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Wedding rings...
- Thread starter kage69
- Start date
dullard
Elite Member
From your post I'm assuming this is an engagement ring. Is that true? A wedding ring is what you give on your wedding day, an engagement ring is what you give when you propose.
Pricewise, spend what you can afford. There is such a tremendous range of prices - when you shop, know what you want to spend and get the best you can for that amount. I spent $2000.00 (after tax) on the engagement ring I bought. That was plenty to get a nice sized quality diamond. The two month thing is a myth - I don't know anyone who spent that much.
I'd personally ask your girlfriend what she likes. Treat it like you are going shopping for Christmas and want ideas of what type of jewelry she'd like for Christmas. Little does she know it isn't a Christmas gift... Round cut is the prettiest and has the most sparkles - but it is plain. Some people want more fancy cuts others want the shine and sparkle.
Biggest tip: shop around - at lots of places. Diamond sellers are as low on my list as shady used car salesmen and lawyers who chase ambulences. Trust no one. After some experience at many stores, you'll quickly find out who is lying and who is not.
Pricewise, spend what you can afford. There is such a tremendous range of prices - when you shop, know what you want to spend and get the best you can for that amount. I spent $2000.00 (after tax) on the engagement ring I bought. That was plenty to get a nice sized quality diamond. The two month thing is a myth - I don't know anyone who spent that much.
I'd personally ask your girlfriend what she likes. Treat it like you are going shopping for Christmas and want ideas of what type of jewelry she'd like for Christmas. Little does she know it isn't a Christmas gift... Round cut is the prettiest and has the most sparkles - but it is plain. Some people want more fancy cuts others want the shine and sparkle.
Biggest tip: shop around - at lots of places. Diamond sellers are as low on my list as shady used car salesmen and lawyers who chase ambulences. Trust no one. After some experience at many stores, you'll quickly find out who is lying and who is not.
JackDawkins
Senior member
Advice and/or tips: Run away as fast as you can!
StageLeft
No Lifer
How much money do you have? Do you have savings? Credit card debt? Job? How much do you make?
This is an impossible question to answer without such details. If you're 18 without a job maybe $200 is a good ballpark. If you making $500k quarterly I think $10k is a better target.
Eitherway what I can say with certainty is that you should not go into significant debt for a ring. It's just a small piece of metal and glass and indicative of little more than the amount of money you were willing to spend; certainly not indicative of your love for her. Two month's paycheck on a ring? Fvck that.
This is an impossible question to answer without such details. If you're 18 without a job maybe $200 is a good ballpark. If you making $500k quarterly I think $10k is a better target.
Eitherway what I can say with certainty is that you should not go into significant debt for a ring. It's just a small piece of metal and glass and indicative of little more than the amount of money you were willing to spend; certainly not indicative of your love for her. Two month's paycheck on a ring? Fvck that.
First: learn about the stones themselves and how they are graded.
Cut: shape of diamond
Color: denoted by a letter. The higher you go in the alphabet, the more yellow the stone looks. D-F are considered "colorless" (and therefore more expensive)
Clarity: basically, little bits of carbon in the diamond that aren't linked into the diamond itself....they look like bits of black sand. The fewer inclusions, the more valuable the stone (perfect stones being the most valuable, obviously). Not as big a deal as the color IMHO as you can't see them unless you're looking through a jeweler's glass.
Diamond tutorial.
Once you know what you're looking at, you can compare apples to apples and get the best deal on a ring.
Cut: shape of diamond
Color: denoted by a letter. The higher you go in the alphabet, the more yellow the stone looks. D-F are considered "colorless" (and therefore more expensive)
Clarity: basically, little bits of carbon in the diamond that aren't linked into the diamond itself....they look like bits of black sand. The fewer inclusions, the more valuable the stone (perfect stones being the most valuable, obviously). Not as big a deal as the color IMHO as you can't see them unless you're looking through a jeweler's glass.
Diamond tutorial.
