Vintage engagement rings? Tight budget...

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madigan

madigan

I'm done!
O.G.
Jan 16, 2007
639
3
#1
I've been hunting for an engagement ring that catches my fancy, I feel like I'll "just know" when I see it. However, I can't seem to find anything I like. I tend to wear a lot of brass and bronze jewelry (think Pamela Love, K/LLER), and diamonds just seem to be too bright for me (though gorgeous, I just can't see myself wearing it with my current fashion sense). I'm an artist so my hands get dirty a lot, and I feel a diamond ring will just get in the way. So I'm thinking smaller diamond.

However, the only rings that seem to catch my interest are vintage rings from the 50s, and the 20s, but I don't know a good place to find a collection of them to try on, or a website that seems to specialize in them. I did find a vintage .25c platinum Tiffany ring for only $800 but I'm not sure if it's right for me. I do lean towards higher quality diamonds, it seems (for years quality over quantity is practically my catch phrase).

Lastly, my boyfriend doesn't have very much money right now (probably the biggest issue), so spending 2k on a ring would just stress him. He's on the verge of getting a much much better job, but we're very practical people (him moreso than me I'll admit) so wearing thousands of dollars on my hand instead of putting it somewhere more useful is a bit baffling to us.

Any advice is welcomed and appreciated!!
 
#2
You can look at a site like Jewels by Erica Grace, or 66mint, or Old World Diamonds or Israel Rose maybe, or even 1st Dibs. A lot of the older antiques that will be of really high quality might not fit into your budget though so you might need to adjust your expectations.

Also--wearing your ring while you do your work might not be good for the ring, so make sure you take the ring off while you work.
 
#3
You might enjoy cognac diamonds -- a bit less expensive and interesting range of colors. I'd suggest looking for a ring, but also looking for a setting and purchasing a separate stone. Or a vintage style ring like this one:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/1685022...type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=all

The key word is "finding" - the jewelry name for "setting."

You can ask what size stone it takes and then find a reputable jeweler in your area to find a selection of stones for you.

My own engagement ring is a C6 cognac (the lighter ones are called 'champagne') diamond and I love its dark molasses color and sparkle.

This is a fun project, you'll find the perfect thing!
 
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