buying the wife a rock

[kongmen]

Not sure if this belongs here so if it needs to be moved please feel free. I'm going to purchase a 1 or 2 carrot Dimond ring for my wife of 38 years as of next February. I intend to present it to her on a Caribbean cruise for our anniversary. I'm just floating this here to get some feedback on various ways of going about getting the most for my money.



Thanks for any replies.

 

[njhowie]

You need to find a jeweler you can trust - whether it's online or local. When I've purchased rocks for DW, it was always in person from the local jeweler I purchased her engagement ring from 30+ years ago...because I trusted them.

It's more than simply about the best (perceived) bang for the buck. You need to be confident about what you're purchasing, that it is what you're being told it is, because that's how they're going to price it, and most of us are not experts when it comes to gemstones. I don't know that I could purchase diamonds online. You might see the picture online, but colors have a tendency of not being exact when displayed on a monitor for one reason or another. I want to see it in person, be able to take it back if there is an issue, talk with someone in person, and again, trust the person I am dealing with. I just could not see myself getting comfortable with it online.

 

[Aerides]

How well to you know your wife's taste in jewelry - does she have much of one, is she picky? I am.

When DH was getting ready to propose, he (smartly) remarked that I seemed like someone who wanted to pick out her own ring vs. be presented with one. He was right.

All that aside, "1 or 2 carats" is a chasm of difference in price. Far better to focus on a smaller quality stone and setting, than going big. I haven't looked in a while, but if the quality is the same, 2 carats is going to run you 4x the price of 1.

I'd suggest you have a poke around online on Blue Nile for ideas on rough pricing, settings, styles, before you walk into a store.

 

[MarieIG]

I would start with some studying, i.e. your 4 "Cs"

Cut

Color

Clarity

Carat

Now, I'm not saying to buy there, but you may be able to do some learning over on a site such as Blue Nile. You may want to find out what shape your wife prefers.

When you do buy, buy from a trustworthy location that provides you with a GIA certificate - takes returns - and allows you time to have an appraisal by an independent third party. There are a lot of tricks played with stones (drilling and filling and lab created and such) from which you want to be protected. (You know you can return to Costco - yes they sell diamonds - but e-bay can be dicey.)

Avoid places like Tiffany where you'll be paying for the box.

You can typically get a better deal on a carat slightly below the round number - like 1.75 vs. 2. You might be able to get a better deal on a less than D color, which still looks very good to the eye. There is a huge markup on jewelry, so you may be able to get a decent stone when there is a holiday sale.

 

[Koolau]

Cubic zirconia or lab grown diamonds. Look as good and can't be distinguished from the real thing except because they are more perfect than the real thing.

Just a thought.

 

[RetiredHappy]

Go to a reputable local jeweler and choose the setting, i.e. ring with surrounding stones. Jeweler will have center piece/rocks/stones with GIA certificates. You select the stone and the price of the setting + stone will be what you will need to pay. It may take up to 3 months to get the ring back.

 

[ivinsfan]

Is this a surprise..? My DH and I have had some fun with anniversary switchouts but we have always done it together.. I now have my original set, a stone filled band,an antique style band and solitaire from an pawn shop..for 50th anniversary I got a man made set to wear when we are up at the lake or traveling. FWIW you might think of consulting your spouse on what works for her

 

[Koolau]

Is this a surprise..? My DH and I have had some fun with anniversary switchouts but we have always done it together.. I now have my original set, a stone filled band,an antique style band and solitaire from an pawn shop..for 50th anniversary I got a man made set to wear when we are up at the lake or traveling. FWIW you might think of consulting your spouse on what works for her

Good point. I know I've never been good at buying jewelry for DW. I've always insisted that the jeweler allow her to bring it back for exchange. Most times - she brings it back. Just not my area of specialty, I guess.

 

[kongmen]

Thanks for the replies so far! Keep em coming please. I have several months to educate myself.


I have some pretty good specifics on what she wants. I know her ring size and I know she wants white gold and a princess cut diamond with more of a flat shaped band. I'm pretty sure she wants one free of smaller diamonds.

 

[kongmen]

Yes it is a surprise!! I agree that she needs to be able to bring it back if necessary because I'm not the one who will be wearing it after all.

 

[Koolau]

Resale shop (pawn shop) - your money goes a lot farther if you trust them. We've done business with a local guy who's been in the business for 40 years. The savings are significant, but YMMV.

