Hi Everyone...I am new. I have a question :)

[BlushingBrideToBe]

I never knew there were forums for this! It''s exciting to be here. Well, to make a long story short, my Bf is proposing to me this x mas. However, I''ve read on here that the proper engagement ring is 1ct. I know it''s selfish to want a nice ring. But we''ve picked on out at shane company that is a 1/3 ct, for around 550. The diamond is beautiful, but I cannot help but feel sort of....not terribly special. When I look around me I see young 22 year olds just like me sporting a larger rock. The size shouldn''t matter...and maybe I am getting the engagement heebee jeebies! My baby cannot afford more than 600. But I would like some advice from some of you on here. and I hope it is good advice, because this engagement will be the most important thing to happen to me.I just want to get over whatever trip I am on and be happy with the size. I guess my question is....(not too sure how to word this). I''ve seen it in person and it is beautiful...BUT, to everyone on here, is a 1/3 ct...proper? is it something people will look at and see " he doesn''t seem to love her too much, look how small that is". I want something that will wow others, and make me proud.I know we cannot afford much, and it''s not too small, but I was going for the 3/4, and he says they are too much for him to afford...any suggestions on how I can stop being a baby lol. I''ve read a lot of post on the 1qt and it''s made me feel worse and cheap. Its why I registered today to get some feed back...
thanks...


Sheri.

 

[valeria101]

Proper 0.3....
Check out Niwaka.com and look at the carat weights. When they opened in NYC, the label was introduced as the "Japanese Tiffany" - which they are.

I trully hope you will not meet anyone with a particular disposition not to admire your ring

 

[reena]

hi sheri and welcome,

i would be very careful with shane & co. type "shane" into the search box on this site and you will pull up lots of posts about the company. people here have had not so great experiences there.

as for your question about size: anyone who judges how much your FI-to-be loves you from the size of your ring has real problems, so forget about those people. you should get something that you guys can comfortably afford. if you want sometihng bigger down the line, you can always upgrade!

 

[chris143007]

This is what matters to me and to my gf for that matter:

That your bf buy you whatever the best is that he can afford....period.

When you get older and earn more income, you can afford to upgrade.

 

[fortheloveofdiamonds]

Sheri,

You have stumbled on pricescope. Where the people want to buy the best value for the their money. MANY of the people here have diamonds over 1 carat..however, that is not the norm.

Someone on here posted not too long ago that the average engagement ring is .25ct (1/4). My jeweler even told me the same thing. It is NOT 1 carat, and I don''t know where you found on PS that it was "proper" to buy 1 carat...It simply is not true. Your bf bought you the prettiest ring he could afford and it is "bigger" than the norm. Some women never get an engagement ring, or even a proposal, so be thankful for what you are getting. My cousin''s ring more than ten years ago cost $250.

Average diamond size also vary by region, and by the age of the wearer. The size of the diamond engagement ring that your bf bought you is not a measure of his love....if you view it that way, you''ll make yourself miserable. An engagement is not about a ring...it is about a promise. Remember that!

 

[stephinextremis]

Sheri,

Anyone who thinks that the size of an engagement diamond increases proportionally with the amount of love a person has for their intended is just DUMB, in my opinion. *breathes* Sorry, had to get that out there!

He can afford what he can afford, end of story, and nobody ought to feel bad about it, least of all the two of you! He loves you enough to ask for your hand in marriage, which means that he loves you enough to give you his life- his future, his home and (maybe?) future children. His proposal is a statement of love and trust that is worth more than any diamond, and THAT is what I advise you tell anyone who is uncouth enough to disparage your soon-to-be engagement ring.

Now, on to the ring! As others have said, I would advise you to very carefully research the Shane Company before spending any money there. My recommendation would be to contact some of the vendors on this forum (at the top, click "Resources" then "Diamond Vendors") and see what they can do to help you. I have worked with David and Marc of Diamonds by Lauren as well as Gary from Dutton''s Diamonds and can vouch for the service and professionalism of both companies. Many others on this forum have worked with different vendors and have success stories they could share too The bottom line is that a beautiful, quality 1/3 ct. solitaire is not at all out of reach!

Hope some of this helps...

Stephanie

 

[nuhobby]

My sweetie''s mom has a 1/3 carat and it''s beautiful. It sparkles throughout the stone in regular kitchen lights, it doesn''t look small, it looks like a regular size.

