It is, after all, the third biggest purchase you’ll ever make in fiscal terms (unless you buy a yacht along the way). But unlike buying a house, or a car (or a yacht, sure), buying a diamond has all of the stress of a major life purchase, and none of the excitement.

Obviously you’re excited to be buying an engagement ring – but the process itself is next-level emotional harassment. You walk in to a jewelry store. It smells like talcum powder. A middle-aged woman with too many gold necklaces looks up at you. You approach the counter, and tell them you’d like to buy a diamond engagement ring. She asks you if you have anything in mind. You panic at this point. Of course you don’t. Can’t you look at the rings? Isn’t there some kind of spread? Why is it so hot in here? She asks you what kind of person your significant other is like. Brilliant, now you’re stumbling over a terrible verbal description of the love of your life, and a woman you’ve known for 80 seconds is suggesting rings that will probably suit her. What? Why do all of these have twirls in the design?

You settle on the least offensive option, ask for a quote, leave, and go to the sports shop and buy a R6,000 tennis racquet – because you actually understand why that graphite missile launcher is as expensive as it is.

Of course, you’re more than capable of picking out a stunning ring for your beloved, striking a balance between cut, clarity, colour, and carat – within your budget. You just need the space to do it on your own, without being strongarmed by a salesperson in a room with terrible furniture.

Ideally, you want to be able to browse a selection of diamonds or design your own ring from the safety of your lazy boy while you weep your way through Senna. Quick break!

Okay, we’re back.

The guys at Black Key Diamonds are Cape Town locals, but they operate globally – they have an office in Singapore. They know that the usual process of buying diamonds completely sucks around the world.

Which is why they built a website that gives you the option to:

– Browse diamonds via the diamond search

– Finance and insure your diamond, so you can be in love and afford food at the same time

– Design your own diamond and ring setting. Heck, if you upload a source image and a few notes, you’ll get full on CAD designs back from their team of captive designers.

And when all’s said and done? Your purchase will not only be exactly what you want, having been made by some of the top jewelry manufacturers in the country, it’ll also cost you 50% less than it would on the high street.

It’s a no brainer. And did I mention that when you take collection of the diamond, you get a Cuban in a leather pouch for the moment after your person says yes?

Why isn’t it done like this, everywhere?

No one knows. But it is at Black Key Diamonds.

If you’re a lady and your guy has told you he wants to become your legally-contracted spouse, send him here. A better price means a bigger rock.

CLICK HERE to check out more of their vibe.