HotCarl Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 Seriously... where the fuck do I start? Normally I wouldn't ask CR an important question but I can't exactly ask any of my male or female family member's because they will fucking flip (in a good way). And my GF and I have a lot of mutual friends so I'm not trying to start any rumors or anything of the sort. My time frame is about a year, maybe year and a half away but I figured I would really like to know what I should be looking for and where I should be looking for it when the time comes to purchase. I've already started saving money towards the goal of paying for it or at least putting a large down payment on it. The few people I have talked to about it, the advice is all over the place. I have a general idea of the style she likes and when the time comes I will take her sister shopping with me just to reaffirm that my purchase "looks" good. What else should I be considering? Insurance? the band itself? warranty work? what price points get what kind of ring? 2k, 5k, 7k etc... She's not a gaudy jewelry type of girl but her family is fairly wealthy so I don't really want to come weak with the ring and give the wrong impression. I also don't want to purchase something that is unrealistic to wear all the time, or that simply doesn't fit her personality. TL;DR .... Seriously... where the fuck do I start? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojoe Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 (edited) I did the typical, looking a jewelry stores, trying to figure out what is what. I was pointed to a custom jeweler who is a broker also. He took the time to educate me, be realistic to my budget, and his quality over what retail stores has saved me thousands. My wife gets compliments all the time on her rings, and other items I have bought from him. He can get something already made, swap out stones to a setting of your choice, or straight up make a setting from scratch. Him and his brother own the place, and I like that it's not a big name and the location is very over looked, in down town Columbus. And, who doesn't want to have an Italian jeweler that is a very cool guy? Call Chris Carioti 614-221-8588. He will treat you like family and the customer care is outstanding. Edited October 11, 2016 by Mojoe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs.cos Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 First off, don't go in debt for your ring to her. Upgraded later in life can always happen. Weird hints to take into account that after wearing my rings for 12 years now.. I have small hands, and in the winter/fall months my fingers shrink and my rings just spin and spin and it drives me nuts, if my diamond had been any bigger, I couldn't wear it in the fall months for fear of it coming off at random... The opposite happens in the summer- it's almost too snug. Fall and spring I never notice it.. So does she fidget with her jewelry much? A high mounted ring will spin and drive her batty. Also- as awful as this may sound.. You CAN ask her what she likes. Maybe tell her you want to get her ring of her choice that's a birthstone, but want to let her pick it out.. You'll see the styles she likes of cuts and bands Don't buy a ring based in her family's finances, that's just silly. You don't have to impress them. If they are good people they will be happy you two are engaged, if they are smart people they will know you put a lot of time and effort into the decision. Does she even want a diamond? In this day and age when we are all more knowledgeable of the debeers monopoly and blood diamonds, some women are opting for non-traditional, vintage or handmade. Does she wear jewelry a lot? If take note of rings she wears more often and kidnap one for a day and have it sized so you know what to get.. (This is not that important/ my rings have been sized twice since we got married- once right after our wedding when I realized it was too big with the diamond in the band, and how much it moved and once more about six months after that when I realized it was WAY too tight in the summer (LPT- rings sized in spring/fall seem to be my best fitting rings) Pick a budget comfortable for you. Remember you can always upgrade later... But likely won't downgrade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STEVE-O Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 RUN AWAY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssFo Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 It's a trap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AudiOn19s Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 Since I'm a forum guy I used the forums at Price Scope to educate myself as much as possible and ask questions to people more educated than myself. http://www.pricescope.com/forum/ There also happen to be lots of brokers on those forums to help you get an idea of what's out there beyond the typical chain stores. I believe the diamond search function on their site will search through all of the available stones by supporting vendors and return results for you to cross shop all of them. (it's been awhile but that's how I remember it). I purchased my wife's stone through a broker in NY, was very happy with it and it's appraisal after I got it. Got the setting through Diamond Cellar so that I've always got a local source to go to in the event it needs serviced. When it's all said and done yes, insure the ring. Ask your agent what your personal articles coverage limits are and buy additional coverage for the ring if needed to insure that it's covered. Also, have it appraised every 3-5 years and update the value on your policy. Diamond prices continue to go up and up and keeping up with the value is important should anything ever happen to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruizin01 Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 I bought my diamond and band separate. A friend who used to wholesale diamonds gave me some tips on what to buy. He recommended always buying round and to