Advice for first time ring shopping?

[somedaysunday]

Hi All,

Looks like my SO and I will be going ring shopping in the near future! I must admit that I am pretty darn nervous about it. First, I have no clue what his budget is (like, literally no clue) - we'll have to have that conversation ahead of time, I suppose; but also, I simply have no idea what to expect in the shopping experience!

I'd love to hear your shopping stories - please give me some idea of what to expect!


Thanks!!!


SS

 

[tuffyluvr]

I didn't know my guy's budget either. The first time we went shopping I just tried on a whole bunch of stuff and narrowed down what I liked--shape, style, etc. I don't think you really even need to ask him what his budget. This is a good opportunity to figure out what kinds of settings you like and what looks good on your hand, what shapes of diamonds you like... And have fun!

 

[PA-C]

In my experience of going to B&M stores, Saturdays can be very busy so you might want to make an appointment if possible so you're not waiting around. There are usually a ton of other couples in the store and this can make it difficult to see the settings (because there may be one or two couples sitting right in front of the engagement rings so you can't see them at all until it is your turn.) Otherwise, you might want to go sometime during the week. Try to find a place that you know will have a good selection and have a few places in mind if possible. Also, the salespeople can be very pushy at times so you should let them know upfront if you have an agenda "we're here to look only at settings to get an idea of what i like" and redirect them as necessary. They are trying to make a sale but they also want to make sure you are happy.

Good luck! SOOOO exciting!!!

 

[jlp86]

I definitely agree with trying on a bunch of different rings and styles. I tried on what I thought I liked and actually really disliked it on my finger. I wound up likely something completely different in person! I still don't like online pictures as much as the actual ring!! Have fun!

 

[Jessie702]

Have a good time, have an open mind, but also, remember the meaning behind the ring. I think we LIW get so caught up with the ring, and the whole wedding, that the meaning is sometimes lost.

 

[HopeDream]

Hi Somedaysunday,

Ring shopping is so much fun!
Go to a store that carries a lot of different brands/types of settings. Try on everything and note what you like/dislike - you may be surprised! Don't forget to see what the ring would look like with various wedding band options as well.

Try to find out:
A) how color-sensative you are
B) how inclusion-sensative you are
C) how important size is to you

Jewellery store lights would make gravel look sparkley! - Try shading the ring with your hand to get a more realistic perspective of what it will look like under more normal conditions. If they will let you, take the ring outside, or at least hold it next to the window to see it in a more normal lighting environment. You may want to bring a loupe to examine inclusions, and look at the stone from the sides as well as the top.

If you think you're going to source a RB diamond locally take the PS Cheatsheet with you:

depth - 60 - 62%
table - 54-57%
crown angle - 34-35 degrees
pavilion angle - 40.6-41 degrees
girdle - thin to slightly thick, thin to medium, etc (avoid very thin or thick)
polish and symmetry - very good and above

If GIA report...you will want excellent cut.

Don't feel you have to buy anything right away - have the sales associate(s) write the stone details down on the jewellery store's business card and then you can compare them with online prices at home.

Avoid sticker shock! - review diamond and setting prices ahead of time so you and your SO arent blindsided by how much everything costs. Keep in mind that you get what you pay for and there are no "deals" on diamonds unless you buy second hand. If a diamond at a jewellery store is a "special price" there's usually a reason . Generaly diamonds with AGS or GIA certificates are worth more than diamond with other lab certificates because of more accurate grading standards

Be realistic - try not to fall in love with anything outside of your price range, and don't fall in love with anything that doesn't fit with your lifestyle - if you end up with something too delicate for your lifestyle, and your ring ends up sitting in a drawer to wear for special occasions - it's a huge waste of money - ditto to paying high interest on something you can't really afford.