When buying a smaller sized diamond, consider buying from a regular jeweler instead of off the internet, but don''t let them "sell" you. Oh yeah, and avoid the mall. But if you are buying from a store, then the difference in price between internet and store is probably pretty negligible, and $100-200 is probably worth the extra security of knowing exactly what you''re getting. Good luck! Hope it''s a round briliant!

 

[RockDoc]

Dear Blusing..............


Congratulations of finding the "right Guy". He is the one you marry..NOT THE DIAMOND OR RING ITS SET IN.

If 1/3 of a carat is all that is in the budget currently, then its the thought that counts.

I travel to Brazil sometimes and the average engagement ring girl are wearing there is about 0.05 carats. They are small but they still have the same representation and meaning of a larger stone.

Don''t worry about what the other girls are wearing..... its the relationship that really counts, and if you have that your are the luckiest of all the blushing brides...

Being in Southern Florida, there is lots of people with lots of money here... I''ve found that the more average the person generally the nicer they are.

Don''t want a large stone because other girls have one... if you want a larger stone later on you can always buy one. But buy it for the beauty and rarity of the diamond itself.

By the way a lot of the bigger stones have treatments or are imitation or synthentic.

Good luck and relax and enjoy...

Rockdoc

 

[lynnloves739]

Hi there blushingbride2be. I just wanted to let you know that a 1/3 carat that is cut nicely with good color and clarity can often be far nicer than a larger stone that is not of such qood quality. My newly named fiance

just got me a beautiful 1/2 carat ring. He did such a good job with his reasearch of cut, clarity, color etc. It is beautiful and oh so sparkilie. He was so cute and so excited to show me how much time he had spent making sure he got me an engagement ring of good quality. TO be honest with you I am a very simple person....I only asked for a 1/4 round solitare when I was first inquired to about my preferences forever ago. So I was very suprised, I made out nicely. Like I said my ring sparkles much more and looks much nicer than a girlfriend of mines larger ring.

I am sure it will be beautiful....all that matters is what you want and that you are going to be a MRS. soon

 

[sparklemotion]

Date: 12/1/2004 11:46:20 AM
Author: valeria101

Proper 0.3....

Check out Niwaka.com and look at the carat weights.  When they opened in NYC, the label was introduced as the ''Japanese Tiffany'' - which they are.


I trully hope you will not meet anyone with a particular disposition not to admire your ring

Valeria,

This is true, however, there is a difference socially in Japan about Diamonds and sizes.  Not to mention that Niwaka is one of the most expensive Jewelry spots around.  A .50 ct D VVS2 goes for around $7000 is that tells you anything. 

 

[qtiekiki]

Date: 12/1/2004 11:38:27 AM
Author:BlushingBrideToBe
I never knew there were forums for this! It''s exciting to be here. Well, to make a long story short, my Bf is proposing to me this x mas. However, I''ve read on here that the proper engagement ring is 1ct. I know it''s selfish to want a nice ring. But we''ve picked on out at shane company that is a 1/3 ct, for around 550. The diamond is beautiful, but I cannot help but feel sort of....not terribly special. When I look around me I see young 22 year olds just like me sporting a larger rock. The size shouldn''t matter...and maybe I am getting the engagement heebee jeebies! My baby cannot afford more than 600. But I would like some advice from some of you on here. and I hope it is good advice, because this engagement will be the most important thing to happen to me.I just want to get over whatever trip I am on and be happy with the size. I guess my question is....(not too sure how to word this). I''ve seen it in person and it is beautiful...BUT, to everyone on here, is a 1/3 ct...proper? is it something people will look at and see '' he doesn''t seem to love her too much, look how small that is''. I want something that will wow others, and make me proud.I know we cannot afford much, and it''s not too small, but I was going for the 3/4, and he says they are too much for him to afford...any suggestions on how I can stop being a baby lol. I''ve read a lot of post on the 1qt and it''s made me feel worse and cheap. Its why I registered today to get some feed back...
thanks...


Sheri.

You seem a little concerned with what others think, but in the end it''s what the ring mean to you. You are with someone you love and you know how much he loves you; that''s all that matter because love is not to be judged with materials. You can also upgrade as other fellow pricescopers mention. Just be happy and be proud that you''ve found your sweetheart, and embrace what you have.

