Please help!!! I am running out of time

[apkesh]

Hi, I would really appreciate if any one on this forum could help me out with this. I am a Canadian, planning on taking my girl friend out on a vacation to Boston and proposing to her. I''ve got tickets booked but not the most important part yet- the engagement ring. I have a few questions, I hope someone here can help me out with this.

1. I live in Toronto, so I could buy the ring either here in Canada or in Boston. Does anyone know of the price differences?

2. I am planning on spending between $5,000 and 6,000 Canadian (that be around 3,600 to 4,300 USD). What''s the best quality diamond ring can I go for with this price? Plese explain in detail as I am very new to this.

3. Some of my friends are saying I should buy it from a reputable company, even if it is more expensive, because you will always get the best quality. Is this usually true? Is there any names that you would recommend?

Thanks for you time.
Apkesh

 

[jenibear]

Hi apkesh!

I am sure a lot of people would like to help but there are a few things we need to know first. If you don't get too many answers you may want to repost on Rocky Talky, it's the most active forum.

Here are some questions to consider: What's your timeline -where are planning to propose? What shape stone? What style setting? What kind of metal? What does your girl like?

I know nothing about Canadian prices, but I recall several posts about this on this site. Do an advanced search and that may pull up some past threads to help you out.

If I've leaned anything in my own diamond search it's you can't choose a stone by budget alone. Diamonds come in so many combinations of color, carat, clarity and cut that you need to narrow down what you are looking for first.

There are some great tutorials on pricescope that can help you out.

You may want to keep one thing in mind: you don't need a ring to ask a woman to marry you. You can get engaged and shop for the ring together later.

Or you can be like me and my sweetie and do it all wrong: shop for the ring together, start planning the wedding while the ring is being made and then get the ring and official proposal! LOL! My darling has some special thing planned for me, but we both are too excited to wait until then to start planning! I guess we'll have kids names picked out and a nursery done before we conceive a child! LOL! What I mean by my story is you can do it anyway you want, don't feel pressured to have a ring to ask her to be your wife.

I live in the Boston area and there are some very good vendors in the downtown jewelers building and small local shops, but I dare say I think you'd do better over the Internet or in the NYC diamond district.

The internet may be good for you because you can search several vendors for the stone you want and have a better chance of finding something you like in a tight timeframe. Just a thought. I used an online vendor (Diamond Brokers of Florida) because I was not happy with what I found in the Boston area.

Best of luck
Jenibear

 

[valeria101]

Hm... I have lived in Boston for a while and passed by the jevelry shop 'Boston Ring and Gem' a few times. They seem like a well priced place. They get their profit more from the manufacture than stones, so a simple setting with a good stone (how about the E-G, 0.9-1.5 ct, VS1-SI1 range?) is best with them. Perhaps getting a stone and 'something to hold it on the finger' rather than a sophisticated setting sound for the budget sake? Now, for a great shopping experince (including letting her shift through a few great diamonds in a good old victorian inhabited by very friendly and knowlegeable jewelers who can make anythig you want!), talk with Judi at jewelryexpert.com.

PS: I have no interest in that business, just some pleasant memories about dealing with it!

Hope this helps...