Engagment ring size and price?

[Mad Mel]

Originally Posted by TylerSVT

A TV is a TV and has no intrinsic value behind it, it dosent convey emotion or anything. Comparing the two is pretty dumb IMO.

Women come and go, but TV is always there for me. I love my TV.

[Neeper]

Congrats on your engagement Tyler! Spend what you can afford and don't worry about what people say you should spend. Whatever you spend, I am sure she will be thrilled to be engaged to you more than a shiny ring.

[icarus]

Anyone have experience with black diamonds? I understand natural black diamonds are very rare and so I wonder about the source and quality of all these websites which seem to offer black diamond rings.

If I do get a black diamond how will I know I am getting my money's worth in the product?

[FlamesKickAss]

I proposed without a ring last Saturday! Gave her my chain that I hadn't taken off in 10 years, then went on Friday with her to pick one out. We found one that she likes (cool design and small) on sale for just over a grand. She even offered to split the cost with me as it is her ring!

I lucked out huge in that regard though, if I would have bought a ring for 3k I wouldve had my nuts chopped off.

[MotoRacer]

I spent a small fortune on a ring, had it custom made, and the diamonds are higher cut and clarity than anything i have ever seen in a store.


She will wear this ring every day of her life. We are both happy!


Another scam is trying to insure a ring of that value. yikes.

[HPLovecraft]

Buy her the diamond that had the most indebted African miners die while extracting it.

"My beloved, will you marry me?"

"Oh, yes, oh yes, Jimmy!"

"Let me just slip this ring on your slender finger, my love. I had to work an hour over-time each day for it and couldn't purchase the iPhone accessory I wanted because of it."

"Oh, Jimmy! It's so clear! So shiny."

"Yes, my love, and 5 African slave boys died while excavating it. That little nick on the side was put there by one of their little pick-axes."

"Oh, bless their little hearts!"

[ynwa03]

Life should be simple.
Spend 25 cents in a vending machine, give her the ring, if she marries you hang to her forever, if not then she was probably going to make you a divorce statistic in a few years anyway, buy her a decent wedding ring something within your means, have a small wedding, spend most of your money on a nice honeymoon, spoil her with love instead of material things and she'll never leave you, make lots of pretty babies, grow old together. die.

[TylerSVT]

Originally Posted by FlamesKickAss

I proposed without a ring last Saturday! Gave her my chain that I hadn't taken off in 10 years, then went on Friday with her to pick one out. We found one that she likes (cool design and small) on sale for just over a grand. She even offered to split the cost with me as it is her ring!

I lucked out huge in that regard though, if I would have bought a ring for 3k I wouldve had my nuts chopped off.

Congrats man!

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by TylerSVT

A TV is a TV and has no intrinsic value behind it, it dosent convey emotion or anything. Comparing the two is pretty dumb IMO.

Have you ever sat down with your woman and watched the stupidest chick flick in existence just to spend time with her?

That is the definition of true love.

[Regular_John]

Went uber cheap on the engagement ring (under $100), but we got a close friend of ours from ACAD to make up a custom wedding ring for my wife. Cost us about $800

[Starfishy]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

I bought my fiance's hers at Spence and enjoyed the process. Honestly I don't know if I got a great deal or not - but she loves the ring and that's all that I really cared about.

I wasn't going to share my Spence story, but it seems as though they are getting mixed reviews on here. I want to side with the "never buy at Spence" side.

I did some research into buying my engagement ring for my wife. I ended up spending a lot more on it than I expected I would, however not as much as lots of the guys in this thread it would appear.

I got the ring through Spence, paid extra for a lifetime warranty on the ring. It was conditional on taking it to Spence once a year to get it "maintained". Within six months of owning the ring the diamond turned "milky". I don't know the technical term, but apparently this happens to a diamond from time to time (basically shatters on the inside I think).

