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Engagement Ring?

I

imaketouchtheme

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Dec 5, 2007
1,097
4
I'm on the market to purchase an engagement ring for my girlfriend, but I don't really know where the best places are to look. I've always purchased all her jewelry from Kay's, but I'm sure there are other places that are better to purchase from.

Any suggestions or websites?
 
What specs would you recommend as far as the 4Cs. I'm in the market too and I know nothing. Trying to keep it under 10k.
 
You may already be doing this, can't tell from your post, but I wanted to say what I often say - consider proposing without a ring so you can go together to choose it. I think it's so much more modern and she can decide based on HER preferences to get what she likes best.
(For instance, I really hate gold and prefer platinum to white gold. I talked to a woman who said she wanted bigger diamonds so she compromised on the metal [white gold] but I felt more strongly about the metal than the diamonds. Everyone has their preference and I was very relieved my [now] husband gave me the choice.)

Unless you have some crazy elaborate plan for proposal, I really like the realistic approach, where you can tell her how much you can afford to spend on it (because finances are going to come up in the marriage, so if this turns her off, that could be a red flag there) and then she can pick her ring accordingly.

Just a thought.

Can't help with the diamond sourcing but it's a good idea to check that you're getting responsibly sourced diamonds rather than "blood diamonds".
 
callmemike20 said:
Make sure its worth 3 months salary.
Click to expand...

You get what you can afford, and are comfortable with. You know her best, something that will wow her. It doesn't have to cost 3 months worth of salary at all... Nonsense I hear time and time again.

Echo something similar to iBlue. We picked it out together actually, as she would be wearing it all the time. However we were together for so many years, it was more like a step than a leap. We had 3 options, and she chose the least expensive one and was over the moon with it.
 
I think the 3 months salary thing is absurd. It's just a marketing ploy from diamond hustlers but it's seemingly effective because that pressure often toils the minds of many men. As it turns out (perhaps because of this silly "standard") he was thinking a hell of a lot grander than I actually wanted. I went with simplicity and this is all I want and wear. It cost nowhere near 1, 2 or 3 months of my husband's salary. I can think of many better things a new couple could spend money on. (and it's not a big wedding either, but that's another story :p) Build a life, not an image.

Just my, uh, two pennies. ;)
 
iBlue said:
Can't help with the diamond sourcing but it's a good idea to check that you're getting responsibly sourced diamonds rather than "blood diamonds".
Click to expand...

This isn't an issue if you buy the stones from a reputable vendor.

The 4Cs only matter when deciding on a budget. Decide what you want to spend, then look for the best available stone to fit your budget. If you're in the States, make sure you get the little certificate from the American Jeweler's Association assuring you of it's quality and authenticity.
 
Don't pay attention to the cost being proportionate to your salary. Get what you can comfortably afford. If she is worth marrying, she'll love what you can afford and not what some preconceived notion or magazine told her what she needs to have on her finger.

The idea of taking her with you is nice. I suspect that you two have talked marriage at least once and maybe the subject of rings came up. I know that having a conversation about marriage more than 10 years ago the subject came up and I was fairly specific about metals but less than specific about style and such.

All in all this is a ring that is supposed to somehow symbolize your love or something like that. Love != uncomfortable credit card bill.
 
The 3 months salary - from wikipedia -
"The idea that a man should spend two to three months' personal wages for an engagement ring originated from De Beers marketing materials in the early 20th century, in an effort to increase the sale of diamonds.[1]"

Spending that much money on a ring is absurd IMO, there are far more important things to spend money on ( for example, maybe a down payment on a home ).

Your girlfriend shouldn't care about the cost - spend what can be afforded.

Mine told me she would have refused the ring if I spent that much money.
 
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I wouldn't spend a lot on it because you don't want it to be about money (or at least most people don't:confused:)

If you are ever in MD, come to Smyth; they sell more engagement rings in the state than anyone else by far and their prices are impressive. Their store is as big as a Walmart as well, which always amuses me as I feel like I am in a Museum.
 
I just bought an engagement ring in November. I decided to get it from Blue Nile, I could not have been happier with the ring and the whole process. I am not a fan of going into stores and dealing with people making commission.

The ring was beautiful and my girlfriend (fiance) loved it.
 
@iBlue:

Thanks for the advice and I also think that is a very good idea. We've been to several jewelers looking at different styles of rings, so it's not like this big secret. She doesn't want to actually pick it out, though; she wants me to. I'm just trying to find the best place for what I'm looking to spend (probably around $1,000 or so) and I know she doesn't care about how much I spend either. And hey, I just bought her a MacBook Pro for absolutely no reason the other day, so I think she's fine with getting a cheaper ring. :p ;)

Thanks for the input guys/gals! :D
 
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