NFT: Engagemenet Rings

engagement

Rod Stewart, "Next time, instead of getting married, I'm just going to find someone I hate and give her a house."

Man to woman (asking about marriage), "So let me get this straight, if I agree to this, I can never sleep with another woman, and if it doesn't work out, you get half my stuff?"

Think about it.

she likes you can afford.

if you're open about it ask her, if you're going to surprise her do some research, I don't think you need to live by any standard.

and congratulations.

I cannot speak highly enough about this website. I purchased my fiancé's engagement ring from Blue Nile, and it appraised for 2.5x what I paid for it. Liked it so much, we bought our wedding rings from them also. I've used them for other jewelry along the way.

I found them through a BBI thread last year, and I'm paying it forward.
Blue Nile - ( New Window )

three months slaving away for someone else- making them money, only to spend it on a shiny rock glued to a shiny piece of metal that serves no function other than to make your fiancée's friends jelly.

Makes perfect sense.

Personally I'd text all her friends pictures of my junk. Gets the job done and does to cost anything.

In comment 11822563 Ben in Tampa said:

Quote:

I cannot speak highly enough about this website. I purchased my fiancé's engagement ring from Blue Nile, and it appraised for 2.5x what I paid for it. Liked it so much, we bought our wedding rings from them also. I've used them for other jewelry along the way. I found them through a BBI thread last year, and I'm paying it forward. Blue Nile - ( New Window )

This.

In comment 11822563 Ben in Tampa said:

Quote:

I cannot speak highly enough about this website. I purchased my fiancé's engagement ring from Blue Nile, and it appraised for 2.5x what I paid for it. Liked it so much, we bought our wedding rings from them also. I've used them for other jewelry along the way. I found them through a BBI thread last year, and I'm paying it forward. Blue Nile - ( New Window )

Seconded. If you go with a round diamond I also recommend the Holloway Cut Adviser. Google it and start punching in the measurements of diamonds you find. Supposedly it's a more a accurate measure of "shininess" in laymen's terms. Another way to stretch your dollar since cut is considered the most important of the Cs.

the rest of what you need to know you can find here, more or less.At least you know what you're doing then when you go shopping.Basic pricing guide, rough appraisal guide.I like to haggle and get my moneys worth, myself.
Link - ( New Window )

If you buy from Jared or any such mall place, you will massively overpay. If you're anywhere near Manhattan, go to the diamond district on West 47th. I got my wife's diamond (and a couple of other pieces of jewelry over the years) at Salvatore & co. at 55 West 47th.

Good luck.

Haggle. Play one dealer against the other. If one dealer offers you a diamond at x, go to another dealer, say that the first dealer offered you a similar diamond at x-500 or x-1000, and see if they can beat it. And if he can, go to the next guy and repeat.

Again, good luck.

If your mother or either of your grandmothers is dead, use their old engagement ring. I spent $5K on a ring, only to find one that was nearly identical in a family jewelry box a few months later (still don't know whose it was). Been kicking myself ever since that I didn't look in the box first.

my fiancee's ring off Etsy.com directly from a mom and pop jeweler. It was affordable, unique and very well made. My girl gets a lot of compliments on it.

If you aren't sure what to do, get a woman to help you with it.

I agree with law guy.

I just find it funny that it's now the measurement. I mean say I make 100k, that means I'm supposed to spend 25k on a ring? That's absolutely absurd. I've got the cash to buy one, but plan on cutting my monthly budget back over the next few months to help in not putting any sort of dent in my savings.

My dad has a guy in the city who will ship me down a few rings and I have had a few other people offer their "guys" from various places. Others suggest jewelry exchanges, I think blue nile is definitely where I will do the majority of my research.

I'm going to make it a surprise (she's out of town this weekend which is how I did lunch with her father today) but she has left me no hints in terms of what she wants. I just know no princess cut... It's tough though when I don't know what metal, color or cut she wants...damn women.

In comment 11822600 JerryNYG said:

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If you aren't sure what to do, get a woman to help you with it.

This is my plan - I sent a message to a family friend that she's visiting this weekend to see if she could do some investigative work, who then subsequently started crying she was so happy... I just hope she doesn't blow my cover.

