Engagement Ring

[heisthegaffer]

Dear all

I am looking for an engagement ring for my extremely lucky girlfriend but before I go to the jewellers I need a bit of advice.

She doesn't like traditional gold jewellry so I'm thinking white gold, platinum or palladium. According to a mate recently in a similar position, white gold fades eventually, platinum is expensive but palladium is the next big thing. What do people think of these views?

I have a budget of between £1,000 - £1,500 and I'm looking for 0.50CT in a single stone. Is this likely within my budget?

It needs to be quite simple, no fussy designs. Can anyone direct to me to good websites or areas to go. I am just north of London and going to Brighton on Friday to look around there. Is it worth going to Birmingham's Jewellry district? If so, where is it?

Thanks all!

[Poledriver]

Try here They seem to have a good range and reasonable pricing!

[ZesPak]

budget should be more than adequate. You sure you want to spend that much on a ring?

You could get a nice gold+diamond ring for half that...

[Zippee]

Equinox in Hoddesdon - ask for Matt.
He is a fantastic silver/goldsmith and will sort you out. He made my wifes engagement ring based on my own design in platinum, her custom wedding ring again in platinum and my wedding ring in Palladium. Reason I went for Palladium was it was a qtr of the cost of platinum but personally I'd opt for platinum for the fiancee.

[Dunclane]

Try and get yourself to the Jewellery Quarter in Brum, really good little independants who offer great service and prices. You can get a lot more for your money.

[gjc10212]

http://www.bluenile.co.uk/engagement-rings?track=h...


Ideal-cut, G-colour, VS2-clarity, Round, 0.51-carat Diamond. Stock #: LD01930019 £862
Platinum Six-Claw Solitaire Engagement Ring Setting. Stock #: 7214 £390

Subtotal: £1,252
(VAT not included)

[cal72]

Try this.


How about this.?

Edited by cal72 on Tuesday 24th August 13:49

[eightseventhree]

remember that whatever metal you get for the engagement ring, the wedding ring has to be the same.

Otherwise you will wear down the softer metal

[ZesPak]

eightseventhree said:

remember that whatever metal you get for the engagement ring, the wedding ring has to be the same.

Otherwise you will wear down the softer metal

With us it's custom the engagement ring switches hands when the wedding ring is there, so they aren't worn on the same finger/hand.

[ThunderSpook]

Be aware that getting palladium resized isn't as cheap as other metals and most jewellers won't deal with it.

I would recommend platinum for the lady and only going down the cheap palladium route for a wedding ring for yourself (that's what I did )

[mat13]

Theres a guy on here called nightmare, ive never used him but have only heard good things from other pistonheaders.

[Mobile Chicane]

White gold is fine. No need to go for platinum. Platinum in any degree of purity looks grey and horrible. Plus, it costs.

'White' gold just needs replating occasionally since it consists of paler types of yellow gold with rhodium plating on top. After a while the rhodium plating can wear off, but it really is no big deal to get this re-done.

[ZesPak]

Mobile Chicane said:

White gold is fine. No need to go for platinum. Platinum in any degree of purity looks grey and horrible. Plus, it costs.

'White' gold just needs replating occasionally since it consists of paler types of yellow gold with rhodium plating on top. After a while the rhodium plating can wear off, but it really is no big deal to get this re-done.

I've bought my GF an engagement ring in white gold (with rhodium plating), and we went looking for wedding rings last month.
We decided on the white gold, without rhodium, as we thinks it looks better (and less like silver).

So not having rhodium plating on white gold could be an option too.

[becksW]

ZesPak said:

Mobile Chicane said:

White gold is fine. No need to go for platinum. Platinum in any degree of purity looks grey and horrible. Plus, it costs.

'White' gold just needs replating occasionally since it consists of paler types of yellow gold with rhodium plating on top. After a while the rhodium plating can wear off, but it really is no big deal to get this re-done.

I've bought my GF an engagement ring in white gold (with rhodium plating), and we went looking for wedding rings last month.
We decided on the white gold, without rhodium, as we thinks it looks better (and less like silver).

