Any ideas of where to find an ering with a budget of $2000?

[Halo]

mrssalvo: Thank you for the suggestion but I think that stone is a CZ, from what I've read about Russian Brilliants

rainydaze: Unfortunately my BF is pretty adamant on having stones on the band, not that I can complain, hehe. But I will definitely keep my eye on signedpieces.com, thanks

!

neatfreak: There are a few halo designs that I like from Knox, and I love the prices. But my BF just doesn't seem to like halos, although he hasn't seen any on me yet so maybe once we go to a B&M store he may open up to them. If he does then I think Knox could be a good place for the setting. I like the non-halo setting you posted, although my BF and I have also been eyeing this one: http://www.knoxjewelers.biz/index.htm?crn=200&rn=1624&action=show_detail With a stone it would likely be $2500, but that's do-able I think.

Sapphire_Cutie: That's a nice setting that you posted, but I don't have a lot of space on my finger before you hit knuckle, hehe, so I need to have a pretty thin band. I'm thinking it will need to be 1.8-2.2 mm or so. But that's a pretty setting and I'll show it to my BF to see what he thinks

The price is definitely right

 

[Halo]

UPDATE: I spoke a little to my BF tonight and told him that I had gotten some great ideas of where we could find a ring within his budget. He had mentioned $2000 to me as a budget about a month ago (because this was how much his brother spent on an ering about 3 years ago so my BF thought this was a good amount), but when we talked tonight he said he had never actually really given me a budget because he hadn''t come up with one yet. He thought about it for a bit and said "How is $5000? Is that ok? Too much? Too little?" Hehe, so cute. I told him that we could get something wonderful for $5000, especially given all of the tips you have all given me here

! He said we''ll talk about it some more tonight and that we need to go out and look at rings to get a more concrete idea about styles and prices. I also gave him a few different options for the budget, some that would see me put in some money for the setting or stone. He didn''t get angry this time, maybe because he realizes that although I would love a beautiful ring, I don''t want it to hurt him financially and that if I can afford to chip in, why not?

I''ll update again after we talk tonight, if anything new is discussed

 

[Halo]

Sharon101: Yes, you''re right about the budget often changing. I think it will for my BF too once we really get out there and see what the full costs are. He''s only been out once and it was just to get an idea of what he likes and he only priced out some settings, not stones. So he didn''t price out the most costly part

I was thinking of maybe getting an eternity band as my wedding ring, so that wouldn''t work as my ering, but thanks for the suggestion

And that''s a good idea about a vendor that will allow us to trade up. I think that WF does this, and they are my top choice for a diamond and also for a custom setting which may be the way my BF chooses to go in order to find something we both like and can afford.

Actually I mentioned to him tonight that I have no problem chipping in for my ring since I have the funds to do so and I don''t want my ring to burden him financially. But I also said that I understand if he isn''t comfortable with that suggestion and that even at $2000 we could find a pretty ring thanks to you guys on PS

!

 

[Halo]

oobiecoo: I''m definitely amazed by the selection and price of LOGR settings! Who knew our budget could stretch that far for such pretty things! I''ve looked on James Allan and Blue Nile but nothing quite caught my eye, it as close though. I''m not really a gemstone girl myself; I have a few gemstone rings that were gifts but I just don''t wear them

I think that I would get the most wear out of a diamond, but I appreciate the suggestion

!

motownmama: Great suggestion, thanks! I went on that site and actually found 4 rings that I like (3 are halos but BF will just have to deal with it

) and 1 that''s similar to ring #2 that my BF likes. I''ve saved pics of the rings and will show my BF to see what he thinks.

LtlFirecracker: I really like the H&A stone because that''s the type I have my heart set on

! I also quite like the WF Petite Open Cathedral. I''ll have to show my BF these, thanks!

 

[Halo]

LaraOnline: Hehe, I feel your pain. Sometimes it seems as though everyone must be spending $10,000+ on an ering, so it can be almost depressing when you don't have the same budget.

My BF has actually been to some B&M stores a few months ago, which I wasn't aware of then He went in without a budget though because he wanted to see what styles he liked, but now that he knows what I like, we are going to go back to those stores and get a better idea of cost.

I sure wish I didn't like halos since my BF doesn't like them and so it would make ring shopping a heck of a lot easier for us if we didn't have competing tastes. But alas I just can't seem to stop looking at halos

Maybe once I actually try some on I may not like them so much anymore, I guess we'll see

Thank you for the good wishes

!

ilovethiswebsite: Actually, that's quite pretty! Although I think that I would get the most wear out of a diamond, but I do like that style. And you can't beat the price!

