Engagement ring shopping

• gorocks99

  

  Yep, I'm finally looking to pop the question in the coming months and have started to shop around online. For those of you who have been through the process, what advice can you give? What do you wish you would've known before you walked into the store?
  
  She's already told me that if I'm buying a ring, I have to go pick it out (although she said she doesn't want me spending a lot of money .. .thanks).
  
  Also, cue the marriage jokes.
• LJ

  

  If she doesn't care, try to find an estate diamond and get it put into a setting she wants. I did this and spent $1500 and it appraises at $8,000.
  
  Use www.bluenile.com to figure out what you want
• Belly35

  

  gorocks99;720010 wrote:Yep, I'm finally looking to pop the question in the coming months and have started to shop around online. For those of you who have been through the process, what advice can you give? What do you wish you would've known before you walked into the store?
  
  She's already told me that if I'm buying a ring, I have to go pick it out (although she said she doesn't want me spending a lot of money .. .thanks).
  
  Also, cue the marriage jokes.

  
  Dude I thought you where married .... does she live with you now?
  
  Hey! You know my daughter lives just down the street ... she can help... She like her mom.... knows her bling
  
  
  read up on diamonds... color is important and size
  Shape of diamonds are personal favorites ... should ask her what shape she likes>>>
• dave

  I know you are a Minnesota fan, you go to Minneapolis often?
• gorocks99

  

  Belly35;720014 wrote:Dude I thought you where married .... does she live with you now?
  
  Hey! You know my daughter lives just down the street ... she can help... She like her mom.... knows her bling
  
  
  read up on diamonds... color is important and size
  Shape of diamonds are personal favorites ... should ask her what shape she likes>>>

  
  Not married yet! We've lived together for three years though. Figure it's finally time to get off my duff and propose since she's getting antsy and she's a year out from finishing grad school. Been reading up on diamonds online, would rather get a smaller (1/2 carat) stone with better quality than a big thing w/o any.
  

  dave;720048 wrote:I know you are a Minnesota fan, you go to Minneapolis often?

  
  I'm usually up there once every couple of months, although coming up I'll be there in May and June for weddings, and then at least in September, October and November for football/weddings.
• OneBuckeye

  

  LJ;720012 wrote:If she doesn't care, try to find an estate diamond and get it put into a setting she wants. I did this and spent $1500 and it appraises at $8,000.
  
  Use www.bluenile.com to figure out what you want

  
  This is they way to go. I would do the opposite, find a vintage style setting and put a big rock from blue nile in it.
• thedynasty1998

  

  Go down to Jamaica and buy it. It's so much cheaper and make a vacation out of it, because you will save enough where you can afford a vacation anyways.
  
  Bought the fiances engagement ring in Ocho Rios a couple years ago (she picked it out and I stuck away to buy it). The jewelers down there are very willing to negotiate and the ring appraised for almost double what I paid for it.
  
  It's 2.0 carat and I would have paid double for the same ring here.
• OneBuckeye

  

  thedynasty1998;720060 wrote:Go down to Jamaica and buy it. It's so much cheaper and make a vacation out of it, because you will save enough where you can afford a vacation anyways.
  
  Bought the fiances engagement ring in Ocho Rios a couple years ago (she picked it out and I stuck away to buy it). The jewelers down there are very willing to negotiate and the ring appraised for almost double what I paid for it.
  
  It's 2.0 carat and I would have paid double for the same ring here.

  Did they braid your hair and add some beads for you afterwards?
  
  
  
  
  
  I kid.
• thedynasty1998

  

  OneBuckeye;720062 wrote:Did they braid your hair and add some beads for you afterwards?
  
  
  
  
  
  I kid.

