Engagement Ring Assistance

Rogar

Hi,

I was wondering if someone could help me.

I am looking at buying an engagement ring for my girlfriend but unfortuatly don’t have a lot of cash to buy a nice decent one…

Could anyone give me ideas on where I can but a nice inexpensive engagement ring? – My budget is between £600 - £800 (maybe 1k if the ring is a bargain!).

I would like the diamond to be a minimum of 0.4ct and would like there to be no inclusions that can be seen by the naked eye.

Most importantly I don’t want to get ripped off and buy something cheap and tacky when I can get something much better for equal price…

Does any one have any suggestions on where to look and also inexpensive ways to pop the question :P

Thanks for taking the time in reading this and I appreciate any input/help given.

Best regards,
Rogar

Fat_Boy

Whereabouts in the UK do you live? The Hatton Garden area of London is pretty good for a bargain. £6-800 should get you a pretty nice ring there, especially if you're after yellow or white gold, platinum might make your budget a bit small for what you want.

Good luck.

**confuzzled**

£600-£800:eek::eek: I'll have to tell my DH he got me cheap for £350:rotfl::rotfl:

Have you had a look at the high street shops like H samuels, beaver brooks etc they're usually really good prices. If you're looking for something a bit more bespoke how about going straight to an independent jewellers and asking them what they can do for you? Or do you live near a city that has a jewellery quarter like Birmingham or London?!?

If you go to a reputable place then you won't get ripped off:) Also ask around, the really good places tend to get business purely from word of mouth:)

HTH x

AbFab

First of all, congratulations! I trust she will say yes!

Where are you based?

www.the-quarter.com would be good if you are close-ish to Birmingham, or www.hatton-garden.net/ if London is close.

I personally wouldn't want to buy an engagement ring online, but I am sure it is possible, if London or Birmingham aren't in your locale. Each town has independent jewellers, so you can barter with them as they know you have options of going elsewhere.

Do you want to get something made bespoke, or will you pick something when you see it?

Do you know what shape diamond she would like best? Do you know what style setting? These were just as important to me (a girl) as the carat. Do you trust yourself to get her something she will love for what it is (not just because you chose it)?

As for the proposal, you should tailor it to something special, significant and personal to you/her/the both of you.
What does she like? What IS she like? Any hobbies? Any passions? Where was your first date? I would try and sound her out - if you can't do this yourself without raising suspicions, get a trusted friend of hers to.

kindofagilr

It amazes me how much money gets spent on a engagement ring.

I picked my own ring and it cost a whopping £250, I love it so much, I wouldnt want any other ring.

Are you sure your girlfriend will want you to spend that much money on a ring.

It just pains me when men think they need to set a money limit then look for a ring in that limit, how about you look for a ring and when you (or when you think you see one your girlfiend) will fall in love with then see if its in your price range?

penniesforme

Depents on whether you want a certified diamond or a non certified one. Certified ones are obviously mroe expensive.

Also, do you want a white ring or a gold one? White: it can be white gold or platinum. for £6-800, it would be impossible to get a .4k stone and platinum setting. if you choose white gold, bear in mind that WG will tarnish and needs to be re-plated. I would suggest Palladium instead of a WG ring. Palladium is as durable as platinum but cheaper as it is not hallmarked yet.

Firstly, there are two major bodies that certify diamonds: the GIA and EGL. EGL standarfds are thought to be somewhat lower than GIA ones (eg: a EGL F colour may be a GIA G/H)

Colour: wouldnt suggest u go any lower than a G for GIA certified and F for EGL certified. Colour affects the overall look of the diamond. the lower the colour the brighter the stone will appear to be.

Inclusion: IF-SI2 cannot be seen with the naked eye. U can also go down 1 grade to SI3, you cannot find anything of SI2 and above. GIA does not have a SI3 category - obly EGL certified diamonds.

Also, Princess cut stones are slightly cheaper than Round Brilliant cuts.

HTH. I recently got married and i spent hours researching for my engagement ring and wedding ring. so ask me if you need more info.

also, my jeweller is very good and knowledgeable. let me know if you want his details.

onewingedangel

my partner paid 5 pounds for mine. he got it off ebay.lol

penniesforme

btw: i would not buy anything from the high street jewellers unless its on sale. on average, they charge about 25% more for engagement and wedding rings.

Silverbird

Not sure where you live, but Birmingham Jewellery Quarter is fantastic! OH got my engagement ring there and we got our wedding rings there as well. There is a train station in the quarter, which is handy if you're travelling far. So many jewellery shops that you won't know where to begin and the prices are incredibly reasonable.

Good luck!

Rogar

Firstly, I'd like to thank everyone for such a great response - I expected maybe 1 or 2 replies but nothing like this!!!

I have the perfect place on where to ask the question now!!! I asked her out by this wall when we were kids and it was also where we first met so that's going to be awesome!!

As for the ring, I have tried getting some ideas from her but all she says is she won't care as long as we are together (that sort of thing...)...

I just want to get her the best I can afford (she'd be happy with £10 ring or something)...

My idea of her ring..

Carat: 0.4ct
Colour: H/I +
Clarity: SI1 +
Cut: Ideal/exzcellent

ring: yellow gold.

Thanks again!!

foxy-roxy

wow, all that stuff you are quoting i have no idea about, if my OH was going to propose to me i would just want a ring that looked nice, that's all, i wouldn't care about the price, how much ct was in it, as long as it looks nice and doesn't make my finger go green then i would be happy.

Good Luck