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To pricey for small carat promise ring ?

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velasco

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 6, 2008
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First time buyer, I recently purchased a .04 carat 3 stone promise ring from whitehalls with 2 year maintanance cause i had to get it sized anyways for $250
After seeing other places that offer a lot more carats for even less im thinking if i should return this one and get another.
Ive already gave it to my gf, but just shipped it out to get sized, so i will tell her i just want to get her a better one, im guessing that would be ok with girls ?? did i get ripped off, or should i keep this.

I see lots of people posting on really expensive rings, hopefully im not in the wrong place..
 
No, you are not in the wrong place...Your diamond doesn't have to be huge to be heartfelt and lovely!

That said, I would ask your gf if she'd prefer a larger, or better quality stone. Just explain that you found out that you might have been able to get a better stone or a bit larger stone and you can still return the ring you gave her. She might like that idea, or she might want the ring you already presented to her because it's sentimental to her. So it doesn't matter what we say, it only matters what SHE says. Ask her...And if she says she'd like a better stone, then return the one you already bought, and then come back here and tell us how much money you want to spend in total, and people here can help you find a good stone and setting...
 
When buying diamonds, there are more things to consider than just carats. However, at the .04 range (are you sure you didn''t mean .40?) level I don''t think anything other than color (typically whiter is better but some people like the yellow stones) and design/configuration of the band will make much difference to you.

Are the other rings you found that have more carat weight something you like more than the ring you already gave her? Not to sound like a snob, but at the $250ish range I would think the sentimental value will be moreso than the actual value of the diamonds.

Personally had I already given the ring I probably wouldn''t swap it out unless it was per her request.

Hehe, and now that you found this site...do some serious reading and start preparing for the e-ring. You''ll get more carats and spend more money but it''ll be a much nicer ring.
 
I will ask her just to see her response, but i pretty much know she will say its fine, unless i tell her i overpayed for it and can get a better one... posibly
It is white gold for the ring and the diamonds are white and yes it is only .04 carats. I like it so did she as well but i have seen a couple more that i like as well in different stores.
Yea its more of a sentimental value but that doesnt mean i want to overpay when i can get something much better which still has the sentimental value i guess.. i seem to think i overpayed for something to small of carats, maybe someone can convince me differently.
Seems to be a lot of knowledgable and helpful people here , im glad i found this site as i will have a couple years to research the perfect e-ring.
 
I agree with others posters that this is a very personal issue that you should discuss with your girlfriend. While you may think she will be fine with trading the ring, you might be surprised to find that many women [and men, for that matter] have sentimental attachments to things like engagement or promise rings that they may not have with other items. Obviously you know that this ring symbolizes something very special between the two of you! It may be worth it to her to have the original ring you gave her, even if it is not the most excellent quality available. It actually sounds like quite a nice ring.
I know you are worried about overpaying, and I can''t say I blame you. I guess it really is contingent upon whether she is very attached to the ring. A new ring may have the same purpose-- to be a "promise ring" --but she may think the original one, so to speak, is more special than any subsequent replacement. It''s a personal preference.
I am not sure whether you overpayed for the ring. Honestly, if she likes the ring you have already given her, I would say keep it as long as she is okay with that. When talking about very small carat weights, the difference between the original and a replacement may be visually pretty insignificant.

I also want to check with you about the sizing thing- you said that you''ve just shipped the ring out to be sized... did you ship it back to the vendor that sold you the ring? If not, you need to get that ring back ASAP! Most return policies will not accept a ring that has been touched by another jeweler, and some return policies do not allow the return of items that have been altered from their original form, even if they were the ones to perform the work. I just want to make sure you don''t run into further trouble with this down the road, so I thought I would mention that.

I hope you enjoy your stay on pricescope- rest assured, you can be 100% confident that if you allow the wonderful members of this forum to help you in eventually selecting the right diamond for your engagement ring in a few years, you will not be ripped off! I think that may be the time to worry about it moreso than right now.
 
Well i spoke to her and she sais she likes it and i asked her if she would want to trade it in and she sais she doesnt know she would have to see the other ones, i asked her if she would be attached to the original one more then the newer one and she said it wouldnt make a difference. So i dont really understand this lol.
I sent it to be resized using the maintanence package i bought from them at that same store, she said i would be able to still return it unless i was lied to. I feel just by asking her i have taken away the value of the original one meant now..
and i definately will be researching around here as i want to get the best for what i pay for for a much much more expensive e-ring.
 
well manager said i would be able to return it even after being resized once its recieved back, any recommendations on places i could visit in purchase to get a good deal, and what to look for in terms of quality vs price or possibly any specific online deals for any nice rings currently.
 
