvious thing that most of us know is that the bigger the diamond, the better. This fact is responsible for a lot of people’s fear and anxiety when buying a ring. They’re afraid of having to spend a lot to please their fiance. After all, larger diamonds mean a higher price.

Fortunately, there are ways to get a high quality, large diamond for a lot less than you might think. It’s all about getting the most out of your money.

Here’s an example to help you understand.

Every diamond out there has been graded according to four major characteristics. These are carat, clarity, cut and color. We’ll take a look at color to show you more.

Color grading scales range between D and Z, with D color grading indicating the best color. To decide what quality color a given diamond has, each one is inspected under very high magnifications.

What’s the catch? Diamonds that are D grade won’t look differently from one that’s four grades lower in quality – an H.

Unless you look at the diamonds beside one another, on a white background, and under close magnification, you’ll never notice the difference. The naked eye just can’t see that level of detail. You might spot a difference between D and I if you know what you’re doing, but even grades I and J are hard to see a difference in.

So what’s the point? You should never pay for a D grade diamond when the human eye can’t distinguish it from an H!

The price difference between the two ranges is enormous. You could pay thousands of dollars more for a D grade diamond. Most jewelry stores encourage buyers to choose the highest grades, of course. Most people fall into this scheme, and pay a lot more than they need to.

That’s just one example of ways to save money on an engagement ring. Picking a diamond that has a lower color grading but doesn’t look different to the naked eye will allow you to buy a much bigger diamond for the same amount of money. Learn about diamonds and how to buy, and you’ll get a good deal.