So not having rhodium plating on white gold could be an option too.

Replating is an ongoing cost, something I didn't realise when I chose white gold and it's advised to do annually.

A good jeweller will be able to let you know if the style will suit finger size. My hubby went with an idea of a single diamond but I have slim fingers and the jeweller advised a single diamond would look too heavy on my finger she advised 3 smaller diamonds which he went for, she was right and I love my ring, I'm sure I'd have loved a single diamond but it may have been a bit too showy for me.

To me that's a good budget but then I don't know how much hubby spent on my ring several yrs ago!! (more than I would have I'm sure!)

Edited by becksW on Wednesday 25th August 09:34

[ZesPak]

doogz said:

...
I guess it's totally subjective, but i've read one to two months salary is about right.
...

Marvelous marketing campaign from the jewelery stores.

I run a computer business, and when you buy a new computer, one to two months salary is about right btw.

[Mr. Potato Head]

ZesPak said:

doogz said:

...
I guess it's totally subjective, but i've read one to two months salary is about right.
...

Marvelous marketing campaign from the jewelery stores.

I run a computer business, and when you buy a new computer, one to two months salary is about right btw.

Got a Big Issue here for 1 weeks salary. A bargain in comparison.

[Podie]

heisthegaffer said:

She doesn't like traditional gold jewellry so I'm thinking white gold, platinum or palladium.

gjc10212 said:

http://www.bluenile.co.uk/engagement-rings?track=h...
Ideal-cut, G-colour,....)

G..!?!?! Jeez, it’ll look yellow against the metals the OP is interested in!!

White gold just means it’s an alloy of gold and a white metal, and therefore the properties vary depending on the metals and the proportion of those metals used. Our rings have white gold made with platinum, which gives greater durability and weight. Downside here is cost, and finding a goldsmith who can do it. Be wary of cheaper pieces with white gold, as there are claims that the jewellery industry hides poorer colours with rhodium plating.

For advice in this area, speak to Lord Summerisle, Nightmare and perhaps even Dominic H.

[ZesPak]

doogz said:

Mr. Potato Head said:

ZesPak said:

doogz said:

...
I guess it's totally subjective, but i've read one to two months salary is about right.
...

Marvelous marketing campaign from the jewelery stores.

I run a computer business, and when you buy a new computer, one to two months salary is about right btw.

Got a Big Issue here for 1 weeks salary. A bargain in comparison.

He, right ok, i get it!

It does seem, that i could spend 2 months salary on a ring, or one months salary on a ring, and one months on a new brian james trailer, and a holiday

You haven't listened, have you. You could spend 2 weeks salary on a ring, and then 6 weeks salary on a computer which I'll provide.

[ThunderSpook]

Podie said:

heisthegaffer said:

She doesn't like traditional gold jewellry so I'm thinking white gold, platinum or palladium.

gjc10212 said:

http://www.bluenile.co.uk/engagement-rings?track=h...
Ideal-cut, G-colour,....)

G..!?!?! Jeez, it’ll look yellow against the metals the OP is interested in!!

Nonsense, the colour can easily be played down by the cut of the diamond. My other half has a J colour on a platinum ring and there's no colour in it whatsoever that you can tell by eye because it's of the highest cut quality.

[Podie]

ThunderSpook said:

Podie said:

heisthegaffer said:

She doesn't like traditional gold jewellry so I'm thinking white gold, platinum or palladium.

gjc10212 said:

http://www.bluenile.co.uk/engagement-rings?track=h...
Ideal-cut, G-colour,....)

G..!?!?! Jeez, it’ll look yellow against the metals the OP is interested in!!

Nonsense, the colour can easily be played down by the cut of the diamond. My other half has a J colour on a platinum ring and there's no colour in it whatsoever that you can tell by eye because it's of the highest cut quality.

You're bringing another element into the equation here - using a different cut to "play down" the colour.

Based on my experience, looking at D,E,F and G colour diamonds, the F and Gs of the cut we chose appeared yellow against the white gold.