Once you know what you're looking at, you can compare apples to apples and get the best deal on a ring.
richardycc
Diamond Member
hmmm color starts at D. 🙂
blackdogdeek
Lifer
this sounds like an engagement ring purchase which is different from a wedding band purchase.
try to find a faq on diamond basics. you'll find out about the 4 c's:
cut, color, clarity and carat
cut is the shape of the diamond - emerald, princess, etc.
color is self-explanatory - colorless, yellow(measured in letters D,E,F = colorless all the way to X,Y,Z = light yellow)
clarity is the amount of imperfections - flawless(fl) to heavy inclusions(I3)
carat is the size(weight)
make sure you do some research before you buy and if you know someone who has made a purchase in the past you can hopefully get some advice from them or even have them do a little looking around with you.
prices can vary from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.
try to find a faq on diamond basics. you'll find out about the 4 c's:
cut, color, clarity and carat
cut is the shape of the diamond - emerald, princess, etc.
color is self-explanatory - colorless, yellow(measured in letters D,E,F = colorless all the way to X,Y,Z = light yellow)
clarity is the amount of imperfections - flawless(fl) to heavy inclusions(I3)
carat is the size(weight)
make sure you do some research before you buy and if you know someone who has made a purchase in the past you can hopefully get some advice from them or even have them do a little looking around with you.
prices can vary from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.
Eh. Depends. What if you make $5K or $6K a month? That's about what my new job is going to pay--and is within reason for some of the people on this board. My girlfriend has no desire to have a $10K ring on her finger. She'd much rather have a $2K ring and a G35 instead of an Accord. 🙂
To the original poster: talk to your girlfriend. See what she likes. It varies quite a bit--some like different styles of stones... some like particular sizes (or ranges of sizes... my girlfriend wants nothing bigger than a 3/4 carat because of her small hands). Just a hint: if she says "the bigger the better", run like the wind. 🙂
StageLeft
No Lifer
If you make $5-6k/month that is yet more money you'll spend on a ring. If you're making $60k/year which is pretty good but nothing phenomenal and spending $10k on a ring I think you've got issues!
Most people don't understand the meaning of the word "afford". I know a guy who is still, two years later, paying off his wife's rings. When I bought mrsskoorb's I paid with cash! And if you have no savings at the time buy something inexpensive. Most women of merit are not going to break up with you just because you plopped $1k on their ring instead of $4k.
radioouman
Diamond Member
Take her shopping and/or ask her what she likes. Have her give you some websites of things that she likes. Of course if it is going to be a complete surprise to her, don't do this.
Round cut is a little cheaper than princess cut. Some girls like princess, some don't. There are many other cuts available too.
Don't put your purchase on a typical credit card. If you have to, get 0% financing for a year and PAY IT OFF. Most jewelry stores offer 0% financing on purchases over $1000.
$1000-$1500 will give you a nice selection of diamonds and bands. I strongly suggest against the whole color and clarity thing. Once she starts wearing it, the only thing that other people will notice will be the size and possibly the cut. Cut and carats are more important. Remember, these rings get worn every day, and they get dirty.
Here's another trick: 5/8 of a carat is a lot less money than 3/4 of a carat, yet they are almost the same size. (.75 vs .625) When you compare them in the store, there is hardly any difference. Stick with 5/8 or less. Don't be ashamed of a small diamond either.. If you need to spend less than $1000, you can still get a niec 1/3 carat diamond that will look just great and she will be happy with it. Even some really nice 1/3 carat diamonds are well over $1000.
Make sure of the setting... it needs to look solid. You don't want her to lose it! Does she have allergies?? My wife just developed an allergic reaction to gold after wearing her rings for two and a half years. I had to take it back and get platinum. But I bought the $50 warranty, and since I did, they gave me ALL of my money back. Talk about a bargain!!
Round cut is a little cheaper than princess cut. Some girls like princess, some don't. There are many other cuts available too.
Don't put your purchase on a typical credit card. If you have to, get 0% financing for a year and PAY IT OFF. Most jewelry stores offer 0% financing on purchases over $1000.
$1000-$1500 will give you a nice selection of diamonds and bands. I strongly suggest against the whole color and clarity thing. Once she starts wearing it, the only thing that other people will notice will be the size and possibly the cut. Cut and carats are more important. Remember, these rings get worn every day, and they get dirty.