Can you find a pic of the ring you bought (or something similar) to help us help you? Is this similar?
http://www.heavenlytreasures.com/r7134-y.html
 
it was something more like this
http://www.zales.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2497774&cp=2246683.2109181&fbx=0&cp=2246683&fbn=Metal+Color%7CWhite&f=PAD%2FStone+Type%2FDiamond&f=PAD%2FMetal+Color%2FWhite&fbc=1&categoryId=2109181&parentPage=search&searchId=22179567043
except it was 3 equal size stones in middle but its still not quite the same just to give an idea. I just returned it.
I went to hellzberg and saw a .08 carat with 9 diamonds for $130 which apparently my girl really liked but also a 1/5 carat for $200 which was one bigger stone in middle with like 3 or 4 on each side.
If i buy in store im currently looking to purchase at zales,hellzberg or jareds.
My girl prefers white gold with multiple stones but not the thick ones.
Anyone have any recommendations or suggestions, possibly even online ones or even any feedback on retailers i mentioned ?
 
Can I ask what your budget is? I think, if your heart isn''t set on those stores, that you could likely get more for you money online with one of th PS trusted vendors AND get stones that were the best they could be. My experience with Zales is that their stones are pretty commercial and you might be overpaying for something that isnt'' "spectacular".

If you are willing to share budget we could probably find you some pretty options that she will love!
 
Also, sizing for $250 seems really really high -- I recently had 3 rings sized locally for $85 for all three! Does that $250 include setting stones?
 
i meant $250 diamond and service plan. Service plan was like $40.
I would prefer my budget to be $200 unless theres something really worth it for a few more dollars
 
What does the service plan include? Often times these plans sound like a good deal, but if you need to actually use it there can be a lot of stipulations to it. I'd read the whole thing very carefully. That extra $40 could go toward the ring.

Have you considered other styles? Maybe a diamond band? I like this one...it has some nice engraving on it too. The diamonds are G-H and SI. You choose what size you want, so you don't have to pay for sizing.

http://www.worldjewels.com/_e/Womens_Diamond_Bands/product/r-107/14K_Gold_Diamond_Ring_35_TCW.htm for $250


eta: I just reread your post. Did you mean that the ring as $200 and the service plan was $40, or was it $200 for both?
 
Well for $265 you could get her this Tiffany ring:

http://www.tiffany.com/Shopping/Item.aspx?sku=GRP00176&mcat=148204&cid=287466&search_params=s+5-p+8-c+287466-r+101323338-x+-n+6-ri+-ni+0-t+

You can buy it in her size so no need to worry about sizing, and what girl doesn''t love a ring from Tiffany?

FYI, I definitely would NOT buy any "service plan" or warranty from a mall store. A ring should be sized for free when you purchase it if it''s not available in the size you need.
 
If you buy a ring from a vendor, they shouldn''t even charge you for sizing. I''ve never been charged for sizing if I bought the ring from that shop. Weird.
 
I got my girl her a large birth stone for a promise ring, with small diamonds on the side, it was about $200. I think I got it through ice.com. It is very nice, and the large center stone was easily affordable.
 
i really like both rings but for some reason she doesnt like solitaires and prefers many diamonds in a row or one bigger with a few smaller on others on side. So #1 might be an option.
The original ring was $210 plus $40 for maintanence( which i had to get because they would charge me $22 for sizing it, and for the extra $18 it would cover 2 years of the diamond falling out discolartion cleaning etc.)
Ive went to Zales, Whitehalls, and hellzberg and all said they charge for the sizing... anymore experiences with these stores im guessing the only one classified as a non mall store would be hallzberg, so im expecting more quality from them.
My girl actually liked a 9 diamond .08 carat white gold ring at hallzberg which was only $130 but i think they said the maintanence package which would cover the sizing was an extra $22. How does this one sound.
 
Honestly, that still seems way too expensive. I would try shopping online for a ring and just order it in her size. I found a 1/4 (.25) carat total weight ring on overstock.com for $199. Here''s the link:

http://www.overstock.com/Jewelry-Watches/14kt-White-Gold-1-4ct-TDW-Round-Diamond-Three-Stone-Ring-J-K-I2-I3/62926/product.html

The diamonds are much larger and the quality of the diamonds is probably similar to those at a mall jewelry store. Plus they have lots of sizes available so you could order the ring in her size and not even have to worry about sizing.
 
I am very surprised that they want to charge you for sizing as well. Every ring that I have ever purchased in a chain store has offered free sizing on the first sizing. I like the band that Orbaya posted, that is really pretty! Good luck, this is very sweet of you to research this to find your GF something special
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To take Dana''s post one step further, in addition to never having been charged for sizing a ring, I''ve never ever been charged for inspecting and cleaning a ring in a shop. Ever. You''re being ripped off. There is no need for any "policy" for a small promise ring or an obscenely large honker! You can clean your ring with simple dish washing soap and a baby toothbrush or paint brush. Or dip it into an ammonia solution. You can take your ring into any reputable store and they should offer to inspect the stones/clean it for free. This policy stuff is rubbish.
 
I agree with surfgirl.
The $40 thing is just a way to get some money out of you at a moment when your are emotionally vunerable.

Funeral homes do this to sell fancier coffins and "services".
Sorry for the unpleasant analogy but it really ticks me off when businesses take advantage of people when they are most emotionally vulnerable because of life's important events.


I'd guess over half of the people who pay that never use the "service".

I'd apply that $40 to the ring.
 
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