And so the hunt begins for an ENGAGEMENT RING!

TPF may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others

luv2ownabirkin

luv2ownabirkin

O.G.
Nov 16, 2009
789
1
#1
I'm usually not in the Jewelry Box forum...
but we (my dbf of 10 years and family) are talking seriously about
wedding plans! I just wanted to share my story with you, and keep this thread as a sort of log. I also thought you lovely ladies could help with certain decisions...

I am Korean/Canadian born and raised here in Canada and my dbf is Korean who lives in Korea. Korean and western traditions regarding weddings are very different!

I spoke with my future MIL last night... We had talked about how it was customary for the MIL to buy jewelry sets (diamond, pearl, etc...) for the bride. In Korea, men can propose, but mostly with a smaller diamond or band. She knows my bf wants to propose with a diamond ring, so she proposed that she could give me the diamond set early, so my bf could propose with a diamond ring. (Yeah... parents like to pay for everything for a wedding...)

She was very kind and wanted to know if I was comfortable with this... She knows I want my bf to find a stable job and pay for his own ring, but she didn't want us to have to wait any longer since we have dated so long. She told me to feel comfortable with choosing any ring I wanted, but of course, being a good future daughter in law, I am not going to go and point out the exact carat weight I want.

My dbf wants us to go ring hunting... probably on the 17th of this month. I am pretty sure I would like a Tiffany Ribbon Ring (secretly wanting 1.24-1.5 carats). I have decided to choose only the style and will let my dbf talk it over with his parents and choose a carat weight. I think this is the right thing to do, yes?

I am also scared because I really want to be happy with the style...
(I have tried on the ribbon and I did like it a lot...)
What do you think of getting a custom at a jeweler who sells diamonds cheaply? I would ensure that it is a good quality diamond.

I trust Tiffany because any diamond I get there will shine blue, no?
Am I just paying a huge mark-up for the name?

SORRY FOR THE BLABBING AND ALL THE QUESTIONS... IF ANYONE CAN CHIME IN ON ANYTHING, IT WOULD HELP ME GREATLY!

I'm so excited... but nervous (in a good way) too!:smile1:
 
#3
I just replied to your pm. :)

First, congratz!!!!!!!

For a iconic signature piece like the ribbon, I would pay the mark up if it's what I absolutely fell in love with! A few other tiffanys styles maybe not but ribbon definitely.

I'm Chinese and DF is from Taiwan, his mom has bugged me for the last month to pick diamond or gold jewelry for the wedding. I really didn't know what to say but she said it was insulting to not accept so I reluctantly did. So I completely understand your gripes.

Also, I think a lot of tpf members from Canada have said it's cheaper to go to the US and buy the ring here. Might be worth it to explore it as an option as well.

Good luck!!! Have fun!
 
#4
I agree that if the ribbon style is definitely what you love, then it is probably worth it to buy Tiffany. You would be paying a huge premium for the name, but in such a specific style you probably won't find anything exactly the same from a different jeweler. But you said you tried on the ribbon ring and "liked it a lot", which tells me that perhaps you need to shop a little more so you can be sure in your own heart about what you want. If you try on many different ring styles from Tiffany and from other jewelers and the ribbon ring sings to you, then that is the right decision. But if you haven't tried on a lot of styles - including those from other designers or from local jewelers - you may not know until you see a different ring that it is the right one for you. At this point (until you try on lots of rings and know for sure what you love), I would say to remain open to other options.
 
#5
I would only go for Tiffany for this one...

Regardless of whatever the jeweler says, if they get it off by just a 1mm, it could look entirely not right and will look off to your eyes if you feel in love with the Tiffany Ribbon.

Shine blue doesn't mean it's a great diamond, it could mean the lighting around it makes it look blue or there's florescence in the diamond which isn't necessarily good if it's too blue (value drops but some people love the blue regardless).

If you love Tiffany, and can afford it - go for it if you don't have time to decide or go into deep research on great jewelers who can do fabulous reproductions or diamond quality research in general. Tiffany doesn't mean it'll be the best of the best diamond out there, it'll be a very good/great diamond, but most of all, your mind will be at ease.
 
#6
Get what you love--BUT Make sure you try it on first. I would tell him about what carat weight you would like but that it's his discretion to make the decision.

Congrats!!
 
#7
Does the Ribbon ring come in sizes over a carat? The website only shows .5 and 1 carat prices.

I think only you can decide whether it is more important to have the biggest stone for your money or if Tiffany's design makes your heart sing more than a larger diamond. Either answer is totally ok!

Congratulations, what a fun time!
 
#8
whoops said:
I just replied to your pm. :)

First, congratz!!!!!!!

For a iconic signature piece like the ribbon, I would pay the mark up if it's what I absolutely fell in love with! A few other tiffanys styles maybe not but ribbon definitely.

I'm Chinese and DF is from Taiwan, his mom has bugged me for the last month to pick diamond or gold jewelry for the wedding. I really didn't know what to say but she said it was insulting to not accept so I reluctantly did. So I completely understand your gripes.

Also, I think a lot of tpf members from Canada have said it's cheaper to go to the US and buy the ring here. Might be worth it to explore it as an option as well.

Good luck!!! Have fun!
Click to expand...

Oh~~ I never even thought of going over to the States~~ Is it worth the flight over though?
 
#11
lanasyogamama said:
Does the Ribbon ring come in sizes over a carat? The website only shows .5 and 1 carat prices.

I think only you can decide whether it is more important to have the biggest stone for your money or if Tiffany's design makes your heart sing more than a larger diamond. Either answer is totally ok!

Congratulations, what a fun time!
Click to expand...

Yes, the ribbon ring I tried on a few months ago was a 1.24. It was 18, 999 I believe (CAD). Thank you!
 
#12
ame said:
Get what you love--BUT Make sure you try it on first. I would tell him about what carat weight you would like but that it's his discretion to make the decision.

Congrats!!
Click to expand...

Thanks~~ Yes... I have hinted before and he has mentioned 1.24...1.24... many times.... but ultimately, I will let him make the decision~ :cool: I'll have to play cool for a while~~~~
 
#14
luv2ownabirkin said:
Oh~~ I never even thought of going over to the States~~ Is it worth the flight over though?
Click to expand...

I don't know the exact differences. Hopefully a Canadian TPF-er can help you get a better idea for pricing.

But I did manage to see a ribbon ring in a .98 carat D VVS on our reference thread you can look at. It's not 1.25-1.50 like you had hoped but you can see the coverage and that it's pretty sizable. I'm not even sure if the ribbon would look good in too large a carat center. But that's just my preference, I prefer a smaller center in this design as well as the soleste like what Kohl has.

Here is the link: http://forum.purseblog.com/jewelry-...ly-your-engagement-wedding-ring-s-232137.html
 
#15
lanasyogamama said:
Does the Ribbon ring come in sizes over a carat? The website only shows .5 and 1 carat prices.

I think only you can decide whether it is more important to have the biggest stone for your money or if Tiffany's design makes your heart sing more than a larger diamond. Either answer is totally ok!

Congratulations, what a fun time!
Click to expand...

It goes up to a carat and a quarter.


The Ribbon Ring is a beautiful choice! It also has a larger presence do to its setting style. Congratulations!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top