 

[Halo]

tourmaline_lover: I love the options that LOGR offers! If BF and I can find a setting we both agree on, it's a definite contender! If he ends up upping his budget to $5000 like he was talking about today, a setting from LOGR would leave us with a great amount to spend on a stone! Luckily my BF agrees with you that we should spend the money on the cut and colour of the stone so that's good

I will have to go and see some diamonds in person to get an idea of what colour I like and how far down the colour scale we could go, but definitely no lower than H, and G would be nice.

Italiahaircolor: I saw her post today and needless to say I drooled since her ring is so similar to my dream Ritani. Such a lucky girl! Yes, my BF is against buying from a "maul", but it sounds like she bought from a great store and they definitely do great work! I'll have to check out the settings from that vendor

luvmyhalo: Those are really unique settings but I think they may be a bit too "busy" for my style I think for some reason. I should suggest them to some of my friends though, I think they may really suit some of them

*********************

(...Sorry for all of the reply posts I made just now but I wanted to reply to everyone individually since you've all been so great to go out of your way to help me

)

 

[Sharon101]

Date: 10/7/2008 1:23:46 AM
Author: Halo
Sharon101: Yes, you''re right about the budget often changing. I think it will for my BF too once we really get out there and see what the full costs are. He''s only been out once and it was just to get an idea of what he likes and he only priced out some settings, not stones. So he didn''t price out the most costly part

I was thinking of maybe getting an eternity band as my wedding ring, so that wouldn''t work as my ering, but thanks for the suggestion

And that''s a good idea about a vendor that will allow us to trade up. I think that WF does this, and they are my top choice for a diamond and also for a custom setting which may be the way my BF chooses to go in order to find something we both like and can afford.

Actually I mentioned to him tonight that I have no problem chipping in for my ring since I have the funds to do so and I don''t want my ring to burden him financially. But I also said that I understand if he isn''t comfortable with that suggestion and that even at $2000 we could find a pretty ring thanks to you guys on PS

!

Hmmmm sounds like you have things under control.

Good luck, and the fact that he is still being refered to as a sweetie is a real good sign for all concerned!!!!

 

[LaraOnline]

Hi Halo!
Oh, yes, I see with a name like that, you *do* like halos, don''t you!

I think you should not worry overmuch about what your man likes. By all means, look at the rings he enjoys

you may find that his tastes rub off on you, and my Gad it''s fun to look!!
I''m glad he''s seen reason regarding budget! That''s really great! I mean, if it comes to a choice between flash ring and great guy, I''ll take the guy ... but it''s nice to have the ring as well.

A great love is something to ''skite'' (that''s ''boast'' in Aussie slang) about!!

Enjoy your engagement ring shopping!!

 

[arjunajane]

Halo,
with a larger budget like 5k, I would consider spending a lil more on a high quality setting.
I really like LOGR, but personally would want something from a different vendor for an ering.
I think they are great for RHR''s, fun rings, etc.
But then again, there is something to be said for getting the biggest/bestest diamond in your budget now - you can always upgrade the setting later.


hmm..that didn''t offer any advice or help at all, did it?

oh well, good luck !

 

[T L]

Date: 10/7/2008 6:24:25 AM
Author: arjunajane
Halo,
with a larger budget like 5k, I would consider spending a lil more on a high quality setting.
I really like LOGR, but personally would want something from a different vendor for an ering.
I think they are great for RHR''s, fun rings, etc.
But then again, there is something to be said for getting the biggest/bestest diamond in your budget now - you can always upgrade the setting later.


hmm..that didn''t offer any advice or help at all, did it?

oh well, good luck !

I agree, now that the budget is $5,000, I would choose a higher quality setting. Don''t get me wrong, I like my LOGR, but I think it would be more appropriate on a smaller budget if you wanted to put all your money to the stone, or for a RHR. It''s not finished as well on the inside and it''s more hollowed out, but attractive to the eye. You can still get really nice quality settings for under $1000, that would leave you with at least $4,000 for a stone, and that would be some awesome stone!!

Even Costco (as someone mentioned here) has really nice settings. If you did do LOGR, that would leave you with a ton of money left over for your diamond. If you did just a plain Tiffany style knife edge six prong setting, that would also leave you with a lot for your diamond as well. There are so many options.

If you do end up doing LOGR, I would probably upgrade to VS diamonds though. That''s what I was told by others here, and that''s what the vendor recommended as well. I just saw a drop dead gorgeous LOGR setting encrusted with almost two carats of diamonds in an antique art deco look go for auction for $500. I don''t think you can beat this value, and returns (as someone else mentioned here) are easy. You can return it back to a place in the United States if that''s where you''re from.

