Engagement ring for around £200 - advice please

LEJC

RuthnJasper wrote: »

However - do bear in mind that the ring is a symbol - and it is what it symbolises (your love and commitment to each other) that's important. If a man I loved wanted to marry me I'd be happy with a £50 (or less!)-job from the Argos catalogue!:D

Couldn't have said it better myself...

jethro08

I can recommend the second hand jewlery shops. My engagement ring is second hand and has a saphire and two dimonds, this was a fraction of the price of the new one.

I have one very happy fiance now lol

MrsDrink

With regards to debates about quality of diamonds - Paul, you know what sort of ring your Fiance-To-Be would love and cherish. I personally could not give a hoot about clarity/colour - I also personally wouldn't want a solitaire... in fact I don't actually have an engagement ring. (I have a ring that was made using the diamonds from my grandma's engagement ring, and the sapphire from my 21st birthday ring - that ring means far more to me than any other ring possibly could so why bother ). I wholeheartedly agree with LEJC - take on board what has been said, but at the end of the day you know your OH and you know what sort of thing she'd be happy with.

Good luck with the proposal!

withabix

Try:

http://www.geraldonline.com/categories/Jewellery-Rings/cid-CK00000432.aspx?Rfs=catZZck00000432PYXQattrZZCK00000431-001VPYQ7674PYXQctZZattrVPYQCK00000431-001__7674

Yes, this is Gerald Ratner, but the jewellery is the same stuff that Samuels and others sell for twice as much or more.

Sizes go up to Z1 and Z2 in a lot of rings.

PaulShopper

The comments are all helpful, thanks.

I doubt the quality of the diamond is that important, as while people who know about jewellery may tell the difference I doubt she will examine diamond clarify under the microscope - hopefully not anyway! The ring is a token after all, as RuthnJasper wrote.

I didn't know Ratner was still in business, but the website does look to contain some big discounts on the face of it. 18ct White Gold 0.25ct Diamond Shoulders Engagement Ring - Item No: 01020197 - has 12 diamonds and only costs £275.74! 10.1% Topcashback too! This could be the solution...

Saturnalia

Would you be willing to go for a diamond with a visible flaw? Personally I prefer those, I think they look more natural than the flawless kind. They are interesting and dirt-cheap.

baffledsalmon

The point I was trying to make, is that if you pay £200 in a highstreet shop, the quality will be no where as good as if you go to somewhere like the jewellery quarter... so why bother? Why not spend £200 on something of good quality rather than getting ripped off? This site is aimed at saving money, so would you spend £5 on a Tesco Value pack of biscuits "because it's what it symbolises" or get Fortnum and Mason for the same price and know you got a good deal?

MrsDrink

I actually agree with you baffled . I guess I read your first post as 'don't waste your time you need more than £200 to get the perfect diamond'. But I do agree - Paul should try to get the best for his money. I personally wouldn't buy jewelry from a highstreet chain just because of their inflated prices, but I know what I want/like. Incidentally the local jeweler who MrD commissioned for my non-engagement ring used a goldsmith in brum - I presume from the jewellery quarter. We'll be getting our wedding bands from the same jewelers because they are about half the price of beaverbrooks/goldsmiths/h.samuels.

Saturnalia - my sapphire has a flaw running through it and I love it!! I would be able to pick it out in a crowd of other sapphires - it is all mine!!

RuthnJasper

LEJC wrote: »

Couldn't have said it better myself...

To be honest, if my boyfriend got down one one knee and offered me a Hula Hoop crisp, I'd still say "YES PLEASE!" (But I might eat the crisp).:D

Angel_of_Tomfoolery

Are you dead set on a solitaire ring? I thought I wanted one, until I saw mine, which has three diamonds of the same size on a slim band in 9 carat white gold. It was in a small, local independant jewellery shop and cost about £150 (if I remember correctly). It definately wasn't expensive as we had very little money at the time lol. I have no idea about the quality of the diamonds but they're mine and I love them!