Engagement Rings (merged)

Ampalian

All about Diamonds

I am a jeweller of 30 years. Ask anything you like.

**edit by MSE controller 2 - Sorry no links to websites you have financial interest in other than referrers board***

mango1966

I have heard on the grapevine that the price of rings (especially those of the engagement kind within your average high street jeweller) are there to be knocked down.

Apparently there is an enormous profit margin on them therfore creating room for negotiation for those that still want to be thrifty as well as romantic. Is there any truth in that wild rumour?.

Pink.

There do seem to be massive profit margins on rings.

My husband bought me a diamond solitaire for my 40th birthday and managed to get the manager to knock £700.00 off the original price.

If it's an engagement ring you are looking for, I'd be a bit careful about over-enthusiastic bartering as it could leave your future wife with a less than romantic memory.;)

Good luck!

Pink

fatboyonadiet

Forget High Street find your nearest Jewellery quarter or equivalent, I used on in Manchester and saved over 30% from high street and have used one in the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham and saved over 40% from high street. Customer Service is so much better and they can make the ring to exactly how you want it.

THRIFTY_JO

Try the person the High Street jewellers send their repairs to. My H2B got mine there and althought I don't know the price he was told to insure it for 30% more than he paid to get an equivalent
He also got to choose the stone and the setting which made all the more personal.
Soppy romantic at heart!

Thrifty Jo

VickyA_2

My husband to be (ooh, scary!) had a diamond from his late gran that was going to be sold on for peanuts as it was in an unfashionable gold setting. We found a decent jeweller who was able to set it in platinum - well, it was sent to the Birmingham jewellery quarter and they've done a fantastic job. Exactly what I wanted. We were told that it should retail at 4 times the price of having it set.

Okay, so not everyone has a diamond ring lying around, but it's a great option if you do.

margaretclare

My engagement ring isn't actually an engagement ring - we bought it in a little jeweller's shop in Llangollen, N Wales, while on holiday there. It's from Clogau Gold - see https://www.clogau.co.uk and it's part of their birthstone collection. I wanted a sapphire (not my birthstone!) and I got to choose a dark sapphire or a lighter blue one - apparently the lighter blue are more valuable. Anyway, it was a reasonable price and I got something fairly unusual.

My original engagement ring from 1957 was a Victorian setting of tiny diamonds - we scrabbled around and dragged out all our loose change to find the two-and-half pounds that it cost.

Vicky, I think your re-setting of your husband's grandmother's diamond is a lovely use of it, and I'm sure she'd be pleased.

Aunty Margaret

macchicken

Jewellery is generally marked up 300%!!!!!!!
Yep ypu read it right!
If you are spending a lot be cheeky and ask for discount, the shop will try and say no but they wont risk loosing a sale (especially if its a big one) or aks for their insurace for free!
Go to a goldsmith they can offer you something unique and afforadble!
My own engagment ring cost way, way ,way too much!!!!! (he'd get thrown off mse) but my h2b choose just right!
Its all about getting the right ring and it is also an investment for the future!

Poppy9

My oh used to be a diamond mounter/goldsmith. Yep jewellers mark up at least 300%. You get better value having a goldsmith make your ring as you can choose your stone out of the setting thus seeing any flaws which a decent setter can disguise. No point buying jewellery for investment purposes as the scrap value is literally scrap price of gold and diamond at cost price less reduction for being second hand. As I have mentioned on other threads you are better off recycling your jewellery than trying to sell it. Engagement/stone rings can be opened out and a pin attached to make a bar brooch. Broken chains, rings etc can be melted down and made into a charm or bangle or even wedding ring.

Welsh gold has very little welsh gold in it. Ask what percentage before you buy. If a 9ct ring has 37% gold the welsh gold bit might be only be 1% though.

You will only get your money back on jewellery - hopefully -if its fully insured. Most insurance companies like to deal direct with jewellers to benefit from discounts.

margaretclare

Poppy9 wrote:

Welsh gold has very little welsh gold in it. Ask what percentage before you buy. If a 9ct ring has 37% gold the welsh gold bit might be only be 1% though.

Yes, the 'contains rare Welsh gold' used to advertise clogau rings didn't actually persuade us to buy the sapphire birthstone ring as an engagement ring.

We wanted something unusual (his 2 ex's had had diamond, the usual kkind of engagement ring) We didn't want to be reminded of anything that had gone before. And we liked it.

Aunty Margaret