the right ring

[sancho]

I know there are so much women here on this site so I want to ask you for an opinion. I will be proposing in few weeks and I need to choose the right ting. Can you give me some suggestions on which ring is better. I will apply for financing with this company so I can go a little higher with a price.

The first one is 3 ct princes bridal set. It is quite expensive but I really love my girl.

http://www.wonderjewelers.com/306ct...al-p-87014.html

The second one is 2.78ct Emerald Anniversary Rings, and is actually a 3 stone ring.

http://www.wonderjewelers.com/278ct-emerald-anniversary-rings-p-85007.html

Thank you for any suggestions.

I don't know much about clarity and color so please can you advice me if the ring is good. I think I got a pretty good deal.

Thank you

[Whitewater]

WOW!!!!

Um. Ok. Do you mind if I'm perfectly blunt here? Either of those rings cost MORE, by quite a bit, than our HOUSE DOWNPAYMENT. Really. Think about that for a second. These two rings of yours are astronomically expensive and you, my friend, are *also* getting ripped off. Especially the second one. Almost $7000 for a 2ish carat J color ring? No. You *should* be paying somewhere in the neighborhood of $3000. Clarity means that the diamond should be almost see-through, ideally, and color means that ideally, the diamond should be completely colorless. I can tell even on the website that the second ring is cloudy and kind of grey. You should NOT be paying premium prices for those stones. Run, do not walk, away from this retailer and find somebody who will be more honest with you.

Go online and do your research before you buy ANYTHING and remember, cost does NOT equal quality, nor does it equal happiness. Like most guys, you've probably been brainwashed by the diamond industry into thinking that more is better. That's not always true. The whole 'the ring has to cost three month's salary' thing was started by the biggest diamond people out there -- DeBeers. They only want your money. Try to find a local non-chain diamond/jewelry seller in your town, or closest major city. There will be one! Might be hard to find, though, because they typically don't have the same huge budget for advertising or whatever. Those people have been around for a long time and won't be ripping you off, because they depend on word-of-mouth business, so you can trust them.

Part of your research should also be talking to your lady. Your future wife will appreciate having some input. If you want to make it a surprise, drag her to a mall jeweler with a good selection of stones OTHER than diamonds (like opals, sapphires, pearls, emeralds, etc) and ask her about them. If she reacts well, maybe you should get her something that she likes. Not all girls love diamonds. And then, you can buy her a pearl necklace or a pair of emerald earrings, or something, and totally throw her off the scent :)

If only a diamond will do, then you have some choices to make. See below.

Also, think about this. The rings you're looking at are a downpayment on a house. You only have so much money in this world. Do you want to be in debt for the rest of your life? If you buy either of those rings on a credit card, you'll wind up *actually* paying about $20,000 (interest!) and it will take you about 30 years. Really. I checked the numbers using one of those calculators online. Really think about what you want to do with your money and what the rest of your goals in life are. Will she want a 'nice' wedding? The avarage wedding price nowadays is close to $30,000 -- where are you going to get the money for that? And after the wedding, what if you have kids (ONE MILLION dollars to raise one, until the kid turns 18) or want to buy a house?

There's no more easy ways to get into a house, anymore. You'll have to have a downpayment and that's going to be at least 3% of the selling price if you get a FHA loan and 10-20% if you get a conventional loan. One a $200,000 home that's $6000-$40,000. Not to mention closing costs, which are often 6-10% of your selling price. You WILL get stuck with some of those. Don't believe people who say that the seller pays for all of it. That's what we thought and we wound up paying an extra $3000 -- even though our seller DID pay 3%.

Think about your long-term goals and don't be swayed by the shiny!!!! I know you think the world of your future wife and you want to get her the best -- but you also need to think in terms of providing her with a sound future and being able to give her a home and nice things in the future. You CAN find lovely rings at a fraction (seriously, there are some in the chain jeweler shops here that are better quality for $1000) of the cost of the rings you showed us. You might even be able to get a good ring for under $1000 if you look around for sales or whatnot.

Oh, and the chances are good that when your lady talks about 'a big diamond' she means a diamond that's roughly 1/2 - 3/4 carat. Any bigger than that and she won't feel comfortable wearing her ring in her daily life, to work or whatever, and you'll find it more expensive to insure. A ring with a stone that's a full carat is just too big and unwieldy. I'd strongly recommend that the main stone in whatever you wind up getting be no more than 1/2 carat. You can make the whole ring up to a full carat (or more, if that's what she wants) by having smaller stones on the sides, or whatever.

And finally, my last point. My own engagement ring is sterling silver Art Deco style with a facted Iolite stone in the center. It cost all of $32. But I wouldn't have any other ring, and in fact, you couldn't PAY me to wear a diamond solitare. Not all women are alike. Talk to your girl and get her honest opinion about the stones she likes to wear. You might be surprised.

