Engagement rings

[Clappedoutvolvo]

I'm clueless about this sort of thing.

I don't want to spend an absolute fortune - £1000 (or less if possible)

Something a bit different perhaps

I certainly don't buy in to the 3 or 6 months salary thing, I'm not spending 9 or 18 grand on a ring!!

Any advice would be much appreciated on where to source/perhaps have made, or look..

Aside from "don't do it"


Thanks all.

Edited by Clappedoutvolvo on Monday 28th November 22:15

[anonymous-user]

I spent months researchng rings for my now ex fiancee. The best site I found was the Diamonds Factory. Lots of search tools there and explanations of the criteria. Pricing was the best as well. The ring they sent couldn't have been any better, was a lovely piece.

[Clappedoutvolvo]

pocketspring said:

I spent months researchng rings for my now ex fiancee. The best site I found was the Diamonds Factory. Lots of search tools there and explanations of the criteria. Pricing was the best as well. The ring they sent couldn't have been any better, was a lovely piece.

Thank you, I'll take a look

[Cotty]

Clappedoutvolvo said:

Something a bit different perhaps

Maybe a black diamond

[sociopath]

It's much easier if you ask her first and then take her to buy the ring, that way you won't get it wrong.

In my case I had to convince her the ring she'd picked was too small and people would think I was a tight bd.. That's when I knew I'd picked the right one... Mind you it was third time lucky

[jinkster]

I was told that some of those places in London - cannot not remember the name of the street where the jewellers are will make you something up without paying the price tag of say...Tiffany.

[sociopath]

jinkster said:

I was told that some of those places in London - cannot not remember the name of the street where the jewellers are will make you something up without paying the price tag of say...Tiffany.

Hatton Garden

[Ambleton]

Second hand market is ripe for bargains. Lots of failed marriages out there!

Get it cleaned and polished by a reputable jeweller and she won't know, and you don't need to tell her.

Or buy one that's obviously older and do tell her.

[Octoposse]

Definitely second hand, sorry vintage . . . so much more for your money, and more interesting.

Either local to you, or there’s this place I love in Hatton Garden (has an online search / browse):

https://arullmann.com/product-category/rings/?orde...

[b14]

Manufactured diamonds definitely the way to go. Your budget won’t get you much of a real diamond I’m afraid, so embrace it and go for max bang for buck.

My wife has a real diamond engagement ring, and a tennis bracelet with manufactured diamonds and they are probably better than the real thing to my eyes, for a ton less money. She’ll never know, and be super happy.

[8bit]

sociopath said:

It's much easier if you ask her first and then take her to buy the ring, that way you won't get it wrong

That's how I did it, I bought a "temporary" ring (one I knew she'd like anyway) and used that to pop the question, then we went out into town a couple of weeks later and she picked her proper one.

[anonymous-user]

[redacted]

[mikeiow]

Maybe find a small artisan local jeweller to get it made.
We did, followed by a couple of rings when the babies came along.
Went back to an ‘open day’ at the workshop many years later: the lady was offering to clean any jewellery: she recognised them as ones she had made over 25 years before, had a lovely chat.

You’re buying into some future memories with it…..& I agree with taking her along to make the choice. Maybe get a message engraved inside…

[Silvanus]

Ask your wife to be what she like or maybe go ring shopping with her.

My misses fancied something a bit different so I designed it myself and got it made, far cheaper than than one out of a jewellery shop window and she loves it.

[irish boy]

Clappedoutvolvo said:

I certainly don't buy in to the 3 or 6 months salary thing, I'm not spending 9 or 18 grand on a ring!!

Edited by Clappedoutvolvo on Monday 28th November 22:15

I was always told a months salary before tax. Which is what I did to within £100. I kept it simple, and she still loves it 13 years later.

[jules_s]

Clappedoutvolvo said:

I certainly don't buy in to the 3 or 6 months salary thing

I bet she does (minimum)

Tight arse - expect her to be disappointed - to her mates

[Silvanus]

jules_s said:

Clappedoutvolvo said:

I certainly don't buy in to the 3 or 6 months salary thing

I bet she does (minimum)

Tight arse - expect her to be disappointed - to her mates

Thank god not all women (men) are like that

[anonymous-user]

The whole 1, 3, 6, month fiasco was just a PR marketing stunt De Beers pulled off when they were in the poop and a hell of a lot of people bought into it. There's a VERY interesting documentary on Youtube about it all and how they keep diamond prices artificially high.

[Cotty]

irish boy said:

I was always told a months salary before tax. Which is what I did to within £100. I kept it simple, and she still loves it 13 years later.

You are the ideal target for the marketing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5kWu1ifBGU&ab...

[the-norseman]

Done this recently, I let the missus send me links over a few months and noticed she had taken a shine to "salt and pepper diamonds" so I found a few companies.

Used a company from Sheffield who posted it out, they also did half sizes, She had measured as an O so I got O.5 as she was pregnant at the time.

She said yes.