 

[Kelli]

Date: 10/6/2008 5:42:50 PM
Author: LaurenThePartier

Date: 10/6/2008 3:24:18 PM
Author: Kelli

Date: 10/6/2008 3:15:25 PM
Author: geckodani

Date: 10/6/2008 3:09:54 PM
Author: Kelli
Has he been looking as well? While I know you can definitely get a nice ring for $2000, both of the styles you picked look they would run more than that. If it were my ring, I''d look for a nice half-carat stone and go with a simple setting, with the possibilty of changing the setting later when you have more money to spend. Or check out the colored stones forum and go to the LOGR (Lord of the Gem Rings) thread. It''s an Ebay store, and people are getting very nice settings there for very inexpensive prices. They do have pretty halo settings, and you can upgrade to vs diamonds (from SI) for an added fee. They also have white, rose, or yellow gold. Maybe that would be the way to go. Good luck!

I was about to suggest the exact same things.

Great minds think alike!

Yeah, well, this would have been my suggestion, too.

I do have to give credit where credit is due! I would never have found that ebay store on my own!

 

[LtlFirecracker]

5K would totally open some more doors choices for you. I agree with the posters above and would personally use a LOGR setting for a RHR or someting fun.

For about 3k you could get a 0.75-.8 ct ACA depending on the other 4 c's. Here are 2 examples.

.83 I VS

0.76 G SI

Than you could probably pull off a WG ritani with a halo, or just one with a pave shank.

You could also do the WF Petite open cathedral in platinum, or get it in WG and either put more money in the stone or come in under budget!

Other options. As you stated, do a custom halo ring with (WF inspired by your dream ring), get a 2k diamond and get a killer setting, or as stated above, put as much money into the diamond as possible.

I wnat to know what happens when you guys go shopping together

. Glad you guys are talking this through.

 

[Kelli]

$5000 is a GREAT budget! Good for you! I hope your BF decided that he likes halos! If not, you can at least get one for your right hand in the future

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Date: 10/7/2008 9:34:10 AM
Author: tourmaline_lover

Date: 10/7/2008 6:24:25 AM
Author: arjunajane
Halo,
with a larger budget like 5k, I would consider spending a lil more on a high quality setting.
I really like LOGR, but personally would want something from a different vendor for an ering.
I think they are great for RHR''s, fun rings, etc.
But then again, there is something to be said for getting the biggest/bestest diamond in your budget now - you can always upgrade the setting later.


hmm..that didn''t offer any advice or help at all, did it?

oh well, good luck !

I agree, now that the budget is $5,000, I would choose a higher quality setting. Don''t get me wrong, I like my LOGR, but I think it would be more appropriate on a smaller budget if you wanted to put all your money to the stone, or for a RHR. It''s not finished as well on the inside and it''s more hollowed out, but attractive to the eye. You can still get really nice quality settings for under $1000, that would leave you with at least $4,000 for a stone, and that would be some awesome stone!!

Even Costco (as someone mentioned here) has really nice settings. If you did do LOGR, that would leave you with a ton of money left over for your diamond. If you did just a plain Tiffany style knife edge six prong setting, that would also leave you with a lot for your diamond as well. There are so many options.

If you do end up doing LOGR, I would probably upgrade to VS diamonds though. That''s what I was told by others here, and that''s what the vendor recommended as well. I just saw a drop dead gorgeous LOGR setting encrusted with almost two carats of diamonds in an antique art deco look go for auction for $500. I don''t think you can beat this value, and returns (as someone else mentioned here) are easy. You can return it back to a place in the United States if that''s where you''re from.

I have to completely agree here. I love my LOGRs, but I have had to MAKE them nice quality by tweaking them, they just aren''t the heirloom pieces that I would hope to create in an e-ring, and I can see quality differences between my white gold Whiteflash ring (which has never needed to be re-rhodium plated) and my LOGRs.

Besides, I think I''m the only one here who has worn hers for any length of time (like 7 weeks) and I have no idea of the long term integrity of the settings, whether melee will just drop right out of the setting one day. They''re a great value for the money, but now that your budget is larger, I would dedicate a bigger portion of that budget to creating your dream setting!

 

[Rhea]

The $5K is a very nice budget. I had a budget of $1,500-$2000 and it was very hard. What are you thinking of getting now?

 

[Halo]

Sharon101: He's a definite sweetie no matter what, which makes me want to marry him even more, hehe

And I think it will be cute to go out shopping with him and see his reactions when I try the rings on.

