help on a LOW budget.

[filamgirl618]

Hi there everyone.

I''m new to the forum and I need some advice.

My boyfriend and I are planning to get married and we''re getting ready to look for rings next Tuesday. The thing is, we don''t have much money but we definitely want to get married. To make a long story short, a bunch of our friends are chipping in to help us celebrate our wedding and though my boyfriend wants to get me a nice engagement ring, he only has a budget of about $500 give or take. I know that''s not much, but I want to make sure that he''s getting the best he can with what he''s got. A friend suggested that we could either a) get one that''s decent and then upgrade later or b) get a nice wedding band and then get a diamond to place on it later. Any suggestions would be great. Suggestions of places to go within the Louisville, KY area would be great. Thanks!

 

[T L]

Hi, and congratulations on your upcoming marriage and your engagement.

If you want a diamond, you can find one that is around a half carat, like an antique diamond or a "used" diamond from this dealer. He's highly trusted by many pricescopers.

http://stores.ebay.com/Diamond-Delights

I just saw him sell an old european cut diamond, which is all the rage around PS lately, at .44 points (just shy of half a carat) for around $250 last week

. It was a beautiful stone with a warm slightly yellow tinge.

Here's another .44 point round brilliant with a warmer color, but still beautiful and clean for $359.

http://cgi.ebay.com/44-VS1-O-P-Light-Yellow-Round-Loose-Diamond_W0QQitemZ360042779973QQihZ023QQcategoryZ110736QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262

Then you can get a die cast four prong mounting for very little in 14K white or yellow gold. There's also a dealer on ebay that is also all the rage around here lately for having very affordable mountings with diamonds, for very little money. He's called the Lord of the Gem Ring (LOGR) dealer. Here's his store. I have one of his mountings, and I love it!

http://stores.ebay.com/Lord-of-Gem-Rings_Diamond-Setting_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZ15078077QQftidZ2QQtZkm

Good luck, and let us know what you decide on!!

 

[Upgradable]

What about using a nice diamond band as an engagement ring. You can still get a very good quality piece for close to your budget that will allow for growth as you live your lives together.

Here is a five stone band from Whiteflash. It is set with 5 ACA stones that are F/G VS. The .25ctw band in white gold is only $785. It can act as an engagement ring and you can get a plain ring as a wedding band. Or you can use the diamond band as both ering and wedding band, and then when funds are available you can choose together a larger single stone to set as you wish. I think this is a terrific option!

 

[katamari]

What a sweet sentiment for your friends to chip in to offer you a wedding. That is so wonderful. You and your future husband must really mean a lot to them.

Honestly, it would be much more important for me to have a wedding band then an engagement ring. It is far more symbolic, and it will also be much easier to find a fabulous band in your price range than a engagement ring and a band. As you say, you can always buy an engagement ring later.

What do you like in terms of metals, stone shape, colored gems, overall style (antique, modern, engraved, etc.)? Just let us know, and we will find something for you. With your budget, I would recommend buying online. It will save a lot.

 

[marcy]

I would go with a nice wedding band. If you aren''t set on having diamonds you can get some beautiful bands with filigree or patterns that would easily fit in your budget.

 

[katamari]

Here are a few band options I found:

1

2

3

4

5

 

[CharmyPoo]

I also recommend the route of skipping the engagement ring. I have a friend who did this and got a really nice wedding band. She couldn''t be happier.

Lots of wonderful options were stated above. You can really find some great deals if you don''t mind a "previously loved" ring.

 

[bgray]

i love the idea of a pretty band--you may decide you never want a traditional e-ring and just have two or 3 bands to stack over time. i have a friend who started with a knife edge plain band then got a pave band and then a mutli color oave--looks great together and its very wearable

 

[bruceb916]

You are very blessed to have such nice friends. Not many people I know would chip in to pay for a wedding. Granted we''re on different budgets, but I admire your friends coming together to pitch in and celebrate your day.

On that note, I would go with option 2 or 3 as suggested by katamari. Also, buy online to get the most bang for your buck.

 

[JLF2009]

I am not an expert here, but the one nice thing about going along to pick out the ring was that I got to check out all sorts of beautiful loose diamonds. You woud be amazed at how inexpensive and gorgeous some of the diamonds I looked at were. Just do some shopping around before the actual ring shopping begins. The extra effort should be worth it!

I have a friend that got a great deal from an antique dealer. Vintage rings can be a lot cheaper and some of them have beautiful and intricate details that are not common in some of the more modern rings. I love those cool vintage looks. Old is new again! Is a diamond that important? Another friend of mine got engaged with her birthstone and it looks so amazing! Gemstones are often an inexpensive alternative with the added advantage of being more durable. You can also add diamonds later or save them for the actual wedding band.

I know I mentioned a lot of obvious points, but I hope this helped just a bit. Best of luck!

 

[jerichosmom]

First off, congratulations (even if you''re not oficially engaged yet). You have awesome friends to boot!

