Engagement Rings (merged)

danievans

make me laugh... you can not tell what a diamond looks like from a piece of paper, get off your armchairs and get out and go and look at one in the flesh, not on its own either, view it side by side with other stones and compare it.

Diamonds that come with a GIA certificate are NOT any better than diamonds that come with another certificate. GIA make no guarantees about their grading, and neither do any other labs. Savvy buyers can save ££££housands of pounds, just don't fall into the trap of "buying the certificate".

Diamonds, all diamonds (natural) come from the earth and are millions of years old, so "GIA" diamonds and "HRD" diamonds and "AGS" diamonds are all the same material. Of course some labs have better reputations than others, and every grading is subjective. 10 diamonds graded by GIA would liked achieve different grades elsewhere, but resubmit the same 10 diamonds to GIA and its likely they would also come back with a different "opinions" because they are graded by human beings looking at a master set of stones and giving their opinion about what colour they think it might be.

If its borderline E-F some labs will err on the side of the F whereas others are more confident that it is an E. Do your homework and find a high end bespoke jeweller that can assist you in sourcing a diamond, and then designing and hand-fabricating something from scratch.

If you are determined to pay the cheapest price possible, then frankly you deserve to get what you pay for. And dont be surprised if you are dissapointed with the end result. Quality costs, and good quality handmade pieces will outlast anything made by a machine.

High street retailers are expensive because of their overheads, and the mass produced volume sellers like bluenile have low margins because they rely on selling thousands of rings a day, but dont expect to be able to pass on your ring to your children as a family heirloom!

Find something priced inbetween the two extremes, go for quality over quantity and choose a jeweller that you think you can trust, that will work with you on a one to one basis. Its an engagement ring that you'll wear everyday for the rest of your life, its not a pair of shoes!

CompBunny

danievans wrote: »

make me laugh... you can not tell what a diamond looks like from a piece of paper, get off your armchairs and get out and go and look at one in the flesh, not on its own either, view it side by side with other stones and compare it.

Diamonds that come with a GIA certificate are NOT any better than diamonds that come with another certificate. GIA make no guarantees about their grading, and neither do any other labs. Savvy buyers can save ££££housands of pounds, just don't fall into the trap of "buying the certificate".

Diamonds, all diamonds (natural) come from the earth and are millions of years old, so "GIA" diamonds and "HRD" diamonds and "AGS" diamonds are all the same material. Of course some labs have better reputations than others, and every grading is subjective. 10 diamonds graded by GIA would liked achieve different grades elsewhere, but resubmit the same 10 diamonds to GIA and its likely they would also come back with a different "opinions" because they are graded by human beings looking at a master set of stones and giving their opinion about what colour they think it might be.

If its borderline E-F some labs will err on the side of the F whereas others are more confident that it is an E. Do your homework and find a high end bespoke jeweller that can assist you in sourcing a diamond, and then designing and hand-fabricating something from scratch.

If you are determined to pay the cheapest price possible, then frankly you deserve to get what you pay for. And dont be surprised if you are dissapointed with the end result. Quality costs, and good quality handmade pieces will outlast anything made by a machine.

High street retailers are expensive because of their overheads, and the mass produced volume sellers like bluenile have low margins because they rely on selling thousands of rings a day, but dont expect to be able to pass on your ring to your children as a family heirloom!

Find something priced inbetween the two extremes, go for quality over quantity and choose a jeweller that you think you can trust, that will work with you on a one to one basis. Its an engagement ring that you'll wear everyday for the rest of your life, its not a pair of shoes!

I do agree with some of what you say, although I should stress that the guidelines that I posted are for people who do want to buy online. If a diamond is bought unseen, a GIA certified stone is more likely to be of a higher standard than an EGL certified stone that is supposedly of the same grade. Yes, its subjective but as you said some labs are stricter than others. And I absolutely agree about buying the stone and not the paper, its just the paper can help an online customer make a good selection as they are provided with measurements so can make sure they don't accidentally order a stone thats too shallow/girdle too thin for the setting they like etc etc.

Totally agree that the best case scenario is to find a good quality jeweller to work with but its not always an option.

badgermonster

Has anyone used David Law to produce a ring?

thanks

danievans

no, doesnt he use cad/cam etc? I prefer jewellery that is hand fabricated, its stronger and far superior in quality. Cad/cam uses casting, so molten metal is poured into mould, they use different alloys and inevitably you end up with porosity and pit holes etc, not good for durability especially on claws. It might look ok at a cursory glance (after all, the vast majority of jewellery is created this way nowadays), but you wont find any of these pieces being handed down as heir looms in 90 years time like the pieces made by hand in the 20s.

sharonsbrillance

Anything sent overseas is likely to have import duties. It will depend on what country (recipient country) it gets shipped to though and what courier you or the seller will be using. That can be quite a tricky issue, so prior to ordering, i recommend contacting your local customs office for details on international import policies and fee structures since, like you said, it can add a significant amount to what you're going to pay for in total.

It's better to do computations first!

mvarrier

If you ordered it in the USA and then got someone to collect it (can have it fedex'd to any address) but not declare it when they return it would save 20% VAT. If the ring was £5000 pounds you would save £1000 and could even fly out with the gf and propose there with that.
This is illegal though :-(

danievans

mvarrier wrote: »

If you ordered it in the USA and then got someone to collect it (can have it fedex'd to any address) but not declare it when they return it would save 20% VAT. If the ring was £5000 pounds you would save £1000 and could even fly out with the gf and propose there with that.
This is illegal though :-(

Yes its called smuggling. Anyone caught smugglnig will face a hefty fine plus be liable for the vat and duty plus have the goods confiiscated. You could also be at risk of getting caught every single time you fly back into the UK from abroad. Thats great advice.

hammers81uk

I am looking to have a engagement ring made, I have a very nice diamond already but not sure where to go to have it started etc, I live in Essex, work in London if anyone knows of anywhere good but not to pricey that could help?

Mnay thanks.

Devonstar12

My ring is worth $3,500. When we discussed getting engaged I suggested he use the ring he brought me on our first Christmas together it's only worth $150. He said I deserved another ring. People who say you should spend less than a wedding ring I disagree with. Wedding rings are bands and the engagement ring should be the fancy ring. Discus what your partner would like and get her what she wants. She has to wear it after all.

ryanxavier

There is many information in this thread about the jewelry and products, Keep coming back here, this place always awaits readers like you.