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re: How much to spend on engagement ring?
Posted on 6/24/16 at 7:58 am to KG6
Posted on 6/24/16 at 7:58 am to KG6
quote:
"Sparkle" is more in the cut than the color.
I know, but the guy I was responding to just said lower quality. Cutting corners can easily get you a crappy diamond. I've seen several bigger diamonds on people's rings in person that just don't shine, bad enough that it's easy to pick up with the naked eye. And I'm no diamond expert
1
Posted on 6/24/16 at 8:04 am to LNCHBOX
quote:
I know, but the guy I was responding to just said lower quality. Cutting corners can easily get you a crappy diamond. I've seen several bigger diamonds on people's rings in person that just don't shine, bad enough that it's easy to pick up with the naked eye. And I'm no diamond expert
In general I agree with you, but there can be huge price jumps once you get to the top. I'm not saying I recommend a bad diamond but I think most women would rather a 1.5 carat over a 1 carat that is slightly lower in quality. Just dropping down 1 step in color and cut can save you $1000s.
OP what I would do is go into a place like Tiffanys because you can trust their standards and criteria, and have them show you a couple different rings in the same price range. Get an idea what you are paying for. Without looking at rings side by side they all look great usually. Then decide what is worth spending your money on. If none of it, that's great. But that's the only way to really get a good feel IMO.
This post was edited on 6/24/16 at 8:09 am
Posted on 6/24/16 at 8:14 am to baldona
quote:
ust dropping down 1 step in color and cut can save you $1000s.
Dropping a step in color is fine. Dropping cut and going up on size is just asking for trouble. A poorly cut big diamond looks like shite and is very obvious that the buyer wanted size over quality. It's the kind of diamond girls make fun of after they see it.
quote:
OP what I would do is go into a place like Tiffanys because you can trust their standards and criteria, and have them show you a couple different rings in the same price range. Get an idea what you are paying for. Without looking at rings side by side they all look great usually. Then decide what is worth spending your money on. If none of it, that's great. But that's the only way to really get a good feel IMO.
What I would do before any of that is talk to your future fiancee or one of her friends to figure out what she wants in a ring. She's the one that will be wearing it after all. After you figure out the basics of what she wants, then you can see what fits your budget.
Posted on 6/24/16 at 8:37 am to blizzle
I bought one a week ago. $5,700. I went to James Free Jewelers, if you spend over $5k on a wedding ring from there in June, you get voucher for a free 4 day, 3 night cruise for 2.
I was already looking for rings and planned to spend 5-6k so couldn't pass that deal up. Told the gf and we went and picked it out together so she got what she wanted exactly.
I was already looking for rings and planned to spend 5-6k so couldn't pass that deal up. Told the gf and we went and picked it out together so she got what she wanted exactly.
Posted on 6/24/16 at 8:43 am to baldona
quote:
OP what I would do is go into a place like Tiffanys because you can trust their standards and criter
I 100% suggest going to a reputable jeweler. Stay away from mall chains especially. But Tiffany's is overpriced. I also find it funny you can go on their website and it has a price for a 1, 1.5, 2 carat version of each ring. As if the price is set like you are buying off the shelf. Typical diamond buying experiences at other jewelers is nothing like that. Each diamond is going to have it's own value based on where it lands within the 4 c's. So it makes me think you are paying for the Tiffany name more than anything.
In the smaller town where I'm from, there's basically one popular jewelry store, so I figured that's where I'd start, but they were closed. I went to another "nice enough" place where the lady introduced me to what I needed to look for. Next day I went to the "popular" place and realized with a quickness that they were trying to push junk on me at twice the price. That's when I went "money board" mode and started shopping hard. I was working in TX, LA and MS and hitting up tons of jewelry stores. Found a place in Mandeville and found that 1.45 diamond for like $7500. That beat pricing from online dealers. Catch was, the guys settings were very expensive compared to others. But I have to admit they looked better than any other store (this guy designed his own). I did something risky and got a setting not even close to what my wife said she wanted. Luckily she at least said she like it more than what she wanted originally
. All in all, I walked out with a ring easily under 15k, and I was seeing 1.5 carat loose diamonds at a lot of stores going for near that amount. Key is to not need to buy now, and give yourself time to find a deal that works for you. 
Posted on 6/24/16 at 8:51 am to KG6
quote:
All in all, I walked out with a ring easily under 15k
That's a big number.
Posted on 6/24/16 at 9:29 am to KG6
quote:
Typical diamond buying experiences at other jewelers is nothing like that. Each diamond is going to have it's own value based on where it lands within the 4 c's
Yep. I went to a guy who deals in GIA diamonds, he has this little book with all of the specs on each diamond. You request a few diamonds, come back in a few days and look at them. If you like one, you buy it, if not you look and request more. I ended up with a good spec'd diamond for a decent price. Luckily my wife only wanted a solitaire, so I didn't have to pay much for the setting.
