Engagement Rings??

[kenstogie]

I believe that I may be purchasing an engagement ring in the future ( 6 months or soo) but where to get it?

I have been to a couple of Jewelers and maybe I need to earn more or maybe they are overpriced too.

Are there reputable online options maybe? Not that I want to be "cheap" of all times now is not the time to be frugal, but I do want to get the best possible ring I could afford.

[massphatness]

I'll tell you where NOT get it: Zales.

[Mugen910]

Originally Posted by massphatness

I'll tell you where NOT get it: Zales.

If you have a Barmakian's near you, go for it.

[chippewastud79]

Find the Rapaport online, it will give you the best idea of what a diamond should cost. It is the industry standard for pricing and updates quarterly I believe. It isn't meant to be public, but there are certain sites out there who will have a copy, even if it is an old one.

Personally, I buy diamonds from a distributor, above a 'wholesaler', 'dealer' or individual store. Diamonds, like any item go up in price the further they travel. The best bet is finding a distributor who gets the diamonds straight from New York (point of entry for all diamonds). You will likely have to pay in cash or in full before you can take the finished product.

Avoid online jewelers like Blue Nile. They loosely group their diamonds into far more broad ranges than a jeweler would. They buy diamonds in bulk that are all 'similar' to the type that they are selling, they could be anywhere from 2-4 steps off of what you think you are buying. You could end up paying $1000 for a diamond that was supposed to be a certain weight, color and clarity but they send you a diamond that was close enough to the untrainned eye but ends up being worth $800 when appraised.

Know what you are looking at, learn the 4 C's before you go, this will also help with the Rapaport. Personally, buying a loose diamond and having it set is far more personal than buying a completed ring that anyone can buy. Always ask to use the jewelers magnifier to examine the diamond yourself. A good jeweler will point out the flaws in the diamond under the glass for you, this is so you can realize why the diamond was rated the way it was.

For metals, if you are going with a white/silver colored metal, I would recomend paladium over platinum and white gold. Paladium is a precious metal that is slightly more expensive than white gold but far less than platinum. White gold is essentially bleached gold and will yellow over time and need to be redone to return to its 'white' color. Platinum is far more expensive but also far more labor intensive, it scratches far too easy and muct be buffed out periodically. Paladium is brighter, more scratch reistant and whiter than both the other two. For the price, I don't think you can beat the look.

Have an idea what type of ring she would like: solitare vs. three stone, plain band vs. design, square cut vs. round cut, etc. If you have a basic idea, you should be able to customize a ring that she will love.

Best of luck with the search.

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by chippewastud79

For metals, if you are going with a white/silver colored metal, I would recomend paladium over platinum and white gold. Paladium is a precious metal that is slightly more expensive than white gold but far less than platinum.

Paladium is really cool. Good tip!

[jesseboston81]

Originally Posted by chippewastud79

Avoid online jewelers like Blue Nile. They loosely group their diamonds into far more broad ranges than a jeweler would. They buy diamonds in bulk that are all 'similar' to the type that they are selling, they could be anywhere from 2-4 steps off of what you think you are buying. You could end up paying $1000 for a diamond that was supposed to be a certain weight, color and clarity but they send you a diamond that was close enough to the untrainned eye but ends up being worth $800 when appraised.

I'm not sure I agree with this statement. I just bought an engagement ring from Blue Nile a little over three months ago after a long time comparing both online and B+M options. My fiancee wasn't concerned about any fancy setting, so I got her a solitaire diamond in a "plaint" platinum setting. I found that, since I was largely just paying for the diamond, Blue Nile gave me the best price. According to my "research," a similar diamond to what I got from Blue Nile would have cost me around 30-40% more from any other store. Blue Nile made it easy to pick exactly which diamond I wanted, it came with certification, and the appraisal was right on. When buying from Blue Nile you lose a lot of the other services a B+M will provide and the sales relationship, but I'm convinced that I got what I paid for and could not have gotten that I would have gotten less diamond for my money had I gone anywhere else.

[chippewastud79]

Originally Posted by jesseboston81

I'm not sure I agree with this statement. I just bought an engagement ring from Blue Nile a little over three months ago after a long time comparing both online and B+M options. My fiancee wasn't concerned about any fancy setting, so I got her a solitaire diamond in a "plaint" platinum setting. I found that, since I was largely just paying for the diamond, Blue Nile gave me the best price. According to my "research," a similar diamond to what I got from Blue Nile would have cost me around 30-40% more from any other store. Blue Nile made it easy to pick exactly which diamond I wanted, it came with certification, and the appraisal was right on. When buying from Blue Nile you lose a lot of the other services a B+M will provide and the sales relationship, but I'm convinced that I got what I paid for and could not have gotten that I would have gotten less diamond for my money had I gone anywhere else.

Blue Nile appraises their own diamonds and they are grouped into lots of similar diamonds. While their appraisal will be exactly what you think you paid for the diamond could be a full color off or otherwise different than what is represented by their website or papers they sent with it. I am only speaking on the knowledge from people inside the diamond business, I lack the personal experience as I have never purchased a diamond from them. By in large, most jewelers have said that Blue Nile is not giving you exactly what they represent.

At the end of the day, if your fiance/wife is happy with the ring, there is no problem about the price paid regardless of whether you got what you paid for. Unless you somehow got the most sparkling cubic zirconia.

