Engagement Ring Advice.

Peter_the_Gamer

Hi guys,

Firstly, I'm new here, so go easy on me. Secondly I'm not asking in any way advice RE how much to spend.

I'm looking to purchase an engagement ring, I've found one I really like and I know she'll love, within my budget. I am however concious about all the elements that come with buying a ring. The right clarity, cut, size etc.

This is the one I've found and love, but I guess my question is... is there anything that stands out to you guys? There doesn't seem to be any alarm bells going off for me, but was hoping somebody with experience might be able to calm my concerns.

Due to being new I can't post the link, therefore below are the details.

Retailer: H.Samuel
Birth stone: April
Brand: The Forever Diamond
Diamond: 0.54 carat
Diamond clarity: P1
Diamond colour: I
Material: Platinum
Stone shape: Round Stone
Style: Solitaire
Stone type: Diamond
Width: 0.5 cm
(Certificated Diamond)

Thanks so much in advance,
Peter

DomRavioli

It looks tiny. I'd be disappointed, but I have a 5 carat amethyst that was far cheaper and is quite unique.

Why not ask someone close to her, a friend perhaps for her opinion?

LEJC

my thoughts for what they are worth...

Size...its not a bad size...afterall size isnt everything and if thats what you and she want then there is nothing wrong with a half a carat of beautiful diamond....

although what i will say is I think you can do better for your money stepping away from H sams...

who is the diamond certified by...there are literally thousands of companies who certify and not all to the same standard so if you want anything thats worth the certification then you need to be looking for the most recognised companies...GIA is a good place to start.

Good to see you are opting for platinum...its quite a heavy metal to wear daily,but in my opinion a much better choice than white gold....it just sets the bar for a platinum wedding ring in time too!!!!

The colour and clarity could be better...to the naked eye you will see a half carat diamond but in terms of clarity and therefore brightness and shine I would see if you can get something a little further up the scale.
Again with colour side by side with another further up the scale you may notice a little difference....what you have chosen will still sparkle but if you look at grading scales then the combination you have are quite low down so in a perfect world you could look at bringing those up a little without much compromise on size if at all....the higher you can get boy=th factors up the scales the better diamond you end up with.

Have you done lots of research on this before choosing H sam or indeed viewed perhaps some different colour and clarity combinations?

Has your research been on line only or have you seen these beauties in the flesh....an internet pic can sometimes be vastly magnified and when you then see it for real it may not be quite as magnificent.

If not a good place to start would be an independant jeweller who will in my experience give you a far better service than a typical high street chain...one of the reasons being they tend to source better diamonds a little further up the scales....the independants deal with diamond merchants direst so can source something a little more unique than a company that buy something within a certain range on the spectrum.
Another advantage is with an independent or jewellery manufacturing shop you can usually haggle very well to bring down the price or trade up in terms of quality....something that you cant always do that easily on the high street.

dont be fooled by 10% off wedding rings or enticed by free cleaning with the high streets either....any jeweller will offer this as standard....same with sales £500 off usually means it was inflated by that price for a period of time to allow it to be reduced in a sale....

you have a healthy budget ...assuming I found the correct ring online on their website...it could be used a little more wisely in my opinion...and I dont mean by choosing something of a substantially different style or type of stone

putting it into summary...you have a reasonable size stone...not the best in terms of colour and sparkle but you are being charged top money because you are buying on the high street.

having said all that....an engagement ring is a love token and will be worn for a long time...its sentimental value to a woman always far out weighs its monetry value...and in a perfect world its not something you buy to sell on in a few years because its doubled in value!!!!!
(but I do agree its nice to be able to hand something of value on to the grand kids)

Go with the best you can afford and what you are comfortable with...although if you havent looked anywhere else...I would suggest there are better places to buy
The beauty of diamonds is that there is usually one for everyone whether that be a large slightly milky one or a small perfectly formed one....and all the combinations inbetween...
good luck with finding yours.

Peter_the_Gamer

@LEJC - What a fantastically detailed reply, thank you for spending your time to write it.

I must admit the majority of my research has been done online and the more I've done the more I've since been put off chains and heading more towards and independent route. I will source some local indie retailers and head in for a chat with them and see what they say. From what you've said they may have more scope to offer me more for my budget.

Thanks again for your reply and I'll be sure to let you know how I get on.

HappyMJ

DomRavioli wrote: »

It looks tiny. I'd be disappointed, but I have a 5 carat amethyst that was far cheaper and is quite unique.

Why not ask someone close to her, a friend perhaps for her opinion?

http://www.hsamuel.co.uk/webstore/d/2998971/the+forever+diamond+platinum++twist+diamond+ring/

I think it's very nice.

I would not be disappointed at all.

cashewnut

£2900 for point 5 of a carat seems madness to me! My ring (bought two years ago from Hatton Garden) is point 3 and was just under £700 (granted it's 18 ct white gold, not platinum).

I would recommend a trip to London (Hatton Garden) or Birmingham for its jewellery quarter if either is not too far away - you will get more bang for your buck than the likes of H Samuel or Ernest Jones.

I did end up getting my wedding ring from Ernest Jones though - worked out cheaper than independent shops as I went through topcashback If you get the H Samuel ring MAKE SURE you get topcashback or quidco if they have offers as this could save you a packet!

debralee_2

I wouldn't buy that ring. It is very overpriced for what it is and a diamond graded as P1 means it will have inclusions visible to the naked eye!

My OH bought my engagement ring from Purely Diamonds and we bought our wedding rings from there as well. They were really helpful with all of our queries before purchasing and you get better value for money.

For example this ring is £1,974, you get a total diamond weight of 0.65ct and much better colour and clarity http://www.purelydiamonds.co.uk/a-beautiful-round-brilliant-cut-diamond-ring-with-pear-shoulder-stones-in-plati?cat=45&gclid=CjwKEAjw7e66BRDhnrizmcGc8VcSJABR6gaRlo-ImPCAtm0iOCxZj3tvVqdCG-Hw9FJ_1H0y-4hunRoC-c_w_wcB&metal=29&catid=42&p=2

Hope that is of some help.

Debra :-)

p.s. You can also get 5% Quidco cashback with Purely Diamonds!

dragonsoup

It's very pretty but for that price you'd get a much better quality diamond away from the chain jewellers

Lavendyr

As others have said I think it's overpriced, albeit a beautiful ring.

My hubby bought mine from Blue Nile, it's 0.4 carat, 18 carat white gold, and a much higher quality of diamond than the one H Samuel are offering.

Hatton Garden is also a good place to go.

I wouldn't buy it - I'd find a better quality diamond - for far less - elsewhere.

Peter_the_Gamer

Thank you everybody, I'm overwhelmed by the replies. Very insightful and very helpful. I'm heading to a local jewellers in the week (recommended and also rated well in Google reviews too).

I will also consider all options within the comments here. Much appreciated.

Venessa_Hodge

The only way to avoid any mistake is to buy from a trusted retailer that adheres to the Kimberley process (a joint governments, industry and civil society initiative to stem the flow of conflict diamonds).