Congratulations on your engagement!!!

 

[qtiekiki]

Date: 12/1/2004 8:30:24 PM
Author: sparklemotion

Valeria,

This is true, however, there is a difference socially in Japan about Diamonds and sizes. Not to mention that Niwaka is one of the most expensive Jewelry spots around. A .50 ct D VVS2 goes for around $7000 is that tells you anything.

You''ll be surprised how much Japanese are willing to spend on brand name items (considering Niwaka is being considered the Japan Tiffany). As for me, I am all about bargain.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Of course, regardless of size, your ring is sentimental, meaningful AND proper. My eng. stone is only .42 carats! I became engaged in my early 20s while my husband and I were in school, so shelling out 5-10K or whatever wasn''t even an option. It''s sad that our society has set standards as to what size diamond equals love! I cannot imagine spending the expected three months'' salary on a diamond. I''d rather buy another house and run away and live in it when my kids/husband are driving me crazy

I also support the comments recommending that you look elsewhere than the Shane Company. To tell you the truth, their stones aren''t that great and my college roommate got her eng. ring there and sadly it was a terrible cut and she paid A LOT for it. Far too much, in fact, considering her diamond didn''t even sparkle

.

For your budget, you can purchase a fabulous stone via an internet dealer and not only save money on the diamond AND not have to pay sales tax, but also you will end up with a better cut stone than most chain stores. If you need advice on specific stones, sizes, vendors, please post all you want here as we''re here to help and would love to see you walk away with an amazing stone you can be proud of!

 

[BlushingBrideToBe]

Thanks for all the advice. I was amazed at the kind responses. Most of you are right speaking of other people''s views on diamond size. My father and a few friends I know at college scoffed when I told them the size.....it made me feel like crap, and worse made my bf feel like he was cheap. I told him about this site, and will show him the post''s on the shane company as well as the comments about diamond size. We''ve both been stressed about it. It feels good to know that size doesn''t really matter, and I know it doesn''t. To him it does, and to me as well. What matters is the clarity. I know many on here have said that the shane company isn''t such a great place, my bf tends to think it''s wonderful. The diamond we looked at was a brillant round cut. The sparkle was amazing, and it only had 1 small inclusion, and it was colorless. I didn''t see a hint of yellow or anything in it. They allowed us to look at it with a microscope and explained the features of the diamond, explained inclusions as being a "birth mark". I found the place to be professional. I am very curious to know what others have said, and I will see if I can get my bf to look at the post, and if he decides to check out the other vendors mentioned I''ll let everyone here know. I doubt he will, he''s set in his ways. I really appreciate all the comments....this lady feels much better btw he doesn''t know I got him a little something of x mas too....
anyone in here like titanium?
I couldn''t believe how much that stuff costed. It''s very beautiful. Black and silver. He says'' he would like to wear it possibly as a wedding band one day..not too sure. I''d rather he wear a gold band for personal reasons lol.

well, I gotta go. Sorry to ramble on, I tend to do such when I post on whatever board I come across.

again, thanks for the responses

Sheri

 

[valeria101]

Date: 12/2/2004 10:34:40 PM
Author: BlushingBrideToBe

I told them the size.....it made me feel like crap, and worse made my bf feel like he was cheap.

can you get yourself a HUGE CZ ring (say, 5 cts-like or more, some fancy ideal cut) and flount it infront of these people? I am pretty sure no one can tell what''s what and you may just return the "favor" just the right way ! I''d do it - the joke almost never fails unless the public is well accustomed to large, colorless diamonds

 

[windowshopper]

Sheri

I read a really great article somewhere recently about the true widespread practice of engagement rings beginning with princess grace (rainier gave her a cartier ruby and diamond eternity band as an e-ring but then he visted her in hollywood and saw the huge rocks all the stars were wearing and sent out for a 12 carat EC..............it all began there apparently) and that audrey hepburn had two octagonal bands one in rose gold and one in white gold that were her e-rings-- and that joe dimaggio gave marilyn and eternity band of baguettes as her e-ring.......................these werent poor people

that you even care what those people think bums me out!

 

[zdrastvootya]

Blushing,

Had to jump in here. Making comments like "why so small?" is just ignorant. Insulting. Disrespectful. Materialistic. Mmmmm, but mostly ignorant, I would say.