Know that's a lot to take in, hope that helps.


Whitewater

[neebelung]

WOW!!!!

Um. Ok. Do you mind if I'm perfectly blunt here? Either of those rings cost MORE, by quite a bit, than our HOUSE DOWNPAYMENT. Really. Think about that for a second. These two rings of yours are astronomically expensive and you, my friend, are *also* getting ripped off. Especially the second one. Almost $7000 for a 2ish carat J color ring? No. You *should* be paying somewhere in the neighborhood of $3000. Clarity means that the diamond should be almost see-through, ideally, and color means that ideally, the diamond should be completely colorless. I can tell even on the website that the second ring is cloudy and kind of grey. You should NOT be paying premium prices for those stones. Run, do not walk, away from this retailer and find somebody who will be more honest with you.

Go online and do your research before you buy ANYTHING and remember, cost does NOT equal quality, nor does it equal happiness. Like most guys, you've probably been brainwashed by the diamond industry into thinking that more is better. That's not always true. The whole 'the ring has to cost three month's salary' thing was started by the biggest diamond people out there -- DeBeers. They only want your money. Try to find a local non-chain diamond/jewelry seller in your town, or closest major city. There will be one! Might be hard to find, though, because they typically don't have the same huge budget for advertising or whatever. Those people have been around for a long time and won't be ripping you off, because they depend on word-of-mouth business, so you can trust them.

Part of your research should also be talking to your lady. Your future wife will appreciate having some input. If you want to make it a surprise, drag her to a mall jeweler with a good selection of stones OTHER than diamonds (like opals, sapphires, pearls, emeralds, etc) and ask her about them. If she reacts well, maybe you should get her something that she likes. Not all girls love diamonds. And then, you can buy her a pearl necklace or a pair of emerald earrings, or something, and totally throw her off the scent :)

If only a diamond will do, then you have some choices to make. See below.

Also, think about this. The rings you're looking at are a downpayment on a house. You only have so much money in this world. Do you want to be in debt for the rest of your life? If you buy either of those rings on a credit card, you'll wind up *actually* paying about $20,000 (interest!) and it will take you about 30 years. Really. I checked the numbers using one of those calculators online. Really think about what you want to do with your money and what the rest of your goals in life are. Will she want a 'nice' wedding? The avarage wedding price nowadays is close to $30,000 -- where are you going to get the money for that? And after the wedding, what if you have kids (ONE MILLION dollars to raise one, until the kid turns 18) or want to buy a house?

There's no more easy ways to get into a house, anymore. You'll have to have a downpayment and that's going to be at least 3% of the selling price if you get a FHA loan and 10-20% if you get a conventional loan. One a $200,000 home that's $6000-$40,000. Not to mention closing costs, which are often 6-10% of your selling price. You WILL get stuck with some of those. Don't believe people who say that the seller pays for all of it. That's what we thought and we wound up paying an extra $3000 -- even though our seller DID pay 3%.

Think about your long-term goals and don't be swayed by the shiny!!!! I know you think the world of your future wife and you want to get her the best -- but you also need to think in terms of providing her with a sound future and being able to give her a home and nice things in the future. You CAN find lovely rings at a fraction (seriously, there are some in the chain jeweler shops here that are better quality for $1000) of the cost of the rings you showed us. You might even be able to get a good ring for under $1000 if you look around for sales or whatnot.

Oh, and the chances are good that when your lady talks about 'a big diamond' she means a diamond that's roughly 1/2 - 3/4 carat. Any bigger than that and she won't feel comfortable wearing her ring in her daily life, to work or whatever, and you'll find it more expensive to insure. A ring with a stone that's a full carat is just too big and unwieldy. I'd strongly recommend that the main stone in whatever you wind up getting be no more than 1/2 carat. You can make the whole ring up to a full carat (or more, if that's what she wants) by having smaller stones on the sides, or whatever.

And finally, my last point. My own engagement ring is sterling silver Art Deco style with a facted Iolite stone in the center. It cost all of $32. But I wouldn't have any other ring, and in fact, you couldn't PAY me to wear a diamond solitare. Not all women are alike. Talk to your girl and get her honest opinion about the stones she likes to wear. You might be surprised.

Know that's a lot to take in, hope that helps.


Whitewater
WHOAH....

First off, I actually think this guy is a troll -- I think he just posted links trying to direct people to a site he's trying to promote.

BUT.... that said...

Let's keep in mind not everyone's finances or budgets are the same, so if someone wants to spend the equivalent of someone else's house down payment on a ring, who are we to judge? You said so yourself that you don't want to wear a diamond... so why bash someone who might want to?

