Best place to buy engagement ring and any general ring advice?

basketkase543

basketkase543

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Well I'm about to pop the big question soon and I'm starting to prep on how the best way to go about this is.

Anybody have any recommendations for quality stores that offer good security? I'm thinking of getting something from Kay's or Zales but I'm not sure if they are the best store to go to both price and quality wise.

The style I'm thinking about getting is the three-diamond past-present-future kind so if anybody has any suggestions, advice, or anything from personal experience, please let me know.
 
If you have a Jared's Galleria near you, they have some nice stuff. I'm guessing you would need to look around to compare prices a little though.
 
I eschewed the major stores and went to a local shop. I ended up getting a really good deal on a reallllllly nice ring.

Shop around and get a good deal. Do research on different types of diamonds. Definitely do your homework on this one.

AND do not be a cheap ass on this. Trust me, get her something she'll love, even if it hurts your wallet for a while.
 
[quote name='Michaellvortega']I just asked my wife to marry me and gave her some cash to go pick out what ring she wanted.[/QUOTE]

classy!
 
[quote name='munch']I eschewed the major stores and went to a local shop. I ended up getting a really good deal on a reallllllly nice ring.

Shop around and get a good deal. Do research on different types of diamonds. Definitely do your homework on this one.

AND do not be a cheap ass on this. Trust me, get her something she'll love, even if it hurts your wallet for a while.[/QUOTE]

This is good advice but I'll add that you don't need to go overboard on the thing either. Just spend what you can afford but don't be cheap.
 
If you have a Fred Meyer (http://store.fredmeyerjewelers.com/) near you, they are great. Small little mall stores, but very friendly and knowledgable staff.

The Sterling Jewelers stores are generally very good (Jared, Kay, JB Robinson - quality of store in that order), but avoid Zales unless you find a great deal. Their prices were ridiculous when I was looking around; the ring I got at Fred Meyer was around $2500, and an equivalent ring would have been closer to $4000 at Zales.

Just ask lots of questions and get the most information you can the first time you talk to people. Don't let them hard sell you.

And in addition to not spending more than you can afford, don't spend more than you need to... if she wouldn't like a huge ring, don't get a huge ring.
 
Platinum or white gold seems to be a lot more popular than gold colored bands. I wouldn't go with a gold colored band unless you know that's what she wants. (I don't really know what 'three-diamond past-present-future' is, so that might imply platinum band anyway. If so carry on ;) )

It's something she'll wear every day for the rest of her life (hopefully) so I don't see much shame in getting some input from her on what she'd like. If you are trying to make the question a bit of a surprise that's obviously tough to do. I don't know if you can somehow get into a store and look at rings as a goof or something. Of course, if you're like me browsing around a jewelry store is pretty low on your list of stuff you like to do, so there probably is no way to do this without tipping your hand. Alternately you could ask her best girl friend for advice.
 
$5 in quarters and a little patience....

jewelrychestcrane2.jpg
 
[quote name='wubb']It's something she'll wear every day for the rest of her life (hopefully) so I don't see much shame in getting some input from her on what she'd like. If you are trying to make the question a bit of a surprise that's obviously tough to do. I don't know if you can somehow get into a store and look at rings as a goof or something. Of course, if you're like me browsing around a jewelry store is pretty low on your list of stuff you like to do, so there probably is no way to do this without tipping your hand. Alternately you could ask her best girl friend for advice.[/QUOTE]

That's a very good idea- if you want to go classic-romantic, go ask her parents for permission to propose. Then, when they say yes, admit you're lost on the ring-thing and recuit female family to prod for clues.

Dig through her currently jewelry too- she what she has, and pay very, VERY close attention to what she actually wears.

And, as previously stated, avoid yellow gold unless you know for a fact she likes it/ wants it/ wears it. Yellow gold allegries are not uncommon, ya know, and it's not always going to be something they know they have. (I didn't!)
 
[quote name='Michaellvortega']Ok here might be a lame idea but how about buy her a Heart of the Ocean Necklace from Titanic and ask her to marry you like this "I'll be your jack and you'll be my rose,lets go down with this Titantic ship called life togather" Huh? huh ? If that don't work you'll at least get laid. Good luck BTW.

http://www.geocities.com/tmikulich/titanic/[/QUOTE]

That's the worst idea I've ever heard in my entire life.
 
first, do your research and homework. check out bluenile.com, you can order a free ring sizer here as well. or just google 'diamond'

second, talk to friends that have gone through the process, they'll offer invaluable advice.

third, comparison shop, and avoid mall jewelers. it's over-priced, typically lower quality, and the pressured hard sale. try asking for a 10x loop, and see their reaction. Tiffany's is great, but you'll pay for the Tiffany's name as well. check out their stores in-person; fantastic customer service.

fourth, GIA or AGS certified diamonds are better, but this also depends on your budget. (again, Do NOT be a cheapass at this point) if you're getting a Round Brilliant (RB), a quality cut diamond will have hearts & arrows; ask for a H&A scope to see this. carefully examine the map with a 10x loop.

since you're in LA, check out local high-end retailers, and then compare them to 'invitation only' wholesalers.

