Engagement Rings - Advice Please!
Discussion
Right then, even though typing this brings me out in a cold sweat, I'm thinking of doing the honourable thing and proposing to the girlfriend.
Now it comes down to the expensive part, the ring itself.
I'm guessing Goldsmiths, Tiffanys and other quality high street jewellers are fine, however it would be nice to get something a little different that will make her friends say "ooooh".
Anyone have experience of these jewellers? www.danielprince.co.uk/index.html
Any other PHers been through this? All advice gratefully received!
Now it comes down to the expensive part, the ring itself.
I'm guessing Goldsmiths, Tiffanys and other quality high street jewellers are fine, however it would be nice to get something a little different that will make her friends say "ooooh".
Anyone have experience of these jewellers? www.danielprince.co.uk/index.html
Any other PHers been through this? All advice gratefully received!
Edited by CheekyChap on Tuesday 3rd October 10:35
Try cooldiamonds.com
You can go to their shop in London and see a selection of diamonds. Choose one you like and get it set.
A few tips, there's a trade off between flawlessness and colour and size, when you actually see them in the flesh you'll see that the differences can be tiny.
So you may choose to go for a larger diamond with some flaws and nearly perfect white, rather than a smaller perfect stone.
Diamonds are rated using a system of size, colour and flawlesness. They can take you through all that.
Btw prices tend to increase exponentially with size because the smaller diamonds are of course much more common than the larger ones. So for example a cluster can be a good option.
You can go to their shop in London and see a selection of diamonds. Choose one you like and get it set.
A few tips, there's a trade off between flawlessness and colour and size, when you actually see them in the flesh you'll see that the differences can be tiny.
So you may choose to go for a larger diamond with some flaws and nearly perfect white, rather than a smaller perfect stone.
Diamonds are rated using a system of size, colour and flawlesness. They can take you through all that.
Btw prices tend to increase exponentially with size because the smaller diamonds are of course much more common than the larger ones. So for example a cluster can be a good option.
My only point would be that your then wife will hopefully be wearing this ring for a long long time, buy her something timeless. A ring that's too avant garde may be the center of atention now, but she may go off it in a few years, and then you'll either have a huge argument about resetting the ring, or just end up paying for it anyway.
Oh and best of luck with the proposal, hope she says yes. You can then spend many months planning the wedding, with "help and advice" from all and sundry. Remember its your day, and unless "they" are paying for it, "their" wishes are secondary to you and your fiancees. Enjoy!!
Oh and best of luck with the proposal, hope she says yes. You can then spend many months planning the wedding, with "help and advice" from all and sundry. Remember its your day, and unless "they" are paying for it, "their" wishes are secondary to you and your fiancees. Enjoy!!
I used diamond geezer on the web. They were real stars even taxied the ring from Brum to Didcot so I would get the ring in time for a trip to Edinburgh.
If you need a clue to ewhat your girlfriend wants, go look at watches in Jewlers she'll wander over to the ring section and then just see what she is looking at.
>> Edited by Smart Roadster on Friday 3rd March 09:42
If you need a clue to ewhat your girlfriend wants, go look at watches in Jewlers she'll wander over to the ring section and then just see what she is looking at.
>> Edited by Smart Roadster on Friday 3rd March 09:42
Buy a £30 Cubic Zirconium jobbie from Argos in roughly the right size and in a style you think she'd like, do the deed, then take her to Hatton Garden when you get back and let her choose her preferred style. We went to Lionel J Wiffen 020 7242 4861
Worked for me
>> Edited by djfish on Friday 3rd March 09:44
Worked for me
>> Edited by djfish on Friday 3rd March 09:44
I trawled the auction houses for that something special.
1940's platinum set solitaire was perfect and (dare we say this when it comes to matters like engagement rings?) very reasonable.
(OK - I thought I might still have the photo from the catalogue on here, but I don't. I do, however have this one - half a carat, gold mount and it sold for £80!
1940's platinum set solitaire was perfect and (dare we say this when it comes to matters like engagement rings?) very reasonable.