buy colorless (D). So I went to Bluenile and bought the best one I could for the money I had to spend. I then just went to fred meyer and bought a relatively inexpensive setting for it. I figure she can always get a better setting later if she wants. Its far and above a better diamond/ring than a typical store bought diamond. A close friend got engaged at the same time and the first thing she said when I showed her the ring I bought was "why doesn't my diamond sparkle like that one" And it was about .7k compared to the .5k I bought. We just had it valued for insurance and its worth about $2k more now than I had it in when I bought it 2 years ago. my $.02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supplicium Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 If you are dropping serious $$$ at a retail store locally have the seller ship the piece out of state to a location they do not operate and you wont have to pay sales tax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaronsToy Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 I would be glad to help you it's what I do for living I'll pm you my number call anytime Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Second Gen Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 Retail stores are where to start only from a size and style perspective. If you end up buying at one of the retail stores remember buying jewelry is like buying a car (They have room to negotiate - upwards to 50% on some items).. Many good feedback items listed above: Round = Always smart (Never go out of style) Buying ring / setting separately typically a good idea (I did my last two) Don't tie your self down with a lofty payment as it can cause all kinds of resentment when a bigger turbo/fuel system is needed for your car Many diamonds that are just below a carat look close and do not carry the one carat premium Been married 29 years and we upgraded twice (Again no need to get crazy). Bluenile gets great press (Mentioned above), but no experience personally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DKilbourne Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 My experience was this. Find out what type of band she likes, gold, white gold, etc. You said you already know the cut, so that isn't necessarily an issue. I went for quality over quantity. My thoughts were that a smaller stone that has much better quality to it was the way to go. If you, her haha, want it to shine and look good go with a good quality stone instead of a big gowdy mediocre looking stone. I didn't do the broker thing, but thought about it. I went into a local shop and felt very comfortable there, so I worked with them. At the end of the day you want to work with someone you feel comfortable with, since you are dropping some coin on this. I won't say exactly what I spent, but it was in the 3-5 range. My wife loves it and we ABSOLUTELY had it added to our insurance plan. That, in my opinion, is a must. Think of it this way, can you afford to replace it total cost if it gets lost or stolen? In the end, no one can tell you what to pick as that is something that you have to decide on. Think of it as something that you put your thought and heart into. Feel free to pm me with any questions on this as I know exactly how you feel right now. Very stressful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRTurbo04 Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 First off, don't go in debt for your ring to her. Upgraded later in life can always happen. . DING DING, buy something you guys can afford, she will appreciate what ever you get her, as the main joy of this should be the marriage, not the material item on her finger. If that is important lol then might want to re think it. I bought my wife what I could afford at the time she loves it cause of what it means, at the 5 or 10 year mark I will go and get her some bling bling piece to have. Another thing is go in her jewelry box and grab some of her rings to get a size for her, that's the easiest way with out asking her what her ring size is. As for what to style to buy her good luck, I got lucky my wife likes thing to be very simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RC K9 Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 Go to grocery store. Insert two quarters into little knick knack thing for kids. Extract ring. Be married. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dammit Charlie Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 First off, don't go in debt for your ring to her. Upgraded later in life can always happen. Weird hints to take into account that after wearing my rings for 12 years now.. I have small hands, and in the winter/fall months my fingers shrink and my rings just spin and spin and it drives me nuts, if my diamond had been any bigger, I couldn't wear it in the fall months for fear of it coming off at random... The opposite happens in the summer- it's almost too snug. Fall and spring I never notice it.. So does she fidget with her jewelry much? A high mounted ring will spin and drive her batty. Also- as awful as this may sound.. You CAN ask her what she likes. Maybe tell her you want to get her ring of her choice that's a birthstone, but want to let her pick it out.. You'll see the styles she likes of cuts and bands Don't buy a ring based in her family's finances, that's just silly. You don't have to impress them. If they are good people they will be happy you two are engaged, if they are smart people they will know you put a lot of time and effort into the decision. Does she even want a diamond? In this day and age when we are all more knowledgeable of the debeers monopoly and blood diamonds, some women are opting for non-traditional, vintage or handmade. Does she wear jewelry a lot? If take note of rings she wears more often and kidnap one for a day and have it sized so you know what to get.. (This is not that important/ my rings have been sized twice since we got married- once right after our wedding when I realized it was too big with the diamond in the band, and how much it moved and once more about six months after that when I realized it was WAY too tight in the summer (LPT- rings sized in spring/fall seem to be my best fitting rings) Pick a budget comfortable for you. Remember you can always upgrade later... But likely won't downgrade. Great advice. There is good debt and bad debt, jewelry debt is bad bad bad! I spent less then $1000 on my wife's engagement ring and that was 10 years ago, every year I offer to upgrade it but she doesn't want to waste the money. My brother just spent $8000 on his new wife's ring set, which is insane given his situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dammit Charlie Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 Go to grocery store. Insert two quarters into little knick knack thing for kids. Extract ring. Be married. Where were you 10 years ago!