WAY OT: Engagement rings, Exploiting my personal life, yet again. Options

[ninefourteener]

QUOTE (tat2dphreak @ Apr 22 2005, 07:04 AM)

if you want to do it around the same time as her graduation, fine, but keep it private, she will appreciate it more being a private, romantic moment

Oh definately... I'm not going to do it in front of everyone, and in front of her family (although I am going to "ask" her dad first)....... I'll do it later that night when we're alone.

[Qarl]

Spend money on quality and not size. I think a 1/4 to under .5 carat really bright and clear diamond is prettier than a big yellow rock with flaws...

Three options...

1. Go to a small private and reputabile jeweler (financing might not let you negotiate)

2. Stay away from Zales and the other retail "jewelry" stores.

3. Here is my honest suggestion...

go to...

http://www.bluenile.com You can buy diamonds online. They are reputable and the prices are good. I know of 3 or 4 people that have purchased from them and have been exstatic. Prices are really good.

Once at the site, choose... Build your own engagement ring

Search for a diamond...

Round shape
Very good cut
Price from $700 to $900
Size range of .25 to .4 carat range
Color of F (nice bright color)
SI1 - no noticible flaws to the naked eye.
Finest quality and cost - end result is a very beautiful diamond.


It comes up with a bunch of AGSL and GIA certified diamonds that are $700 to $850 in price.

Choose one that is Si1, F, and has a EX or VG polish and symmetry.

There are some nice .4 carat diamonds with VG/VG polish and symmetry for $729 or so...

For example... here...

http://www.bluenile.com/diamonds_details.a...1&sortby=size-d


You can have them mount the ring too, in an 18k classic solitare setting for $250.00


As far as financing... they offer that too!


PM me if you need help.

[Qarl]

I guess my link to a diamond doesn't work...

But you get the idea.

[Qarl]

Also.. the http://www.pricescope.com link works well too (as previously suggested).

I built a ring on Diamonds.com using what I found from pricescope...

http://www.diamond.com/DYR3.asp?gen5=ODIA0...d=4822&DYR=true

Although it doesn't show on the link... it's for a 0.4 carat, SI1, F stone....


Just some suggestions....

Educated yourself and make it special! That's what counts.

She'll be even more happy to know you did all the research yourself and found something really great for her.

Oh.. .and we want pictures of her ear to ear smile when she has the ring on!!!!!

Good luck!

[ninefourteener]

Hey Qarl..

I appreciate the advice.... but I'm really against buying jewelry online. I've had 2 experiences buying online jewelry:

1. Bought the Armani Bracelet.. the clasp broke 3 weeks later, had to have it repaired.

2. Bought my mom a mother's ring a couple years ago, with several stones in it (kid's birthstones)...... the ring was a piece of crap.. you could see where they soldered it, and they got the "order" of the stones all messed up.

No disrespect, but I want to SEE and HOLD the ring I'm purchasing.... if for nothing else but "piece of mind".

Oh yea... don't worry..... I'm not headed to Zales or Kay or anything... I've heard a lot about those types of places.

[Qarl]

No problem... It does take some of the personalization out of it...

However, it DOES give you some price points to compare against...

The other option is to take her with you and have her help in the process... but it takes the surprise factor out...

The most important part is to have fun!!!

[andys]

I would personally avoid the diamonds....as was posted earlier, it's a dirty business; a sham all the way! Trying to re-coup money for a diamond will convince you real quick they are nearly worthless unless you're at the very high end.

Here in LA we have the International Jewelry Mart. Dozens of retailers clumped together in one large office building all competing for your business.....Replaced my wife's lost wedding ring with an exact copy for 1/4 the cost. The original lost ring was bought through your typical retailer with whom I spent many a session bargaining down the price (ha!).......I'll never do that again. If there's any sort of multi- retailer jewelry center in your area, I'd really suggest you start there. Oh, my gold/white gold wedding band cost $117 at the Int'l. Jewelry Mart.

BTW, I did no engagement ring. I asked, then went shopping for the wedding ring together.

Andy

[merrill]

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smilie_pokal.gif) Congratulations. I agree with the others that have said you can get the BIG rock when you can afford it.
I have bought ALL of my rocks at COSTCO! You can check it out online, they have a very good deal and garauntee. Good luck and good health (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wub.gif)

[Qarl]

My cousin was able to buy a diamond in San Francisco at the Diamond exchange where all the imported diamonds are graded/sorted and purchased wholesale.

