that is aesthetically gross. enjoy.

6/9/2010 3:50:32 PM

Had a guy copy this antique ring and gave it to my (now) fiancee a few weeks ago.

She loved it...but she loves any antique~ish stuff
Sorry for the low res crappy photos, but you get the idea


[Edited on June 9, 2010 at 5:41 PM. Reason : ]

6/9/2010 5:31:46 PM

^did you use that older cut diamond too, or get a new cut one?

6/9/2010 6:43:50 PM

Nope, got a modern cut round brilliant diamond.

6/10/2010 8:43:20 AM

^^that is freaking BEAUTIFUL. i love that style! love love!

6/18/2010 8:19:49 PM

I know wolfpackgrrr isn't going to like it, but this is my ring and I absolutely love it!

I picked it out. I loved it the moment I saw it and knew that was the only thing I wanted-- nothing else I saw interested me.


(excuse the cloudiness, it's dirty as hell from lotion and shampoo, etc... it's due for a cleaning )

My engagement ring was just the solitaire diamond, and that's all I wanted. The wedding band was the wrap and I got them soldered together later on.

I looked at bluenile forever ago when I did the whole "dream ring" shopping... We ended up buying it at Helzbergs and I couldnt be happier. They were the only local place I could find that had a heart shaped diamond. I also couldnt agree more about the advantages of the protection plan. I get it inspected every 6 months which includes cleaning. The soldering was covered, the rhodium plating (shining/buffing up the band itself from scratches) was covered, the slightly loose prong repair was covered, and as long as I come back every 6 months for a check up the diamond is covered if broken off and lost.


<3 BEU

[Edited on June 19, 2010 at 2:32 AM. Reason : .]

6/19/2010 2:32:18 AM

I ordered this back in March and wanted to post it here so badly but thought I should probably wait until I asked her. I proposed on the 27th and she said yes!




[Edited on July 6, 2010 at 10:22 PM. Reason : made em big]

7/6/2010 10:22:34 PM

wtg

7/6/2010 11:24:45 PM

I'm pretty much clueless about diamonds. I'm looking at a ring that has a 1 ct maquise cut stone. color I and clarity SI1. The seller is asking $900 for it. Is that a fair deal?

7/7/2010 2:05:23 AM

Don't know the value of loose diamonds per se, but I will tell you that when you get down into "I" colored diamonds, it's going to have a yellow tint to it.

Color D-F I believe are considered "colorless" diamonds, and the further you go beyond that, the more yellow it is. If you have other diamonds in the band that are higher quality, they will make that diamond look yellow or if she holds the diamond up to a higher quality diamond, hers will look like it has a yellowish tint to it.

No idea if that's a good price, just something to consider. I'd go with smaller diamonds but higher quality, personally. Don't go overboard with it, but and SI1 or SI2 and color F or so if you're on a tight budget.

SI1 is not a bad clarity. It stands for "small Inclusions" category 1. It basically means you can't see any inclusions unless the diamond is magnified 10x. I believe the diamond I just bought my fiancee is an SI1, however, it's a color E (Colorless)

Check out bluenile.com. They usually give prices for loose diamonds of various grades. One thing to remember, just becuase someone says it's a certain grade doesn't mean it is...some people are strict, some are lenient and always "oversappriase" thier diamonds so they can inflate the price. I'd see if they give a guarantee that it would meet thier appraisal results from an independent appraiser. Always have it independently appraised. I had a guarantee that my stone would appraise from any appraser, and it did (Much higher than what my guy appraised it for, actually). If its a reputable store/jeweler, I'd have no worries about a second appraisal matching thiers. If it was from Jared or some other mall shop, I have my doubts it would appraise at a reputable jeweler for the grade Jared said it was. Just my $0.02

I do think that a marquee cut is one of the cuts where color isn't as big of a deal due to the way it reflects light...in other words, a color "I" would look bad on a round stone, but may not be as big of an issue with a marquee. I'd do a bunch of research if I were you...it's a big decision and a big purchase. There is a good bit to learn, and you can be assured you got a good price.



[Edited on July 7, 2010 at 8:59 AM. Reason : ]

7/7/2010 8:31:29 AM

How often is it that rings appraise for more than the purchase price? How do you determine if the jeweler is legit?

7/14/2010 1:41:43 PM

Well I'm taking the next intermediate step, asked the lady friend to tour some shops with me because I'm very practical but try to do the right thing. Well conflict of interest showed up because I hold the view that yes I would like to surprise her with the perfect, but the ability for her to choose the one SHE wants to wear the rest of her life far outweighs that. So thank god I did because I found out the style she was originally wanting when we were looking at jewelry a year ago was completely different than what she was liking at the last general mall store we were passing by. On that note, can someone compile on the list of physical stores in the Raleigh area? I saw about 5 different ones browsing through this thread a while back such as


Jolly's
Fink's
Bailey's
Hayden & Co.
Johnson's
J.M. Edwards
Charles Frank Goldsmith

but I'm wondering if anyone has recently visited a store in this area that mainly works with engagement rings and has good service.

