Engagement... so expensive.
 

So things have been going very well with my girlfriend and I think I am going to take the next step but damn, rings are expensive. For those of you who are married or engaged, where did you buy the rock? Any tips or suggestions?

I am thinking a little over a carat with a simple band and will probably go with something along the lines of a leo or hearts and arrows cut. This will be around 7,000 for the ring and then 2,500 too 3,000 for the wedding band down the road.

Unfortunately I am going to have to wait for the FRS/BRZ a little longer now due to the fact that the $500 a month I was saving for a down payment will now be going to this ring.

Any suggestions ladies?

blue nile for me.

Same boat as you - just a little bit further down the road this year. To be honest - I don't know what to do lol. They always say something like 3 months pay check? but to be honest - it all depends on your girl and you. Are you willing to spend that much money on osmething like that? Does she even want something that expensive? My g/f is very practical and she says she doesnt need something super expensive where she feels uneasy having it on her finger - but it can't be something like a fake rock =T

Sorry if that didn't help at all..haha

If you do fork out the money for a real rock, make sure it is GIA or AGS certified and comes with the certificate.

AGS certs are worth a bit more than GIA certs (5 to 10%). The european standards are garbage in comparison, so do not let a salesman talk you into accepting a color grade from a euro certificate, as it is not the same. Stick to GIA or AGS without exception.

Also, if you want a bit bigger of a looking diamond, without the price, look for one that has a larger table, but is still in the range that is considered ideal. A 60% table is a good target. My wife has a bit bigger table, so her ~1.3C looks closer to 1.4/1.5C in size, even though it is still ideal cut. Ideal cut is still a +/- 3 or 4% range. Also this keeps the depth lower so it isn't sticking out of her hand too much and catching on everything. The bigger diamonds do stand up pretty far.

I bought mine at Cosco, 1.2 carat, round cut, D class purity for 9k....I get it there because all their diamonds are certified and you can trade it in later for an upgrade with full original value.

i did not buy my wife an engagement ring because in our culture (russian orthodox) there are no engagement rings!

for wedding bands the simpler and smaller you go, the cheaper it will be

we bought white-gold rings, 3mm for me and 2mm for her with lifetime re-sizing and polishing for both. Total came out to 450.00 (taxes in)

honestly, the whole diamonds and engagement thing is blown way out of proportion

7 grand is what i spent on catering and service for 50 people from one of the cities more expensive/well known caterers.

in my experience popping the question was worth more to her than any of the other ceremony crap that came afterwards.

Begin rant -

I am a geologist, and let me tell you the most important thing in a diamond is the cut - by far. Look online of pics of raw diamonds, they look like glass, nothing special, hence the importance of the cut. After cut comes color and clarity and they are pretty much equally important. BUT.........real diamonds are lame, they are cut by some poor dude in India, and, diamond mines are big ugly holes at best, and environmental disasters at worst, literally the only thing going for them (diamonds) is that they are super hard, are marketed well, and will last forever, big deal. I got my wife a fake diamond by this company betterthandiamond.com They sell various diamond simulants including lab grown diamonds. I got my wife the ASHA simulant (a specially coated CZ) and she loves it and she knows it's fake. It costs about 1/10th the price of a mined diamond and looks like a very high quality diamond. If you could consider saving thousands of dollars check it out, wouldn't it be better to travel and actually do stuff with that money? The only magic about a diamond is how they make things, such as your wallet, lighter.

- End rant

Ehh, I'm not a big fan of diamonds but I do believe a diamond ring serves as a symbolic for my marriage....there is a difference between do it right and do it cheap....30 yrs from now the ring is still there but I bet she wouldn't remember your propose question (i hope she will)....I spent $17k for 300 people in a high regard Chinese restaurant...but 7K for catered 50 people? Must be the labor....

Stay away from big chains like Robbins Bros. They will charge you an obscene mark-up (Like 2 to 3 times markup).

Go with a local goldsmith or jeweler who has been around a while and has a good reputation. These guys should take the time to explain the importance of certifications and diamond qualities to you.

See if the dealer will take a bit off the price if you pay in cash or in full up front (as opposed to making payments).

People gawk at my wife's ring all the time and can't believe how little we paid for it when we tell them.

:word:

After watching Blood Diamond and the divorce rate, I don't believe in a diamond ring as a sign of affection, especially ones that cost over 5K! My g/f openly jokes about where is her Kim K sized engagement ring and I tell her to go to the club in downtown San Diego called Stingaree b/c that is where all the SD Charger players usually hang out. :bellyroll:

that's what the wedding band is for :)

On behalf of society I apologize for making you feel like you need to spend 7K (after interest more like 10-13) on a piece of hard glass that was found in the ground. If I were you I would seriously get a fake, then id buy the car you want, and let things work out how they will.

Supply and demand....if dirt is as scarce as diamond, I'm sure it'll be hell expensive....diamond is women best friend, you dont want to upset that balance....as much as I hate saying it, it is what it is....

got my wife ring at a pawnshop, it was an ugly ring but it has a GIA cert. 1ct center diamond, and 8 little diamond, what I did is, I went to a viet jeweler that makes good looking rings, I told them take the center diamond and set it just like the picture I found on magazine. then the white gold be melted and the little diamond set as a wedding ring, all in all i spend $4000+ thats like 9 years ago.

And the Diamond industry thanks you for your blind patronage ;)

:thumbup:

The Diamond industry is based on blind patronage and brilliant marketing.

Diamond is like a high grade piece of glass, but thanks to genius marketing. I like ruby, emerald, and sapphire much more because of the colors.

My 2 cents,

I would get a simulated diamond ie CZ/fake one. It shouldn't matter to her if its real or not. This where the thought should count. And if she says something bout it being fake then she's not worth the real thing.