Good luck, Buddy.......you'll have to take it from here on.
 
First, educate yourself on the "4 C's" - cut, clarity, carat, color. Depending on how much you're going to spend it might be worth it to try an online diamond distributor. I used http://www.diamondsonweb.com/ and picked five or six GIA certified diamonds that they then shipped to a local jeweler (you aren't obligated to buy any of them). I met the jeweler and scoped them out, then he made a custom setting. I paid the distributor for the diamond, avoiding sales tax, and only had to pay the jeweler for the unique setting.

I highly recommend the site, it has been around for at least five years now, very informative, good to deal with, and the diamonds were excellent quality. Even the jeweler admitted he wouldn't be able to sell me a comparable diamond for cheaper.
 
[quote name='wubb']Platinum or white gold seems to be a lot more popular than gold colored bands. I wouldn't go with a gold colored band unless you know that's what she wants. (I don't really know what 'three-diamond past-present-future' is, so that might imply platinum band anyway. If so carry on ;) )

It's something she'll wear every day for the rest of her life (hopefully) so I don't see much shame in getting some input from her on what she'd like. If you are trying to make the question a bit of a surprise that's obviously tough to do. I don't know if you can somehow get into a store and look at rings as a goof or something. Of course, if you're like me browsing around a jewelry store is pretty low on your list of stuff you like to do, so there probably is no way to do this without tipping your hand. Alternately you could ask her best girl friend for advice.[/QUOTE]

She's definately a white gold type of girl and as far as making it a surprise announcement....the only surprise is WHEN it's coming as opposed to the idea that it's coming. We've actually looked at rings together and she definately knows that I intend on proposing one day, but just not when. The good part is I feel comfortable enough to get her input on possible rings while keeping it low-key enough so that she thinks its just casual browsing.

[quote name='Michaellvortega']Ok here might be a lame idea but how about buy her a Heart of the Ocean Necklace from Titanic and ask her to marry you like this "I'll be your jack and you'll be my rose,lets go down with this Titantic ship called life togather" Huh? huh ? If that don't work you'll at least get laid. Good luck BTW.

http://www.geocities.com/tmikulich/titanic/[/QUOTE]

Ha, LMAO! That'd work until our ship crashed and I was forced to spend the rest of my days on the bottom of the atlantic.

[quote name='kaw']First, educate yourself on the "4 C's" - cut, clarity, carat, color. Depending on how much you're going to spend it might be worth it to try an online diamond distributor. I used http://www.diamondsonweb.com/ and picked five or six GIA certified diamonds that they then shipped to a local jeweler (you aren't obligated to buy any of them). I met the jeweler and scoped them out, then he made a custom setting. I paid the distributor for the diamond, avoiding sales tax, and only had to pay the jeweler for the unique setting.

I highly recommend the site, it has been around for at least five years now, very informative, good to deal with, and the diamonds were excellent quality. Even the jeweler admitted he wouldn't be able to sell me a comparable diamond for cheaper.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the advice, I'll check the site out. I know about the 4 "C's" because my girlfriend's sisters repeatedly emphasize their importance, on a damn near biblical scale. The good part is that they are really cool and I can trust them enough to run by some possible ring ideas with them before I make the big leap.

Thanks for everyone's advice, and yes, I'm definately not going to be a cheap ass on this. But just because I'm not going to be a cheap ass doesn't mean I'm going to stop looking for deals. I've been saving up for more than a year to make this work and I want to make it special for her while getting my money's worth.
 
[quote name='basketkase543']She's definately a white gold type of girl and as far as making it a surprise announcement....the only surprise is WHEN it's coming as opposed to the idea that it's coming. We've actually looked at rings together and she definately knows that I intend on proposing one day, but just not when. The good part is I feel comfortable enough to get her input on possible rings while keeping it low-key enough so that she thinks its just casual browsing.[/QUOTE]

That's the way to go IMO. You may already be planning to do it, but I'd definitely go with DL's advice and ask her parents for permission. It's classy and will make them like you even more than they hopefully already do.
 
