Engagement ring help?

Question

I'm ready to buy a ring. I know that my girlfriend wants something classic, and simple: A princess cut solitaire. Pretty straightforward. But here's my question, what carat size is appropriate? Here's my thought:

Quality is better than quantity - the more it sparkles, the more she will like it. Also, avoiding a bulky diamond would make it more comfortable in long run. (she has thin small hands, so it won't look out of place.)

* On a side note, I'm coming to this with some reservation about diamond engagement rings. They are not as traditional as some believe (trend began w/ De Beers in 1930's) I don't believe the 2 months salary suggestion, or that a one carat minimum holds. I would rather use the money on a nicer wedding, or honeymoon. But I also know she would prefer a diamond to an alternative gemstone.

Any suggestion on doing this right, and being smart about what I spend?

Answer 1

Sounds like you are considering your fiancees feelings about this which is lovely. Personally, I think the quality of the diamond (if a diamond is definitely what she wants) is FAR more important the size or cost. One thing though, a brilliant cut diamond will always sparkle more than a princess cut, so the clarity and colour of your diamond will need to be even better in order for it to shine!

As for what to spend, browse. You may find a ring that is perfect but nowhere near the 2 months salary. (Just out of interest, my fiance only paid £500 for mine and it is beautiful, really good quality diamond, just good luck! It's under a carat (0.5 I think, but I 'm not sure) but i really wouldn't want one any bigger)

I would try and make sure though that the diamonds are not from any disreputable sources, a lot of jewellers will have certified non-conflict diamonds, which I think is quite important.

Lastly, you could try getting to a jewellery wholesaler, although unless you are a trader, they can sometimes be difficult to get into, so I wouldn't count on being able to buy at wholesale prices.

Good luck and congratulations!

Answer 2

no, the 2 month salary rule is an old rule that was made when men made much less money then they do nowadays. now they say to spend a 2 week up to a 1 month salary.

i would say get a 1/2 carat up to a maxium of 1 carat. anywhere in there is perfect.

you are smart to put more money toward the wedding and honeymoon instead of on the ring.

Answer 3

Work out how much you can afford then look at what options you have in her taste in that price range. You might actually find the perfect ring costing less than you think.

For fine hands i like something like

http://www.gvg.ltd.uk/jewellery/gold/hal...

or these are all nice with great price. But this is the kind of thing I like, not so sure what she likes, but worth having a look at

http://www.jpdiamonds.co.uk/ourcollectio...

Answer 4

Sounds like she knows exactly what she wants. If you're budget-minded, you can always start off with a smaller gemstone, and "graduate" to a larger one further down the road (maybe even 1 year anniversary, for example). Huge rocks aren't necessary, especially if she's got small hands. You can do one of 3 things--talk to a jeweler and see what he/she recommends (don't let them pressure you into buying, though). Second thing is to take your girl's friend(s) with you to the jewelry store and let them help pick out what she would like (if they're close, that is). Third option is to take her mother to the store for help. :)

Answer 5

well, your girlfriend have a small finger you can buy not to big diamond engagement ring but have a good quality. because if it's not good quality it will looks cloudy. good quality diamond have different spark and she will love it.

i have a small finger also a size 4 and i have a 0.5ct diamond it's perfect in my finger it's round brilliant cut, color D, clarity grade VVS1, cut grade very good and have a laser inscription and have certificate that the diamond from south africa. and i really like the spark.

congratulation..

Answer 6

Diamonds are priced based on the 4 cs.so in a princess cut I suggest you got for:

Clarity:SI1-VS2 ( no need to go higher really its costs more but to the nakes eye its the same)But do not go lower as the imperfections on the diamond will appear to the naked eye although cheaper.

Cut:Thats very important ,this decide the sparkle of the diamond,a better cut can enhance the colour and clarity of the diamond, so I suggest you go for a very good cut.

Colour:There is absolutely no need to go for a colour higher than G.In my opinion an H colour is cheaper and will look colourless enough.Colours above G will have a difference only noticeable by professionals and they cost much more,so again H is reasonable or if you want to spend a little more then G.

Carat:this totally depends on you but a .90 carat might look larger than a 1 carat and much cheaper at the same time.

The most important thing when you are deciding which diamond make sure it has a cetrificate by any of these GIA,IGI, AGS or HRD. GIA is the best certificate which adds value to the diamond itself.If its not certified then you are not guaranteed any of the 4 cs and you might end up selling later for much less than what you paid fpr.

The other important thing is to decide where to buy it from.Avoid local jewelers and family run by all costs.They sell certified diamonds for 2-3x of their original price.There are some online stores that sell the same diamonds for 40-50% of the local jewelers cz they are wholesellers( some stock more than 55000 diamonds!!!) and they do not have to cover up for high running costs like local jewelers.

I suggest any of the stores in this page

http://123diamond.co.uk/Online_diamond_s...

Particularly james they have some really good policies like 30 days return, 2 year upgrade (where they will deduct the full value of your diamond from a new bigger one!) and 70% of your diamond if you decide to sell it anytime so you rest assured that you always can sell for a good price.They also have pictures of the actual diamonds and certs as well as a unique rings collection.Consider getting a Pave to increase the carat of your ring.

Lastly on this page you will find some coupons which will entitle you to discounts ranging from 5%-10% on your diamond,so you can save even more!

http://123diamond.co.uk/Diamond-coupons....

you just need to click on the link.

Hope this helps

All the best

Answer 7

I think you should set a budget for the ring first, and then do lots of research to know what that budget can get you.  I think you have a great idea of what she wants and what to spend your money on.  If you buy a ring online I think you will be surprised at how much you can afford.

You are also correct to go for quality over quantity for sparkle, especially if she has small hands.  I have a size 3.5 ring finger and the jeweler told my fiance not to buy anything bigger than a 0.6 carat, a whole carat would have looked like costume jewelry on my hand.

Also, go up in quality is less expensive a jump than going up in carat size (because most people just want big diamonds, even if they are dull and ugly because of the poor cut and clarity of them).

Do some research on http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-and-jewe... and mondpriceguru.com/shopping-guide/2008/02... to learn everything you need to know about buying a good quality diamond for a good price, that you won't really need to "upgrade" in a few years anyway.

You can even search for and buy the stones through those websites (bluenile.com has the best prices I've seen anywhere).

Good Luck!

Answer 8

if you wants classic get a diamond!

go for a good color d-g no lower

clarity nothing less then VS2

and if you stick with just under a carat (.98) the price is much lower then 1.0

Answer 9

You should certainly purchase what your future fiance' wants, no doubt!  However, I do understand your budget concerns.  I would suggest you consider doing what my fiance' did.  He was able to purchase my ring from a wholesaler vs. a retail jewlery store.  You'll be able to get a lot more for your money.  And at the end of the day she'll be happy with the ring for a lifetime!

Answer 10

You are totally right that quality is more important - and for a solitaire, 1/4 to 1/3 is nice, 1/2 is plenty big. Remember you'll have to match a wedding band, too.

http://www.zales.com/product/index.jsp?p...

http://www.zales.com/product/index.jsp?p...

http://www.kay.com/webapp/wcs/stores/ser...

http://www.kay.com/webapp/wcs/stores/ser...

http://www.ice.com/home/product_details....

http://www.ice.com/home/product_details....

http://www.ice.com/home/product_details....