Think it reflects more on them than on you and your BF. My 2 cents.

My advice: get a sparkly one! Don''t worry about size.

Z.

 

[jennalyns]

Sheri- Congrats on your upcoming engagement!

I'm 25, and very few people I know can afford a "big" ring without putting it on credit; however, you should try to start your marriage as debt-free as possible, and there are many expenses coming up as you start your lives together... i have a 1/3 ct stone and i don't think it's small at all. Keep in mind a lot of the people on here who have the 1+ carats have been married for several years and have an upgraded stone, or have jobs that allow them to be able to make such a large purchase. I know only 2 people in real life who have even a 1 ct stone- most of my friends my age have between 1/4 and 1/2. You could wait awhile until you both save some more money, if a bigger stone is really that important to you, nothing says you have to have the ring the second you get engaged... check out www.whiteflash.com, we just bought my stone from them. it was within your price range, it outshines most diamonds i see because of the cut, AND their customer service was unbelievable. they never once made me feel funny for choosing a "smaller" diamond (even though they do sell some huge ones!!), and the people were very sweet and answered my millions of questions!! I don't plan on upgrading, so I waited until I found a setting I fell in love with (from Kay's) and got a diamond that is a little ball of fire.

trust me, if you get a stone that has an ideal cut, it will be something gorgeous that you will be proud of, no matter what size, and much more sparkly than the stones at the mall stores. it's not selfish to want a nice ring, but remember, bigger isn't always nicer, since cut is very important!!!

there's nothing wrong with buying a bigger ring, IF you can afford it, and if you buy it because it's what YOU want, not because of what other people think. bottom line is, if anyone RUDELY says anything negative about your ring they are jealous that they don't have what you have- someone who loves you and wants to give you the best that they can.

people will always find something to be judgemental about, so all that should matter is what you think and feel. the size of a diamond says nothing about his love for you, and anyone who implies as much is not worth your time.

 

[JohnQuixote]

Jennalyns - Great post (and thank you for the kind words).

Sheri,

You've received great perspective in this thread. Rockdoc (who is long of tooth) said it plainly: Congratulations on finding the right guy!

I agree with the many who have highlighted what is truly important in a marriage - finding your partner for life. Rings can be taken off, traded up, replaced, etc. The man is yours forever.

You know, later if you feel your diamond is too small, you can always upgrade. Check with Shane to see if they have an upgrade policy.

 

[g2man]

Let me tell you a true story. One of my good friend's wife has been wearing a gold band for the past 20 years. When they got married I imagine that is all they could afford. Today they jointly earn over $500K and are worth over $2M but up until last year his wife was perfectly happy wearing her gold band and she'd still be wearing it but my friend insisted and finally bought his wife a 1.5ct diamond. He can easily afford a 5ct if he wanted. It's all about you and what you will be happy with. The prize is him, not the ring. And if size really matters, nobody says the girl cannot help subsidize the cost of the e-ring.

I just hope size does not matter in other departments because those may not so easily be upgraded by money alone

Good luck and congratulations.

 

[sahmama]

Your post certainly brings back memories...

Fifteen years ago, when my now-dh proposed to me, I was a 21 year old recent college grad living at home seeking a job, and he was a 20 year old enlisted man in the Navy living in the barracks. Initially we planned to *not* have an e-ring, and save money to maybe have some engraved wedding bands instead. I can''t tell you how many people (women, all of them) when told I was going to be married, demanded, "Where''s your engagement ring?", and then made disparaging comments about my lack of one. I was so upset about this, that dh ended up surprising me with a small (1/4 ct.) ring in a unique split shank setting in 14K yellow gold. I think maybe it cost $500, which doesn''t sound like much, but he was making about $14,000/yr. at the time and had a car payment, and it meant the world to me.

Now, two kids, lots of jobs, and 15 years later, I have upgraded to a larger ring, but I still remember how happy I was the night he put that ring on my finger, and how proud I was that he chose something so beautiful just to make me feel better about the mean and uncalled for things people were saying.

When you see those really young people with big rocks, know that it''s probably fake, a family heirloom, or they are in debt up to their eyeballs if it''s real of of good quality. I think you and your bf are very wise and I am sure you will be very happy with what you select. And if anyone makes catty comments about it, screw ''em. As I learned the hard way, how good a friend would do something like that?