How much did you guys spend on your engagement ring?

[chuyler1]

With many smaller diamonds...it's cheaper, but its not the standard...most engagement rings have at least one large center stone and sometimes smaller highlighting stones. Don't ever use the "total carat weight" as basis of value. The little diamond chips they place on the ring are worthless compared to the center stone. Find out the C's of the center stone and determine if the price is legit from that.
fkmitsu is right. If your wife to be doesn't like the ring...either you have really really bad taste, a bad jeweler, or she doesn't love you. The best thing to do is to take her window shopping (discretely) or ask her best friend to help you out.

Remeber, this is something she is going to wear to death do you part...or she gets sick of your nagging. If you find a ring that's a little over your budget, put that turbo kit on hold and buy it. However, if you are thinking about a large stone and your girl takes the subway into the city or lives in a bad neighborhood...think twice. Celebrities have bodygards 24/7, your girl does not.

 

[poboxjosh]

I am saving up about $8K. Here is the ring that I will buy in the next few months:

http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=114712

I plan on proposing in December or early Janurary.

I proposed last christmas. let me know what you get it seems like we were looking for similar rings. stay away from the big chains. I believe that i got a very good deal on my ring. I have checked zales and all the other chains. We also just had it appraised for insurance purposes and it was 8500 to replace.

 

[evilmonkeyMSP]

damn....Im poor LOL

 

[jurgs01]

oh believe me I mean "within reason" I myself would not have felt good about the ring spending less than I did, but if your girl is all about a $10k ring...its about the ring, not the marriage

I totally agree. I would dump a girl who demanded that I spend 10K on a ring, but when you have a girl that says it doesn't matter you do everything to make sure she gets something that she can be proud of. It doesn't have to be extremely expensive, but it must be pretty on her. I found an 8K ring that is perfect for my girl.

 

[Autox MSP]

Probably the best place to find one is at a pawn shops near atlantic city and Vegas. Those places have tons of places where people sell off their rings to pay for gambling habits.

 

[evilmonkeyMSP]

how romantic!! ROFL

Probably the best place to find one is at a pawn shops near atlantic city and Vegas. Those places have tons of places where people sell off their rings to pay for gambling habits.

 

[chuyler1]

Some buying tips...

The style of package rings (ornate and/or many stones) comes and goes. A solitare setting is timeless.

Don't buy anything from a mall or retail jeweler... Find a recommended jeweler and don't buy anything on the first visit. www.findmyjeweler.com is a great site for finding a recommended jeweler.

Pick the stone, then the ring. A good jeweler will show you the stone under a microscope and point out its flaws. They should give you a slightly better and slightly worse stone for you to compare.

Know your C's (Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat) and which ones are your priority. Remember that the Cut determines how brilliant the diamond will be, color can become obvious when placed next to a higher stone, clarity is hard to notice without a microscope but some flaws can be obvious to the human eye, and carat is simply the weight (and usually determines the size).

Get a stone with a certification or have it appraised by a third party.

With Pawn shops, unless they allow you to return the ring after you get it appraised by someone else, I'd stay away from them. Remember, the house always wins. Unless you know your stuff, you have a better chance of getting screwed over.

 

[Fear]

My wife's would have run upwards of 20k probably

IF she had wanted an equivalent Diamond

2.00 Carats
D-Color
VVS1
Perfect Round Cut

Lucky she's smarter than the average bear and didn't want a diamond.
She wanted a Perfect White Sapphire

Much rarer than diamonds and waaaaayyyyyy cheaper

The true value for her is in seeing other women ogling her rock and knowing that she spent nowhere near as much as they think.
It's her big (fuoops) to DeBeers and all the sheep that they sucker

Total: Less than 300bucks including the setting with 2 smaller diamonds

Holy balls, an ideal cut 2CT VVS, D stone would absolutely ream you.

(yes, i am a jeweler.)

 

[mooS mooS]

Holy balls, an ideal cut 2CT VVS, D stone would absolutely ream you.

(yes, i am a jeweler.)

Yup... that's why I'm glad that my woman is practical.

She loves it when other girls snatch her hand and start drooling over her ring thinking that we spent a fortune on it.

 

[Fear]

i gotta tell ya -- nothing like a round brilliant. people can buy crappy looking emerald cuts and princess cuts, etc all day long, and none will ever look as good as the round.

