Engagement rings - please help!

DAS89 · 27 January 2018 at 3:17PM

Hi all,

I want to propose to my girlfriend in a couple of months.

I know roughly the type of ring she'd like:

- Emerald
- Three stones
- White gold or platinum

However, I have no idea of where to buy it. Are there online shops which are well regarded for both quality and value for money? Or is it still best to just go into high street jewellers? I'm Manchester based.

Also - budget. We've all heard the thing about spending 2-3 months salary, but I don't want to spend anything like that. What is generally a fair amount to spend to make sure the ring is good quality?

Thanks - any help much appreciated.

pigpen · 27 January 2018 at 3:33PM

don't get into debt and get her a token ring and let her choose her own.

2-3 months salary is a disgusting presumption I would be furious if someone spent that much on one piece of jewellry for me.. my first one cost £25.. and I loved it. It isn't about what it costs it is about the meaning and sentiment.

Have a look on Etsy, there are some gorgeous ones on there.. and go window shopping.. see what you can afford and what you can find in your price range.. Shops vary massively in terms of cost.. there is a shop here charging £400 more for the exact same ring as was £500 in a shop 100 yards away.. .. I do a lot of window shopping!

Browntoa · 27 January 2018 at 3:42PM

We have a jeweller near us who does 2nd hand jewelery , golds thicker than modern stuff and you get good quality at a fraction of the price of a high street name

DigForVictory · 27 January 2018 at 4:54PM

Manchester has a jewellery quarter - find & explore it, then invite Herself to join you.

By all means have 3 months as the top end of the budget but ask her how much of that she wants to put towards your wedding - she'll be wearing the ring, she may not want sensational emeralds as much if it means a wedding with six guests at the chippy... (Although what a stonking reason to disappoint Great Aunt Maude - but I value my family more than a fancy lump of mineral.)

Very best of luck, hope she says yes & that no matter how big (or not) the rocks or day, that you two have a long & happy future!

dj1471 · 27 January 2018 at 5:45PM

The 3 months salary thing was invented as a marketing strategy.

I would recommend a local jeweller (not one of the high street chains) and I second the suggestion to look at second hand rings - with no VAT to pay you get 20% more for your money.

Lilith1980 · 27 January 2018 at 6:35PM

I agree, Etsy is a great place to find unusual, or "unique", jewellery. I chose my engagement ring because I'm fussy lol. It was white gold sapphire and cost about £180. I loved it.

nimbo · 27 January 2018 at 7:28PM

My partner asked me to choose my ring and when the one I chose was silver and £60 said it needed to be more exspensive.

So - The ring he gave me was mostly my grandmothers.

The diamonds were set in platinum and it had an 18k gold band. My partner had the band changed to platinum, resized and re pointed for me.

I love it.

White gold can wear off as it is a rhodium plating. For some people it will wear off quicker than others. You can get solid white gold too.

It may be worth while looking for a vintage ring already set in platinum and then having the shank switched out. It may work out a lot cheaper.... it will also open the choices up to being something more unusual.

Palladium is also silver coloured. But much harder and also harder to resize if that is ever needed eg after babies or whatever.

Nicola83 · 31 March 2018 at 8:41PM

I told my h2b that all I wanted as an engagement ring if we ever got engaged was a sapphire in it as it's my birthstone.
He proposed last month with the most gorgeous ring, spent months in cahoots with my sister's helping him pick the perfect ring. I know it's not 3 months worth of salary, it's probably not even half a months, and I don't care. I love it, I couldn't have picked a better ring myself, and knowing how much thought and effort he put into finding it and picking it means more to me than any price tag on it.
I hope you managed to find a ring that was perfect for you and your future wife, and more importantly, I hope she said yes :T

SimonG18 · 29 May 2018 at 2:18PM

Congratulations everyone on the engagements. :T

I agree with the idea of getting a second hand ring. You definitely get much more for your money. I got engaged about a year ago and bought a second hand vintage ring. I didn't have much of an idea on what to buy.... it was all a bit of a mystery. However after a lot of online research I went for an Art Deco ring.

My now wife, loved it. Of course whatever you get has to be 'their style' otherwise whatever you buy is going to be wrong. Good Luck!

Engagement rings - please help!

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