LaraOnline: Hehe, I sure do like halos. I wouldn't mind even getting a ring with a halo with a plain band, but he is adamant that we get a ring with a pave shank and at this point he really doesn't like halos. We'll have to see if his, or my, taste changes when we see rings in person

Yes, I am definitely looking forward to flashing a lovely sparkly from my lovely hunny

!

arjunajane: I think you're right about getting a better quality setting now that our budget is larger. I really think I'll end up getting something from WF, maybe a custom.

tourmaline_lover: I agree that we will now spend more to get a higher quality setting. I do like the traditional Tiffany setting but my BF really wants the band to have stones and one of my best friends is going to get a Tiffany solitare which has been her dream for years, so I wouldn't feel right getting the same setting as her.

LtlFirecracker: Thanks, you always make great suggestions

! I really like those H&A diamonds you posted, the bigger the better, hehe. I would be ok going with a setting like the Petite Cathedral and then spending the rest of the budget on the stone, but I guess we'll have to wait and see what my BF and I actually like on me once we go ring shopping. *Crosses her fingers that he will like halos after all* <---That would solve the setting dilemma

I will update everyone here when we go ring shopping!

Kelli: Yeah, he's great And he's so cute asking if $5000 was "too much or too little?" I'm like "Hunny, it's never too much!" I hope he'll like halos in person but I guess I'll have to wait and see. And if he doesn't: 1.5 carat pave halo RHR, here I come

LaurenThePartier: That's good to know. I'm quite clumsy and I would worry that maybe LOGR settings wouldn't hold up over time for an ering as well as other designers/stores would. I think we'll end up dedicating more of the budget to the setting than we would have with the smaller budget.

Addy: I would love to see what you ended up getting with your budget. I bet it's lovely! My BF is coming over tonight so I will show him some new ring designs that he might like. With the new budget I'm thinking that Ritani's Endless Love ring without the halo may be a good bet (photos by ilovethiswebsite):

 

[ilovethiswebsite]

hehehe cute you used my pics!

i love my setting... it's Ritani classic collection....the halo version is nice too.. i doubt there is a huge price point difference between the two... have you seen the new Bella Vita collection by Ritani??

http://www.ritani.com/collections/view/8

 

[ilovethiswebsite]

my personal fav!

 

[ilovethiswebsite]

another halo by ritani

 

[geckodani]

Halo-

You might want to contact Pearlman''s and ask about some of the Ritani Settings in Palladium, rather than platinum or WG. I was shocked at the price difference for some of them. I was actually able to get a Scott Kay setting I would never have been able to afford, just by switching metals. Just a thought!

 

[Rhea]

Date: 10/7/2008 10:11:41 PM
Author: ilovethiswebsite
my personal fav!

I like this one with the sidestones and halo. Lots of bling!

 

[Rhea]

Halo, I don''t have photos of my ring on here or I''d show you. It was very nice that you got a budget increase. It''s incredible how these little rocks add up! With all the diamonds set in the band you''re sure to get a lot of bling. Have you tried on that style yet?

 

[Halo]

ilovethiswebsite: Hehe, well when I saw your ring, I figured that since it was the style my BF liked and that it was from Ritani like the ring I like, that it may be a perfect compromise But then I showed my BF the second ring you posted and he's like "Yeah! Now that's what I like, even with the halo. Without the side stones it's like the center stone and halo stand out too much." I'm like "That's the point

" For some reason I'm just not a fan of the one with sidestone; I'm worried that it may be too much bling for me. Crazy, I know

But yes, the Bella Vita halo is actually the one in my avatar pic and it's my dream ring

I just think it would be perfect! Although I'm not really thrilled with the side view of it, but I could live with it, hehe.

geckodani: Great idea, thanks! I never would have though of that but it's a great tip. I'll pass it along to my BF

Addy: Yeah, my BF is quite surprised by how much WF 5-star rated H&A diamonds are, but those are the ones I just love, so we'll see which way he goes with the diamond in the end. Poor guy, he's getting a bit of sticker shock. I haven't been out to try on any rings yet. My BF has been out a bit (before I knew anything about it) to see what styles were out there and get an idea of what he liked. But now that he's found out that I had also been looking at rings too, we will go together and I'll try on some styles. I'm really hoping he'll end up liking halos in the end, and he actually seems interested to see my try them on so he can see how he feels about them. He's such a good guy

! But now I can't seem to think of anything other than rings, hehe.

 

[Shameless]

www.IdonowIDont.com

Some from stores, some from private vendors... I would stick with private if it has paperwork.. and you can get it appraised making sure the diamond is in original/near original cnodiion...