[Edited on July 15, 2010 at 11:43 PM. Reason : lol was trying to rescan the previous 26 pages for more stores, found'em]

7/15/2010 11:35:26 PM

what kind of ring does she want?
a solitaire?
a antique style?
a custom style?
what metal?

if you can post a pic, tell me about what you are expecting to pay, and size of diamond and even color and clarity if you have gotten that far - I can list you some places. Otherwise, there are just too many places.

7/15/2010 11:41:43 PM

Budget is 2k to 4k, obviously the lower the better. Standard clear diamond(s), no color stones. SI1-SI2, maybe VS1. She originally said she wanted the the 3-stone style which is what I looked around for and looks sort of like this
http://tinyurl.com/3y7wdph
Now she's kind of all over the place but agreed since she didn't know how much variety was out there (she's never been looking/shopping for engagement rings before) so we've agreed to look around more and basically she'll choose the top few pieces she likes and the smaller surprise will be when and where I propose to her. I'm still thinking she's wanting more than a stand-alone stone set, but not more than a dozen smaller stones like this
http://www.precisionset.com/product.php?pid=148&line_id=1
Cut unknown although I'd tend to lean towards the more popular princess, emerald, or round cut for now. White gold, iridium, other silvery metals, but no yellow gold.

We both personally like hand-made custom-work and we've been getting a few pieces of normal jewelry here and there from this girl we met at a craft fair who hand-makes literally from sheets of metal all of her jewelry with hand tools, aside from the gems. That to me is worth the cost for having something unique and aesthetic at the same time plus me and gf like her particular jewelry style for some reason. I get the feeling the gf is looking at doing something custom; possibly from this girl. This metalsmith has done custom jewelry before but it's almost purely brass, copper, and sterling silver. So based on your previous comments it sounds like we need to drop by somewhere like Charles Frank Goldsmith and the like?

http://maggiejjewelry.com/artwork/1129052_Graffiti_Ring.html Someone's custom wedding band she said

http://www.etsy.com/shop/maggiejs?section_id=5028487 her etsy store

http://www.etsy.com/transaction/16575698 earrings we both liked/bought

http://www.etsy.com/transaction/12611920 pendant we both liked/bought

Give you some direction? We are looking to have a few stores to stop by this Saturday.

[Edited on July 16, 2010 at 12:15 AM. Reason : .]

7/16/2010 12:09:44 AM

pm

7/16/2010 1:10:41 AM

i realize that this is an engagement ring thread, but my fiancée is pestering me to find a wedding band that i like...considering our wedding is only about 6 weeks away, she probably has a point

i'm looking for a place like http://www.bluenile.com/ but for wedding bands, with a decent selection of men's bands...lifetime resizing would be nice, too

not sure what metal i want...i've worn tungsten and titanium, but i don't like that if i ever need them resized, i have to send them off for replacement (artcarved has their forever warranty thing, but it costs something like $30 for "insured postage" or some such garbage)...i'm considering the scott kay cobalt rings, but it's the same deal with them...not sure if palladium is something that can be worked on by a jeweler, but it's also an option (as is white gold)...i like some of the two-tone options, if it's subtle (silver or small amounts of yellow gold in a primarily "white" ring)

suggestions?

7/22/2010 2:10:14 PM

For what you will pay for a tungsten ring from a jewelry store, order 4 or 5 off ebay in various sizes with the same design. You'll always have one that fits and if you lose it you don't have to tell her.

7/22/2010 2:35:11 PM

^ yeah, i thought about that...the ring i wore for years was a thick 9mm tungsten ring that cost a whopping $8 and it's still flawless today (though i don't wear it anymore)

i may very well do something like that...however, i think she wants it to "mean" something and picking half a dozen of the same thing just doesn't work...yes, i realize the idea is silly when you look at it objectively, but...i get it

7/22/2010 2:50:38 PM

I almost posted about the finger amputation thing regarding tungsten and titanium, but apparently it is an urban legend.

What's scary is that my fiancee is a nurse at the hospital, and she won't let me get titanium or tungsten for this very reason (urban legend).

Hmmm....

7/22/2010 3:07:02 PM

yeah, they can remove them if necessary...the softer metals are easier, of course, but you can shatter a tungsten ring or use a (diamond?) cutting tool for titanium

7/22/2010 4:44:24 PM

I had a really beautiful 1.5 ct diamond. The setting was white gold as opposed to platinum... that is kinda nice because its cheaper and you can spend more on the diamond itself. The con is the white gold is not as strong as platinum

7/22/2010 6:21:20 PM

Just proposed to my girlfriend in Spain (she said yes). Now to start with the wedding plans...

7/23/2010 4:59:34 PM

These are my actual rings. Holler.

7/23/2010 5:50:44 PM

^^ and ^

congrats.

7/23/2010 5:54:31 PM

For rings:

I got her a round, brilliant cut solitare, 1.53 ct, measuring 7.52mm in diameter x 4.56 mm deep, Color is H, Clarity is SI2, Girdle is thin and unpolished, Finish is fine. For her wedding ring, she got platinum ring with twenty-five round, brilliant cut .05 ct diamonds totaling 1.25 cts. Set in 6 prong Tiffany setting platinum band weighing 5.4 grams.

