Engagement Ring Help!!!!

[princesschic]

I'm a bit selfish in the sense that i want a huge and gorgeous engagement ring but in reality i know that my bf can't totally afford that right now. Well, he just started his job about a year ago and we won't be getting married for about 2-3 years so i told him i don't expect a propsal for a while that way he can get me the ring i want. but i've been told by friends that he wants to propose within a year!

the thing is, he can afford a good carat diamond ring from a place like jared, zales, etc. but i was dreaming about tiffany's. I know he can get that ring if he waits like another year but am i selfish to think that?

what do u all think about rings from places like zales, kays, jared, etc. ? Honestly, i've just been looking at diamond size and white gold but i think i prefer platinum now but what about the cut and clarity from these jewelers, is it obviously a lower quality?

what is the price u all think should be spent on an engagement ring? and what about the wedding band? i want one, if not both, to be from tiffanys!

oops last question! would u pick a larger diamond over cut and clarity? i mean to choose when the differences aren't visible to the naked eye.

Thanks in advance!

ETA: what do u all think about upgrading rings? i like the idea of keeping the original ring but then the idea of bigger and better later on is appealing too. and do u update the wedding band or engagement ring too?

 

[Candice0985]

I think you should go on pricescope.com that forum has a lot of trained gemologists that know what they're talking about! they can easily help you get exactly what your looking for in the quality of a tiffany ring at a much lower cost. That way you dont have to downgrade in quality at all.

 

[Nader444m]

I'm a bit selfish in the sense that i want a huge and gorgeous engagement ring but in reality i know that my bf can't totally afford that right now. Well, he just started his job about a year ago and we won't be getting married for about 2-3 years so i told him i don't expect a propsal for a while that way he can get me the ring i want. but i've been told by friends that he wants to propose within a year!

the thing is, he can afford a good carat diamond ring from a place like jared, zales, etc. but i was dreaming about tiffany's. I know he can get that ring if he waits like another year but am i selfish to think that?

what do u all think about rings from places like zales, kays, jared, etc. ? Honestly, i've just been looking at diamond size and white gold but i think i prefer platinum now but what about the cut and clarity from these jewelers, is it obviously a lower quality?

what is the price u all think should be spent on an engagement ring? and what about the wedding band? i want one, if not both, to be from tiffanys!

oops last question! would u pick a larger diamond over cut and clarity? i mean to choose when the differences aren't visible to the naked eye.

Thanks in advance!

ETA: what do u all think about upgrading rings? i like the idea of keeping the original ring but then the idea of bigger and better later on is appealing too. and do u update the wedding band or engagement ring too?

Look I'm a guy and I'm only 20 so you might think "what the heck does he know about engagement rings or jewelry," but I really do know a thing or two after self-educating myself over the years of shopping for my girlfriend.

I know about Zale's and Kay Jewelers, but I have never heard of Jared's. I'm in Beverly Hills btw, so maybe Jared's isn't around here. Zale's has some very high quality and beautiful diamond rings, and the collection is called, I think, the Zale's diamond (I may not be exact on the name). Of course they have inexpensive and low quality rings too but you can get a nice one carat high quality diamond at Zale's for around $7,000.

Tiffany on the other hand is a whole different story. A one carat Tiffany solitaire diamond ring that is good quality will run you $25,000. Remember that it is only 1 carat, which I think is a good enough size but nowadays it looks like women want a couple carats or more. So if you want something like three carats from Tiffany & Co, prepare to write a check for over $100,000.

So let's go back to the one carat, lol. The sales lady is already looking at you for a $25,000 check and now you tell her that you want a nice band to match with diamonds. Considering you want diamonds around and the diamond weight to be around one carat or so, prepare to add another $7,000 - $8,000 for the band. You can choose a full-way around diamond band or half-way around band.

But keep in mind that Tiffany makes you pay primarily for the name. The quality CAN be found (despite what people think) at a much less of a cost at a comparable jeweler that doesn't have the famous name. So if you are willing to shell out a little over $30,000 for a nice size and modest diamond ring, Tiffany will be happy to serve you.

Again, its your choice. You may want to consider a half a carat .50 of a carat ring and a smaller band to make it more affordable.

IMO, how much you should spend is entirely up to you. There is no right or wrong answer. And I think quality is better than size. I don't really care for big rings, quality and sparkle really catches my eye.

Anyway good luck !

