Engagement Rings (merged)

stumpjumper

aye thats the thing, i remember when i was looking this time last year, i was working with a jewellers my family have used for years - gave him the kind of diamond i was looking for, and the spec of a diamond i had found over in the US.

the price including shipping and VAT/import tax was still way below what he could source here in the UK... with the diamond trade going on a £1=$1 trading price :eek:

in the end i imported the diamond and he made the ring to my design. Had the diamond appraised by an independant appraiserof my choosing before it was shipped to ensure it was what i was bought.

Claire02

Hi, I would recommend going to the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham too. There is a lot of choice, the opportunity to haggle and the people really know their stuff and are willing to share their knowledge and expertise.

I have friends who have used the area in two ways. One set of friends went with pictures cut out of magazines and a design in mind (including what cut/clarity etc they wanted) and asked the jewellers what it would cost. Another friend went with a price in mind and asked to see what he could afford rather than being tempted to overspend (the old romantic!)

Good luck and don't forget to ask for a discount!

samanthaknd

wilsons wrote:

Apologies. The second jeweller said 42 points not 32 points! Sorry. Is this still too far off the mark? I can’t make out the initials either. At the time of purchase we did specify 50 points though…

ok wilson I know this may not help but if the second jeweller said it was 42 points and your reciept says approx 50, the jeweller you bought it from can maybe justify this by saying it was approx?. Don't know how this works but I would certainly go and visit them to find out if there has been a mistake, sometimes gems like diamonds which are sold in batches are each individually weighed and the smallest one would then be the approx size of gem. but if that is the case then why would it say approx 50?. Go get it checked out.

samanthaknd

lol I am not a diamond person I prefer emeralds and rubies and the nice little hot pink sapphires sold on gem tv they are great but wouldn't buy as you never know if the gems are worth their price or if it is even the real deal. But I hope u get everything sorted, even if they gave you a partial refund, it would be better, as i'm sure by now your ring will hold a sentimental value, my engagement ring I got 5 years ago has I think it's a 2.5 point diamond ring which is more than enough for me, partner was still at college got change from £50 but it is so sentimental to me the size of the diamond isn't important.

Bargain_Babe-a-Licious!

Hi Don :-)

If you haven't bought one already...
We bought mine from Boodle & Dunthorne (Manchester) & were treated incredibly well by Adam who works there.
The ring is tip top quality... you DO get what you pay for & we voted with our consumer cash.
2 happy customers & money well spent.
*** Don't be intimidated by the guard on the locked door - it's a friendly service once you are in.

bommer

If you haven't already bought your ring I would definitely try the jewellry quarter in Birmingham. You can either buy one ready made or have one made. I had a ring made for me a few years ago and I was given the choice of how it was to look and the jeweller ask how much I wanted to spend and found the jewels within that price range. I was then given the choice on the stones that I wanted. As I was dealing direct with the maker it was great.

maxiscot

Hi - Have you bought your ring yet? I have found picking out a diamond and having it set good value - yet get a better quality stone for a better price than in B+M. I used bluenile but there are lots of other ones to go for. A word of warning about non-certificated diamonds - the jeweller tells you it is an SI1/2 and G colour. Without a certificate (preferably GIA) you could be buying a H/I/J or below and an SI3 and not really know it and be paying for higher quality stones. HTH

Brutus_Beefcake

wilsons - what happened then ?

heroicnich

I know this might not be useful advice to you, but consider getting an antique ring. I got mine in October (yay!), and spent a couple of days trying on things and thinking about them (got asked with a token ring because OH knows how picky I am !). Then got a gorgeous 1920s ring, totally unique, resized for me, and LOTS of rock for your money! Plus the insurance valuation is lots more than the purchase price so we know it is well covered!

CardiffSi

I have been loking for an e-ring for a while, the best sites for an education in diamonds I have found are below. It all depends on what you want, but if you want to walk into a jewlers and embarress them with knowledge, these sites are worth a visit. High street jewlers are the worst place to get a ring, mark up 30%. Find an internet site you trust and get it form there.

If you want the best deal, get a flight to New York, buy the ring there (which will be cheaper and better quality) and get a nice holiday thrown in. I am not condoning walking through the green channel on the way back in, but if its on the finger!!!!

Check out the 'Hearts and Arrows' diamonds on goodoldgold. Just amazing.

http://www.pricescope.com/ - Forum on diamonds and pricing
http://www.goodoldgold.com - Best diamonds site i have found
http://www.niceice.com - Fantastic guide on buying diamonds