Popping the question
Discussion
I proposed to my (now) wife in the Maldives without a ring - I actually bought a beautiful fish shaped ring as a token from the resort shop! On our return we went to the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham. We found a nice shop and I was quietly taken to one side to advise the assistant how many ££££s I wanted to spend.
She then produced a selection of 4 or 5 diamonds. She talked us through them (the four C's), my fiancee chose her diamond then selected the style of mount and style of ring and metal... platinum.
We then went for a nice lunch and we returned 2 hours later and the ring was made. It was beautiful and all certified for insurance purposes. I think I ended up spending about 20% over budget but it was a memorable experience and my wife has the perfect ring to wear for the rest of her life.
We've been married for 3 years but have been together for 20 years. I can't honestly say I wouldn't have chosen the perfect ring had I bought it before proposing. I'm sure whatever you do your fiancee will love it, but I played safe and made a memorable day out of having a bespoke ring made.
Good luck with the proposal.
She then produced a selection of 4 or 5 diamonds. She talked us through them (the four C's), my fiancee chose her diamond then selected the style of mount and style of ring and metal... platinum.
We then went for a nice lunch and we returned 2 hours later and the ring was made. It was beautiful and all certified for insurance purposes. I think I ended up spending about 20% over budget but it was a memorable experience and my wife has the perfect ring to wear for the rest of her life.
We've been married for 3 years but have been together for 20 years. I can't honestly say I wouldn't have chosen the perfect ring had I bought it before proposing. I'm sure whatever you do your fiancee will love it, but I played safe and made a memorable day out of having a bespoke ring made.
Good luck with the proposal.
Edited by RSGulp on Friday 14th September 22:37
Gizmoish said:
JungleJim said:
WhereamI said:
In your opinion. Platinum? Eek, no.
So is it the metal or the colour?Platinum is less reactive than gold... Not that it matters much as they are both inert enough to be good for jewellery.
pt and Pd have been used for more than a century in jewellery now.
Perhaps gold has been used for longer since it was discovered millennia before Pt and Pd. easier to work too.
pt and Pd have been used for more than a century in jewellery now.
Perhaps gold has been used for longer since it was discovered millennia before Pt and Pd. easier to work too.
Ask her father. Most girls appreciate that (and some would be offended if you didn't, they like a man who loves them enough to ask a father if they can take on the most precious things in the fathers life). Some may say it's old hat, but on average it's a winner.
For the ring, what I did was choose a rally nice diamond. Then got it mounted in a nice simple platinum ring, and the jewellers agreed that if she wasn't happy with the ring, we could change the mounting but keep the diamond. That way she got the ring up front but the choice to change if she wanted to (which she didn't). Seeing as she's the girl you want to spend the rest of your life with, you should know what she likes!
For the ring, what I did was choose a rally nice diamond. Then got it mounted in a nice simple platinum ring, and the jewellers agreed that if she wasn't happy with the ring, we could change the mounting but keep the diamond. That way she got the ring up front but the choice to change if she wanted to (which she didn't). Seeing as she's the girl you want to spend the rest of your life with, you should know what she likes!
3x monthly salary? £150,000.00? Yeah right.
.
If you used a hula hoop it'd be the wrong flucking flavour.
Try monster munch and instead.
We bought the diamond separately and then had the ring made up to her liking. Didn't cost any more than an off the peg ring.
So another option is to get a stone and present this at the time of asking.
Try monster munch and instead.
We bought the diamond separately and then had the ring made up to her liking. Didn't cost any more than an off the peg ring.
So another option is to get a stone and present this at the time of asking.
We talked about it before hand and went looking at rings. She tried a few on at a small place and the jeweller noted down the size. I went back later and ordered the one she said she liked but didn't crack on that I had ordered it.
We were in New York over valentines day a month later which was when I was going to do the deed. The ring wasn't ready though so I didn't. She thought I was going to as well and when I didn't got in a massive piss with me. Did the deed a couple of weeks later when the ring was ready and she wasn't expecting it!
We were in New York over valentines day a month later which was when I was going to do the deed. The ring wasn't ready though so I didn't. She thought I was going to as well and when I didn't got in a massive piss with me. Did the deed a couple of weeks later when the ring was ready and she wasn't expecting it!
WhereamI said:
Quality jewellery regardless of price has always been made of gold, anything else IMHO is a bit cheap, a bit chav. This is something that needs to last 50 years or more, it's not something that should be dictated by fashion.