And lastly... "chances are" she means 1/2 to 3/4 carat when she's talking abotu a 'big' diamond? Chances are you're wrong there. You stated that as if it's what ALL or MOST women would think, and that's simply not the case. Hey, we didn't spend what he's considering spending on a ring, but a "big" diamond to me would be 2+ carats. A half-carat to one carat is "normal" or "average" IMO. MY opinion. I'm not stating that as what "all" or "most" women would think.... Just ME. ;)

Did the guy ask for home financing advice? Nuh uh... he asked if we thought it was a good price for that ring... for all we know, he's already sitting pretty in a half-million dollar house... or maybe he's not. Maybe he's up to his eyeballs in debt... but that's none of out business since he didn't ASK for long-term financial advice, now is it?

[BrideToBeCindy]

WHOAH....

First off, I actually think this guy is a troll -- I think he just posted links trying to direct people to a site he's trying to promote.

BUT.... that said...

Let's keep in mind not everyone's finances or budgets are the same, so if someone wants to spend the equivalent of someone else's house down payment on a ring, who are we to judge? You said so yourself that you don't want to wear a diamond... so why bash someone who might want to?

And lastly... "chances are" she means 1/2 to 3/4 carat when she's talking abotu a 'big' diamond? Chances are you're wrong there. You stated that as if it's what ALL or MOST women would think, and that's simply not the case. Hey, we didn't spend what he's considering spending on a ring, but a "big" diamond to me would be 2+ carats. A half-carat to one carat is "normal" or "average" IMO. MY opinion. I'm not stating that as what "all" or "most" women would think.... Just ME. ;)

Did the guy ask for home financing advice? Nuh uh... he asked if we thought it was a good price for that ring... for all we know, he's already sitting pretty in a half-million dollar house... or maybe he's not. Maybe he's up to his eyeballs in debt... but that's none of out business since he didn't ASK for long-term financial advice, now is it?

:bow: *High Five* I couldn't agree with you more!!

[smiller]

Okay a down payment on a house where I live is astronimically more than 7000. Hell, that's not even a down payment on a nice car. So it all really depends.

In any case do not ask your girl what she wants because she will probably really enjoy being surprised. I enjoyed it.

As far as the rings I like the second one better.

However if I may offer some advice...

I do not know where you live but internet deals are generally not that great. I live in Los Angeles and we have a huge jewelry district downtown, where you get a huge selection and better deals.

You generally want to choose the best center stone that you can because that is really all the value in the ring. Cut and clarity is very important because that is what gives the ring brillinace. You may want to consider a brilliant cut because the ring really shines. Also buying it in person allows you to really see the ring. Store and camera lights are made special to make even crappy rings extra shiny. So go and look at the rings in the daylight to see what they really look like. Finally do not forget to make sure that you get certificates of authenticity. And lastly, a slightly smaller better quality diamond is usually nicer than a sligthly bigger worse quality diamond.

Otherwise go with your gut. You are awasome for getting input but ultimately you know your girl best and if it comes from the heart I am sure that she will love it.

Best of luck!

[smiller]

WOW!!!!



Oh, and the chances are good that when your lady talks about 'a big diamond' she means a diamond that's roughly 1/2 - 3/4 carat. Any bigger than that and she won't feel comfortable wearing her ring in her daily life, to work or whatever, and you'll find it more expensive to insure. A ring with a stone that's a full carat is just too big and unwieldy. I'd strongly recommend that the main stone in whatever you wind up getting be no more than 1/2 carat. You can make the whole ring up to a full carat (or more, if that's what she wants) by having smaller stones on the sides, or whatever.




Whitewater
Just for the record...


I can honestly say that I have no difficulty wearing my 1.63 carat ring. It works great for daily life. Not too big or unwieldy at all. Main stone is 1 carat and it looks great. Huny bought it all by himself and did a fabulous job. Plus engagement ring should be more expensive than wedding band.

[neebelung]

Just for the record...


I can honestly say that I have no difficulty wearing my 1.63 carat ring. It works great for daily life. Not too big or unwieldy at all. Main stone is 1 carat and it looks great. Huny bought it all by himself and did a fabulous job. Plus engagement ring should be more expensive than wedding band.

:werd: My center stone is 1.17 carats, two sidestones of 1/4 carat each, and .33 carats in smaller diamonds down the sides. It's not BIG, but it is perfect for me. And never once have I felt unsafe or nervous wearing it.

[starsthrumysoul]

Yowsa mister.. I think you got a lot more than you bargained for when you posted.

I think for me, it didn' matter what he bought - so long as HE picked it out, I would love it (and DO love it!).

BUT I think that you should talk to your girlfriend. Feel her out - when you're out somewhere, look at someone's ring and comment on it, and then see what her response is.

