Engagement Ring

Plans_all_plans

Well for me, they couldn't give me any sort of guarantee that they were sourcing their diamons/metals ethically. That's the main reason why I didn't go near them.

I also felt that I knew exactly what I was getting from BlueNile: the clarity, colour etc were outlined, whereas with the high street jewellers, all they ever told me about was the carat and that was it.

I also felt that they were dearer (and for a worse quality product)

barbiedoll

If she has tiny slim fingers like me, then a huge stone can be very annoying as they tend to slip around your finger and you're forever fiddling with it to keep it on show.

0.3ct is a fine size for a diamond, mine is only 0.25ct and it's still my favourite piece of jewellery. It really isn't the size that counts, it's the sentiment behind it, so don't go thinking that because you buy her a big diamond, she'll think that you love her more. Believe me, she will appreciate a man who doesn't start off his married life in a load of debt, far more!

VK-2008

you know i would just go inyo jewellers, see one you think will suit and get it
i love my husband he picked my ring, white gold was the only heads up and a solitaire that i said to him. he came back picked a goregous ring - tbh i couldnt tell u anything else about my ring becuase IT DOES NOT MATTER - my ring is not the most expensive but not a cheapie, the fact that my dh took time to pick a ring, is all that matters and i am PROUD my husband picked it
i personally think the wedding ring is more important
wishing you all the happiness in your furture xx

retepetsir

Plans_all_plans wrote: »

Hi I'm not sure what companies you've looked at online, but I'd highly recommend www.bluenile.co.uk The product quality is fab and the customer service second to none. As well as this, they have an ethical sourcing policy which was very important to me.

A 0.31 carat diamond is what I have and it doesn't look particularly small on my hand. I didn't want lots of inclusions (if that's the right word?) in mine, but we couldn't afford anything bigger without inclusions, so settled on the 0.31.

We got a wedding and engagement ring set from bluenile and it was cheaper too, so you could maybe think about that.

I would say that proposing with a cheapo token ring and choosing one together afterwards is the way to go myself, but best of luck whatever you decide.

I also got the fiancee's engagement ring from Blue Nile after doing a 'lot' of research!

She didn't want anything too big (having previous talks casually about it all) and so I also went for a 0.31 carat, princess cut in a platinum setting but with near perfect colour/clarity. So a small diamond but a good one!

She seemed happy with it, and tbh it seems big enough to me. some of them look awful when they're massive .

:T

minimoneysaver

Ryan it is a small ring, but that depends if she likes more bling and bigger or is happy with smaller. Only you will know the answer to that, but you don't want her to be disappointed with something she has to wear everyday...if she says yes.

Kathy535

I'd support all the suggestions of getting a token ring. I thought I wanted a specific style but when I tried them on (after DH had proposed in a stinky alleyway next to a sandwich shop!!) I really didn't like what I thought I wanted. He had taken me to the shop where he'd picked out a ring that matched my spec, in the end we trawled the county and found something perfect but so different to what I'd expected to get.

You know your gf best so you'll know whether she's the type to stick to her first thought (or even whether she's been secretly visiting jewellers and trying on rings) so good luck!

skintchick

My ring has a centre stone of .5 carats and two outside stones of .3 carats each, and having twisted it round on my finger and covered the other two up, I think .3 is a lovely size for a solitaire, aslong as she doesn't have huge hands and knuckles like i do! Normal hands will look fine with that size IMO.

It will also be lovely and sparkly with that colour. I can;t comment much on the cut but sounds pretty.

claire16c

mcarthyryan wrote: »

WOW, thank you everyone for the replies!! Very good advice everyone

I found the one on Blue Nile like other have suggested. And looking at other sites which people have suggested, it seems to be the best?

I fully understand what everyone is saying about a token ring, but I really want to choose it myself and for it to be a complete suprise for her. Which I think it will......Although that is going against what most people are suggesting.

I've been a bit silly and left it until the last minute sorting this out, as we are going on holiday on the 2nd Feb, and I really wanted it before then.

I'm from Yorkshire, so is there any well known jewelers which I could visit locally?

Is 0.3ct really too small do you think?


Thanks again everyone

I think people are suggesting you use a token ring, because lots of women think they know what sort of ring they want, only to change their mind when they try them on! And its not like its a ring she'll wear once, she'll wear it forever so its important she really loves it.

Size wise it just depends on your girlfriends tastes, your budget etc.

Every woman is so different in taste and have different lifestyles - which is another reason a token ring is a good idea!

I would suggest getting a 0.3 round cut though as you will get a bigger stone for your money than a princess cut, if you are concerned and want to suprise her. And they are sparklier. And just make sure you can take it back if you need to.

gwhizz75

I don't agree with the posters who have said to basically forget about the quality of the diamond and go for size instead. At the end of the day, it depends what your fiancee to be values in a diamond. I personally would hate it if my engagement ring had a visible inclusion in it. I would see it every time I looked at the ring and it would ruin the beauty of it for me.

My engagement ring has a diamond with excellent cut, D colour, VS1 clarity and excellent polish and symmetry. You get what you pay for and it is the brightest, sparkliest, most beautiful diamond I've ever seen! Remember also that a well cut diamond will face up larger than another diamond of the same carat weight which isn't cut as well.

Personally, in the size that you are looking at, I would drop to an F colour (as this is still colourless and you won't notice a difference between E and F) and I would go for clarity of VS2 but phone the vendor and ask them to check that it is eye-clean (no inclusions visible to the naked eye). The majority of VS2 rings are eye-clean so you should have no problems. I wouldn't necessarily pay the premium for a "signature ideal" diamond - these are just ideal cut diamonds which the vendor puts a premium on if they fit a certain set of measurements - realistically, any ideal/excellent cut diamond will sparkle like crazy.

If you do the above, you can probably go up to a 0.4 carat for a similar price, and this will be noticeably bigger. I also have to second the advice to go for a round diamond unless your g/f has specified she definitely wants something else. They look bigger and sparkle more, they're classic and will never go out of fashion.

minerva_windsong

I am another one who would go with the token ring and then going shopping for the proper ring together, mainly because I like the idea of it being something that we chose as a couple. I have to disagree with those saying size over quality though - I would much prefer a smaller diamond with good colour and clarity than a huge one where the colour wasn't as good.

I would probably go for an independent though if I could, but that's because I like 'classic with a twist' jewellery, and Blue Nile and the like seem to offer more 'classic' shapes for the band. But she's your girlfriend and you know what she likes. If you want it to be a surprise asking her mum/sister/friend is a good idea as well, as they might have more of an idea (and if you trust them not to blab!).