Platinum is hardly the latest fashion; I've been wearing my engagement ring for 21 years and my mother in law has been wearing hers for well over 60 years.All my jewelery is platinum as I'm allergic to gold on grounds of taste.
My husband proposed with a cheapie ring from Claire's Accessories, and we went shopping together for the "real" one. It was perfect that way for us - the shopping experience was fun, and we got something we chose together, rather than something just one of us chose.
The original ring has huge sentimental value (as someone said about hula hoops), but my mum made us a picture of a hand drawn map of where we got engaged (a desert - long story !), together with the cork from the champagne bottle, the ring, and the petals from the roses.
It really all couldn't have been more perfect !
But everybody's different!
The original ring has huge sentimental value (as someone said about hula hoops), but my mum made us a picture of a hand drawn map of where we got engaged (a desert - long story !), together with the cork from the champagne bottle, the ring, and the petals from the roses.
It really all couldn't have been more perfect !
But everybody's different!
I didn't really want to pick the ring myself but I knew a)what her tastes are and b) that it would mean more to her that I had.
I borrowed one of her rings and took to a local jewler to get the size (make sure it's off the right finger!!!)
Then bought the stone separately to the band and had it set. I knew she'd one a simple design so went for a princess cut diamond. Depending on your budget bigger stones with good clarity rocket the cost, but froma certain point to the necked eye you'd never tell tbh.
It's totally horses for courses you'll know your OH better than us lot to make an informed choice.
Good luck!
I borrowed one of her rings and took to a local jewler to get the size (make sure it's off the right finger!!!)
Then bought the stone separately to the band and had it set. I knew she'd one a simple design so went for a princess cut diamond. Depending on your budget bigger stones with good clarity rocket the cost, but froma certain point to the necked eye you'd never tell tbh.
It's totally horses for courses you'll know your OH better than us lot to make an informed choice.
Good luck!
a311 said:
It's totally horses for courses you'll know your OH better than us lot to make an informed choice.
Good luck!
This is the key and I presume you have actually talked about marriage in the first place? Not everyone wants to get married and a wedding is not every girls dream (at all). With the price of weddings, I'd rather my OH bought me an MG TA but there you go .... Good luck!
I think you really need to know what she likes before you do this, especially the 'asking the father' bit. I'm sure mine would like it but he's a old, sexist pig that I can't stand the sight of and need absolutely NO imput from him to do anything with my life. Fact is some girls can't stand 'tradition', others love it.
My OH has always said he will not have a child before getting married ... I want a kid (in the future) but really don't want to get married, he wants a kid too, hmmm can see that causing a few issues. What I'm saying is just be sure that what you want is what she wants or it could all end up in tears!
Edited by V8Triumph on Saturday 15th September 10:45
My husband brought my ring before proposing in Barbados. The ring is beautiful. Would it be what I might have chosen? Possibly not. Does it matter? Absolutely not. He brought it. It was an honor and a gift. I was grateful, still am. The wedding ring which is significantly cheaper and plainer is of much more value to me.
I would not have liked to go shopping together for the ring really. Mostly because I got to show the ring off immediately when telling everyone!
I would not have liked to go shopping together for the ring really. Mostly because I got to show the ring off immediately when telling everyone!
Lemmonie said:
My husband brought my ring before proposing in Barbados. The ring is beautiful. Would it be what I might have chosen? Possibly not. Does it matter? Absolutely not. He brought it. It was an honor and a gift. I was grateful, still am. The wedding ring which is significantly cheaper and plainer is of much more value to me.
I would not have liked to go shopping together for the ring really. Mostly because I got to show the ring off immediately when telling everyone!
Where did he bring it?I would not have liked to go shopping together for the ring really. Mostly because I got to show the ring off immediately when telling everyone!
When I proposed to my OH it was when the universal rainbow was around. We had chosen the ring together, as she wanted something unusual, then went to the site where the rainbow was being projected. I took the box out of my pocket when she wasn't looking, opened the lid and the ring dropped out of the holder into the lid as I had opened it upside down. If it had fallen out of the box, that would have been the end of it as we were standing in 3 foot long grass. I got the words "R, will you......OH s
t" out before realising what had happened. I quickly closed the box, put it in my pocket and then proposed when we got back in the car 
Moral of the Story, don't do it in the dark.
Where my attempt happened.
roryfizz said:
What are peoples opinions on giving an engagement ring that has been in the family I.e. Great grandmothers ring ect? Might make it harder for her to say she doesn't like it? Would it make one look like a cheapskate too?!
My OH informed that that she wouldn't want "a dead person's ring". Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff