Question for the ladies.

[geoffreysnow]

Date: 2/5/2009 2:16:17 AM
Author: Gypsy

Do you know her ring size? If she''s a size 7... I have a nice idea.

Gypsy,

care to elaborate?

 

[Porridge]

Ring shopping is so much fun, I would never want to pass it up! I say drop a hint or two and see how she reacts. You can always enlist the help of a friend if you think she might want to be surprised...but most girls I know would want to be involved in the process.

 

[anyname]

Date: 2/4/2009 11:41:49 PM
Author:qnbrew88
Have you ever been proposed to with a ring that you didn''t like? What did you do or tell him?


I''m shoppping around for a ring but it''s giving me nightmares literally. I''m scared she won''t like what I chose.

my husband and i picked my ring out together because he knew how i felt about wanting to pick my own ring since i''m going to wear it forever. He proposed with earrings, so he was still able to surprise me.

 

[babygirl]

qnbrew,
I agree with a lot of the other posters on ring shopping. My boyfriend and I have gone shopping and it''s a lot of fun. Initially, he was dead set against me having any part in the selection process... until I think he realized the potential for him to pick something I wasn''t crazy about. With the shopping together, I don''t want to know exactly what he chooses in the end, I just kind of want him to get an idea of the styles I like and I wanted to see what he liked too. Although I''ll be the one wearing it, I''d hate for him to spend a lot of money on something he really doesn''t like! If you don''t like the idea of shopping together, maybe you could ask her to send you links to rings she likes?

If you REALLY don''t want to involve her, I''d definitely take one of her friends or a sister or something.. Before he proposed, my best friend''s husband emailed three of us girls pictures of the rings he was looking at. We steered him in the direction of ones we knew she''d like (and away from a few really terrible rings!) and she loves her ring!

Your girlfriend.. her friends... her sisters.. YOUR sisters... regardless of who you ask, I''d definitely try to get a female opinion!

 

[Itgirl76]

I have and I would really state that you should get some input. It doesn''t need to be specifics but some general ideas

-Does she like a specific shape?
-Does she prefer a certain metal (for instance I am allergic to gold so all gold is out)
-Does she want coloured stones
-Does she want a solitaire or muti stones
-Antique or modern
-Is there a CT. size that she was hoping for??
-Does size matter more or quality? or vice versa...
-She may have larger or smaller hands so some sizes may look more appropriate
-high setting or low...


Just go over some basics. Some women are pretty paticular others are not so much.
I know I am pretty particular and I have my ring all ready inside my head....

the 2nd time I got engaged (yes I have been engaged more than once) I was going to get this cocktail ring which would have been rather unattractive on me...and was in gold

 

[White Orchid]

I''m a hopeless romantic, so I personally would have been very disappointed had my husband proposed without a ring.

I love the idea of getting some input from her friends or family. You know they won''t be able to resist dropping some hints, which will help build the anticipation. You can also take her to a jewelry store with the pretence of needing a new watch (or something) and take a peek at the engagement rings while you wait to get a feel for what she likes.

If she''s the sentimental type you might want to avoid getting a temporary setting, as she might not want to trade it in. I know I wouldn''t trade my ring for the world!

 

[kimikocat]

I''ve been engaged more than once, too. My first FI let me choose b/t two family stones, and picked out a Van Craeynest setting to go with it. He had a back-up in case I didn''t like the family stones (they were SI2 and you could see the inclusions, they had been 1/2 carat earrings before), but I wasn''t all that well-informed on diamonds at that point, and anyway, we were in college!

In some ways I think this is a personality thing -- the second proposal was done completely differently -- it was a surprise, and he wanted to pick out something that he liked, so he proposed with a pearl. I don''t wear it much b/c pearls, as a rule, do not make for good everyday rings, but it is stunning. For our 5 year anniversary, I get to pick out my own solitaire. From time to time I wear my mother''s ring instead, since she left it to me when she passed away.

The first time around, both of us were very young and didn''t have fixed thoughts/tastes. The second time around, being older and wiser we had more opinions.

I''m quite particular about my jewelry and feel that the sentimentality is all there, even though I picked out my own diamond and setting.

k

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 2/5/2009 4:18:53 PM
Author: geoffreysnow

Date: 2/5/2009 2:16:17 AM
Author: Gypsy

Do you know her ring size? If she's a size 7... I have a nice idea.

Gypsy,

care to elaborate?

There was a tiffany platinum band with a single diamond in it on sale at Pearlmans, used, but still beautiful for 300 dollars. It would have been the perfect little proposal ring place holder. Alternately, there were some beverly K bands for a little over 300 (go to hangout board) that would have been perfect as well.

They're all sold now though. Those kinds of deals move fast on here.

I think proposing with a nice diamond pendant for $300 is also very lovely. Then you can pick a ring together.

 

[LaraOnline]

Yes, I was proposed to with a ring that I didn''t like, but the proposal came far too late for it to have the desired effect in any case. At the end of the day, she''s not going to reject you because she doesn''t like the ring.
But, please! Don''t therefore go for the cheapest one you can find! (I''m assuming you''re American though, and American boys do it differently, don''t they, they''re not cheapskates like the Aussies?! )

I think if you are determined to make it a surprise ring - and lots of girls really hang out for the surprise factor, so why not?! - I would suggest going through a vendor that offers a generous upgrade / return policy/ That way, if you find she wants to swap, change setting or whatever, it''s not going to be a disaster.

You could consider just presenting her with the diamond in a box, and then working on the setting together. That''s an option I personally would have enjoyed.
Lots of girls like quite ornate settings these days, but I think that is something that really needs to be discussed before embarking on, onyour own.

Or, you could consider setting in a very plain solitaire type setting, and tell her she is welcome to change it up...
Personally though, I would be reluctant to reset the diamond once it was set, as it would appear that I was dissing my man''s taste.
Sometimes a solitaire can look plain to a young girl, the current fashion can be quite BLING!

I have had enough of a problem trying to discover what I myself would want in a ring (I had a pave setting, now I''m having a plain solitaire upgrade) - it can be quite a journey!!! So try not to worry overmuch if you find that despite your best-laid plans she wants to tweak here or there.

Good luck, and all the best!

 

[Daisi2112]

I asked my fiance this question and he said he would rather get some ideas about what I like and then surprise me with when and how he would propose

 

[Tuckins1]

My hubby and I went shopping together because he knew that I was very picky and wanted something that sparkled like crazy!! I showed him some things that I liked and he ended up making the final decision himself.

Just want to say... If you are all about the total surprise factor... Why not just go for the round brilliant in a plain solitaire setting? Can't go wrong with that!!!

 

[packrat]

We went shopping together for the original ring and it was so fun! I''m particular about what I like-on the order of "you can pick from these 3 rings, just so long as you choose THIS one". Now I''m looking to upgrade my set, and I''ve still got him involved. It''s nice b/c he isn''t "into" jewelry the way I am, so he can think of things to point out that I don''t necessarily see b/c I''m too busy oohing and ahhing over everything. I think it would be nice for the two of you to look together. And I think it''s wonderful that you''re here asking questions! My hubby will sit for an hour and look at rings on the internet with me, but I can''t imagine him taking the initiative to get on here himself!