Engagement Ring

beer_tins

P.S. The diamond trade is in $US and I don't believe buying a diamond on it's own would be significantly cheaper in the US. Also, you could get stung on import duty, but not sure about that.

You ask

"she wants a princess cut stone
...
I was just wondering if people had any thoughts about where you would do this or even if it could be done and how much it may cost."

To answer your question, got to a jeweller in Hatton garden as per my previous post, they will all do this. As for the cost, this depends on size and quality. The price goes up massively the larger the stone is. It depends on 4 C's
Carat size
Colour
Clarity
Cut

All of these are graded. I would go for a high quality stone over size every time and I did with my fiancee's. I suggest you read up on this before you go, it's a lot of money so it's worth your time!

newlywed

Ps. I've had a ring designed to fit a stone I had - got it done in Birmingham at the jewellery quarter. They gave lots of advice as to what they needed to alter in my design to be able to do it etc. And it didn't cost nearly as much as I expected to get it made in white gold.

DKLS

I proposed in Barcelona with a Kids Toy ring, then arranged a trip to Brum for the weekend, so she could select her own. And it cost me 2 months wages direct from the wholesaler, and would have cost 5 months wages on teh high street or more !, and is worth every penny.

MRS_CRAZYLADY

My hubby to be got my ring from Argos, I had said that I had liked it, I had my finger measured and told him the size and the next day he went and ordered it. Little known to him that I had ordered it to the day I saw it. So I had two rings the same ordered. He did make me wait three months before asking me to marry him!!!It didn't cost the earth or even a months wage, but when we have a huge mortgage and three children between us I would have been happy with a ring out of a Xmas cracker. My ring cost £69.99. It makes me smile everytime I look at it x

KittyKate

My fiance and I had been dating for 5 years when he proposed - during that time I had hinted that I'd like a white gold band with an emerald cut diamond (I really don't suit gold, and I don't like clusters).

He had one made specially with an imported high clarity diamond, at a working jeweller's in Leeds. I have no idea what it cost and I would never ask, all that matters is that it's perfect.

I was so happy with my ring, but I echo that if you're not sure what your girlfriend would like, put out some feelers first

Doozergirl

I loved the day that we spent walking around the Jewellery Quarter looking for a ring. It November and grey and drizzling (the worst kind of rain!) but it was so romantic.

In the shop that we bought my ring (and all the subsequent bits) you do actually choose the diamond and they will put it into any of their settings for you. Of course I just wanted the diamond that was in the setting I wanted because I wanted to wear it that day

Feel free to haggle as well!

Savvy_Sue

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Kavanne

Hi OP My e ring is from eBay.

I would be VERY careful trying eBay though.

I only searched for USED items and only ones that came with a signed valuation.

The valuation the one we bought came with was done in 2000 and we had a new one done at the recommendation of a local jeweller and it was actually now worth £200 more

We actually bought the ring for 1/4 (We paid £450 and it is worth £1850) of what it was worth and only had to spend £35 having it resized. Would have cost nigh on £2000 on the high street.

As an idea of what you may potentially be able to get for your money my ring is a heavy platinum band with a solitaire baguette cut (not emerald) diamond, 0.49ct VS1 but colour is only L. But the diamond is so clear it makes up for any yellow tint you might notice!!

arealbasketcase

Jo_F wrote: »

My fiance just went down on one knee, he hadn't given any thought to a ring, ......

But as it was, I got one that I love.

Same here, my stone is blue topaz, definitely not one of the most expensive gemstones in the world, but I love it. I had it reset a couple of years ago, originally a claw setting - that seemed to catch on everything I wore - and 9ct gold. When my gran died she left me her 22ct wedding band, the jeweller mixed the two golds, no idea how, and created an 18ct band for the new design. I always loved my ring but now it is even more special. 17 years in a little over a week, and I still love him to bits.

stumpjumper

beinerts wrote: »

P.S. The diamond trade is in $US and I don't believe buying a diamond on it's own would be significantly cheaper in the US. Also, you could get stung on import duty, but not sure about that.

You ask

"she wants a princess cut stone
...
I was just wondering if people had any thoughts about where you would do this or even if it could be done and how much it may cost."

To answer your question, got to a jeweller in Hatton garden as per my previous post, they will all do this. As for the cost, this depends on size and quality. The price goes up massively the larger the stone is. It depends on 4 C's
Carat size
Colour
Clarity
Cut

All of these are graded. I would go for a high quality stone over size every time and I did with my fiancee's. I suggest you read up on this before you go, it's a lot of money so it's worth your time!

just to clear things up.

Yes, the interrnational diamond trading is done in US$.

and yes, US diamonds are very often cheaper (taking into account the duties that need to be paid on entering the EU) for the same reason that Tesco's is cheaper than your local corner shop - the US is the biggest importer of diamonds, and therefore the dealers can get a better price from the wholesellers than the UK dealers can.

Buying a Diamond on its own from the US, and importing it to the UK requires you only to pay 17.5% VAT as diamonds, and other precious stones are import duty free.

if you import precious metal - gold, silver, platinum etc. then VAT is required as well as 2.5% import duty.

so if you imported a gold chain - you would pay 2.5% + 17.5% on top of the price of the chain.
if you just import a diamond, un mounted in jewellery, then its just 17.5% on to of the price of the diamond.
if the diamond is set in a piece of jewellery... like a ring or a pendant, then would be 2.5% import and 17.5% VAT on the total price of the item.

But i have found, over the last 3 years of helping my friends find rings, and who like me bought their stone or stone and ring from the US or bought in the UK, that US prices are in the main lower, even after tax and shipping is taken into account.
This is changing, with some UK sellers able to source diamonds from the US wholesellers, and offering prices comparable with the US price.

and for info.
BlueNile.com has a UK website - Bluenile.co.uk but the UK site, is little more than a call centre... what diamonds Bluenile have in stock (the signature collection) are held at their US sightholding, and are shipped to the buyer. the rest of the diamonds you see listed are the same diamonds available to alot of other sellers... places like QualityDiamonds.co.uk - and everyone tends to be about the same price.

What you do get in the US far more than you do in the UK is specalists - the guys who have their own cutting houses, and trade on cutting the best diamonds, rather than just buying diamonds from the lists from the big cutting houses in Antwerp, India, Africa
for instance Whiteflash.com - eightstar.com - superbcert.com - craftedbyinfinity.com all have their own cutting houses, and sell the diamonds they have cut themselves.

about places like Hatton Gardens - places like this are great for window shopping, but remember these guys have shops on very expensive real estate, and as such their prices are often higher than other jewellers because of these overheads, tho being such a high pressure there is flexibility in the pricing with some of them... personally i prefer to go with Whiteflash, as i've had excellent service with them over the years.


ps. about online buying - alot of the retailers like Bluenile, cooldiamonds, whiteflash etc. have a period in which you can return the diamond if it doesnt meet your expectations...
some even have a trade in policy - whiteflash, for one (not the only one - but its common for a US retailer to have such a policy) has a policy where give your old stone back, and they'll credit you with what your paid origonally, to put towards the cost a new stone from them. I know of a few folk who got engaged after leaving college, bought a small diamond, and over the years have traded up in size to get to the size she wished.