[OnlyDryReds]

One thing to keep in mind, as I know from exp this last year, make sure you can get a wedding band to match, or match close, we were eng. a cpl of years, and when we went to get bands, we had a tough time getting one to match her eng. ring..... ( BTW I bought mine from Gordon's Jewlers, and they sometimes have decent sales on clearance items on line, as I have purchased there before. )

[MiamiE]

Zales is not good! Check Blue Nile to piece the ring together.

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by kenstogie

I believe that I may be purchasing an engagement ring in the future ( 6 months or soo) but where to get it?

I have been to a couple of Jewelers and maybe I need to earn more or maybe they are overpriced too.

Are there reputable online options maybe? Not that I want to be "cheap" of all times now is not the time to be frugal, but I do want to get the best possible ring I could afford.

Buying diamonds is a tough experience as you can be so easily taken.

Only thing I will offer is make sure you compare apples to apples.
Price based on four C's.
Carat
Clarity
Cut
Color

Make sure all are comparable for price comparison.

The more the carat, the more the cost.
The better the clarity, as you get less imperfections, which all diamonds will have, the more the cost.
The closer you get to the beginning of the alphabet in color, the more it will cost. The closer you head to the end, the cheaper.
Lastly, some cuts are clearly more money due to difficulty in achieving it.

One last tip that most don't know about diamonds v. cubic zirconia fakes.
If you draw a line on a piece of paper and place the diamond on the line, a true diamond will not let you make out the line due to the refractions within.
A diamond zirconia will let you see the line clearly.

Good luck and remember, after the engagement ring, comes the wedding ring, then the suffering.

[forgop]

Do not buy from any chain store at a mall.

[landhoney]

Originally Posted by forgop

Do not buy from any chain store at a mall.

What about Tiffany's?

Seriously though, wife wanted Tiffany's (they have a style/setting she liked that was pretty unique) so that is what she got, and it was in a mall.

Short of that, I would have gone with Blue Nile, no personal experience as I have only had to make this giant purchase once, but others I know have used them and were happy.

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by landhoney

What about Tiffany's?

Seriously though, wife wanted Tiffany's (they have a style/setting she liked that was pretty unique) so that is what she got, and it was in a mall.

Tiffany's does have products at different price points and is a noted jeweler. The most heirloom bang for the buck in jewelry is with note Jewelers like Tiffany, Cartier, Van Cleef, Chopard...

We are looking at a Wellendorf wedding band set instead of engagement ring and wedding bands... Just get a wedding band set and leave at that.

We also like the Chrome Hearts wedding band set, but there's something about Wellendorf is so cool.

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by landhoney

What about Tiffany's?

Seriously though, wife wanted Tiffany's (they have a style/setting she liked that was pretty unique) so that is what she got, and it was in a mall.

Short of that, I would have gone with Blue Nile, no personal experience as I have only had to make this giant purchase once, but others I know have used them and were happy.

After Tiffany's, my wife wouldn't mind passing by Bvlgari either.

[BFallehy]

Great thread, I am also in the market for a ring so I will be checking out all the suggestions. Thanks

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by Blueface

After Tiffany's, my wife wouldn't mind passing by Bvlgari either.

You and me both, throw in Harry Winston and Ferregamo scarf...

[mosesbotbol]

Is she stuck on a diamond? Many women are not. Sapphires are a great alternate and not a “compromise” stone either; just different. You can get a lot more bling and still have an heirloom piece for an affordable price. Sapphire also has history in being an engagement ring.

There are some respected web dealers like Blue Nile and I am sure several others worldwide. Belgium and Israel is full diamond venders at competitive prices.

[Bunker]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

Is she stuck on a diamond? Many women are not. Sapphires are a great alternate and not a “compromise” stone either; just different. You can get a lot more bling and still have an heirloom piece for an affordable price. Sapphire also has history in being an engagement ring.

There are some respected web dealers like Blue Nile and I am sure several others worldwide. Belgium and Israel is full diamond venders at competitive prices.

That's what I did, I looked at the solitaire I could afford next to a Sapphire/Diamond combination (think Princess Diana but smaller) and went with the sapphire.

She loved it.

I also can't say enough about the Customer Service at Longs jewelers in Burlington, MA.

At the time she was living out of state and the stone's setting got loose.

The paid to overnight each way to have it fixed and threw in a $250 gift card for our troubles which we used towards wedding bands 6 months later.

[kaisersozei]

The second time around I went local. Great small jeweler, came highly recommended by a few friends in the area. Probably paid "retail" for it, but I've been happy with it for the past 8 years. They clean and inspect the ring every year for free, too.

I suppose you could pick out a stone on-line and have it set, but for the money you'll be spending (I assume) I'd think you'd want to actually see what you were getting before you put down the cash.

Good luck!

[shilala]

Originally Posted by kaisersozei

The second time around I went local. Great small jeweler, came highly recommended by a few friends in the area. Probably paid "retail" for it, but I've been happy with it for the past 8 years. They clean and inspect the ring every year for free, too.

I suppose you could pick out a stone on-line and have it set, but for the money you'll be spending (I assume) I'd think you'd want to actually see what you were getting before you put down the cash.

Good luck!

I did the same thing, for the same reasons. I was able to beat the old boy down in price a long way, but I'm sure he came way out ahead of me, he's been playing this game a lot longer than I have.

In the past, I've shopped diamond stud earrings, necklaces and bracelets, then taken the specs and shopped the same stuff online. I can find things of the identical specs for half the price or less.
I paid more at the local shop because I wanted the "traditional" factor, and the ring and band set were perfect. When it all works out just right, I figure there's no sense messing with it.