Here's another trick: 5/8 of a carat is a lot less money than 3/4 of a carat, yet they are almost the same size. (.75 vs .625) When you compare them in the store, there is hardly any difference. Stick with 5/8 or less. Don't be ashamed of a small diamond either.. If you need to spend less than $1000, you can still get a niec 1/3 carat diamond that will look just great and she will be happy with it. Even some really nice 1/3 carat diamonds are well over $1000.
Make sure of the setting... it needs to look solid. You don't want her to lose it! Does she have allergies?? My wife just developed an allergic reaction to gold after wearing her rings for two and a half years. I had to take it back and get platinum. But I bought the $50 warranty, and since I did, they gave me ALL of my money back. Talk about a bargain!!
SilentZero
Diamond Member
The best advice i can give is to shop around extensively. I went to about a half a dozen places pricing and looking at stones.
Good advice. Spend as much as you feel comfortable. I feel that getting something appropriate/nice is great--which is why you talk to your girlfriend. Breaking the bank for a ring, however, is not sound advice--so it all depends on your financial situations. Finances can cause quite a few marital problems--and starting out with a tremendous amount of debt for the turbulent first year isn't the world's most wonderful idea.
I agree with you Skoorb. 🙂 I've saved up a bit of money.... quite a bit of money, actually. I'm willing to spend what it takes on the ring... I was pleasantly surprised when my girlfriend and I started looking at rings... she's far more interested in getting a flawless 1/2 or 5/8 than buying the biggest ring I can afford (which is FAR more than $2K). Most people would MUCH prefer to spend less money on the ring and drop the rest onto a downpayment of a house (given that our combined income will be $120K or so, we will get reamed on taxes if we don't buy one). 🙂
dullard
Elite Member
I have the opposite opinion. I spend a LOT of time finding the diamond I got - one that is so clear that you cannot see anything with the naked eye (yes the stores will lie to you and say that ugly black spec you see isn't visible - so don't trust their ratings trust your vision) and one that is colorless enough that it looks good (again don't trust their color letters, bring a yellow gradient with you that you print out on your printer). Almost every woman compares rings with my wife's. They are all excited and say "I want to see your ring!". They look at my wife's ring, claim how pretty it is, and how sparkly, and then look at their own ring, their excitement fades immediately and they emit a sad lower pitched "oh". Why? Their husbands bought a dull cloudy diamond. Trust me on this - get a diamond without visible carbon or a visible cloudiness.
kage69
Lifer
Good link Fausto, thanks.
Yes, I should have said, this would be an engagement ring. I know she doesn't like yellow gold, so I'm going for white gold. My girl abhors ostentatious displays of wealth, as do I, so I know I'm not looking for something all bling bling. I guesstimated around 2500 was what I wanted to spend - just bought a house.
I dunno, I always thought guys were supposed to surprise the girl with the ring, but taking her out to look does sound kinda the way to go. Maybe I'm just loathing the idea of going into DeBeers or wherever and dealing with people who are cut from the same cloth as used car salesmen. (I've heard some horror stories).
Anyway, thanks guys...
Yes, I should have said, this would be an engagement ring. I know she doesn't like yellow gold, so I'm going for white gold. My girl abhors ostentatious displays of wealth, as do I, so I know I'm not looking for something all bling bling. I guesstimated around 2500 was what I wanted to spend - just bought a house.
I dunno, I always thought guys were supposed to surprise the girl with the ring, but taking her out to look does sound kinda the way to go. Maybe I'm just loathing the idea of going into DeBeers or wherever and dealing with people who are cut from the same cloth as used car salesmen. (I've heard some horror stories).
Anyway, thanks guys...
dullard
Elite Member
Don't do it with the intention of looking at diamond rings - she'll be forever disappointed that you didn't surprize her. Instead ask about ruby/emerald/topaz/etc rings to see what she likes. Then go back and buy the same shape in a diamond.
And diamond wholesellers are generally far more trustworthy than the mall stores.
If you're anywhere near Atlanta, and have the right connections you can get into the Apparel Mart to shop for stones. Definitely a nice discount over the average mall stores. The folks in Onassis Jewelers are very nice and have a sh*tload of loose stones to dig through.
Just FYI.
Just FYI.
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