I just have a simple 6mm platinum mens ring (950).

Got a good deal on all of the rings as my best friends dad used to be a very large diamond/jewelry seller & distributor.



[Edited on July 24, 2010 at 11:42 AM. Reason : took the info off the appraisal]

7/24/2010 11:26:50 AM

Quote :

"i may very well do something like that...however, i think she wants it to "mean" something and picking half a dozen of the same thing just doesn't work...yes, i realize the idea is silly when you look at it objectively, but...i get it "

She doesn't have to know about the other 5.

7/24/2010 8:04:36 PM

douche bag, that picture is hot.

7/24/2010 10:58:25 PM

which one?

7/25/2010 11:51:40 AM

ttt, B.

11/1/2010 10:15:54 AM

What do you guys think of this ring?

She's pretty low maintenance, and is very active (works out on the reg, runs).



[Edited on November 1, 2010 at 10:38 AM. Reason : .]

11/1/2010 10:28:06 AM

I like it! Seems like a good choice for a low maintenance ring.

11/1/2010 10:29:56 AM

^^ That's a lot different than a "traditional" ring, do you know that she likes that style?

11/1/2010 10:45:24 AM

Well, not 100% sure...we havent gone shopping for rings...and honestly I'd rather not take her. Want this to be a surprise. But I feel like she'd like it given some of the other jewelry she wears. I bought her a necklace that this ring reminds me of somewhat...and she loved the necklace.

11/1/2010 10:49:12 AM

Sounds good, just something to think about. If you have given jewelry in the past and know her style, I would definitely keep it a surprise. Might be worthwhile to consult a best friend as well, someone that knows what she likes/doesn't. Your gf has probably mentioned it to them as well.

11/1/2010 10:52:15 AM

What would we do about the actual wedding band though? Dont they typically fit together somehow? I cant find anything that would match this thing.

11/1/2010 11:00:16 AM

You'd probably have to get it made custom.

11/1/2010 4:08:44 PM

^^ I think the ring is gorgeous and I'm sure she'd love it.

11/1/2010 4:41:54 PM

^ Why are you ITT?

11/1/2010 7:43:26 PM

^ cause I have a vagina? Its not like you have to own one to have an opinion.

11/1/2010 9:36:48 PM

sorry to bust the bubble here, but that ring is bad for an active person. It could easily be chipped on the girdle where there is no metal. It would be better with a full bezel around it.

I tried to find a pic of one with a full bezel and the best I could do was this:




Pm me with what kind of jewery she wears and clothes so I can get a general idea of her style and suggest maybe what the best type is.

11/1/2010 10:26:03 PM

Here's the ring I got for my fiance, it's got a bezel around the stone so it shouldn't be going anywhere. Might be a style worth looking into.

11/1/2010 10:29:22 PM

^nice, looks like a Ritani. I have a similar ring, but three stone i'll sell for like half price. I got it from QTPie, its legit!

11/2/2010 6:59:33 PM

^good eye, it is Ritani. had the diamond already so just got the setting done.

11/2/2010 8:23:54 PM

Going to the Tiffany and Co. in Charlotte on Wednesday to make a final selection for a ring.

It has been fun learning about diamonds!

11/8/2010 8:42:21 PM

^you better post a pic of what you get.


*I got someone a 1.26ct marquise H vs1 GIA cert. today. I had an amazing cut on it for really good brilliance. now time to get the rest-he wants two trilliant blue sapphires flanking it.

11/8/2010 9:51:09 PM

The fiancee and I picked out our bands a couple weeks ago. We got really lucky to have met the designer a few years ago and the fact that he'd spent two hours talking to a couple young kids about crazy amazing jewelry and his "vision" was awesome. We're thrilled with everything.

11/9/2010 12:17:04 PM

^ I think it's really cool how the men's band is so related to the engagement/band for the soon-to-be mrs. I don't think I've seen that before (not that I know a bunch about wedding bands for guys).

11/9/2010 12:37:47 PM

Quote :

"Going to the Tiffany and Co. in Charlotte on Wednesday to make a final selection for a ring. It has been fun learning about diamonds! "

My wife got a 1.25 Lucida from Tiffany. I would have never spent the money unless she hadnt had the fascination with this ring since she was a lot younger. Good luck.

And to the guy above that stated he wanted the engagement ring to be a 'surprise'.... I hope you know your girl, and I hope she isnt picky. I know too many people that had a very unhappy bride with a ring they couldnt stand. I dont think an engagement ring is something you want to risk. You should discuss the ring styles AHEAD of time, and make the proposal the surprise.

11/9/2010 12:50:59 PM

^that Canturi is hawt! I like it, usually not much into modern, but really nice design

^1.25 lucida DAMNNN sounds super nice.

11/9/2010 1:44:30 PM

She loves that ring more than she loves me That ring is the gift that keeps on giving. Because she was so crazy about 'that' particular ring, it was money well spent.

11/9/2010 2:39:00 PM