It's underground in some unmarked location full of dozens of armed guards. There are rooms and rooms of diamonds being graded and sorted by Asian women.

He was able to go and "pick" a diamond from one of the rooms. It was then graded and priced out wholesale.

He said it was a truly unique experience.

For me. personally, I went to a private jeweler and found a nice loose diamond. The jeweler happend to be a neighbor of my future in-laws. I made a few phone calls and got the diamond at cost.

Look for those types of connections too!

I love helping people find diamonds...

It's also important to learn the 4 Cs.... she'll be excited to learn that you are so educated and informed on what she has on her hand...

[jasons]

QUOTE (ninefourteener @ Apr 22 2005, 07:33 AM)

I appreciate the advice.... but I'm really against buying jewelry online.

The online diamond brokers don't even own their inventory. All they do is run a website and get a commission from a major wholesaler for the diamond. Most places offer a 10 day return policy if you are not satisfied with your purchase. I found mine on pricescope. It had a GIA certificate. The day I received it, I went to a local GIA certified gemologist and he verified the certificate against the diamond. All and all it is a pretty safe way to buy with no pressure. Also, my diamond was shipped directy from Elephant which is a very reputable wholesaler in NY. You also get a better set of specs for the stone from the brokers.

Alot of the retailers couldn't even match the info I got from the online broker. Some even told me the ratings and said they don't get them certified, they have a local gemologist spec them. Thats total BS, if a real lab didn't rate it, than it is a lie and most likely all specs are graded on level higher than the truth.

Also, there is more to the rock than color and clarity. If it is cut with bad proportions, it will look dull, not brilliant. In effect, you could have a huge poorly cut stone that is dwarfed by a smaller well cut stone.

You can even buy the stone online and use it as a bargaining tool with your local retailer. When I showed up with my stone to buy a setting, the prices on their stones dropped dramatically like almost in half.

If you think you get raped online, wait until you go into a retail store.

[chunger]

I purchased my stone at Blue Nile. . . no problems. . . came with AGI cert, and I checked the laser inscription w/ a microscope. . .

I had the titanium tension setting custom made by a guy in Georgia. . . he let me specify my own dimensions, and actually turned it around in 1 day. . . I overnighted the loose stone to him, he recieved by noon and overnighted it back to me. . . which was the only way I surprised my wife. . . http://www.boonerings.com/

Craftsmanship was great. There are some very reputable online sellers out there these days who have built their reputation on being upfront about their products, pricing things reasonably, and having good customer service. I bought my last 2 christmas presents from Blue Nile with no problems. . .. diamond earings and pearl necklace. I don't like the vibe in most jewelry stores, and don't get that from Blue Nile. . . just tells me exactly what I'm looking at in terms of the 4 C's and the price I'm looking at.

-'Chung

[MecGen]

You knowww...
1K for a ring will get you some very nice stuff....fuck
My ex met me when I was making 4$ an hour, changing oil. our first trip to Mexico, I bought a 15$ silver ring, she wore it 24/7 for 15 years.
If you can't choose the ring you can afford, choose the place, she will remember this always.
If I had 1K for a ring back then she might of stayed around for another 15 (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/barf.gif)
My humble advise...take the cash and buy a weekend in Mexico, give her a 15$ ring on the beach. she sounds like a super girl, she will love whatever happens.
Congrats and Good luck with the ring
Later
Joe


(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beerchug.gif)

[TimT]

Find a good local jewelry store, ask your friends etc, where they got there rings. As for financing.. get a credit card just for the purchase.. rates are low enough now. then cut up that card.!!

Here in NY Ii would go to the Diamond district where they fight for your business, and you can get great bargains on nice stones.. cash only though

QUOTE

simple, plain white gold band w/ 1/2 to 3/4 Carat, single stone, square cut.

I have one of them from a relationship that didnt work out.. unfortunateley its in the $3K range.

I lived in Tel Aviv in the early '80s and invested in some diamonds while there..(Tel Aviv is one of the diamond centers)

I like the idea of buying local... the internet sites would make me nervous

[carambola]

First Off, ask permission. "they're kinda Old-Fashioned" second make sure you know what she dreams about, it sounds like you have a pretty good idea. and third, good luck.