I also went to one of the more popular jewelry stores (not chain), and they tried to sell me on some EGL junk. I spent a lot of time studying specs before buying. When I told them the specs and the price I was willing to pay and they jumped at it, I was hesitant
If you're getting a larger diamond, color is the most important C, you don't want a large yellow hued diamond. (G or H is fine in most cases)
Posted on 6/24/16 at 10:11 am to lynxcat
The number I ended up spending wasn't small, but it wasn't close to 15k. Still over 10k, but I just threw that number out there since I saw a lot of similar diamonds to the one I bought selling for 13, 14,and 15k. Hell, one of the "perfect" diamonds in the same size was selling for 22k. You could definitely tell when they were side by side on a white sheet of paper. But I doubt you would notice with two women just standing with rings on their hand.
One of the reasons I also stated in my first post on here that one needs to know their own financial abilities. A guy making 50k with a sweet inheritance can throw some cash around, when a guy making 150k and a crap ton of student loan debt, an apartment in an expensive city, etc. might not be able to come close to the 3 month rule. I was travelling for work, so I moved in with my parents (although I slept there maybe 5 times in a year). I had very few expenses for a year. Saved enough for a down payment on a house and a ring. Not many can do that. Plus I made a decent salary, so I have to admit I was lucky.
One of the reasons I also stated in my first post on here that one needs to know their own financial abilities. A guy making 50k with a sweet inheritance can throw some cash around, when a guy making 150k and a crap ton of student loan debt, an apartment in an expensive city, etc. might not be able to come close to the 3 month rule. I was travelling for work, so I moved in with my parents (although I slept there maybe 5 times in a year). I had very few expenses for a year. Saved enough for a down payment on a house and a ring. Not many can do that. Plus I made a decent salary, so I have to admit I was lucky.
Posted on 6/24/16 at 2:22 pm to dabigfella
quote:
Buy her what you can afford without breaking the bank, if its not enough for her, you should consider leaving her because she clearly wants more than you can afford in life. Thats just honest advice.
This.
Some people take this ring thing way too seriously. You don't need to be going to websites and researching this, that, or the other.
Posted on 6/24/16 at 2:28 pm to GetCocky11
quote:
You don't need to be going to websites and researching this, that, or the other.
Why would you not do research to ensure you get the most competitive deal that best fits your desired traits for a diamond? It is like walking into a dealership and paying the sticker price for a car in November when next year's model comes out right around the corner.
He shouldn't buy more than he can afford, but he should maximize what he can afford.
This post was edited on 6/24/16 at 2:30 pm
Posted on 6/24/16 at 6:45 pm to blizzle
So, three months salary is the norm.
Regarding carat size, a 1 ct ring can vary in cost greatly depending of the color and clarity.
Pick a price range, then have the jeweler put 10 diamonds in the range on a plate, finally take the plate out into the sun . Pick the diamond that looks best in the sun. That's where most people will see it.
Regarding carat size, a 1 ct ring can vary in cost greatly depending of the color and clarity.
Pick a price range, then have the jeweler put 10 diamonds in the range on a plate, finally take the plate out into the sun . Pick the diamond that looks best in the sun. That's where most people will see it.
This post was edited on 6/24/16 at 6:49 pm
Posted on 6/25/16 at 1:13 pm to crazycubes
quote:
So, three months salary is the norm.
No it's notPosted on 6/25/16 at 2:35 pm to LSUtoOmaha
Yea, I shorted my wife about $10k if that rule was the norm
Posted on 6/25/16 at 3:05 pm to LNCHBOX
Sorry you fellas are poor 
Posted on 6/25/16 at 3:20 pm to crazycubes
Take that bullshite to the OT.
Posted on 6/25/16 at 4:25 pm to blizzle
Two months salary.
For the average millennial (using them because they're at typical engagement age) that would be about $6k.
For the average OTer, about $2 million.
For the average millennial (using them because they're at typical engagement age) that would be about $6k.
For the average OTer, about $2 million.
Posted on 6/26/16 at 12:56 pm to blizzle
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion in this matter. I bought one recently from a local dealer. I think the 3 months salary is dependent on your position. I can't see spending 20,000$ on a ring, but again that's just me. The only 4 pieces of advice I would share are... 1. Get a individual and personal insurance plan on the ring. 2. Do not pick an engagement ring with the thought of upgrading in a few years (apparently that's a new thing that I heard when I was getting a ring). 3. Look at the engagement ring with a wedding band and make sure you still like it and it's in the budget. 4. PAY IN CASH. Hope that helps. Good luck!
Posted on 6/26/16 at 5:16 pm to blizzle
My wife asked for a sapphire.
It was not crazy expensive.
We've been married almost 25 years. In the long run, an expensive ring will not matter.
Spend more on the honeymoon. Make memories together. Material things do not make as big an impact as experiences.
It was not crazy expensive.
We've been married almost 25 years. In the long run, an expensive ring will not matter.
Spend more on the honeymoon. Make memories together. Material things do not make as big an impact as experiences.
Posted on 6/26/16 at 5:21 pm to blizzle
quote:
How much to spend on engagement ring?
getting married in 2016, just lol at low IQs
Posted on 6/27/16 at 6:28 pm to makersmark1
quote:There's something fundamentally wrong with this sentence.
My wife asked for a sapphire.
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