 

[MarieIG]

Cubic zirconia or lab grown diamonds. Look as good and can't be distinguished from the real thing except because they are more perfect than the real thing.

Just a thought.

CZ and lab grown are different. The lab grown basically has the same chemical properties as a natural diamond, while the CZ does not. Also, a larger CZ (depending) can look fake, and worse, get cloudy with the passage of time.

 

[YVRRocketSurgery]

+1 for Costco.
FWIW however, my friend recently got engaged and he didn't love the idea of getting an egagement ring from Costco so he ended up buying it from Blue Nile. He's overall happy with the purchase from them but say they took forever to send a new ring with the right size.

 

[Koolau]

CZ and lab grown are different. The lab grown basically has the same chemical properties as a natural diamond, while the CZ does not. Also, a larger CZ (depending) can look fake, and worse, get cloudy with the passage of time.

Thanks. DW got two or three CZ and still loves them. No problems after 30? years.

 

[MarieIG]

Thanks. DW got two or three CZ and still loves them. No problems after 30? years.

It's the luck of the draw. They can turn. (Ya know how we discuss retirement stuff here, there are other forums which discuss jewelry. Just say'n.)

 

[Koolau]

It's the luck of the draw. They can turn. (Ya know how we discuss retirement stuff here, there are other forums which discuss jewelry. Just say'n.)

I'm sure there are. I think we're talking about a "rock" right now.

 

[audreyh1]

Never cared about previous stones.

 

[Scuba]

Surprise her with a shopping excursion together in St. Thomas. There is a very reputable jeweler there called Ballerina. They have bricks & mortar places in the US mainland also. When you buy something from them, you can decide to upgrade or trade out years later and they will buy it back at the price you paid. DH and I have bought pieces from them and the independent appraisals have always supported that we got a great price for the quality.

Our most recent purchase was my 20th anniversary wedding ring upgrade. We picked it out together so we both like it.

 

[MarieIG]

I'm sure there are. I think we're talking about a "rock" right now.

 

[Sunset]

Whatever you do, don't buy it on a cruise ship.

 

[brett]

Costco, Blue Nile, or a jeweler that you really trust.

Avoid the retail jewelry chains and the shopping center jewelers.

As your insurance agent for the name of an adjuster. The adjuster will know some contracts in the trade. Buy the diamond, then by the setting.

Lots of wolves out there who will be happy to give you a huge discount and an incredible 'appraisal' for insurance purposes. AKA a piece of paper used as part of their pitch. Used extensively in the Caribbean on unsuspecting cruise ship passengers.

 

[ivinsfan]

Yes it is a surprise!! I agree that she needs to be able to bring it back if necessary because I'm not the one who will be wearing it after all.

When we travel I wear my faux jewelry..you're going to hand carry a very expensive ring set on a Caribbean cruise and then hope your wife likes it...I might suggest u give this plan some serious thought..a mature woman most likely knows what she wants..good luck

 

[Midpack]

I bought DW the big rock she wanted for our 25th anniversary, the stone I could not afford when we got married. It was too expensive to leave to a surprise even though I know her tastes very well. I did not want her to be 90% happy with it, I wanted 100% - so we bought it together. She knew what size and cut diamond she wanted, and the setting, I pushed a higher grade than she would have gone for.

I don’t buy the ‘other people won’t know the difference’ argument. I bought it for her, not other people, what they might think is a distant second consideration. A fake diamond or flawed stone for your life’s partner - really?

The surprise factor is nice but that novelty wears off quickly. She is going to look at that ring for the rest of her life, needs to be perfect in her eyes. We started at Tiffany but you are paying a premium for the name, not good value. Fortunately we lived near the Chicago Diamond District/Jewelers Row where you can get any stone you want at a fair price. To get exactly what we wanted it had to be overnighted from Israel, worth every penny we paid.

 

[LateToFIRE]

Cubic zirconia or lab grown diamonds. Look as good and can't be distinguished from the real thing except because they are more perfect than the real thing.

Just a thought.

My wife has a good eye, can spot CZ from a mile away. Lab grown takes more of a trained eye under magnification.

 

[DrRoy]

Costco had some diamond earrings that DW looked at. I shopped for a better deal at many jewelry stores on a cruise to Alaska and couldn't get close.