Looking to buy engagement ring but totally lost, help!

[cruiserhead]

I really am happy to find a great woman that I want to marry! But the engagement ring has me totally baffled!
I''ll just list my shame and helplessness line by line

-should I buy with her so she has something she wants (totally unromantic in my book but I do want her to have something she likes, afterall she''s wearing it)
-if I buy myself, I have NO IDEA what looks good! They all look similar to me!

-how much should I spend? I don''t want to be cheap but I don''t want to waste money either!
I''ve read about the 4 C''s and that it is certified by AIG, etc. but I hear horror stories at every turn...

- is a .5 carat considered small? is 1 carat considered a good size? is 2 carat? I have no idea!

-in short, I have NO CLUE and the more research I do, the more confused I get! ugh...

Ok my ideal picture in my head-

-I want to give a classic solitaire diamond, really simple and classic... (is that even cool now?)
-I want to surprise her with it and the proposal, spring it on her at that time.
-I want a ring that she can be proud of but doesn''t say "look at me, look at me" or be gaudy. (I think big stones are tacky- that''s just what I prefer)
I would like people to say, "That''s a beautiful ring, congrats on the future" not "Damn, what a huge rock!"

Thanks for the help, I just stumbled across this site and said THANK GOD! a diamond forum! There is a forum for everything it seems!

 

[Lorelei]

Hi Cruiserhead and welcome!

Can you repost your thread in Rocky Talk as that is where we can best help you!

 

[firebirdgold]

Welcome!

First off... DO NOT BUY AT A MALL STORE! they sell you overpriced crap. trust me, I used to work for one.

Second off, the most important ''c'' of a diamond is how well the diamond is cut. The more precise and higher quality the cut, the sparklier the diamond. Sparkly is good.


Ok there are two easy ways to do this fairly painlessly:
1) buy something from Tiffany
1b) you like that idea but can''t afford it or can''t afford the size you want, so try signedpieces.com for resale Tiffany. For instance right now they have a .61 carat, with great clarity and color, Tiffany Lucida e-ring for $4,500. *DROOL*

2)Buy a simple ring with an ideal cut diamond. Try whiteflash.com, they are very popular here, have great quality stuff, and I''ve heard they''re very easy to talk to and you can trust them. (My top choices for ring style from them would be either x-prong solitare or the fine-line solitare.)





For a more fine-tuned way, here are a few questions first:

Does she wear jewelry on a regular basis and what color is it (yellow, white)? Does she wear any rings on a regular basis and what do they look like?


What type of shoes does she usually wear? Heels? practical?

What about her purse? Is it from Target? A leather Coach purse? Or is it a designer or designer look-alike bag? Does she talk about designer purses?

What is (or will be) her career? Lawyer? Teacher?

Does she work with her hands alot?

What area do you live in? New York, Idaho, Canada?


And finally, what kind of budget are you thinking of? $2,500? $4,000?



You might also want to consider asking her female friends or casually taking her for a walk ''near'' a nice jewelry store. See what she looks at the most. If she''s thinking that an engagement is near she might try to ''hint'' what she likes that way. (she might also be shy of looking in case you''ll think she''s trying to pressure you. women are weird sometimes .)

 

[Rhea]

Date: 1/13/2008 7:01:15 AM
Author:cruiserhead

I would like people to say, 'That's a beautiful ring, congrats on the future' not 'Damn, what a huge rock!'

I agree with Indie but must also note, the ring doesn't need to please anyone but yourselves. No matter what size, colour or clarity the stone is you will likely get both positive and negative comments. I have never been told that my ring is beautiful is or congrats on the future. When I first got engaged the ring was either ignored or I got the "it's so small and cute". Buy for yourself, not what you think other people will comment on.

 

[designchica]

I suggest getting her a solitaire in a temporary setting and leaving a little money in the budget for designing her own setting. That way you can surprise her with the engagement but you also give her some control over what her ring looks like.

As for carat size, your budget is going to weigh heavily on that but I would suggest getting at least 1 carat if you can offord it. While you have said you don''t want a ring that screams, "Wow, what a big rock", consider that you also probably do not want to draw attention to it because it is so small.

 

[sparxs111]

Good luck in your search. I just went through it myself over the past 8 months, and do LOTS of research before doing it. As suggested before...DON''t buy from a mall if at all possible. Saw one from a friend of mine who didn''t know much and they sold him a cheap solitaire setting and a .5 I3 good cut for 2500$ Which absolutely SUCKS.

1) The first thing you should do is look around, check out prices, and get a good idea of what things cost so you know what kind of realistic budget to set for yourself.

2) look at her present jewellery styles - simple, classy, outlandish, etc. That will help you determine the setting style

3) once you know the setting style, choose what kind of diamond to get. There are more than just round brilliant cuts, and everyone has their personal preference. For this you can maybe enlist the help of one of her best friends (THAT CAN KEEP A SECRET) and she could bring it up in conversation one day.

4) start looking at diamonds. (this is where the research comes into play) Know what you''re talking about so people can''t take advantage of you, and in this industry there are the mean and corrupt out there, that take away from all the good reputable dealers. This also is where the budget comes into play. This is the major cost of the purchase, so go to what your budget can do. ex..
you can do an incredible clarity and colour and cut, but maybe have to have a smaller diamond.
you can have a larger diamond with the same clarity, but lower colour ( still in the same budget)
There are so many variations you can put together to have an incredible diamond, that you can pretty much do anything you want (that keeps in your budget).

So heres a few things to think about when getting your diamond. Do you want a visually clean diamond then if budget is a concern go VS1-2 if not SI''s are very nice as well or the other way definitely go VVS if you''ve got the coin. The colour ( do you want the whitest of the whites or is a great white good enough, or maybe champagne even), how sparkly do you want it (depends on cut) - the better the cut - usually the better the sparkle and glow. Are you willing to sacrifice size for quality, or as the age old question asks is size all that matters...


Internet sites I''ve heard good things about are whiteflash, goodoldgold, exceldiamonds (superbcert), even bluenile (but others may not agree). All seem to be reputable, and give a good product. That age of stores is at an end. I bought online and payed 8600, appraised for 16000, and would have cost 25000 at tiffany''s.

Hope this helps a bit. Just remember do research. this isn''t an easy decision. This site is great for info, so just look around, and ask LOTS of questions.

 

[cruiserhead]

thanks for the info, it''s very appreciated.
can everyone post in the "rocky talk" section- I duplicated my post there in the appropriate section. Thanks!
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/looking-to-buy-an-engagement-ring-but-totally-lost-help.76236/