I looked at bluenile.com a lot, was thinking they would be a good choice.
Then I headed to the Mall..
Place #1, chick made me feel pressured & cheap unless I bought one of their high end diamond rings. They would have to send the ring out to get sized.
Place # 2, Dude there was totally cool, no pressure, had an instore jeweler, even advised me to look at other stores...less then a week later i went back, they had it mounted & sized the next day.
Diamonds are for suckers. There is no such thing as a socially responsible diamond. Sorry to preach, but diamonds cause lots of strife all over the world, socially and environmentally. All in the name of vanity.
At the very least you can make sure its a conflict free diamond. I think they come from canada. Pretty sure its an industry standard and regulation, but who knows what slips by.
Diamond is one of the most abundant materials on the planet. The only reason why they are so expensive is because the entire industry is controlled by a cartel consisting of 5 families. They set the price and limit the number sold per year.
I've been a jewelry maker for almost 20 years and still do not care for the over priced clear rocks. As a designer there is far more potential in colored stones.
Agreed on the styling. If you are poppin the question, you should know what your chick likes and it helps to know what you are going to buy. If you know she likes yellow gold, you can slide the color scale a little bit more in favor of size or clarity, where on a platinum or white gold setting, it's easier to see any hint of yellow in a stone. Know the 4 Cs (or 5, whichever)
My buddy got one through his mom that has a reseller's license and it looked good. A hair under a carat for around $3500. I eventually plan on going the same route. I figure if she bitches about what I pick out, she should take a hike, not that I think my chick would.
I worked selling jewelry for a year, so that helps to at least not get suckered. After that experience, I would tell you to buy an ungraded stone. Otherwise, you are paying more for a piece of paper. You get a lot more for your money and can always have the stone appraised/graded afterwards. Remember, you are looking for something that she is going to show her friends. She *probably* won't look through a loupe and should be happy with whatever you get her. Her friends/mother/sisters, definitely won't unless they are money-grubbing gold diggers. Buy something that looks good to you and also make sure you get a good look at it outside in the sunlight. The lighting in jewelry stores is designed to make the stones look bling.
The moral of the story is diamonds are like furniture...there are 5 million places to buy the same design at different costs. Just do yourself the favor of educating yourself to at least feel that you didn't get ripped and be happy with what you picked out.
They aren't any better, but I don't buy those for vanity either. The thing about diamonds, is that their only use is decoration. Commercial diamonds are made in a lab.
And conflict free is BS. Any diamond bought on a global market has the same impact on demand and prices.
Dayum....I think the guy was trying to get advice on not getting bent over on getting something nice for his chick that is tradition, not start a discussion on the socio-economic impact of controlled resources.
I told the BF early on that I wasn't interested in an engagement ring - stones get caught on stuff.
So he bought me a motorcycle.
We've been married almost 19 years.
If she really WANTS a ring, maybe have her help in the decision and have one made to your specifications. If she would prefer something else, or no ring at all, listen to her. Sometimes when a girl says she doesn't really want a ring, it means she doesn't really care if she gets one.
As I guy that has bought one in the last few years, buy a small, and I mean small ring that signifies the engagement, but save the money. Youll want it in 3 years for a house, baby, etc.
I did my research before buying (intarweb "how to buy a diamond") then went with a friend of mine to NYC's diamond district. I bought from a place he bought from and recommended. I got a sweet deal on MBC's ring...probably paid about 40% less than if I bought from a traditional jewelry store.
Funny, I was sick from stress the week leading up to that purchase.
You guys are all forgetting one very important thing here. You need to pay attention to what type of jewelry she wears. Is it one-of-a-kind hand made by a metalsmith or jewelry designer or is it something generic like your basic mall jewelry ? Does she tend to wear, yellow gold, white gold or silver ? If she is an appreciator of art and fine craft and you buy her a mall or big box store engagement ring she is going to think that you don't know what she likes. This tends to carry more weight with women than just laying out a ton of cash for a phat rock.
Some women are very down to earth and a diamond is not necessary. I have made many engagement rings with a variety of precious and semi-precious stones where the customer simply did not care for diamonds. It has been my experience over the years that women who are the outdoor type typically do not like mall jewelry.
Pay attention to what she wears and how she decorates her home. If she leans toward well designed items to reflect her personality, you would do better by shopping at a gallery or a custom designer's studio.
My girl couldn't have cared less, and owned zero jewelry before I bought the ring. Got it custom-made with a jeweler who worked with me to design something she'd like and find wearable. She was totally thrilled that I did something so personal.
It has a small sapphire and two tiny accent diamonds, made of white gold. Cost $700 US, I think.
Get her something she wants, not something an industry tells you she wants.
BigT doesn't wear much jewelry, so I went the mall store route. She really likes the rock I got her, not too big, not too small. She really likes the fact that I did it all on my own, and completely surprised her. I did some research beforehand, and went to a couple of stores before I bought. I looked at the ring, and walked away before I decided to buy. I wanted to think about the purchase before I bought the ring.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.