And as far as size goes, I guess it's a really relative thing. I have a three stone diamond that is 1.5 carats total, which means that each stone is .5 carats, and that's alright by me! Maybe she wants something bigger, maybe she doesn't. I really think that getting a total stranger's opinion is the wrong way to go about it. Though we're all women, we all have VERY different tastes (as you've seen!)

[mitch]

And as far as size goes, I guess it's a really relative thing. I have a three stone diamond that is 1.5 carats total, which means that each stone is .5 carats, and that's alright by me! Maybe she wants something bigger, maybe she doesn't. I really think that getting a total stranger's opinion is the wrong way to go about it. Though we're all women, we all have VERY different tastes (as you've seen!)

Exactly. I personally wouldn't want a Massive Rock. I'd want to be able to move my Hand :rofl:

[RosieAngel]

I always suggest to guys who don't know much about rings to go buy them from http://www.bluenile.com/ because they basically prevent you from doing anything you'll regret later.

The rings you posted are way overpriced for what you're getting - the size may be big, but the stones are SI quality - meaning, you can see flaws quite easily, and their color indicates that they are not white (you want D)- they're poor quality stones. I'm not a fan of white gold, either, because it's basically sterling silver mixed with gold, so it tends to oxidize and turn an unsightly yellowish color. If you like that white color, choose platinum. It's worth the extra money.

Caveat: some women love white gold and would rather have a big, cloudy, off-colored diamond than something high-quality but small. I'm just stating my personal preferences. Either way, I HIGHLY recommend that you go to Blue Nile if you know nothing about rings and want to buy your ring online.

Another note: My opinions on what I liked in engagement rings were solicited for and then promptly ignored, because my fiance is a jewelry connoisseur and decided that I have bad taste. I still love my ring, even though I would have never picked it out for myself. So you can just choose what you like, if that's more your style.

[Ninedays9]

I agree with the bluenile site idea. I've looked at it before, and it looks great. You can build the exact ring that you want (with the types of stones and cuts that they have).

I kind of wish we'd known about the white gold 'cause that's what my ring is... but so far it's stayed the right color... though it's less than a year old. Oh well, I still love my ring, haha.

[teacherbride2010]

I may be an old fashioned country girl but i think i would kill my FH if he spent that much on a ring. I have a very modest 2 stone pink saphire and diamond, that totally suits my taste and it fit my fiance's budget. I was very happy with his choice and it showed how well he knows me and my style.

IMO, I think the proposal and relationship are way more important than any diamond.

In what I do know about diamonds though, I think you are getting ripped off for the quality listed.

Good luck with your search.

[RosieAngel]

I may be an old fashioned country girl but i think i would kill my FH if he spent that much on a ring. I have a very modest 2 stone pink saphire and diamond, that totally suits my taste and it fit my fiance's budget. I was very happy with his choice and it showed how well he knows me and my style.

IMO, I think the proposal and relationship are way more important than any diamond.

In what I do know about diamonds though, I think you are getting ripped off for the quality listed.

Good luck with your search.

I definitely agree that the proposal is more important than the ring itself! :)

[bichonlvr]

So why THAT site...Hmmmmmmm!

[Rainbow Brite]

I'm glad that the diamonds in my wedding band sparkle different colors in the sunlight! I'd be mad if they were colorless! But ya'll know I LOVE my rainbows :biggrin:

[L.J.Aguirre]

ummmm.... my main stone is a 1ct colorless diamond and i don't think it's "too big and unwieldy" as somebody descibed above. i love it the way it is! i agree with smiller and neebelung. i really feel it's to each their own. some people don't like big and some people dont like small.... but i can honestly say i like mine and could care less if someone thinks it's tacky,big or unwieldy on my finger..... which it is not anyway. ive gotten nothing but compliments on my ring from people i deal with on a daily basis......remember sancho... to each their own! if you like that ring for her, then get it..... just get it somewhere else because i've seen better deals lol!

[MrsDM]

IF you are debating between the two sets, I like number one because its very similar to mine!

BUT - IMO the price is too high for what you are getting. My stone is almost 1 ct and has a E color and a clarity of VS1. FH customized it himself and paid around $5,000 for just the engagement ring.

That said, you need to do what you feel is right for you and your FW.

[starsthrumysoul]

"I may be an old fashioned country girl but i think i would kill my FH if he spent that much on a ring."

Me too. I told my FH after we went ring shopping that I would PREFER he spend less on a ring so that we would have more to put toward a house. It's SUCH a personal preference!!

[sancho]

thanks for the help

stars nice website!

are you married yet?



My friend bough a ring from Wonder Jewelers and he recommended them to me. I dont want to buy from well kown sites because I dont want to be paiyng only for the name.

They are offering me financing so that is great, I mean I have quite some money saved so the price does not bothe but still I will go with financing

I will post some pictures soon when I will close a deal