Worth a trip to Brum Jewellery Quarter?

[rupertduds]

Not new here, just need to use a different name incase she finds out what I'm up to. Won't let me post in the Lounge but feel free to move it mods!

Need a diamond engagement ring. Very little in town. Was thinking of taking a trip to some nearby cities (Preston, Manchester, Liverpool) for greater choice. Then I heard about Hatton Garden and - a little bit closer to home - Birmingham Jewellery Quarter. London is out of the question but if it is worth it I could jump on a train and be in Brum in a couple of hours.

So is it all its cracked up to be? Is there simply just more choice or am I going to get better value too?

Ta

[Scottland]

Do it online, pick the stone (size/quality) then match it to a setting of your preference.


There are places like bluenile where you can import it from the states etc, but I did it via thebeautifulcompany as they had the setting I (she) was after.

[530dTPhil]

I can recommend www.diamondgeezer.com , no connection other than a very happy customer. The finished article was faultless and less than half the cost from the other sources.

[jimmyVX]

Lots of shops there to browse and many of which manufacture their own stuff, so chances to make alterations and changes to the design to suit. Worth a look in my opinion.

[Chr1sch]

I saved a fortune going there for both engagement ring and wedding rings - for reference I paid £900 for my ring, I lost it and the insurance paid out just over £1300.

They are certainly willing to bargain too - we used Marlows - very decent bunch

[rupertduds]

Thanks. Another thing occurred to me - sizing. I want to keep the element of surprise so I obviously can't ask or measure it. She has no other rings to pinch either. Don't want to ask her mates either for various reasons.

How did you chaps deal with this? Is getting a ring resized straightforward enough?

[Ahimoth]

rupertduds said:

Thanks. Another thing occurred to me - sizing. I want to keep the element of surprise so I obviously can't ask or measure it. She has no other rings to pinch either. Don't want to ask her mates either for various reasons.

How did you chaps deal with this? Is getting a ring resized straightforward enough?

I bought a sizer online (zip tie type thing), kept it in my pocket until she fell asleep on me on the sofa. Absolutely perfect.

[SteveSteveson]

rupertduds said:

How did you chaps deal with this? Is getting a ring resized straightforward enough?

Try and find out if you can, if not get as close as possible and re-size. It is a little guess work anyway, as hands swell and shrink during they day. But re-sizing is not a major issue, as long as it is close. Takes a few days and costs around £40 from memory, depending on how much it needs to be changed. Making it smaller is easier, but if it's a big change it can be fiddly as the setting can bend with the ring.

[Chr1sch]

Ahimoth said:

rupertduds said:

Thanks. Another thing occurred to me - sizing. I want to keep the element of surprise so I obviously can't ask or measure it. She has no other rings to pinch either. Don't want to ask her mates either for various reasons.

How did you chaps deal with this? Is getting a ring resized straightforward enough?

I bought a sizer online (zip tie type thing), kept it in my pocket until she fell asleep on me on the sofa. Absolutely perfect.

genius - i actually proposed with a Claire's accessories ring and then we went ring shopping....

[Scottland]

I printed off a ring size guide a took a few rings from the jewellery box to compare, fortunately it paid off as the size was right! But you need to be prepared to get it resized just in case.

[Ahimoth]

Chr1sch said:

genius - i actually proposed with a Claire's accessories ring and then we went ring shopping....

There was more genius at play. I proposed with a ring I'd had made, a style I really liked but just silver and blue topaz. My intention was to have a very similar ring made with white gold/blue sapphire if she really liked it, or something completely different if she surprised me and wanted something very different.

She loves it so much she won't let me buy anything different. My mum gave her a bit of a hard time suggesting that she should get a nice ring (read: expensive) out of me, but she won't hear of it.

Definitely the right girl.

[rupertduds]

Chr1sch said:

Ahimoth said:

rupertduds said:

Thanks. Another thing occurred to me - sizing. I want to keep the element of surprise so I obviously can't ask or measure it. She has no other rings to pinch either. Don't want to ask her mates either for various reasons.

How did you chaps deal with this? Is getting a ring resized straightforward enough?

I bought a sizer online (zip tie type thing), kept it in my pocket until she fell asleep on me on the sofa. Absolutely perfect.

genius - i actually proposed with a Claire's accessories ring and then we went ring shopping....

I would too, but she's mentioned in the past that that's not what she wants

Would a cable tie from the garage work I wonder

[Ahimoth]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sizer-Measuring-Complete-I...

For £1.35, it's probably worth it.

[tintopracer]

I can definitely recommend a trip to the Jewellery Quarter As I did what you're planning. As the ring was a little large, the jeweller was able to resize it for us in a couple of hours. A spot of lunch and a trip to the Mailbox was enough time for the ring to be perfected.

Might be worth going on a weekday, as the jewellers may be less busy and able to adjust sizes etc more quickly.

I'd chosen quite a bespoke design and setting as the other half is a horse rider so wanted something that was practical.

Having spoken with a few jewellers, I reckon I saved at least a third off the cost. The wedding rings were a great deal and matched too which was what we wanted.

Cant recall which jeweller I used but PM if you want to and I'll dig out the details.

[Bill]

rupertduds said:

Not new here, just need to use a different name incase she finds out what I'm up to. Won't let me post in the Lounge but feel free to move it mods!

Let me know when you're done and I'll disable this profile.

[Scottland]

http://www.hsamuel.co.uk/content-root/common/pdf/h...

[B.J.W]

We got our wedding rings from the Jewellery Quarter - recommended by our wedding planners. They came to the house with their entire portfolio, which was handy as I could help myself to a stiff drink after madam chose her ring. I can let you know their business name if you want.

[Sarkmeister]

rupertduds said:

Thanks. Another thing occurred to me - sizing. I want to keep the element of surprise so I obviously can't ask or measure it. She has no other rings to pinch either. Don't want to ask her mates either for various reasons.

How did you chaps deal with this? Is getting a ring resized straightforward enough?

I bought an engagement ring for my now wife from the jewellry quarter last summer before I proposed on holiday. I stole a ring from her jewellry box as a clue to her size, not sure how much that helped but they were very helpful.

In the end the ring was very slightly too big but the jewellers resized it twice for her for free.

If you do go there make sure you haggle, I think their original price takes this into account and you can knock a fair mount off easily (I'm awful at this).

[ShortShift811]

From reading the Watch forum, I believe there's a user called Nightmare who is in the trade and has helped out loads of PH'ers with engagement rings (may well be based in Birmingham, can't recall).

HTH.

[rupertduds]

Currently trawling the online stores to see whats available for my budget. It's not huge so it won't be a big rock but I do want as high a quality as possible. Think I'll take a trip to Brum though - I figure she'd appreciate the effort if I could say I've been half way across the country to get the perfect ring! Think I'll go sometime between Christmas and NY while I'm off work. Plus, if it does need resizing it's an excuse for a return trip - I don't think the motor museum at Coventry is that far away while we wait