Engagment ring size and price?

[algernon]

Originally Posted by TylerSVT

3k for a 1ct? LOL yea right, maybe 6K with a platinum band.

Maybe if the cut color and clarity are all .

3k puts you in the .6-.7ct range and that is only for online dealers.

Wow, you've become quite the expert Tyler.

I'm sure you will end up going the retail route, have the lucky girl approve the ring/carat/cost and pay out the ass for it. I hope she doesn't value material goods more than your relationship.

[red sky]

With the loonie almost at parity make sure you look at some companies in the US.

I used since1910.com and was very satisfied with it. There is also Soloman Brothers and a few other companies. They are all GIA certified and you will definitely save a lot of cash instead of going to those mall stores in town.

[anyonebutedmonton]

Originally Posted by username

My best friend recently got engaged. He got what was basically a 10K ring on this site for 6 - easily the cheapest out there:

http://www.bluenile.ca/

This site is seriously putting jewellery stores in a lot of trouble.

As for the 3 month idea, ha I'd never spend that kind of dough on a ring - 10K on a ring is lots imo

Bought the wifey's ring from here last year. She gets a ton of compliments and checking out the local stores I found that I probably saved 40% off of what I spent. They offer a much wider selection of diamonds and you can choose what characteristics you want to sacrifice, be it size, cut or quality.

My advice: spend a bit on size and cut. Quality will impress those people who take her ring under a microscope, something my wife has yet to encounter. I mean huge obvious flaws are one thing but it makes very little sense to me to pay for a flawless ring. Cut makes a massive difference in how it shines.

[comrade]

Originally Posted by Table 5

I'm thinking the male equivalent of an engagement ring would be a nice watch.

I think it's a great opportunity that most men are missing. Even a fraction of the price of an engagement ring could still be a couple of grand she could be spending on you for the engagement. Since there's no brainwashing over any one thing you could get a pretty nice computer or a set of golf clubs or a mountain bike; whatever your heart desires really.

I'm thinking we turn this thread into a discussion on creating arguments and defending against counter-arguments in support of equality in engagement spending.

[Mazrim]

So how the hell would I go about getting my girlfriend's ring size without her knowing when she doesn't wear any rings? Talk about a tough situation.

[comrade]

Originally Posted by Boblobla

Meh, think what you want, every penny I spent on my wife's ring was worth it.

I am sorry that you guys think it isn't a worth cause to spend money on and you would rather spend the money on a vehicle. It is nice having people comment on how nice her wedding/engagement rings are.

To each his own, I am happy that I spent the money that I did.

I'm just curious, but has anyone ever heard of anyone disparaging someone's engagement ring to their face? It seems like the kind of thing that no matter how nice or poor it is you pretty much have to compliment it.

[anyonebutedmonton]

My wife agreed that since she got an engagement ring, she would not complain when I buy an exorbitantly large TV... i will then push for this rule to apply in perpetuity.

I think it was well worth the price.

[psicodude]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

So how the hell would I go about getting my girlfriend's ring size without her knowing when she doesn't wear any rings? Talk about a tough situation.

Any decent jeweller will be able to get it within 1/2 a size based off her height and weight. I think around 80% of women are a size 5.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

So how the hell would I go about getting my girlfriend's ring size without her knowing when she doesn't wear any rings? Talk about a tough situation.

measure it while she sleeps?

[psicodude]

Originally Posted by Rutuu

Girl I know makes jewellry. She lived in London and TO and used to go down to the gem district to get stones. I always wondered how so many people got a "smoking deal" on their rings; she informed me that the regular markup on jewellry is 800%. Makes sense that there are lots of deals to be made.

I also think its funny talking to a bunch of people that spend $2k-$8k on something that is worth only $250-$1000. Scam.

Spend what you're comfortable with, but don't tell people about it, makes you look like a rube.

Not even close. Industry standard is 200% - 250%, which is still crazy high. The average retail jewellery store does have very high overhead though.

[Knut]

Go into the Jewellry store armed with prices of diamonds online and at wholesale places like Blue Nile. You will be suprised how much they will knock off right off the bat.

Also, do not be against buying the band and diamond seperate to get a better price.

[comrade]

Originally Posted by anyonebutedmonton

My wife agreed that since she got an engagement ring, she would not complain when I buy an exorbitantly large TV... i will then push for this rule to apply in perpetuity.

I think it was well worth the price.

Wait, so you paid for an engagement ring for her, then you had to use up the "I spent thousands of dollars on a diamond ring for you" argument to convince her to let you buy yourself a TV, and you consider this a victory?