 

[CasopoliS]

i gotta tell ya -- nothing like a round brilliant. people can buy crappy looking emerald cuts and princess cuts, etc all day long, and none will ever look as good as the round.

I love my princess cut
highest ranking in all categories except 2 I think..... it has been a while. I forget what 2 categories, but they were still second to highest ranking. I actually got it for a good deal for what it was.

 

[Fear]

I love my princess cut
highest ranking in all categories except 2 I think..... it has been a while. I forget what 2 categories, but they were still second to highest ranking. I actually got it for a good deal for what it was.

*shrug*


IMO, Princess cuts are just more of a hassle. It's much more difficult to set (than a round), if the table is the wrong size, you get an empty look when viewed from the top, and depending on the cut (culet or no culet) can have a big fat spot right in the center when viewed from above.

They do look nice, but I believe a round brilliant is timeless. Of course, this is just my opinion based on what i see at work every day.

 

[CasopoliS]

*shrug*


IMO, Princess cuts are just more of a hassle. It's much more difficult to set (than a round), if the table is the wrong size, you get an empty look when viewed from the top, and depending on the cut (culet or no culet) can have a big fat spot right in the center when viewed from above.

They do look nice, but I believe a round brilliant is timeless. Of course, this is just my opinion based on what i see at work every day.

Well you can look at the pics I posted on the first or second page and tell me how it turned out. One thing I don't like is that is sunk-in so the almost 1 carat rock looks smaller than it is. It is so clear and colorless that from the side sometimes it doesn't even look like it's there... just looks like a thin 'chip' diamond. You can kinda see that in the picture.

 

[CasopoliS]

Another question to the jeweler... what are rappers referring to when they say 'canary cut' or 'canary diamonds'. lol... just always confused me because it made me think of the yellow diamonds in the poor color class.

 

[evilmonkeyMSP]

yeah I dont get that...yellow diamonds???? I thought thats what you want to avoid....

Another question to the jeweler... what are rappers referring to when they say 'canary cut' or 'canary diamonds'. lol... just always confused me because it made me think of the yellow diamonds in the poor color class.

 

[Fear]

well, there are varying degrees of yellow diamonds. some are irradiated to create a bright yellow, and some are naturally very yellow. once you get past the crappy brown-yellow of something like a K stone, they get very colorful and very sought-after.


i've seen a few here that customers send in (we're a manufacturer/distributor type deal) for custom work, and they are amazing. VERY expensive.

 

[viral_override]

I spent 5000 on a fire diamond but designed it myself

 

[mooS mooS]

I'm with the Jeweler on the Perfect/Ideal Rounds (thumb)

 

[Matthew]

it cracks me up how people here have proteges but say theyre going to or spent 10k or so on a ring.

trust me go to ebay and buy a ring there from that mr. jewel guy. anyone who spent all that money on a single carat diamond ring got their ass ***** so bad an elephant couldnt please you.

i know about the C's etc. the fact is diamond rings are marked up in the HUNDREDS of percents! my aunt and uncle worked for a jewelery company...her center stone is 4ct, and has like 3 more carats between the other ring and around the center stone (its so damn big it looks stupid IMO but each their own) and they spent less than 4k with their discounts etc. i ask them every time i buy some major jewelry purchase.

not to be a dick, but most people here have bought ONE maybe TWO engagement rings. ill trust people that sell the things for a living and work int he upper management of the places that do over someone on a car forum, just my two cents.

and anyone that thinks the ring makes the marriage or whatever is stupid. if the woman likes the ring thats all that matters. all that matters is you gave it up to get married, not how much you spent on it. and if your wife/fiance is concerned about it thats shallow. i didnt even tell my wife how much i spent on the ring because it shouldnt be important.

 

[mooS mooS]

Holy balls, an ideal cut 2CT VVS, D stone would absolutely ream you.

(yes, i am a jeweler.)

Holy shytes.... you weren't kidding


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2.04-Carat Round Diamond
This <NOBR>Ideal-cut</NOBR>, <NOBR>D-color</NOBR>, and <NOBR>VVS1-clarity</NOBR> diamond comes accompanied by a diamond grading report from the GIA. Price: $49,617.00

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