  
  No, but plenty of people offered to.
• Belly35

  

  Better quality the better .... than size
  
  
  I will have to say my wife has some Black Diamond rings and a ring with Black and Yellow Diamonds that really is a nice ring.. alway gets someone attention
• Fab4Runner

  

  BEST THREAD EVER!! I know wildcats was just getting ready to start one like it.
• FatHobbit

  

  Belly35;720065 wrote:Better quality the better .... than size

  
  IMHO cut, color and size are more important than clarity unless you're going to be putting it under a microscope. I can't tell the difference between SI2 and any of the better diamonds by looking at them.
• OneBuckeye

  

  Got the wife a Hearts on Fire. It definately outblings the competition, but it is exepensive. Either get a HOF or an ideal cut with good CCC if you are going for quality and take FatHobbits advice as well. Don't get a LEO or whatever other brand Jared's is trying to sell.
• thedynasty1998

  

  FatHobbit;720075 wrote:IMHO cut, color and size are more important than clarity unless you're going to be putting it under a microscope. I can't tell the difference between SI2 and any of the better diamonds by looking at them.

  
  My thoughts as well. Who the hell is going to be examining for clarity?
  
  Bigger is always better!
• Belly35

  

  Clarity by far is very important .... you may not see but when it comes to holding value anything below a S11 will lose value .......VS1 .. VS2 or S11 is the range i would look for
  Color .. d, e, f, g, h .... also very important .......... when women compare diamonds to each other it shows
• Tiger2003

  

  $10,000 dollars later.
• FatHobbit

  

  Belly35;720134 wrote:Clarity by far is very important .... you may not see but when it comes to holding value anything below a S11 will lose value .......VS1 .. VS2 or S11 is the range i would look for
  Color .. d, e, f, g, h .... also very important .......... when women compare diamonds to each other it shows

  
  I'm not saying it's not important (and hell I could be wrong) but I got the biggest near colorless diamond I could afford. There are a couple of inclusions, but I can't see them. And more importantly neither could she!
  
  When we took our rings in to get them cleaned they drew her diamond on the paper and she was asking what the 'scratches' were. I told her she couldn't have possibly scratched her diamond, so I'm sure it will polish right off.
• bases_loaded

  

  I found what I wanted on Blue Nile...printed out the specs and price...took it into the local places said beat this price with a lifetime warranty and I'll buy through you. One place said they couldn't another kept it the same price but gave me a better diamond and setting. If you really want to play with them, black out the price on the print out and let them try to match the diamond and setting...then show them the price and they will beat it.
• Tiger2003

  

  FatHobbit;720075 wrote:IMHO cut, color and size are more important than clarity unless you're going to be putting it under a microscope. I can't tell the difference between SI2 and any of the better diamonds by looking at them.

  
  If you can't tell the difference go to a jeweler and ask them to show you a low end diamond and their higher end diamond and you will see the difference. It's like night and day!
• dave

  gorocks99;720049 wrote:
  
  
  I'm usually up there once every couple of months, although coming up I'll be there in May and June for weddings, and then at least in September, October and November for football/weddings.

  PM coming
• Moparman

  Get a Leo diamond
• -Society-

  

  Belly35;720065 wrote:Better quality the better .... than size
  
  
  I will have to say my wife has some Black Diamond rings and a ring with Black and Yellow Diamonds that really is a nice ring.. alway gets someone attention

  
  Black diamond? GTFO!
• FatHobbit

  

  Tiger2003;720205 wrote:If you can't tell the difference go to a jeweler and ask them to show you a low end diamond and their higher end diamond and you will see the difference. It's like night and day!

  
  I compared them side by side and I can't see any difference in clarity between SI2 and better unless they used a microscope.
• LJ

  

  FatHobbit;720598 wrote:I compared them side by side and I can't see any difference in clarity between SI2 and better unless they used a microscope.

  
  My fiancee's is a 1.2 carat SI2 E and the inclusions are clear. Unless you look under a microscope you can't tell at all. It also sits high in the setting so it gets light underneath of it. It's very pretty.
  
  I'll post a pic when I get home
• thedynasty1998

  

  I was curious of the clarity after reading this thread, so I went home to check the appraisal.
  
  I bought a SI-1, which states "SI1 Clarity inclusions are easily found with a standard jeweler’s loupe at 10x magnification. With most shapes, SI1 clarity inclusions are almost always clean to the naked eye."