My advice to you is to find a family owned smaller jewelry shop. They tend to give you great deals because if they take care of you now, they hope you will come back and recommend them. I had this experience at least when I bought the engagement ring for my fiance. In fact I just bought the diamond and he threw in the platinum setting for next to nothing. I will be going back to get our wedding bands and have bought other things from them since. Ask to see what they have in your budget first and see if you want to spend more after you see what you can get. Before even going though, you should learn about the 4 C's. Here is a website that may help you. Good luck and feel free to PM if you need anymore help.
Run. Now.
Seriously, good luck. My wife and I will have been married for three years on the 20th.
Seriously, good luck. My wife and I will have been married for three years on the 20th.
I would agree with the concensus in just getting her a nice decorated gold band or something and skip the gemstone if your budget is limited to $500...take her out to look at a few and see what she is drawn to, you might be surprised either way.....
with re. the "guidelines" I always tell those who are actually using the two month equation two things...1 go on your post tax salary and 2. go by the appraised value of the ring as generally it is highly inflated compared to what you actually pay.
with re. diamonds and their pricing, sure they are artifically inflated but people always have the option of not buying them..demand and market control keep the price up which is generally the case for any popular consumer product.
good luck
with re. the "guidelines" I always tell those who are actually using the two month equation two things...1 go on your post tax salary and 2. go by the appraised value of the ring as generally it is highly inflated compared to what you actually pay.
with re. diamonds and their pricing, sure they are artifically inflated but people always have the option of not buying them..demand and market control keep the price up which is generally the case for any popular consumer product.
good luck
todpod
Golden Member
- Nov 10, 2001
- 1,275
- 0
- 76
I spent about $500 on a ring for my wife and I made about the same as you do now. Its silly to mortgage your future for a ring. If you in this for the long term, which I assume is the case then the good things will come.
Its alot easier to spent 2 months salary when you make lots of $$$, but with what your making your funds could be put to better use, house, wedding etc, esp house. If your carefull now it will pay dividends in the the future.
Good luck to you
Its alot easier to spent 2 months salary when you make lots of $$$, but with what your making your funds could be put to better use, house, wedding etc, esp house. If your carefull now it will pay dividends in the the future.
Good luck to you
Yo Woodchuck! As a guy who recently became engaged, I can offer you my thoughts. First, diamonds are expensive. If you want to buy a ring that your fiance can brag about, I'm sorry but $500 will not do it. Just go to http://www.pricescope.com and see what kind of a stone $500 will get you (that doesn't even include the band or the mounting, ect.) If you want to learn about diamonds, read up at pricescope. I read every article there, and then some. I then felt very prepared to make a diamond purchase.
If I was on your $500 budget, I would strongly consider a colored gem stone (ie. emerald, ruby, sapphire, perhaps semi-precious). You will be able to afford a much larger stone than a diamond, and still have a fantastic engagement ring.
If you fiance is glued to the diamond idea, here's a route you could take: Instead of one large center stone (appealing to the traditional engagement ring), perhaps consider a band with many, smaller inset diamonds. This would bring your cost down significantly and still look great. OR...consider a ring mixed with colored gemstones and diamonds.
DEFINITELY shop online. You will pay the most by going to a local jeweler. Most online jewelers have amazing return policies that allow you to return an item for any reason. I would not hesitate to buy online at your price range.
Best wishes!
If I was on your $500 budget, I would strongly consider a colored gem stone (ie. emerald, ruby, sapphire, perhaps semi-precious). You will be able to afford a much larger stone than a diamond, and still have a fantastic engagement ring.
If you fiance is glued to the diamond idea, here's a route you could take: Instead of one large center stone (appealing to the traditional engagement ring), perhaps consider a band with many, smaller inset diamonds. This would bring your cost down significantly and still look great. OR...consider a ring mixed with colored gemstones and diamonds.
DEFINITELY shop online. You will pay the most by going to a local jeweler. Most online jewelers have amazing return policies that allow you to return an item for any reason. I would not hesitate to buy online at your price range.
Best wishes!
Rubies and sapphires are more expensive than diamonds. I think emeralds are, too. You could go with semi-precious, or just fake colored stones.
Perhaps in that price range, but I have found that in my shopping that having an "in" with a local jeweler is much more valuable than ordering online. You've GOT to have a connection, though. Drop a name. The place I'm shopping at, my mom is a childhood friend of the proprieter's cousin. He got me great prices. In fact, the prices of his diamonds were $500-$1000 less than similar-spec diamonds on Blue Nile. And with GIA certs, too.
I'll second that... goodoldgold has the best diamond info on the web.
I just bought a ring less than a month ago, ended up spending $6k... but because of that site (and a few tools I picked up), I ended up getting a great deal.
Your budget is pretty low, but because you are getting a gold setting, you could probably sacrifice the color. You could probably go with an SI stone, J-ish color, decent cut. I would listen to the goodoldgold site when it comes to cut, it is very important to get a well cut stone.