If you go with your SO, make him try on wedding bands at the same time, or at least get his finger sized, so you could order something for him in the future. When trying on rings, see if he has an opinion on any of the diamonds or settings - an engagement ring should represent both of you. (My SO thought 1ct diamonds looked too large for my small hand, and a bit "gaudy" - good to know!)

Go with very clean hands - nothing's more embarassing than trying on rings after having eaten potatoe chips, and getting the diamonds all greasy.

Above all Have fun! (and show us pictures form your trip )

 

[MissStepcut]

Have a good time, have an open mind, but also, remember the meaning behind the ring. I think we LIW get so caught up with the ring, and the whole wedding, that the meaning is sometimes lost.

I agree with this, especially about diamond shape. Some shapes are cheaper than others for the carat weight, so I would try to see at least
1) a round
2) an asscher
3) an emerald
4) a princess
5) a cushion (bearing in mind that chunky cushions and modern cushions are barely related to each other in terms of performance)
6) an oval
I'd also try to remember that any setting you like could probably be modified to fit any stone you like. I really encourage people not to fall in love with a ring as a total package.

 

[MrsDrP]

I couldn't agree with HopeDream more about finding out how sensitive you are to color and inclusions! I found that I was extremely sensitive to color. For example, I looked at several G colored diamonds, which are nearly colorless, but to me I could see very faint yellow color. It really depends on the diamond though! There were a few diamonds that said in their GIA report they were E or F, but when I compared them to a G I couldn't tell the difference, and the G was less expensive. So look at the diamonds in person, don't buy anything off of a GIA report, especially when it comes to clarity. Sometimes VS 2 and SI graded diamonds are a fantastic deal if you find one with inclusions in the right place! I looked at an SI clarity diamond that had an inclusion in corner of the stone (which would have been covered by a prong), and the middle of the diamond was very clean!

Bottom line: look at them yourself in person. Ask to see diamonds at first without the jeweler telling you any specs about them, and pick the one that appeals to you, then find out the specs.

Also, if you are on a budget, Be prepared to maybe have to make sacrifices somewhere. For me, I sacrificed size for quality. I chose a 1ct with great clarity and color over a almost 2ct with some color. Be patient and don't go with the first one you see. Go back a few times and see it with fresh eyes before making a final decision. I went a total of about 9 visits before I found the one But once you select and decide on the one, you must stop looking!! Otherwise you'll second guess and change your mind.

Good luck and have fun with it!! Ring shopping is a blast!

 

[liarudd]

i would say when you go - try on all different styles to find out what you like, but also include your SO as much as you can because this should be a shared experience...

the first few times i went ring shopping i went by myself and started seeing what i did and didnt like as well as educated myself with the 4cs (in store as well as here on PS)....

this can be a good idea because i know i spent hours trying to figure out what i wanted and if my SO was with me he would have been pretty bored so i think he was happy i did some shopping alone

once you have it narrowed down bring him with you and listen to his opinons and this way he will feel like he is more involved with a "say" you can have a preference to a certain shape or a few styles of settings and get what his take is on it

I just found it was less stressful this way and we figured out what we wanted once we started shopping together pretty fast!

 

[MayFlowers]

You've already gotten some really great advice! So, I would just like to ditto the thought on being open minded to different shapes and ring styles. You might be surprised with what you like on your hand!

 

[liarudd]

il just add one last thought as well about being open minded....
before i went ring shopping i was pretty stubborn and thought i knew exactly what i wanted

once i started trying them on i started to dislike what i thought i was in love with and started liking other options more!!! but u need to try them on to decide what size, shape, color and style of setting you love - when you find "the one" you will just know

good luck

 

[somedaysunday]

Thank you all so so much! I will literally be printing and highlighting this thread to take with me

Just so I know, are there some things I should beware of?


Thank you so much, again!!


SS

 

[Dancing Fire]

Thank you all so so much! I will literally be printing and highlighting this thread to take with me

Just so I know, are there some things I should beware of?


Thank you so much, again!!