[quote name='wubb']That's the way to go IMO. You may already be planning to do it, but I'd definitely go with DL's advice and ask her parents for permission. It's classy and will make them like you even more than they hopefully already do.[/QUOTE]
I hated that part. Her parents have loved me since we started dating (though less so with this whole co-habitation issue), but asking her large and not very communicative father was stressful. But his "okee doke" response was classic.

Definitely a good idea, though. It also makes the surprise more amusing, since she'll start calling everyone to tell them and they'll already know.
 
I celebrate ten years of marriage in June, so it's been a while, but here's what I remember...

There are cut, color, clarity and carat (size). Anyway, try to get a balance of all these categories within your price range - remembering that a smaller, clear, sparkling diamond is much better than a big cloudy dead-looking one.

There is no such thing as a diamond with no flaw, you're basically dealing with how many/few flaws are there. You don't need to be at the highest end of the range, but you don't want to be in the lowest.

Probably even more important than anything is cut. If a diamond is cut to steep or too shallow it won't bounce the light around properly - a good cut makes the light reflect at the correct angles and that's what makes the diamond shine. That's the most important thing I remember from my research/shopping experience. The stone doesn't look good if the light goes in and doesn't come back out the right way.

Good luck!
 
Remember that with the 4 C's to have them somewhat evenly distributed, but that color and clarity are more important that the carat....If you want that sparkle that makes everyone notice, get top of the line color and clarity. My family used to be in the jewlrey store business, and still have contacts from wholesalers. My brother, myself and a friend all have gotten rings thru a guy, at about 1/2 of retail price...they are certified diamonds, with all the paperwork, if you are interested, I can help you out.
 
I just got engaged on 2.2.06, I purchased the engagement and wedding band set from Helzberg, I was educated on the 4 C's( I did not have a clue as to what the 4 C's were before but now I am quite aware of them) and the diamonds are heart and arrow cut, very nice once you see them under a microscope, you will understand what everone is talking about.. All I can say is dont go cheap on this and find out what type of ring SHE likes. We went together and I let her pick it out because I showed her the rings I was going to get( it was between a solitaire or the Past, present and future rings that everybody gets now adays) and she did not like them at all, she went straight for thier Vintage selection and thats what we ended up with. There is no shame in asking you wife to be what type of ring she would want on her finger, since she is going to be wearing it all the time it might as well be something that she likes.
 
Stay away from mall jewelers, as was said before. Generally there will be some sort of a diamond exchange somewhere in the biggest city closest to you. That's where most places in the area get their diamonds and its also where the best deals are found. Here in PGH its the Clark Building. When I bought my wife's, I opted for a 1ct flawless. Also, you can always have the ring reset later if need be, so spend the majority of the money on the color and the clarity. Once you've got everything under control and she has said yes, (hopefully ;)), make sure you add the ring to either your renter's insurance or your homeowners policy immediately. The biggest advice I can give you is that if you keep running the following advice in your mind, the rest will fall into place. Here's some advice, ready?

"This is the last ring she will ever wear on that finger. It is the last ring she will ever need or want and it is the ring she has been dreaming of since the day she was born. It is the ring that signifies the start of her life with you and when her life ends, it is the ring she will be buried with."
 
Wow, nobody uses custom jewelry stores that make their own jewelry any more? When I shopped for my wife's engagement ring I went to a jeweler who laid out a bunch of diamonds in front of me, and I picked a few of them in the general size I was interested in and looked at them under their microscope. It's really cool looking at different diamonds this way, you can see all the flaws and the overall quality of the cut. Then I picked out the setting style I wanted and had them make the ring for me. And when we were ready for a wedding band later on, we were able to take her engagement ring back and find a band with diamonds that the jeweler attached to the solitaire engagement ring. The jeweler made my wedding band too, which is pretty cool if you want something unique that you don't see a lot of. It really wasn't all that expensive either compared to the "here's all we have" jewelry stores.
 
Also, HOW you ask is as big a part as WHAT you ask with. So make sure that you've got a good plan for it. Don't just go down on one knee, that's a given. Do it in a park, or on a horse ride, or something that will forever be engrained in the start of your life together.
 