(OK - I thought I might still have the photo from the catalogue on here, but I don't. I do, however have this one - half a carat, gold mount and it sold for £80!
djfish said:
Buy a £30 Cubic Zirconium jobbie from Argos in roughly the right size and in a style you think she'd like, do the deed, then take her to Hatton Garden when you get back and let her choose her preferred style.
Worked for me
Top idea, and of course you might well get away with not doing the second bit
djfish said:Nice one
Buy a £30 Cubic Zirconium jobbie from Argos in roughly the right size and in a style you think she'd like, do the deed, then take her to Hatton Garden when you get back and let her choose her preferred style.
Worked for me
I proposed outside Tiffanys, suggested we go inside and find a ring - went back later same day after it had been altered to our wishes
That's the other suggestion - it doesn't matter what you choose, if she didn't choose it, it might not be right!!
We went through the ring buying a couple of weeks ago, he popped the question and then it took us a week before we went to get a ring!
I didn't really fancy a diamond as I don't like the little chips that you can barely see, I then baulked at the idea of him spending upto 3k on a ring I would be scared of wearing in case I lost it.
I then saw the perfect ring, ok it's not a huge rock, but it is a modest sized lilac stone (too pale to be amethyst), in fact you can only just about see the colour.... it's not a conventional emgagement ring, but then I'm not a conventional person... so it suits me just fine.
My advice... pop the question then take her shopping, that way she gets the one the wants....
I didn't really fancy a diamond as I don't like the little chips that you can barely see, I then baulked at the idea of him spending upto 3k on a ring I would be scared of wearing in case I lost it.
I then saw the perfect ring, ok it's not a huge rock, but it is a modest sized lilac stone (too pale to be amethyst), in fact you can only just about see the colour.... it's not a conventional emgagement ring, but then I'm not a conventional person... so it suits me just fine.
My advice... pop the question then take her shopping, that way she gets the one the wants....
It's a mine field!
Two months salary is supposed to be the rough amount to spend.
The price of a diamond is largely based on clarity and colour, as well as size. So, you will find that you can get a big stone for relatively little money, but if you look carefully, you will see lots of imperfections (not good, as lots of people will be inspecting it, shortly after the engagement). One way around this, is to look at the number of facets it has. The more facets, the more it will reflect the light and the more difficult it is to see into, to spot the imperfections!
I used Goldsmiths, who have a millenium cut diamond. They offer a 10% discount if you work for certain companies (10% of a lot, is quite a lot). Deutsche Bank is one of those companies and no checks were made!!
Good luck fella.
Two months salary is supposed to be the rough amount to spend.
The price of a diamond is largely based on clarity and colour, as well as size. So, you will find that you can get a big stone for relatively little money, but if you look carefully, you will see lots of imperfections (not good, as lots of people will be inspecting it, shortly after the engagement). One way around this, is to look at the number of facets it has. The more facets, the more it will reflect the light and the more difficult it is to see into, to spot the imperfections!
I used Goldsmiths, who have a millenium cut diamond. They offer a 10% discount if you work for certain companies (10% of a lot, is quite a lot). Deutsche Bank is one of those companies and no checks were made!!
Good luck fella.
There is some great advice here! PH is the best!
Am I being naive in thinking that the future Mrs CheekyChap will love whatever ring I get her? I know her taste, and I think she'd love the ring I hand over when I pop the question to be the one she wears.
I'll find out her ring finger size by liasing with her sister beforehand, so am not too worried by that.
I feel for those selling a car to buy a ring. The amount I'll spend on a ring would make a very nice deposit for the CLK55 I've got a hankering for...
Am I being naive in thinking that the future Mrs CheekyChap will love whatever ring I get her? I know her taste, and I think she'd love the ring I hand over when I pop the question to be the one she wears.
I'll find out her ring finger size by liasing with her sister beforehand, so am not too worried by that.
I feel for those selling a car to buy a ring. The amount I'll spend on a ring would make a very nice deposit for the CLK55 I've got a hankering for...
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