 

[Nader444m]

I'm a bit selfish in the sense that i want a huge and gorgeous engagement ring but in reality i know that my bf can't totally afford that right now. Well, he just started his job about a year ago and we won't be getting married for about 2-3 years so i told him i don't expect a propsal for a while that way he can get me the ring i want. but i've been told by friends that he wants to propose within a year!

the thing is, he can afford a good carat diamond ring from a place like jared, zales, etc. but i was dreaming about tiffany's. I know he can get that ring if he waits like another year but am i selfish to think that?

what do u all think about rings from places like zales, kays, jared, etc. ? Honestly, i've just been looking at diamond size and white gold but i think i prefer platinum now but what about the cut and clarity from these jewelers, is it obviously a lower quality?

what is the price u all think should be spent on an engagement ring? and what about the wedding band? i want one, if not both, to be from tiffanys!

oops last question! would u pick a larger diamond over cut and clarity? i mean to choose when the differences aren't visible to the naked eye.

Thanks in advance!

ETA: what do u all think about upgrading rings? i like the idea of keeping the original ring but then the idea of bigger and better later on is appealing too. and do u update the wedding band or engagement ring too?

Oh and if you live in Los Angeles and are looking for Tiffany diamond engagement ring, I suggest you look at the Dina Collection located at 157 S. Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills, CA. They can sell a pre-owned to you for WAY less than retail.

 

[2manybags]

I think you should go on pricescope.com that forum has a lot of trained gemologists that know what they're talking about! they can easily help you get exactly what your looking for in the quality of a tiffany ring at a much lower cost. That way you dont have to downgrade in quality at all.

Ditto.

 

[guancia]

I think you should really think about what kind of ring you want, not so much where you want it from. You could get a better quality, custom ring for much less than what you could get at Tiffany's. Like Nader mentioned, you are paying for the name. I personally wouldn't care where my engagement ring came from, as long as it was something that my DF could afford and something that I liked.

If I was particular I would go to bluenile.com and customized my ring. You get to choose your cut, clarity, colour and setting.

In the end I would just think about what is more important. Being married to your BF or getting your dream ring from him. Maybe down the road you can upgrade to what you really want when the finances aren't an issue.

I also wanted to mention that my friend loved a ring at Tiffany's but couldn't justify the price. Her bf proposed to her with a solitare with a Tiffany setting and it was absolutely stunning! But probably half the price, if not less, than a Tiffany's ring.

 

[yoglood]

Is there a specific Tiffany style that you want? Is that why you want Tiffany?
Like Guancia said above, you can customize your ring to make it Tiffany-style. If you go to sites such as jamesallen.com, they have styles that come pretty darn close. I really loved the Tiffany Novo, but there's no way my dF could afford a real Tiffany in the carat size/specs I wanted. He customized a ring for me though to look similar to the Novo, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!!

You could also just get a tiffany wedding band if your heart is set on getting something Tiffany! It'll still cost a pretty penny, but won't be as overpriced as an engagement ring with a diamond.

If you bf does by from zales, jared's, etc, make sure that it's GIA certified b/c some of the stones there are not.

 

[Babestaaa]

Well Tiffany's lowered their ring prices due to the "economy" this year. A 1 ct. roughly starts at $9k. I don't know your bf's budget and I wouldn't be too hard on yourself, you're just precise on what you want. Many people are ok with upgrades, different settings and multiple engagement rings at once, but it's all about what you feel to be comfortable. Remember the ring only represents what you want it to. Maybe if you don't mind waiting and your boyfriend really wants to propose, let him do it without a ring till he can get you what you would like (it's compromising).

Just make sure it's GIA certified, you'd feel safe buying a diamond with the cert. But I agree with others above me to check out pricescope.com good resource and it explains the expense of an engagement ring is 1/4 of a salary I believe?

 

[ahertz]

A one carat Tiffany solitaire diamond ring that is good quality will run you $25,000.

Yikes! This is a pretty gross exaggeration as Babestaaa pointed out. A 1 ct. good quality ring at Tiffany is more like $9-$10k.

At any rate OP, I would advise that you visit pricescope.com and research diamonds there. The ladies and gentlemen there can help you find the ring of your dreams within your bf's budget. There's a vast expanse between Zales and Tiffany's that you ought to explore.

 

[callire]

Get a flawless, sparkly .75 carat ring from Bluenile or whiteflash, and you can "upgrade" when you both have better jobs, more money, etc. down the road and make your original stone one of the side stones (ie two .75 sidestones and a carat or larger center stone). You get a sparkly ring, your bf can afford it, and everyone's happy!

 

[Nader444m]

Yikes! This is a pretty gross exaggeration as Babestaaa pointed out. A 1 ct. good quality ring at Tiffany is more like $9-$10k.

At any rate OP, I would advise that you visit pricescope.com and research diamonds there. The ladies and gentlemen there can help you find the ring of your dreams within your bf's budget. There's a vast expanse between Zales and Tiffany's that you ought to explore.

9k-10k for a one carat GOOD quality? This must be recent. The last time I check a few months ago, a one carat solitaire that is flawless or close to flawless will run you $25,000, not a penny less.