[quote name='DuelLadyS'][quote name='Dead of Knight'][quote name='Michaellvortega']Ok here might be a lame idea but how about buy her a Heart of the Ocean Necklace from Titanic and ask her to marry you like this "I'll be your jack and you'll be my rose,lets go down with this Titantic ship called life togather" Huh? huh ? If that don't work you'll at least get laid. Good luck BTW.

http://www.geocities.com/tmikulich/titanic/[/QUOTE]That's the worst idea I've ever heard in my entire life.[/QUOTE]I agree. :bouncy:[/QUOTE]Female opinions should count 10x, so listen to these two. :lol:
 
[quote name='redline']Wow, nobody uses custom jewelry stores that make their own jewelry any more? When I shopped for my wife's engagement ring I went to a jeweler who laid out a bunch of diamonds in front of me, and I picked a few of them in the general size I was interested in and looked at them under their microscope. It's really cool looking at different diamonds this way, you can see all the flaws and the overall quality of the cut. Then I picked out the setting style I wanted and had them make the ring for me. And when we were ready for a wedding band later on, we were able to take her engagement ring back and find a band with diamonds that the jeweler attached to the solitaire engagement ring. The jeweler made my wedding band too, which is pretty cool if you want something unique that you don't see a lot of. It really wasn't all that expensive either compared to the "here's all we have" jewelry stores.[/QUOTE]

That's exactly what I did. Went to a place called Jewelry by Design in Auburn. Picked out the diamonds then the setting. I reccommend doing this. Stay from the mall. AND DON'T BUY BLOOD DIAMONDS FROM SIERRA LEONE!
 
You could do it like an old buddy of mine did. Pull into your local Wal mart parking lot as you go shopping, Throw the ring at her and say " Bitch I ain't gotta ask!".... Yea.. that was classic.
 
[quote name='munch']That's exactly what I did. Went to a place called Jewelry by Design in Auburn. Picked out the diamonds then the setting. I reccommend doing this. Stay from the mall. AND DON'T BUY BLOOD DIAMONDS FROM SIERRA LEONE![/QUOTE]
Apparently it's getting even harder to verify if you're buying conflict diamonds these days. Amnesty International was big time in promoting the Kimberly Process but from some reports that's far from a perfect system still.
 
I have a question, do you have to look under a microscope to see the flaws in the cut and if so, do they matter? Is it going to break or something if it's more flawed?
 
[quote name='SpazX']I have a question, do you have to look under a microscope to see the flaws in the cut and if so, do they matter? Is it going to break or something if it's more flawed?[/QUOTE]
Its a matter of quality. If you have to look into a microscope to see flaws, then it's not horrible; hell, to an untrained eye (me), I could barely see the flaws that were pointed out to me by the salesman. There's a whole grading system which I'm sure someone can link you to.
 
[quote name='SpazX']I have a question, do you have to look under a microscope to see the flaws in the cut and if so, do they matter? Is it going to break or something if it's more flawed?[/QUOTE]

There are certian flaws that you will be able to see with the naked eye that deal with the cut and depth of the diamond, black spots in the center for example, but you will need a microscope to see any flaws within the actual diamond itself. Unless the flaw is a crack or chip, it wont effect the body of the diamond, alot of flaws are dirty diamond, flaws in the cut or shape of the diamond or the overall color itself. Most diamonds have flaws in them, The engagement ring I got had a few minor flaws, but you have to also have an understanding of the grading scale they use, the ring I got was in the catergory right below the flawless catergoy, so its a damn fine ring but its no were near flawless. the ring I got was marked at $3300 but it was on sale so it came in at a better price, and flawless diamonds for the same ring style start at about double that amount. A flawless diamond is very, very expensive...
 
My only advice to you is get her what she likes. Don't do what I did and buy her something that you think she will like. My wife took back the ring I proposed to her with because she didn't like it. Play it safe and stick with what SHE TOLD YOU will work. Of course, I'm assuming you have already discussed that. If not, then you should hold off on proposing until you get the 411.
 
Yeah, you should definately make sure you know what she likes ... some might go so far as to refuse your proposal just because you didn't know her well enough to pick out the right one. :roll:

(No, I don't speak from experience.)
 
For my two cents, I think the "past, present and future" ring is a poor idea. First off, its more of an anniversary ring then an engagement ring, secondly its a rather trendy style right now.. which means it may be quite tacky in 5-10 years (think of most rings from the late 80s), third I don't believe many women would choose it for their engagement ring.

I'd recommend with the classic single solitaire (never will go out of style) or possibly the enhanced solitaires with smaller diamonds on the band in addition to the solitaire. You may want to look into the solitaires that have the wedding bands that fit around them (cant remember the name for them).. alot of women seem to really love them.
 
:lol: That was my first thought when I read "general advice".

I figured someone would get it first, but the thread was too far to make the timing good.

[quote name='munch']I'm surprised that no one has come into this thread saying, "Don't do it man, don't do it!"[/QUOTE]
 
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