Buying Engagement ring (diamonds) advice

[ref]saj77[/ref], yep, as I say, very happy... certified, valued (for insurance purposes) etc etc.

link up with the guy I dealt with... all my comms was via email, worked a treat, but you can always visit a store!
 
My partner and I were in a similar dilemma, we’d looked at the usual high street jewellery stores and had come away underwhelmed. As a second time around I wanted something clean and modern without breaking the bank (My previous ring was traditional) Like you I started a search online and came across Samara James, what I liked was that you could pick a style and then pick a diamond to suit your budget, and thus started a lesson in diamonds, that is the 4C’s carat, cut, colour & clarity. Once researched I contacted them by phone to discuss what I wanted and then I took their advice ending up with the best cut, slightly smaller diamond than I’d originally selected, a good colour and clarity. Ordered over the phone paying a deposit and then my partner and I collected in person six weeks later, it came complete with a diamond certificate too. The whole experience was easy, enjoyable, less stressful on Andrew and rather educational.

Best of all though is that I really like my ring and it cost less than if I had gone high Street, 40% less, as for Tiffany’s you’re paying for a name and not necessarily the quality of the diamond.
 
This is an alternative route.

Remember that there's no such thing as a 'new' diamond*. They're all at least a billion years old. So, buying a 'new' one is nonsense.

Therefore, buy a 'vintage' ring - i.e. posh secondhand - for your beloved and either have the diamond(s) re-set into a new ring or, better still, have the original ring given a wash & brush up. (In reality, 'vintage' just means 'not recent'.)

You and she will get a lot more for your money and, very probably, better stones that are better cut, in a better setting on a better ring.

Jewellery is like watches - the usual shop mark-up on new is 60% and buying new really is a waste of money.

(*Diamonds are the most practical gemstones, because the others - emeralds (my favourites), rubies (coming back into fashion) and sapphires (still echoes of Princess Diana) - are just too vulnerable.)
 
Diamonds are suuuuuuchhh a rip off..! My mate works on Hatton Garden and it's one of the biggest lies told to the world. They are not rare at any level. Most girls just want a decent size stone and a nice ring, don't bother with all that 4 C rubbish, it's made up to convince us to spend more on a VVSI Colour E Brilliant cut stone...it's all B/S.

Here's the cold truth.....if you pay £10k for a diamond at retail, walk into the next store and they'll buy it off you for 10% of what you've paid for it. :cry:

I've heard stories of people taking £20k loans to buy a ring....WTAF....spend what you can afford, no more.
 
Angelus666 said:
... don't bother with all that 4 C rubbish, it's made up to convince us to spend more on a VVSI Colour E Brilliant cut stone...it's all B/S.
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errr... kind of, but you go for a diamond within the colour range J-Z and see how happy she is with a yellow looking diamond! :tumbleweed:
You are correct that you should set a budget beforehand and work within that; just prioritise the 4 Cs according to what's important to you. I personally went for: 0.75 Carat, F, VS1 GIA Diamond - very happy!
 
Went hand-made here as well (based on word of mouth) and it was good value once you factor in customisation, quality of service etc. I only work 5 mins from Hatton Garden so little tweaks etc were quick and easy. If you can source a diamond from within your own family, even a small shabby one, that will go a long way too - both sentimentally and financially!

People at work seems to use Blue Nile a lot. There's always the Haribo option too.
 
Diamonds are a ripoff. The markup is incredible. Buy it today for $20K and tomorrow the same jeweler might give you $10K, if your lucky, because he only paid about $5K. Women know how value conscious men are. And that's what women like, that you literally threw your money down the toilet for them. Get it....

So stop being cheap and just get out your wallet and throw your credit card on the jewelers counter!
 
Don't know if you are still looking but a very close mate of mine is a jeweller who specialises in engagement / wedding rings / diamonds etc. I don't know how he compares price wise but I do know he does some quality stuff and won't rip you off. Might be a bit a distance from since he is in London. DM me if you need is details.
 
[ref]Silverstar[/ref], Thank you for your kind offer but I think I am sorted. Got an appointment booked in with Quality Diamonds in MK early next month. :)

Saj
 
If you're purchasing a diamond engagement ring, make sure to get a certificate of authenticity from a reputable laboratory like GIA or AGS. This will ensure that the diamond is of the quality you paid for. So I would like to suggest you, buy a diamond engagement ring from GemsNY. They provide certificates and offer the best price.
 
As others have said, we both went to choose the ring together and looked in the local shops. My wife is very fussy about jewellery and I wanted her to have what she wanted. Plus online shopping didn't exist back then, nor did home computers. :rofl:
 
my wife loves the £50 engagement ring i bought her. along with her wedding ring, she never takes either of them off.

i dont think she would have been best pleased if i'd have dropped £2000 on an engagement ring - totally unneccessary spend in her eyes, and if i did spend that much she'd likely never wear it for fear of damaging it or losing it.
 
TitanTim said:
Go as cheap as possible just in case it doesn't work out :|

Sorry, that wasn't very positive was it :lol:

Tim.
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My wife and I spent a combined £10 on our wedding rings, good old stainless band. But it has just been threee years and going strong :oops:
 
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