If you drop the $500 just on the stone, you could probably end up with something in the ballpark of 1/3 carat, which is a decent number. Good luck!
Not if you get man-made, which is 95% of the stuff in stores.
Unless you go used, $500 won't get you much of a diamond. A very dirty quarter carat or a clean tenth.
dude, I dont mean to sound like an as$, just being a realist. How can one start a family with only 9$/hr income? unless she is making a lot more money than you do.
This is going somewhat off topic but....just because he is proposing now does not mean that he has immediate plans to marry...I know plenty of people who are engaged for years before they set the actual date...
<required response>
OMG!! OH NO!!! AIIEEEEE!!! NOOOOOOOO!!O!OO!!!!O!O!!
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Congrats.
- M4H
OMG!! OH NO!!! AIIEEEEE!!! NOOOOOOOO!!O!OO!!!!O!O!!
</required response>
Congrats.
- M4H
Zebo
Elite Member
- Jul 29, 2001
- 39,398
- 19
- 81
Well you certainly did a swell job of it
1. where does he say he plans to start a family?
2. He lives in Va probably rural where $9 an hour aint bad, not like starting out not in California or someplace.
3. Young.
4. Maybe his girl also makes $9 that's 18 thats above median family income for USA.
5. I was unemployed college student an so was wife to be when married. times changed. income changed.
6. Pretty sad dissing the dude for his income level already, more so when he's already worried about this expense.
I've personaly never thought much of the whole engagement process, other than a chance for the girl to show off.
For me and my girl, we just know.... if thats the case for your, and your not planning on getting married for a couple years etc, than saving an additional year, or 1/2 year could net you something a lot better.
Just another perspective I guess, since i know nothing about rings...
For me and my girl, we just know.... if thats the case for your, and your not planning on getting married for a couple years etc, than saving an additional year, or 1/2 year could net you something a lot better.
Just another perspective I guess, since i know nothing about rings...
There is nothing wrong with buying a synthetic/simulated diamond. There are some high quality CZ's out there. When I was looking, I ran across a few helpful websites (diamondtalk.com) with forums that you can read to educate yourself. I personally settled on a ring from betterthandiamond.com because they had the size and look for the price range I was interested in (pricier than a lot of sites, but the quality is said to be better than most - haven't rec'd ring yet, since I just ordered last week). Good luck in your hunt.
Originally posted by: WoodchuckCharlie
Well, well, well, I hate to even ask this, but I need some advice from some of the more knowledgable men out there on ATOT. Me and my girlfriend have been together for the better part of 2 1/2 years now (a couple of hiccups along the way), but I'm more in love with her now than I ever have been
Where do you live?
As an "ice" expert (trained by gf), I do know a thing or two about ice, and with $500, you won't be able to get much. I know of places that you can get great deals on diamonds, and of good quality (V.V.S.1) for much cheaper than anywhere else. But you have to be in Southern Cali.
Please don't buy from DeBeers. If you want to know why, there are threads on ATOT about it. Bad company.
- Oct 19, 2000
- 17,860
- 4
- 81
Good response ZeboOriginally posted by: Zebo
Well you certainly did a swell job of it
1. where does he say he plans to start a family?
2. He lives in Va probably rural where $9 an hour aint bad, not like starting out not in California or someplace.
3. Young.
4. Maybe his girl also makes $9 that's 18 thats above median family income for USA.
5. I was unemployed college student an so was wife to be when married. times changed. income changed.
6. Pretty sad dissing the dude for his income level already, more so when he's already worried about this expense.
. I don't plan on starting a family for atleast a couple more years, I live in rural Kentucky (not far from Virginia ), and $9/hr ISN'T bad around here, I am young at 22, my girl actually does make right above $9/hr, we live in an apartment right now, paying all our own bills (rent, electric, water, cable, phone, and a car payment apiece), I hope to start at a local tech school to get some tech certifications to help get a better job early next year, etc etc etc.
- Oct 19, 2000
- 17,860
- 4
- 81
I do appreciate everyone's advice, but being at work right now I don't have an immense amount of time to check out some of the sites you guys have recommended. I will reply back again later tonight and probalby ask some more questions .
Thanks a bunch guys!
.Thanks a bunch guys!
You should get her some kinda ring off of ebay, maybe antique, or something special.
Either that or get her a gold ring with a different stone besides a diamond, because any decent diamond rings set in gold will be way out of your price range.
The setting for my wife's ring cost 650, and it wasnt that "super", just about mediocre....
Either that or get her a gold ring with a different stone besides a diamond, because any decent diamond rings set in gold will be way out of your price range.
The setting for my wife's ring cost 650, and it wasnt that "super", just about mediocre....
Originally posted by: Zim Hosein
And a divorce to boot
I am a veteren of two big D's myself
Ausm
No ring advice, but you might wanna make sure she wants to get married to you before you go out and buy a ring.
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