When DH and I got engaged 4 years ago, we didn''t have any money and we decided not to get an engagement ring. We opted for a fancier wedding band (platinum w/ diamonds) and I wore it throughout our engagement on my right hand and transfered it to my left hand at the wedding. We saw some amazing antique-style bands w/ small stones that were not more than $500. They looked like the celebration rings from Tiffany''s! Some with rubies or blue sapphires or even pink sapphires! In lieu of an engagement ring, my future mother-in-law gave me a pair of awesome diamond studs which were comprised from her 2 engagement rings.

Anyway, if you get something like what I did, you can either wear it as your wedding band and get an actual engagement ring later or transfer it to your other hand as a RHR. Now that I''m a new mom, most of my new mommy-friends don''t even wear their engagement rings (it scratches the baby) and opt only for our wedding bands.

Here''s a very pretty diamond band for $399 at Costco.....

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11218289&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC|108|28447&N=4017522&Mo=16&pos=0&No=16&ViewAll=17&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=56576&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&ec=BC-EC2189-Cat108&topnav=

 

[girlie-girl]

I bought an eight stone .5ct shared prong ring from deBebians that I really like and it was only $510.95. Here''s a link:

http://store.debebians.com/shpr0rodiwer4.html

Congratulations and good luck! Let us know what you end up getting.

 

[Kelli]

Date: 10/13/2008 1:01:08 AM
Author: JLF2009
I am not an expert here, but the one nice thing about going along to pick out the ring was that I got to check out all sorts of beautiful loose diamonds. You woud be amazed at how inexpensive and gorgeous some of the diamonds I looked at were. Just do some shopping around before the actual ring shopping begins. The extra effort should be worth it!

I have a friend that got a great deal from an antique dealer. Vintage rings can be a lot cheaper and some of them have beautiful and intricate details that are not common in some of the more modern rings. I love those cool vintage looks. Old is new again! Is a diamond that important? Another friend of mine got engaged with her birthstone and it looks so amazing! Gemstones are often an inexpensive alternative with the added advantage of being more durable. You can also add diamonds later or save them for the actual wedding band.

I know I mentioned a lot of obvious points, but I hope this helped just a bit. Best of luck!

Be careful of this. Gemstones can be a great alternative, but they are not actually more durable. Diamonds are a 10 on the moh''s scale, rubies and sapphires are a 9, and spinels are an 8. There are others that can be used, but with caution. Nothing is more durable than a diamond.

That said, I think gemstones can be a lovely alternative, you just might have to be a bit more careful, and not wear your ring during certain activities.

 

[PinkSummer]

I agree that going with a gemstone is a beautiful alternative. That way you can get a really nice ring that you can show off. How about www.diamond.com? I''ve purchased from them and they are really a nice company plus shipping is usually free and they offer a 20% code (DBRIQ ). You can always upgrade later on! I don''t know what your birthstone is but what about this: http://www.diamond.com/home/product_details.jsp?productCode=P_RCC_023413
Happy Hunting!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 10/13/2008 10:26:43 AM
Author: Kelli

Date: 10/13/2008 1:01:08 AM
Author: JLF2009
I am not an expert here, but the one nice thing about going along to pick out the ring was that I got to check out all sorts of beautiful loose diamonds. You woud be amazed at how inexpensive and gorgeous some of the diamonds I looked at were. Just do some shopping around before the actual ring shopping begins. The extra effort should be worth it!

I have a friend that got a great deal from an antique dealer. Vintage rings can be a lot cheaper and some of them have beautiful and intricate details that are not common in some of the more modern rings. I love those cool vintage looks. Old is new again! Is a diamond that important? Another friend of mine got engaged with her birthstone and it looks so amazing! Gemstones are often an inexpensive alternative with the added advantage of being more durable. You can also add diamonds later or save them for the actual wedding band.

I know I mentioned a lot of obvious points, but I hope this helped just a bit. Best of luck!

Be careful of this. Gemstones can be a great alternative, but they are not actually more durable. Diamonds are a 10 on the moh''s scale, rubies and sapphires are a 9, and spinels are an 8. There are others that can be used, but with caution. Nothing is more durable than a diamond.

That said, I think gemstones can be a lovely alternative, you just might have to be a bit more careful, and not wear your ring during certain activities.

2nd. It is incorrect that gemstones are more durable than diamonds. Diamonds are the more durable ones!

A nice wedding band sounds like the perfect solution. With your budget, you can get a pretty diamond band that will compliment nearly every style of diamond eng. ring you later decide to buy.

 

[wishinpink]

I don''t know how reputable these stores are and have never seen their work in person, but here''s an idea-

http://www.zales.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3228782&fbc=0?siteID=WUqD6wTpSTg-C7riBJEtL.ZIVB5nO9wxDQ
http://www.seaofdiamonds.com/item.asp?invky=3579981&zmam=9874632&zmas=1&zmac=2&zmap=137-1393


Then you could have an ering and a band?

 

[Rhea]

I'm a big fan of sapphire bands like this one: Blue Nile sapphire and white gold band for $525. It costs between $525-575 depending on your ring size.