I was not worried at all about this, as I remembered my deal with Spence. However, when I took it in they would not honor the warranty. They told me the warranty applies to the "ring" not the "diamond" and that they are two different things. The salesman told me that they would never warranty a diamond, that would be "crazy" because you can never foresee if something like this is going to happen. I was pissed, I complained, I submitted my case to the better business bureau, I complained some more. Nothing ever came of it.

I was pissed off enough with Spence that I shopped around for where to replace the diamond, each place that I checked was willing to sell me the exact same diamond (I still had the spec sheet from Spence) for far less than I paid for the original. In the end I purchased the diamond for 65% of what I paid through Spence.

I will never go back to Spence, they will never get another penny from me. It is obvious to me that they are way overpriced, and I don't like how they do business.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Hesla

here are some Color and Clarity charts.

How the heck are there three different grades of "colourless"?

[MotoRacer]

Originally Posted by Starfishy

I wasn't going to share my Spence story, but it seems as though they are getting mixed reviews on here. I want to side with the "never buy at Spence" side.

I did some research into buying my engagement ring for my wife. I ended up spending a lot more on it than I expected I would, however not as much as lots of the guys in this thread it would appear.

I got the ring through Spence, paid extra for a lifetime warranty on the ring. It was conditional on taking it to Spence once a year to get it "maintained". Within six months of owning the ring the diamond turned "milky". I don't know the technical term, but apparently this happens to a diamond from time to time (basically shatters on the inside I think).

I was not worried at all about this, as I remembered my deal with Spence. However, when I took it in they would not honor the warranty. They told me the warranty applies to the "ring" not the "diamond" and that they are two different things. The salesman told me that they would never warranty a diamond, that would be "crazy" because you can never foresee if something like this is going to happen. I was pissed, I complained, I submitted my case to the better business bureau, I complained some more. Nothing ever came of it.

I was pissed off enough with Spence that I shopped around for where to replace the diamond, each place that I checked was willing to sell me the exact same diamond (I still had the spec sheet from Spence) for far less than I paid for the original. In the end I purchased the diamond for 65% of what I paid through Spence.

I will never go back to Spence, they will never get another penny from me. It is obvious to me that they are way overpriced, and I don't like how they do business.

holy crap i would have driven my truck through that pretty glass building!!

[anyonebutedmonton]

Holy bump batman!

[MotoRacer]

Originally Posted by anyonebutedmonton

Holy bump batman!

that spence story is a doosey...

[Frequitude]

Never buy a stone/ring combo at a jewelry shop or Spence type place. They make it easy, but you end up pay too much for the stone you get.

Do some work and buy the stone separately. I highly recommend Blue Nile. You can run all types of filters (price, carat, color, cut, clarity) and pick the exact stone you want.

Then either put it on a ring of your choosing, or put it on a super plain silver band and let her design the ring.

It can be really tough to get standard jewelry store to just sell you the ring and have them put your stone in it though...which is BS. That's when I realized how much they just want to rip you off on the stone.

[Jordan!]

Originally Posted by The Yen Man

Isn't the general rule 1/4 - 1/3 of your gross annual salary?

Oh hell no.. if my girl ever expected that I'd be outta there.

Plus Asian's are fiscally responsible. She'd probably punch me in the face if I told her I spent 1/4 of my salary on a ring

[VladtheImpaler]

I'd be careful with Blue Nile - there are some terrible reviews of their service/quality online. According to Moneysense magazine, Costco is the best value for your diamond shopping.

[PeteLFan]

Once you slip on that diamond on her finger she better be slipping something special on you.



Start feeding her the business.

Congratulations.

[Frequitude]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

I'd be careful with Blue Nile - there are some terrible reviews of their service/quality online. According to Moneysense magazine, Costco is the best value for your diamond shopping.

Hmmm, interesting. Well not planning on needing their services again! Blue Nile was great for me, from the stone to the customer service. Had it appraised after and everything was in line.