You will never get that rule instituted.

[alltherage]

IMHO go to Spence Diamonds on Macleod and Glenmore. They get you to choose the rings you like, and then meet with them for your budget and they give you options for your diamond within your budget.

You can get larger stones with small imperfections, or a smaller but perfect rock for her, depending on what you think she finds important.

I spent within my budget, which wasnt huge, and my wife got tons of compliments on her rings from random people. She loves it and thats all that matters.

[Knut]

^ Spence was boycotted by me for multiple reasons..

1) I went in and asked for a price quote on some diamonds within a certain color, clarity and size and the salesman told me flat out i couldnt afford it (how the hell do you know that?)

2) The commercials are brutal

3) The rings are all imitations in the display cases and I feel that you do not get an accurate view of what the ring is going to look like.

[bomber317]

Originally Posted by OilersBaby

I know several guys that spent more than they could afford because THEY did not want others to think they were cheap. Even if a girl doesnt care, a lot of guys care what others think.

Most of the guys in my social circle spent around 3K and everyone seems to be happy......but they did NOT follow any rules relatedl to salary etc. These guys all make at least 100,000. 3K seems to get a nice platinum band with 1 carat that shines and sparkles...seems to satisfy most of the ladies.

Where did they get these rings from? Do you know what the color/clarity was?

[Knut]

here are some Color and Clarity charts.









You can save some money by going for the high end of certain areas. For instance a G coloring is not that different from an F. Also, VS1 will likely be quite a bit cheaper than a VVS2 and if you hold the two next to one another you may not notice any difference.

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by MattyC

measure it while she sleeps?

Slipping a sizer around her finger while she sleeps? Yikes, that would be tough to do. She's a light sleeper.

Guess I'll just have to eyeball it based on height and weight like psicodude said.

[Pacem]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

Slipping a sizer around her finger while she sleeps? Yikes, that would be tough to do. She's a light sleeper.

Guess I'll just have to eyeball it based on height and weight like psicodude said.

Find her shoe size. If shoe is size 7, her ringer finger should be close to that size as well.

It isn't completely accurate, but its a good way of getting close or finding her exact size without her knowing.

My wife has "skis" for feet, but her ring finger was only 1 size smaller then her shoe size so it was pretty close.

**EDIT**

Should add that getting a ring sized afterwards is no big deal, and more likely then not she'll make the ring fit no matter what untill it gets sized right.

[Knut]

Just "borrow" a ring that she often wears for the day and get it sized.

[TylerSVT]

Originally Posted by algernon

Wow, you've become quite the expert Tyler.

I'm sure you will end up going the retail route, have the lucky girl approve the ring/carat/cost and pay out the ass for it. I hope she doesn't value material goods more than your relationship.

A) I'm no expert but i know what im talking about, you have no idea how much research i have done on diamonds and rings over the past 6 months, i know exactly what i want and what is important in a diamond.

B) You have no idea what my situation is, what my girlfriend is like, what i am like, or anything. Please keep your gross generalizations out of here.


For everyone else, ill basically explain what my plan has been for the past while: In the spring we both went into Spence to look at rings, we looked at styles more so than price, she likes princess cut solitare (which is my fav design too) on a simple band design. When it came to price she told me NOT to spend anything high (like she would be very happy with a 500 dollar ring) as she sees that its just a ring and more important things are at the matter like a down payment on a house.

Anyways id been looking around locally for a couple months when i started looking online at diamonds (bluenile) and saw that they were WAY WAY WAY cheaper, so i priced some stuff out on there and was ready to order but i didnt like their band designs, so i looked around locally and found a jeweler who made me a custom band to exactly what I and she liked. Now ive just got to order it all, but i already know what im doing and the price range im looking at.

I was just curious what most people spend on rings and what they get for their prices. I could easily buy a 1000 dollar ring and we would both be happy, but i really want to blow her away, and while it may seem like a lot of money now, people spend money on the most idiotic (televisions, cars etc.) and i would rather spend more money on something this important than put that money to other frugal usage. Remember, she is going to wear this ring her entire life, so i wanna make sure its very special.


here are the Diamond specs im looking at: .8-.85ct Princess cut, VS2-VS1, Very good/Ideal Cut, Excellent symmetry, excellent polish, no flourescence, G colour or better.

I wont go into girdle or other diamond specs but you get the point, i know what im lookin at. Just curious what other guys were buying and spending.


Thanks for all the Replys guys!