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Engagement rings...
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I went this afternoon to price the ring *gulp*
Word of advice, if your looking around a certain carat weight, stay a little under your goal.
I was amazed how much the price went down from 1 ct to say .95ct. It was impossible to tell the difference in size. You also can save a little by going with a stone with a little more depth, but dont go too deep, it makes the stone look smaller.
I ended up getting my Fiancée a beautiful .95ct Asscher Cut set in white gold with 8 channel set princess cut diamonds for a 1.5ct tw.
Freaking beautiful ring and saved a hell of alot over that 1ct i was originally looking at. Got a better color as well, F.
And heed the advice of others, stay away from the Mall at all costs.
I was amazed how much the price went down from 1 ct to say .95ct. It was impossible to tell the difference in size. You also can save a little by going with a stone with a little more depth, but dont go too deep, it makes the stone look smaller.
I ended up getting my Fiancée a beautiful .95ct Asscher Cut set in white gold with 8 channel set princess cut diamonds for a 1.5ct tw.
Freaking beautiful ring and saved a hell of alot over that 1ct i was originally looking at. Got a better color as well, F.
And heed the advice of others, stay away from the Mall at all costs.
ArmchairAthlete
Diamond Member
Get one out of those 25 cent machines at the grocery store =D
Oh fergot to mention, i've heard excellent things about Blue Nile as well. I've known a few people that purchased from there and had nothing but the best to say about it.
Personally though, for a purchase this big i wanted to see the diamond in person before i bought it. Every diamond has a little different "feel" to it and i wanted to have my pick of the litter. I ended up using Blue Nile as an excellent price gauge though to see if i was getting ripped at different stores.
Personally though, for a purchase this big i wanted to see the diamond in person before i bought it. Every diamond has a little different "feel" to it and i wanted to have my pick of the litter. I ended up using Blue Nile as an excellent price gauge though to see if i was getting ripped at different stores.
Rumpltzer
Diamond Member
I did the research on how to read diamond grading reports before I went to local stores. I ended up going to only a few stores before I got frustrated and decided to shop only at Blue Nile using only the diamond specs and defect maps.
The jewelry store people often had no information for me other than carat weight. Color, clarity, proportions? No answers and no certificates. I was being shown near-one carat stones that were visibly brown or yellow to my n00b eyes. There'd often only be a few rings in this size to choose from, and I didn't like that.
I must have been shopping in the wrong places.
Anyway, I went to Blue Nile with a price limit in mind. I watched Blue Nile's inventory for a few weeks until I found what I wanted. I ended up with just over a carat, VS1 clarity, E color, excellent symmetry and polish.
I tried to find a 0.96 to 0.99 carat stone, but there's not a lot of stock in those ranges even with Blue Nile's huge inventory. I imagine the cutters know that the 1.0 mark is meaningful and cut accordingly... or maybe those stones just get snatched up quickly.
That whole diamond hunting experience was kinda fun now that I look back on it.
LordMagnusKain
Banned
but if she is engaged and he dumps her then she cant get another husband and end up a spinster, so she's going to need the down-payment to make things a little better.
Actually, most of the jewelry I got for my (now) wife, came from a store in a mall, but it was also a small town. And, when my wife managed to damage the bracelet AND necklace (very fine (as in small/thin goldwork) they both got repaired for free, which I didn't expect.
Very reasonable prices, too.
Of course, if you're anywhere near civilization, it's probably a good idea to avoid malls.
Pepsi90919
Lifer
FIANCEE with TWO FVCKING E'S
geecee
Platinum Member
Yah. The price jumps up disproportionately at each 0.5 carat interval because of demand and the perception. There are the 4 C's to diamond buying - Carat, Clarity, Cut and Color. The most emphasized is usually carat, i.e. size, when it should be the least or second least emphasized. The Color and the Cut make the biggest difference in visual effect. A well Cut diamond sparkles and shines, even in less than ideal light conditions. Many diamonds are cut less than ideally because gem cutters are trying to hit a certain size (i.e. the 0.5 carat ranges where the price jumps) and don't want to take too much off, thus not cutting it properly for maximum light dispersion effect. The Color is nice but the difference between D to G (recommended engagement ring range) is only really noticeable if you have them side by side. The Clarity only really comes into play with jewelers and resale value. The average person will never be able to see the internal defects (at least in the higher engagement ring ranges), even with a jeweler's loupe or some lower level magnification. As for Carat, just choose a size (considering the other C's) that you can afford.
Definitely try to get a GIA certified diamond where possible just because it has a certified report and meets certain criteria for quality.
Here's a brief guide to the GIA certification report.
This is a sales site but they have a great diamond buying tutorial. They give you ideal cut proportions, and explanations of grades of clarity and color and all sorts of other beginning to intermediate diamond buying info.
After you've chosen a diamond, take a good luck at different kinds of settings (i.e. Tiffany's). Chances are if there is a style you or your significant other likes in particular, your jeweler can set if for you just like that. Don't forget to set aside about $300-$1000 for the actual ring and setting costs.
Anyway, don't be pressured by anyone when you go shopping and even if you really like something, go check out a few other places and diamonds before you finally decide. If you live in NYC and decide to go to the Diamond District (i.e. 47th Street), be very, very careful. Most of those guys are all about the sale and nothing else. There are a few decent places there though.
GOOD LUCK! 😀
WhiteKnight
Platinum Member
Check out Superbcert and Good Old Gold. Don't be fooled by the cheesy names. These are two of the places that I'm sure you'd run across on the Diamondtalk or Pricescope forums. Both of these places offer you far more info online than you'll find just about anywhere else. I got my fiancee's engagement ring from Jonathan at GOG and I really couldn't have been any happier with it. Triple VH on the BrillianceScope, eye-clean, .86 carats for $3100. Try to beat that at any normal retail place.
Geekbabe
Moderator Emeritus<br>Elite Member
Unlike other women I'm fortunate enough to have several rings... ring around the collar,ring around the tub and ring around the toliet bowl. My man is smart and has game, I'm kept firmly in check, I diet and exercise, work,clean and understand I could be replaced with a younger,prettier woman in a heart beat, no diamond rings needed if a man has his game down.
Guys who spoil women with expensive gifts are fools.If she's sniveling about wanting an expensive ring,you've obviously not made sure she's kept busy enough worrying about pleasing you.
Guys who spoil women with expensive gifts are fools.If she's sniveling about wanting an expensive ring,you've obviously not made sure she's kept busy enough worrying about pleasing you.
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