Just fyi, in USA over 50% of marriages end in divorce, 70%+ of time its initiated by women, and usually occurre within 3-10 years.

So I'd think about it seriously before putting a rock on it.

PS: Diamonds are a lot like Valentine's Day...an artificially manipulated creation that is designed to make women swoon and separate men from their money. Do I like the idea of diamonds and Valentine's day...hell no. But ignore them and find out the true wrath of a woman's fury...haha:paddle:

Feel bad for you guys. My wife doesn't give a shit about valentines day. How could a girl feel special on a day when you have to do nice things? It's forced therefore it looses its meaning. It's better to do nice things randomly or when you feel like it, then they actually mean something. You should all marry a foreigner from a country that doesn't have v-day.

If you think engagement is expensive, don't get married because divorce leaves it for dead.

I was born Serbian orthodox, and same like that in my religion (no engagement rings, non-flashy bands)
But I will still get her a engagement ring, I dont exactly follow my/any religion

Totally agree. Im not in a relationship anymore, but I see Valentines day as another holiday where men exchange a gift hoping to get "something" later. IMO.

My political science professor actually challenged some of the men that were in relationships to NOT do anything special on Valentines day and see how their significant other reacts. He was married once before and says, "If she gets upset you didn't do anything, then she's not worth your time." But also states that, if you're married, <insert cliche> "It's cheaper to keep her." All the women in our class were upset about that. lol

Another local member!

All I can say is I'm glad I'm not getting engaged any time soon, lol

Im pretty young but I have a GF of almost 3 years. She usualy acts like how most of us think girls act about valentines day and getting married and what not. I totally agree with most of what you guys are saying about paying SO much for diamond rings... and I absolutely HATE valentines day. lol. I just had a talk with her about how i feel about valentines day and similar things and she took it well. guys, i suggest doing that!

Lab created option

I've always disliked Valentine's day. The person that you're with should always be loving you no matter what.

I use Valentine's day as a little mark on how thankful I am having a special person.

Marriage is evil for your car, for your money and for your freedom.

:paddle:

I know how you feel, it sucks how expensive the damn things are - I've been with my girlfriend for 7.5 years now and havnt gotten around to it yet - i am only 24 though, so can wait a bit.

The arrangement with my gf is that if i get her a ring from Boodles or Tiffany, she will get me THIS WATCH

Fake diamond's and stuff wouldnt really cut it for her, and i don't think id be happy buying one either - diamonds are rare, hard to obtain and look nice. Just buy what you can afford, she will be happy with that :)

If you think of it in terms on Man stuff. You can get an old Civic that will get you around and do the same job as any car, but if you can afford it, you'd go for an Aston Martin because it looks nicer and makes you feel better

come on now... I dont even think you can compare those to diamonds... a diamond just sits on your finger or necklace or earrings or whatever but it doesnt DO anything. now, what could we do with an Aston Martin?

everything that you could do with a civic, and probably less. Like a road trip with 3 of your best buddies and a trunk full of beer.

different strokes for different folks.... my wife loves her ring, and loves it when people compliment her on it, which makes her feel even more loved.

It's all about emotion. When in the history of mankind has something for women not been about emotion? It's about how she feels. If she needs a big rock to feel loved, so be it. Every woman is different.

+1

You gotta accurately read your gf/fiance/wife to see what she would appreciate and connect with emotionally. If you don't get it..it really doesn't hurt to ask.

in regards to the ring, there are seasonal sales that you should take advantage of at most jewelry stores. I got my engagement ring for $2000 and wedding ring for $1100 for both of us. They were also discounted nearly 50% retailing around 6k, so if you time it right you can get good deals. This is nice if your under a budget constraint especially if your saving for a house and a wedding.

What ever you do, don't pull out a loan for your ring or the wedding. single worst thing you can do, putting you in debt for a relationship is bad practice.

I'm with Josh on this one; I got engaged last July to my girlfriend of 3+ years and through having her go out with our female friends to jewelry shops and just generally asking questions I was able to find out the type, cut, and color of ring that would make her happiest. Armed with that knowledge, and knowing that she's not really big into flashy, overly expensive items, I was able to find a ring that met her requirements.

She got a 3-stone princess cut, 1ct certified diamond ring the day I proposed and it cost me quite a bit less than the 6 grand retail price.

Shop around and even check some internet shops, which is what I did, and you'll probably find something she'll love at a price you can live with and have money for the next steps: wedding, house, and kids.

Good luck!

Well, she loves jewelry and so do the rest of the women in her family. I have pretty much decided that I will get a 1ct solitaire princess cut. I will focus on cut first (hearts and arrows, leo cut ect) and then clarity. This should be around 6-7k. For the wedding band I will get the matching jacket that surrounds the original diamond with 2, 1/2ct diamonds of similar quality. This will be around 2.5k-3k. So, 2cts total for wedding/engagement rings. This is the type of thing that is very important to her and to lesser extent me, so I want to make sure that it will be something that she will love.

Also, I already have the money for a large down payment on a house from investments I made over the last 8 years and once we both start working we should be making a combined income of over 115k-130k and up. At 26 in Florida that is a very comfortable living even with extra savings for college funds and fun vacations. I am a lucky guy, around 75k of that will be coming from her so splurging on a little something special for her is something I am willing to do.

shopnbc

or any of those other tv sellers. their products are quality, if you get the right size

:word: People thought I was nut for getting 10k ring and threw a big wedding.....consider the $$$$$ my wife is racking in, I called that an investment....if she is happy then I get to the $$$$$$.....guess who will be buying the FRS for me?

arn't you teh same guy that suggested to another member to fake physical trauma in a car accident to rake in cash from insurance companies?

you seem to have no problems living off of the efforts of others, ehh?