 

[SpoilMeRotten]

i agree with the other posters about looking at other jewelers beyond tiffany, as you really are paying for the name. my fiance and i looked at tiffany almost a yr ago and for a nice one carat the best they could do was 17k, and this was without the setting!! i think the stone prices just vary depending on what they have at the time and the specs, but they are outrageous IMO

from what ive heard when most people upgrade, they get a new e-ring but keep the original band, but you can do whatever you want!

 

[PurpleRose]

9k-10k for a one carat GOOD quality? This must be recent. The last time I check a few months ago, a one carat solitaire that is flawless or close to flawless will run you $25,000, not a penny less.

FL and IF (flawless and internally flawless) are not the only good quality clarity grades out there. Fact is, if a diamond is well cut, you could probably go as low as SI1 or SI2 before you saw eye-visible flaws in a 1 ct.

princesschic, the decision of how much to spend is completely up to you and your BF. You don't have to use the opinion of strangers or sales associates, or the amount generated by a jewelry seller's formula to decide how much your engagement ring should cost. The important thing is that both you and your BF are both comfortable with the purchase.

Have you talked to him about your concerns? Maybe he is the type of guy who'd prefer that you not upgrade your e-ring, and that's something you might want to know before the purchase. Marriage is a partnership, so start off your engagement the right way by communicating about your needs and wants and see whether you can come to an agreement with your BF.

Congrats and best of luck to you!

 

[lorihmatthews]

Here are my opinions:

the thing is, he can afford a good carat diamond ring from a place like jared, zales, etc. but i was dreaming about tiffany's. I know he can get that ring if he waits like another year but am i selfish to think that? No, you're not selfish. But chain jewelry stores like Zales do not have the best prices, you're better off looking elsewhere than a mall jeweler.

what do u all think about rings from places like zales, kays, jared, etc. ? Honestly, i've just been looking at diamond size and white gold but i think i prefer platinum now but what about the cut and clarity from these jewelers, is it obviously a lower quality? Platinum is great, that's what I have, but it does scratch as easily as white gold. However, it does not discolor as sometimes white gold can. Any jeweler can stock all kinds of cut and clarity, none of them have an advantage over the other. However, these chains usually don't stock fantastic diamonds.

what is the price u all think should be spent on an engagement ring? and what about the wedding band? i want one, if not both, to be from tiffanys! The price spent should be what you can afford. Tiffany does not have a monopoly on good quality stones or bands. You will pay a huge premium for Tiffany merchandise.

oops last question! would u pick a larger diamond over cut and clarity? i mean to choose when the differences aren't visible to the naked eye. It all depends from diamond to diamond and what you like and care about. We went down a little in color and got what is basically a flawless stone in clarity.

ETA: what do u all think about upgrading rings? i like the idea of keeping the original ring but then the idea of bigger and better later on is appealing too. and do u update the wedding band or engagement ring too? No, you're not selfish. I see nothing wrong with updating rings if that's what people want to do.

 

[vuittonamour]

ok, here's my opinion. i am currently also looking at engagement rings as my boyfriend and i are hoping to get married within the next year or 2. i will never fully understand the need for a tiffany ring. you can get a ring and diamond that is just as good quality from somewhere else. rather than worrying about who is selling it to you (although i suggest you go somewhere reputable regardless, and i don't know how honest those mall jewelers and the like are, but they are big companies and for the most part have to uphold an image) worry about the diamond itself. i have learned a lot about diamonds in the past year, and in my eyes you need to know a little about them if you expect to get one that's good quality. GIA certified, imo, is the way to go. they are the most honest and true diamond grader today. AGSL is ranked up there as well. if i were you i would stay away from EGL, but that's not to say they don't grade some beautiful diamonds, their requirements for certain colors and cut grades just aren't as high as GIA. right now my boyfriend and i are looking for rings in the 2.5 carat range. we are going to go with GIA or possibly AGSL, but if we wanted something like this with a "tiffany" diamond we could expect to not be purchasing this diamond for another 5 years. lol. while they are very picky in the selection of diamonds they offer for sale, you can get something just as good or as pretty somewhere else and pay a whooollle lot less. if i were you i would look into some good local jewelers who you know have a good reputation. what about your friends, are any of them engaged? where did their rings come from? talk to them about the jeweler they went through.

in the end you have to be careful when buying a diamond and recommend you learn about them and you're clear to your boyfriend about what you want. he loves you, he will understand. but i agree that a 1 carat ring from tiffany's will run you a lot more than just going with a good graded GIA diamond...their price tags are generally 50% more than a GIA graded diamond. check out bluenile.com. i did a quick search on there and found a D colored 1.01 carat diamond with ideal cut and is VVS2 (very very slightly included 2) for $9855. expect a ring like that at tiffany's to be AT LEAST $15k, if not $20k.

just something to think about. worry about the diamond first, then the setting.