...

but have fallen out of fashion in the 21st. Just drop to a knee and promise to give her half of everything you own. That is probably worth more than a few months' salary.

something that cost $25K on my hand all the time. I have a nice 1 carat engagement ring. At the time, it cost about $3K. I'd guess now it's worth more. The stone quality is very very good. That's what you want, a good stone that will sparkle. The settings and everything else are secondary. In fact, I am thinking of getting my ring made into an anniversary band. I have yellow gold, but I think now it's more common to have either white gold or platinum bands with the ring. Princess Cut is the hot cut now, but round is the classic cut. That is what I have. When I got engaged the hot cut was marquis cut. I am so glad I didn't get that, it is almost non-existent now. Round cut will last forever. My husband surprised me with a proposal, but we shopped for the ring together. But I'm sure she will love what you get her. I went on that Blue Nile site. This ring looks like mine, nice, simple, classic.

Congratulations!
Link - ( New Window )

I hope my wife doesn't read this thread!

but maybe ask one of your girlfirends friends if she has mentioned what she likes? Thats what I would do but it could hurt the secret potentially.

would i go by anyone else judgement but my own far as picking a stone.Especially the cut. some woman might advise some wierd ass princess cut that makes your wife want to cry. same thing with color and clarity. why would i trust someoen elses eye, that isnt my wife to pick a stone. I've bouhgt many stones and I find men are the best judges as far as details, imperfections, picking out inclusions and color.Some thing you can cheat on to get an edge somewhere else in the stone.like for instance you might be able to get an S1 or Vs2 stone that's bigger,but at the same time you wouldnt want bigger in a I color stone as opposed to an F. you'd spend the money on that, at the same time it's really not worth it for a D color stone.

my worthless advice

Can you see any inclusions with your own eye?If so don't buy it. Probably means getting a VS1 or better. Don't go worsse than VS2. the increase in size isn't worth a noticeable inclusion.


G or F color.And there is a difference here.This is where ultimately you'll make the largest tradeoff between size and Quality( me anyway, as there is a certain quality in a stone far as inclusions I just wont go below.)H is is kinda shitty. D or E well, if you have the money for it, sure, great colors.Although some will say the slight color of an F stone as opposed to a D or E gives the stone some character.G color if bargain shopping, F is not, is how I go.


If you go at least .90 carat, well, she can pretend it's a 1 carat ring.smaller than .89 tends to like little next to the other girls. If you get a nice F color VVS1 in a .87-.88, ok but I'd say most go between .90 and 1.15 carats.Bigger is gaudy, smaller looks cheap.

My tastes seem to put a .90 diamond starting at around 5K on blue nile.Seems Pricey to me, I would shop a bit.Good luck and congrats.

the other cuts are for shittier quality stones.

Why a round cut?

because it reflects lore light per carat, has more "Fire" than any other stone.Princess is popular only cause the dude felt he had to get a big stone so got a shit quality.Round is the way to go.Holds it's value better as well.

unless you're a gemologist. In fact, most people (probably including your fiance to be) can't tell the difference between a colorless and a well cut H side by side. Same goes for clarity grades down to VS2 (or SI1 depending on the inclusions).

In fact, do yourself a favor and google "eye clean" diamonds before subscribing to anyone's standards. It'll bring things back down to earth for you.

In comment 11822671 armsteadeatslittlekids said:

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unless you're a gemologist. In fact, most people (probably including your fiance to be) can't tell the difference between a colorless and a well cut H side by side. Same goes for clarity grades down to VS2 (or SI1 depending on the inclusions). In fact, do yourself a favor and google "eye clean" diamonds before subscribing to anyone's standards. It'll bring things back down to earth for you.

I can tell the differnece between an H and an F, and I'm no gemoligist.H is gonna have a slightly yellow tint.It can be seen.

Like I said, I wont buy VS2 or S1, as I can usually see the inclusion without a loop.To each his own.

I will tell you what though, shifty diamond sellers will try and pass off an S1 or a VS2 as a VS1, or an H color as a G or an F, depending on how stupid they think you are. Happens all the time.You have to know where to buy and where not to.For my part, I do.Caveat emptor.

either find out what shape stone she likes or even have her help pick it out.

escape while there is still time :-)

Highly recommend Blue Nile. Co-worker put me on to them, and bought both engagement and wedding rings there. Wife gets plenty of compliments on the rings.

But bought a stone in the diamond district. If you go in knowing what you want and have research and other prices you make life easier and put yourself in a good position. I had printouts of various stones and their measurements and value. The woman helping me in the store said to her boss who does the pricing, "he wants an x,y,z...and he's done his homework." The since I live out of state I had them ship it to me to avoid taxes. (I signed the seal on the package so it couldn't be opened after I left.)

Then I had it set in a ring where I live and shipped to my mom to avoid taxes again.

Truth is, after the wedding excitement dies down, little attention is paid to the ring. Seven years and two boys later, we rarely discuss the karats, cut, clarity, or color...