SS

if the price sound too good to be true...RUN if you decided on rounds look for GIA or AGS graded stones ...

 

[Dancing Fire]

Hi All,

Looks like my SO and I will be going ring shopping in the near future! I must admit that I am pretty darn nervous about it. First, I have no clue what his budget is (like, literally no clue) - we'll have to have that conversation ahead of time, I suppose; but also, I simply have no idea what to expect in the shopping experience!

I'd love to hear your shopping stories - please give me some idea of what to expect!


Thanks!!!


SS

start out by looking at 3ct stones,if he faints work your way down...

 

[atp223]

Hi All,

Looks like my SO and I will be going ring shopping in the near future! I must admit that I am pretty darn nervous about it. First, I have no clue what his budget is (like, literally no clue) - we'll have to have that conversation ahead of time, I suppose; but also, I simply have no idea what to expect in the shopping experience!

I'd love to hear your shopping stories - please give me some idea of what to expect!


Thanks!!!


SS

start out by looking at 3ct stones,if he faints work your way down...

I have never "quoted" on here before, but DF - that made me laugh.

The first time my bf and I went ring shopping, we had not yet discussed budget in terms of dollar amount, but he knew I wanted something with the best possible cut as close to 2 carats as we could get. I would never disclose these numbers in real life, but since this is an online semi-anonymous forum - I figured it would end up costing around 20 for the stone, and then I had originally wanted a tacori setting that I knew was around 4. So I was HOPING to find a stone through a discount or something for like 17 or 18, and then get the setting, maybe chip in a little money myself for whatever went above 20, and call it a day. My bf and I are very close, and I'm very blunt and have no filter, so we talk about everything, but we hadn't really covered how much he was comfortable spending in terms of exact dollar amount. We priced stuff on bluenile first, but essentially went to the store to (1) get a starting price point for what *I* wanted, and (2) see how much we could get for what he wanted to spend (an amount I wasn't sure about but knew it was less than what I thought we should spend - yes I am a huge brat, I know, he knows, for some reason he loves me anyway), so that we could try to compromise somewhere in between.

We made an appointment when we went for the first, at the recommendation of one of my colleagues, and the first thing the woman did was sit down with us, turn to him, and ask him what his budget was. Actually, that's a lie - she offered him beer first. Apparently B&M jewelry stores keep it on hand, which is kind of funny. But anyway, she apologized for it being awkward, but basically said she needed to know that to help us (despite the fact we were VERY upfront about that being our first trip and that we were definitely not buying that day). Since we weren't really prepared for that question, his answer was lower than what we would need for a 2 carat stone (15 not including the setting). She didn't like that because I guess they can way more easily do discounts on some settings, so she wanted a total number. But I think because he was leery of her pushing the budget upwards, he only wanted to speak in terms of the stone. So BECAUSE of that, she was like, well that will get you something really nice in the 1.5-1.7 range blah blah. Meanwhile, I wanted to look at 2 carat stones, and compare them to the 1.7 alone, the 1.5 or the 1.7 in the halo setting I was looking at, etc. But made a big fuss of sticking to the budget and wouldn't even LET me see a 2 carat stone. Overall we had fun, because it was our first time and we were like "ooh sparkly things", and she showed us how to use the loupe and stuff...she was nice enough, but I ended up having to go to another jewelry store on my own later and ask to see the differences in size of the different carat weights.

In view of that, if you guys are planning to window shop and just browse yourselves, I wouldn't worry about discussing budget, but if you end up making an appointment to sit down with someone, just be prepared for them to ask questions that might be kind of awkward. If you feel comfortable bringing it up to him, by all means do it - otherwise maybe have a non-awkward non-committal answer ready like "today we're just figuring out what we like! we'd love to be able to compare X, Y, and Z so we can decide more specifically what we want to pursue" or even "ha! we don't even know what SHAPE we want yet!"...

Anyway that was just my experience, for whatever it's worth. Good luck and have fun!