ETA: What size are your fingers? I recently gave up wearing my 1/2 carat centre stone to wear a 1/4 quarter vintage ring because it took up more finger space. The centre stone is half the carat weight, but all the metal and filigree around it makes it look substantial on my finger. I know this is out of budget, but I like the seller's items (never bought from her through) and it's somewhat similar to my ring: ebay listing to burgin with vintage ring.

 

[stepcutnut]

I've always loved this look myself

$439.00

 

[Ryan327]

Just a FYI that may or may not be helpful, but Blue Nile just sent me a newsletter today with a 100$ dollars off any custom jewelry promotion, this would increase your budget by 20% so I thought I would share. I don''t know if everyone gets the same code or if they are all different, but if you sign up for the newsletter you may get one today. Read the fine print to make sure you get the savings, must be used with build your own feature and not valid for present jewelry or settings.

Good luck!

Ryan

 

[wishinpink]

I think this is so pretty-
http://hawaiianweddingshop.com/liko.html

http://hawaiianweddingshop.com/hulali.html

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Check out Pearlman''s "great deals" section.

http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/jewelry-specials/

chees--Sharon

 

[stone-cold11]

Ryan, I think it is the same code. For those that are interested, Blue Nile code till 21 Oct 3 pm EST, $100 off custom jewelry of $500 and above, DMDS38.

 

[bnovak]

Again, coming from the FNG

History time....

the ORIGINAL engagement rings were pearls, not diamonds. Diamond e-rings (edit, sorry, later 1800's) didn't come to age until Debeer's needed a new marketing campaign (and diamond pricing was then controlled by the number of marriage certificates issued in the US)

there are some absolutely beautiful pearl rings on the market that are well within your future hubby's price range. Tell your GF's that he's old fashioned. (he did ask your father, right

Flame on....

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 10/13/2008 9:25:44 PM
Author: bnovak
Again, coming from the FNG


History time....


the ORIGINAL engagement rings were pearls, not diamonds. Diamond e-rings (edit, sorry, later 1800''s) didn''t come to age until Debeer''s needed a new marketing campaign (and diamond pricing was then controlled by the number of marriage certificates issued in the US)


there are some absolutely beautiful pearl rings on the market that are well within your future hubby''s price range. Tell your GF''s that he''s old fashioned. (he did ask your father, right


Flame on....

No flaming, pearls are beautiful. BUT they are very very soft, so not really the kind of thing you want in a ring you will knock around and wear everyday. The pearl will likely get ruined in a few short years.

 

[MMT]

I would vote for a pretty gemstone ring. You can always get a diamond later if you want.

 

[Elmorton]

I actually vote for the band - I like #1 and #4 that katamari posted because they''re a little thicker. 2mm alone is a little thin to me. Even if you did a nice gemstone for $100-200, it may be difficult to do the e-ring setting, w-band, and setting costs at a jeweler''s under the the budget..or it will be close. For $500 you can get a gorgeous band and do a lovely diamond later (but I also LOVE the idea of getting an antique cut...very classy and beautiful).

 

[E B]

How do you feel about blue sapphires? Here are a few nice options:

Estate Sapphire Ring

Ceylon Sapphire Ring

Sapphire and Diamond Ring

 

[Cocosgirl]

I do love the idea of a diamond band, however, if you were thinking that you might upgrade at a later date, you could try and squeeze a few hundred dollars more out of your budget (say $180) and go with something really delicate like this for a total of about $680.00:

http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/classic-solitaire-settings/ring/item_57-1904_design.asp?module=diamond&item=1092281 -- $430.00

in this setting

http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/classic-solitaire-settings/ring/item_57-1904_design.asp?pos=1&cid=57&module=setting&item=1904 -- $250.00

OR here''s a Whiteflash option for a total of $771.00

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-114949.htm -- $495.00

in this setting
http://www.whiteflash.com/golden-wardrobe/Gold_Details.aspx?ItemCode=ST4PW&size=5.50 -- $250.00

Anyway, not sure if this helps but I thought I would toss it out there! Good luck and congrats on the engagement and marriage! sl

 

[filamgirl618]

thank you all so much for the advice so far.

i think we might be going with a band with gemstones on them already.

if money weren''t an option for me i would go for something rose gold, antique looking, and probably with a diamond as big as i could get (my bf is from morocco and their tradition over there is BIG BIG BIG). i know rose gold is a bit expensive, but perhaps if anyone could help me find something within my price range that would be great! if not i''ll probably stick to white gold. i''m born in june so my birthstone is either alexandrite or pearl.

aaaand. as for my ring size...i want to say it''s like 7...but the last time i got my finger measured was in high school when i was getting ready to get my senior ring.

by the way...i mentioned to my bf about buying a ring online and he got a little iffy about it. what are some advantages to buying online rather than just around town??

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 10/14/2008 11:19:45 AM
Author: filamgirl618
thank you all so much for the advice so far.

by the way...i mentioned to my bf about buying a ring online and he got a little iffy about it. what are some advantages to buying online rather than just around town??

PRICE!

There are also a LOT more options than you are likely to find in a local store. The exception is local antique stores or pawn shops which *CAN* have good stuff at good prices if you know what you are looking for.