Engagement ring purchase

[Newventurer]

Got my DW's from Blue Nile 10 years ago. Diamonds have certificates if that matters to you.

 

[Bamaman]

My wife hit me up for a BIG diamond last year and she bought one from an independent diamond broker she knows.

She has for sale a 1.41 round solitare mounted on a very substantial setting with a number of diamonds on each side of the big diamond. And she has all documentation on the ring.

Please PM me if interested.

 

[aja8888]

My wife hit me up for a BIG diamond last year and she bought one from an independent diamond broker she knows.

She has for sale a 1.41 round solitare mounted on a very substantial setting with a number of diamonds on each side of the big diamond. And she has all documentation on the ring.

Please PM me if interested.

I'm pretty sure a diamond that big would be out of the kid's budget. Thanks anyway.

 

[brucethebroker]

Markup is tremendously high on Diamonds. This is one of those purchases that I just had to find a comfortable number to spend in correlation with the size and clarity of the Diamond.

A 3/4 carat is significantly less than 1 Carat and you could get a setting that accents the Diamond.

I might try Blue Nile dot com and compare prices versus retail stores. Or, look up Estate Sales dot net for estate sales in the area you live. I'd contact companies that were listing the estate sales and ask them to steer you in a direction for a reasonably priced engagement ring.

Michael

+1.
I bought a beautiful .9 carat loose diamond for my wife about 25 years ago. My friend had a family owned jewelry store and had purchased a large lot of "previously used" traded in diamonds from another store. He told me that the "just under" 1 carat rule, and "used" diamonds were great savings tools. I purchased a nice ring to go with the diamond and my wife "swapped out" her previous engagement/wedding ring.

BTW, wife's diamond looks huge. No one has ever looked at her ring and said "nice, but too bad it's not a full carat"!

 

[euro]

Not a useful comment to the OP (sorry!), but my DW and I decided to forego the engagement ring completely and pay off our student loans instead. We then spent about $150 each on very plain gold wedding bands and that was it. Has lasted just fine for about 30 years so far.

 

[brett]

Whatever they decide,don't buy the ring from a large retailer in a shopping center. They will pay far to much and get a lower quality product. This despite the worthless, inflated appraisal certificate (simply a selling tool) and the so called 33-50 percent discount.

I would buy from Costco, online from Blue Saphire. Or better yet search out a good recommended jeweller in an office location who does insurance and private work. Pick the stone and the setting. Far better value.

 

[eytonxav]

James Allen is a very reputable internet site for engagement rings. My son just bought one there after researching for months. They have 360 degree views of the actual stones. Pick a stone, pick a setting and in a week the ring is delivered. Much cheaper than physical stores. JMHO

My son did the same last fall, and was pleased with the purchase, and so was my future daughter in law.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Like euro, we went for simple gold alloy wedding bands from JC Penny. 42 years for us.

I lost mine a few years ago (a story there) and we will both be replacing ours but with less expensive metals. We don't go for glitter.

 

[aja8888]

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. Both young adults are very frugal and asked my guidance, of which these responses are on the mark. I'll let you all know how it turns out.

BTW, neither has student loans to pay off and, except for some recent medical debt, are both debt free.

 

[Bestwifeever]

I gave DH a very narrow gold band for our 25th anniversary, which he wears next to the original wide band. He loves it.

 

[ivinsfan]

Pawn shops are the way to go IMO..if they are looking together that makes it easier. Many of the bigger regional pawnshops certify all their diamond jewelry.

 

[bclover]

Alternate gemstones are another option. Your after 3daughter could consider a ruby or a sapphire instead of a diamond. These are actually rarer than diamonds, don't have the deBeers market distortion, and are probably less environmentally and ethically damaging.

My late husband was Portugese, and engagement rings were not the thing that they are here.
I went for emeralds.

Now we got married young and were pretty broke so it wasn't that big BUT lol,
after 3 kids and 28 years, the old guy sprung for a few carats.

Was the markup high?? probably, do I love my gift? absolutely

congrats to the youngins

 

[Winemaker]

Interesting story but cannot prove if truthful.

Twenty years ago, long lost distant relative of DW passed and there were several very large diamonds left in velvet bag found on relatives property. We were not executors of will or anything; if fact didn't even know the relative even existed. Well, none of the other survivors wanted the stones, so we purchased them all for less than $2,500 to the estate. DW's had a classmate who owned jewelry store, we had the stones appraised for insurance purposes and at the time, 1996 or so, in excess of $50,000. When we asked the executor about origin, she said that she didn't know.

Fast forward 3 or 4 years at a family reunion, we met some family members who told a story about the patriarch and matriarch when they immigrated long ago, put their life savings into diamonds, and baked them in a loaf of bread when they came over on the boat. They were told no one would steal one's last morsel, but thieves would steal the shirt off their back if they needed one.

 

[FrankiesGirl]

May I suggest they also check out independent jewers on Etsy? I have seen some beautiful things that would be much more custom and at a cheaper price than a storefront or large website business, and as long as they make sure that the seller has a stellar reputation and history, they might be able to come out with something unique and cost much less than store/web pricing.

 

[Philliefan33]

This thread got me thinking about my grandmother's ring set, which I inherited from her. I rarely wear it (I'm not a jewelry person). Yesterday I snapped a picture of the ring and texted it to both DDs, letting them know that if either of them decide to get married (both are in long-term relationships), great-grandma's ring is available to be recycled.

 

[athena53]

Fast forward 3 or 4 years at a family reunion, we met some family members who told a story about the patriarch and matriarch when they immigrated long ago, put their life savings into diamonds, and baked them in a loaf of bread when they came over on the boat. They were told no one would steal one's last morsel, but thieves would steal the shirt off their back if they needed one.

DH's first wife was Armenian and when her family fled Armenia an uncle smuggled a stash of diamonds in a linen bag hidden in... umm, a body cavity. What she remembered was that one of the little girls had her shoes stolen. Desperate times. The diamonds made it safely.

 

[travelover]

DH's first wife was Armenian and when her family fled Armenia an uncle smuggled a stash of diamonds in a linen bag hidden in... umm, a body cavity. What she remembered was that one of the little girls had her shoes stolen. Desperate times. The diamonds made it safely.

The Romanov (Russian Czar) family had diamonds under their clothes when they were executed.

The last to die were Tatiana, Anastasia, and Maria, who were carrying a few pounds (over 1.3 kilograms) of diamonds sewn into their clothing, which had given them a degree of protection from the firing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Execution_of_the_Romanov_family