Engagement Rings??

[Bunker]

Lousy picture, but to give you an idea with the wedding band we got to fit around it:



Of course, now she wants a band for the other side too.

I told her to start looking - in about 5 years

[MiamiE]

I am happy Seth.

[AD720]

I will agree with the above, you will pay a little more for a ring from a local Jeweler but the piece of mind will be worth it.

We had my wife's engagement ring made from a ring that belonged to her grandmother, the Jeweler used that stone and also melted down a ring that belonged to my grandmother and combined it all together in a new setting. It's really special for us, a combining of our families...I'm rambling...really my point is don't discount the value of having something made by a true artisan that is special for you over saving a couple hundred bucks and getting some mass-produced off the shelf ring from the mall.

I also wanted to add that the ring immediately appraised for more than we paid to have it done so it was well worth it.

[Eleven]

I make jewelry for a living. The only retail chain I would recommend is Helzberg.

Feel free to PM me with any questions, I will help as much as I can, up to and including making custom rings for you and your bride.

Congratulations on your upcoming engagement!

[awsmith4]

While there are many "better" jewelers, I went to Jared and when I got the ring I also got there extended service plan which has proved really useful as they routinely clean her ring and check the setting to make sure it is sturdy. The one I bought is white gold so they also add more rhodium any time it starts to yellow. The purchase was 8 years ago and the service is still as good as it was when we first purchased.

[kaisersozei]

Originally Posted by awsmith4

While there are many "better" jewelers, I went to Jared and when I got the ring I also got there extended service plan which has proved really useful as they routinely clean her ring and check the setting to make sure it is sturdy. The one I bought is white gold so they also add more rhodium any time it starts to yellow. The purchase was 8 years ago and the service is still as good as it was when we first purchased.

He went to Jared!

[awsmith4]

Originally Posted by kaisersozei

He went to Jared!

I laugh at that commercial, it wasn't their slogan when I went, but yes "I went to Jared"

[MedicCook]

Ken, I thought you learned your lesson.

[forgop]

Just go get tats on your right fingers.

[Salvelinus]

I purchased one about this time last year. I only went to local jewelers. I found it really annoying that most of the places didn't want to offer much service wise once I told them I wasn't interested in the $6-10G rings they were showing me. I managed to find someone who would sit down and explain things to me, and then show me rings in the price range I was looking for.

The best advice he offered was to spend money on the diamond, and save on the ring itself. I went with a bigger stone with a simpler setting and she loved it. This worked for me because I won't be offended if at some point later on she wants to pull the stone out and put it in a nicer setting, that might not fly with you, but it is fine with me.

Good luck and congrats!

[PeteSB75]

I bought about a year and a half ago. I have the advantage of working in midtown Manhattan, so just took a walk down to the diamond district on 47th St, going to a jeweler that several friends at work recommended. Between the price I got on the stone and what I paid for the setting, I saved quite a bit of money(probably 20% less) off what the same ring would have cost me at blue nile.

If you are going for a diamond, do yourself and your future wife a favor and buy the best color you can afford, you can sacrifice a bit in clarity and just get the size/cut you want to pay for, but don't sacrifice color. if you haven't already, ask your girlfriend what cut stone she wants. If it's a pear or other less-in-demand cut, you can get a larger stone for the same money. But either way, you want to look at the stones you are considering in person and not set. Tell them you only want D-F color, and look at the stones. For me, one of them popped. It had more inclusions than most of the others, but the depth/length/width was such that it just sparkled more. She loved the stone, and the platinum setting.

Ken, if you feel like taking a trip down to the city for a couple of days, I can introduce you to the jeweler I used. You will likely need to meet with him a few times, first to discuss what you are looking for, then to inspect stones - probably a day or two later, and finally to pick up the ring.

Btw, most jewelers will not set a ladies ring in paladium. They will do white gold or platinum, but you might have to hunt for one that will do paladium.

[acarr]

Blue Nile is where I got my wife's. If you use discover you get like 10% cash back also from shopping there and linking from their site. I don't think you can beat them dollar for dollar and all are certified.

[E.J.]

Guess most everything that needs to be said has been said. Can't stress enough about knowing the 4C's and educating yourself about what is acceptable for you in each.

If I was you, I'd spend a fair amount of time wasting a few jewelers time concerning this. That may sound chitty...but it is how I feel. Who knows, maybe one of them will surprise you....

Guess each lady has her own taste....and I guess men do as well. I am a firm believer of as large of HIGH QUALITY stone as you can afford. Stick it in a basic setting that makes you focus on that stone.


All that behind me.... CONGRATS!!

[thebayratt]

I got one at Zales. I got the protection & theft plans. Good thing too, the Misses somehow lost a diamond out of it and they replaced it for free. That and the free cleanings/sizings is nice too.

[kenstogie]

Wow, you inmates are wealth of info. And to Ryan yea, yea, yea

[kaisersozei]

One other thing: if you end up with a pricey ring, make sure you take out a jewelry rider on your homeowner's insurance for it. It's not much/year, but it's good piece of mind and you'll be thankful if anything happens to the ring.

[rizzle]

My two cents...

I came about this close to buying from an online dealer that I had researched thoroughly. The guy spent total, probably 3+ hours on the phone with me over time and faxed me countless certifications for me to look at. I felt totally comfortable with him and if I made a purchase from him could have had my own certification done and if I wasn't happy with the stones I could have gotten a full refund no questions asked. I would highly recommend that guy.

That being said, I had a local wholesaler recommended to me that happened to be in my office building at the time and I didn't even know it. I worked with him over a period of a couple of months looking at different stones until he finally found me the ones. Then we worked and designed a custom setting for them which he had another jeweler make. And I did go the platinum route and couldn't care less about the softness of the metal. If you want a platinum ring you know the metal isn't going to be impervious. Hell, my wedding band is platinum and looks awesome with scuffs on it. And when I look at my wife's rings I guarantee you it isn't scratches that catch your eye.

All said and done, I probably got twice the ring for the amount of money I wanted to spend. So in sum, find yourself a local wholesaler. Thats the dealio. And I won't talk about stones, that's a personal deal and you'll know the difference when you start looking at them. And do your homework like with any large purchase.

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by kaisersozei

One other thing: if you end up with a pricey ring, make sure you take out a jewelry rider on your homeowner's insurance for it. It's not much/year, but it's good piece of mind and you'll be thankful if anything happens to the ring.

That should include any fancy jewelry or watch.