Tried the local guys and they couldn't match the price when the "burgundy box" was having a big sale. take them up on the 0% for one year and pay it off. but i do have the local guys perform service .

[ninefourteener]

Thanks for all the advice everyone!!!!

So........... today I spent a good 6 hours looking at engagements rings. I avoided the "Mall" stores, and went to a couple of reputable larger places.

If there's one thing I learned in this whole process, different stores DEFINATELY rate their diamonds differently.... guess it is a sham.

Anywhoo.... went to "The Shane Co" first. Found a great, white gold solitaire setting... modern design, yet relatively subtle.... very nice. took me over an hour looking through thousands of settings. Found a .61 Carat marquis that was virtually colorless (I compared it to about 9 other diamonds)... looked great... VERY minor flaw, but quite decent . Strangely enough, the diamond was rated pretty low on the scale. Not at the bottom..... but still I was paying more attention to color and size... it was nice.

Little out of my price range..but doable at just under$1500 total... with 100% full lifetime warrantee on the ring and the stone, lifetime polishing, lifetime everything.

THEN....... I went to "Jared's". I was rather impressed when they offered me a cappucino as I walked through the door, only to find out that they had a total of 8 (yes, only EIGHT) white gold solitaire rings. Whatever, I figure if the prices of the center stones are cheaper, then I can go with a more expensive setting that has other stones in it, right??

Nope..... As I looked through comparitively sized marquis diamonds... I discovered that Jareds diamonds were rated 2 to 3 scales higher than the Shane Co, and they looked like someone had ran them across a belt sander. To get the same brilliance, clariity, color and size as the $1200 diamond I found at the Shane Co......... I would have had to spend nearly $2300 at Jared's. Oh yea.. and the warrantee on the ring was extra $$$

Actually..... I was kind of pissed at the whole experience at Jared's. Oh yea..... and the sales woman at Jareds had too much makeup, and some cheap-ass hot pink Lee press-on nails.

Only been to 2 places so far, but the Shane co treated me awesome, spent nearly 3.5 hours with me, and offered a fantastic warrantee, and taught me quite a bit about diamond shopping. Not sure if its still a ripoff, but I feel pretty ok about it.

In the meantime... still looking..... NOT at Jareds

[jasons]

Shane and Jared are 2 of the stores I had my experiences with. I ended up with my setting from Shane. They have a really good selection of settings. Shane is where they dropped their stone price big time when I walked in with my own rock. Check your diamond for the similar specs online. I know you want that feeling of buying what you see, but I would encourage you to at least compare what they offer to what you can search for on pricescope. If you do bring your own stone into Shane, they will charge you more to set it. Definitely take your time and get educated. I got to a point where I knew more than some of the salespeople.

I can't emphasize enough, check out the pricescope forums, there is a ton of good advice from those people and that site.

[tesserra]

Don't ask on her graduation day! That is her day to enjoy her hard work and accomplishments. Cherish that. Don't piggyback on her high that she earned.
For the ring I think the rule is 2 months salary. I would never go into debt for a wedding ring, there are so many expenses to come, starting out your lives in debt could be a problem.
If you can go to the local jewelry mart, wholesale, you can BS your way in, buy it with cash or your own credit, not the store credit. You will get a better diamond for a lot less money.
I spent $3000.00 16 years, three children, and two careers ago and it was the best thing I ever bought.

Good luck

[914 novice]

Matt,
I bought my ring at the shane company here in california and I was very happy.I did do alot of comparison shopping prior to going to shane.I got salespersons cards from each store.When i picked the diamond that I liked I told them I found a stone that was the same size and rating for considerably cheaper and handed them the salespersons card from the store that I had the quote on the stone from .I was telling the truth since it was rated the same and was about the same size.They tried to come back that their gem rating was more honest which I silently agreed with them but told them if I had to I would purchase the stone at the other store and have it mounted in the setting I liked from them.I waited a considerable amount of time but they matched the price.They will clean the ring for free and as long as you bring to them to clean and inspect will replace the stone if it ever falls out.You will have to pay for any repairs to the setting if needed but I think it is a great service.They also will give you 100% on a trade up.
Good Luck!! and Congratulations!!
Paul

[ninefourteener]

Thanks for all the advice everyone.... I truly do appreciate it. Some I took, others I didn't, but I do appreciate the help.

So whattaya think??

[Joe Bob]

Looks like Andy took the pic...