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
o0n8 Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 RUN AWAY It's a trap. http://m0.joe.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/13180901/Dennis-system.jpg Good advice posted by Red. All I can add is know what type of metal she likes i.e. gold, platinum. I'd stay away from white gold, there routine maintenance involved to keep it "white". Jared offers this free if you buy a ring from them but still kind of a hassle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RC K9 Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 (edited) Where were you 10 years ago!?! In Columbus, had just bought my first house a few months prior, living life, flirting with the girl that is now my wife. You know, making moves, getting my hustle on. Lulz. FWIW I spent like $600 on my wife's ring. The ring is just a symbol of something more important. The size or retail value of said symbol really has nothing to do with the value of what it represents. I would never have married a girl that wanted some big expensive ring as that would have told me right off the bat where her priorities lie. That's just me though. I lucked out with an awesome, low maintenance girl. $10000 ring that loses it's "value" to $4000 as soon as that credit card is swiped, or a $500 ring both represent the same thing. I choose to love you. To be loyal to you. And commit myself to you until one of us is dead. At least that's what it meant for us... Edited October 11, 2016 by RC K9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky31186 Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 I went to Jared's. The service was great, the price was great, the explanation of every little part was great, the free cleanings, inspections us great. It has lost zero value even having someone else place a value on it. Get insurance for sure through your insurance company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dammit Charlie Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 In Columbus, had just bought my first house a few months prior, living life, flirting with the girl that is now my wife. You know, making moves, getting my hustle on. Lulz. FWIW I spent like $600 on my wife's ring. The ring is just a symbol of something more important. The size or retail value of said symbol really has nothing to do with the value of what it represents. I would never have married a girl that wanted some big expensive ring as that would have told me right off the bat where her priorities lie. That's just me though. I lucked out with and awesome, low maintenance girl. $10000 ring that loses it's "value" to $4000 as soon as that credit card is swiped, or a $500 ring both represent the same thing. I choose to love you. To be loyal to you. And commit myself to you until one of us is dead. At least that's what it meant for us... My thoughts exactly!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Putty Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 A lot of people go with their lady to look at rings, get an idea what she likes. (Cut, silver, gold, plat, etc.) Once you have that idea. Buy something similar to what she likes. I'd suggest not getting the one she picked out. Kinda makes it seem like you put no thought in it. Me on the other hand didn't ask her anything. I picked everything out and totally surprised her with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C-Mart Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 (edited) Just went through this. I found the setting she wanted then started diamond shopping. I couldn't find a better deal than bluenile. The only complaint I hear about them is that you can't see the diamond before you buy. I just set the filters a few settings up for the diamond quality and found a size that looked good in the setting. The diamond alone was a few thousand less than the second cheapest comparable I found. Edited October 11, 2016 by C-Mart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngryBMW Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 If you want a custom ring and don't want to pay out your ass, I would suggest going to What on Earth at the Shops on Lane. They specialize in all natural colored gem stones but I have seen the work they can do with engagement rings with diamonds and have been blown away. You can tell them your price point and they will help you design a one-off custom ring. If you swing by, ask for Terry Peyton and tell them Marc Stock sent you. Good luck! -Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbs3000 Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 Craigslist under 'angry ex' and 'this will show him' ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Quik7 Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 Stay well within budget...just remember, the Engagement ring is so she'll say yes...you still have to put another ring on her finger at the wedding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
street pilot Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 Blue Nile Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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