Engagement Ring Thread

If you can find a diamond broker in your area it really helps. I went to one here in Houston that also does custom jewelry. He spent over an hour with me looking at different diamonds and showing me the differences. It really comes down to the cut, and how the light reflects off of it. You can also have imperfections in the diamond itself that can hinder this as well.

Take a look at his website Brian Gavin.

The one I purchased was a 1 ct with 14k gold with diamonds and I got it all for around $7500. Wife gets tons of compliments on the diamond.

Good luck.

^^^ I agree with Kingwood. The thing I liked about going to the wholesaler was I had a go-to guy for my ring. He heard all my needs and I could contact him directly. To give you a frame of reference I got a platinum band with a solitaire "Tiffany-style" diamond, "Princess cut" (square) which is 1.51ct with H color and I1 clarity (meaning there are some "inclusions" but you can really only see them with a magnifying glass or microscope) All of this for $8k. That ring bought from Tiffany would be over $20,000.

If you can find out the cut that your SO likes it helps a ton because some cuts are cheaper and some are more expensive, i.e. two diamonds that are the same ct weight but one is a round cut is more expensive than a "princess (square)" cut. Once I found out which one my SO liked I went to the guy and he showed me all the square cuts he had and my gut did the rest. I was drawn to one diamond in particular (the one I ended up buying) because of how clear it looked. Sometimes when you get a bigger stone the color starts looking yellow, and in hindsight, one of my favorite things about the one i got is when it is in good lighting it really shines a lot.

For your reference, here is the ring I had mine modeled after by the wholesaler (Tiffany site shows it at $20,900 without tax):
Tiffany Princess Cut

Mine is identical to that and I feel sorry for anyone that feels they have to get the brand name.

Familiarize yourself with all the basics online before you start. Blue Nile is a great resource that also has pretty good prices. I did not buy mine from Blue Nile, but their information was vital in helping me make a decision. Here is a good link on diamond education:

Blue Nile

However, don't just go by the word of BN or posters on here saying you need a diamond that has at least ______ characteristics. Go look at them in person. Most flaws are not visible by the naked eye, but the way the light shines through can differ based on these characteristics.

Also, decide which is more important....size, quality, or a combination of each. And do not be afraid to buy a diamond wholesale and then come back and buy the setting separate and get them set by a jeweler. You can often save money by price shopping the diamond and setting separately, while also getting the combination you really want.

Arm yourself with information before you go and do not impulse buy.

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I have been steadily saving and my budget will allow me to spend up to $5500 in cash.

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Best advice I can give you is not to think like this - "I will buy the best ring I can get that costs $5500." The goal is not to spend $5500, it's to buy a ring that she will like.

I bought mine from a designer in California. She is a one woman shop and does everything herself. I gave her my price range and had her do everything. She picked out an amazing diamond and custom made the ring to my exact specifications. It was 10x easier than I thought it would be.

Did you buy yours from the broker or was that where you did your research? I have yet to walk into a jewelry store but I am planning on making trips next week to help me with seeing the differences in quality

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Do you have a family member that had a family diamond stashed away that you could give to the lucky lady?

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That I do not know. I am making today my launching point in gathering of information and ultimately making a decision on what route I follow.

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Hindsight, I wish I would have spent more and gotten bigger and better quality.

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Why do you feel this way?

Buy ring from pawn shop.

Buy box from Tiffanys.

Profit.

Has your SO given you any specifics on what she wants? That's the first thing I would do is find out exactly what she wants. Let me know what she says and I will let you know what I found out during my search.

Meant to add: it is also important when you plan on proposing, as girls change their minds constantly, and making a ring really doesn't take much time at all (mine took less than a week, although it was a simple design with 1 stone and 1 band with an easy setting to do).