Engagement Rings (merged)

elin1984elin

I'm wondering if someone could point me in the right direction? I know exactly what I'm after, but am finding it quite difficult and confusing with all the choices! The budget it aroung £1500. I'm after an emerald cut solitaire, with diamond shoulders. I've been looking on the Bluenile website, I really like the Channel Set Princess Cut Diamond Engagement Ring in Platinum but am finding it difficult to find the best quality emerald cut diamond with the rest of the budget. Has anyone got any recomendations or suggestions?
Thanks in advance!

Lucyh81

I've been looking at engagement rings with the other half who has his wallet at the ready and is prepared for anything up to £700.

We're keen to get value for money and he wants me to choose so that I'm happy with it. We've not got engaged yet but it's coming very soon

I've done some research and have been looking at various online retailers. I've found a ring on Diamond Manufacturers.co.uk.
I love it and have found that they have a 10% discount code valid til Monday plus 7.07% cashback through Top Cashback. That would bring the price down to just under £600 :T

It's an 18 carat white gold ring with 0.5 carat diamond, G coloured, SI1 clarity which at this price seems great.

The guy I spoke to at Diamond Manufacturers was very helpful and explained that they keep prices low because they do their own certification. I think I'm happy with this.

I can't post a link as this is my first post but if you look up
Item # RN808801 on the site, you'll find it.

Any comments here peeps? Do you like the ring? Is it a good price? Do you know anything about this shop? Would you buy in-house certified diamonds or prefer GIA certification?

LEJC

ok I will give you my opinion on what you have written...and if you read previous posts on this thread you will see im not reaaly a fan of online purchasing...however that doesn't mean i'm against it....when you are spending that type of money I believe you should always see the diamond in the flesh before you purchase...there is such a variance and it is a considered purchase that will last a lifetime

The bit about in house certificates would slightly bother me...basically if they have set their own standard...the diamond may not match up to a true certification...and from that point of view there is no point having a certificate.You are the one that needs to be happy with the ring as you will wear it but from a "diamond clarity" point of view then your diamond will be less "Commercially attractive" as the certificate is not recognised.

the ring you have chosen is a classic style and very nice...white gold again is very popular,but sometimes it can tarnish easily and may need re dipping to maintain a good colour...something which you may need to consider....
You are certainly getting a lot of ring for the money as a 0.5 carat ring would be more expensive elsewhere unless you were able to buy second hand...

At the end of the day however if you are happy with the ring thats all that matters...remember it will be given as a gift of love to last a lifetime...so whilst I can tell you about cut and clarity and certification etc...its you and your opinion that matters ...not mine...best of luck

I often end up wearing 2 hats when commenting on this thread....
The one where I can tell about the jewellery specifications...colours clarity investment pieces
and
The sentimental side
and this is where there is sometimes differences...some people buy a ring as an investment so want the best for their money or at least advice on what will hold its value..and others want the ring not for what it costs but what it represents...and neither person is wrong..they are just different requirements.
When buying an engagement ring some want an investment and some the token of love...

If you buy for investment then the criteria would always be certification and clarity and possibly recognised manufacture in order to allow the ring to appreciate in value.

If you buy as a commitment of your love and a promise to marry then budget shouldn't figure in the cost.

Over the years I have seen beautiful rings costing thousands...ive seen equally beautiful rings costing fractions of that...and ive seen the tin foil ring that is priceless...because it was given with love...

london00

Lucyh81 wrote: »

Any comments here peeps? Do you like the ring? Is it a good price? Do you know anything about this shop? Would you buy in-house certified diamonds or prefer GIA certification?

At that price, and without the GIA (or equivalent) certification, it's likely that the diamond isn't the best cut. It's not a good sign that they don't detail any of the diamonds proportions. Most online places do.
It'll probably be quite deep or shallow, meaning a lot of the light that goes into it doesn't bounce out at the best angles. If that's the case, the sparkle or 'fire' won't be the best and the diamond might look quite dull.

The size of the diamond is great for the price and the colour is good - it'll look white to the naked eye. I just think it probably won't sparkle much.

I ended up taking the first ring I bought back because the diamond was too deep and when I got it home it didn't sparkle much. I bought one that was a better cut and the difference was very noticable.

What you could do (if you trust their return policy) is buy it and take it to a jewellery shop, look at some of theirs and compare them. Bear in mind the lights in those shops will make any diamond sparkle.

LEJC is right - buy whatever you're comfortable with and you'll love it. Good luck.

Mrs_Moore_To_Be

Lucyh81 wrote: »

Any comments here peeps? Do you like the ring? Is it a good price? Do you know anything about this shop? Would you buy in-house certified diamonds or prefer GIA certification?

My OH bought my ring from there. It sparkles so so much and im really happy with it.:T

I had to send it back to be re-sized and the man I spoke to couldnt do enough for me (Rob his name was) it has a lifetimne re-sizing guaruntee and I really felt I was in safe hands.

I havent even looked at the certification since we got it -its filed away somewhere.

If you like it thats all that matters. But if your looking for reassurance on the online shop - I couldnt fault it

Lucyh81

Thanks for the advice everyone. We took the plunge and ordered it last night. We'll then have a look round the shops to compare to other rings with the equivalent GIA certification. I discussed the returns policy with Rob so am happy that we're under no obligation to keep it if we're not 100% happy.

Will keep you posted

hallpart

Rnigs are very expensive but brother its depend on your pocket diamond rings are very expensive but you can buy cheap ring.weddings come once in life so i suggest to don't hesitate and buy a special stuff for your girl friend.

Lucyh81

We're really pleased with the ring and service from Diamond Manufacturers. When it arrived, we visited a high street jewellers to look at diamond rings with the same diamond specification. Our one looked just as beautiful against them and we're not worried about the lack of GIA certification.

We did send it back for a slightly wider band and they couldn't do enough for us.

In true MSE style, we also found a 10% voucher code and a further 7% through topcashback

I can understand that many people would want a GIA certificate for their ring but if this isn't a high priority for you, I'd definitely recommend this company.

I just have to be patient now and wait for the proposal

Thanks for the advice everyone

roseability_2

Hi All

I was wondering if anyone could help me with something that's been puzzling me... my OH proposed a few weeks ago with a gorgeous engagement ring from 'the diamond store'- it's beautiful and I totally adore it :j. Annoyingly for him, it went down by £150 after he'd purchased it.. and i've just seen that whereas it's insurance value was around £2000 (so for the ring I have), now it's value is only £1200 even though it's the same ring, just cheaper. As far as I know they're a genuine company, but I just can't figure out why the insurance value changed and it's bugging me. Anyone know?

Thanks!

LEJC

The insurance value given to something is usually more than its true value...this is mainly because the insurance value is the replacment value of something.
At the moment if you were to lose your ring you could probably go out and buy exactly the same one for the same price...but say if you lose your ring in 3 years time you may not be able to buy the ring for the same price as you have just bought it for...and it may not even be possible to buy as it has been discontinued...the insurance value given should be enough for you to be able to get a replacement of your ring...basically if your ring is no longer in production then the insurance company in your case will pay up to £2000 for you to buy a like for like replacement...this doesn't have to be from the retailer you originally bought the ring from.