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re: Engagement ring shopping/valuation
Posted on 4/21/16 at 2:59 pm to TbirdSpur2010
Posted on 4/21/16 at 2:59 pm to TbirdSpur2010
quote:
Get with a chick that's not as hung up on a high-cost one.
She's not. She is very simple when it comes to clothes/jewelry. I probably care more about getting her a "nice" ring than she does.
Posted on 4/21/16 at 2:59 pm to Jon Ham
quote:
What would make it look like shite?
Go to Zales and get your $2K ring and then go have a private jeweler make you a personal one. You will notice a difference in quality and workmanship. IMO, they will also use lower quality diamonds, gold, etc. than a private jeweler would 99% of the time.
Posted on 4/21/16 at 3:01 pm to Jon Ham
quote:
She's not. She is very simple when it comes to clothes/jewelry. I probably care more about getting her a "nice" ring than she does.
That's a good sign
Just "upgraded" my wife's ring this past weekend (5 year anniversary this summer). Same deal--I was more interested in splurging than she was, but she appreciated it. That's all that matters at the end of the day, I suppose.
Congrats on the upcoming nuptials!
Posted on 4/21/16 at 3:01 pm to stevengtiger
I got my ring at a local jeweler. The quality was better, they were cheaper, and they were easier to deal with-- that comes from being held more accountable than a large chain would be.
Posted on 4/21/16 at 3:34 pm to Weagle25
quote:
Again, a diamonds value is what people are willing to pay for it. Whether you think the reasons people pay more for a diamond are stupid or not has no bearing on the overall value of the diamond.
If diamonds were actually worth anything close to their retail price, then they should keep a large chunk of that "value" once bought, but they don't because they aren't actually worth anything close to that.
New cars depreciate as soon as you drive it off the lot, but you can fairly easily sell it back to the dealership or to a third party and get most of your money back. Gold has utility outside of its aesthetics, generally appreciates over time, and you can easily liquidate it.
Diamonds do not have a utility, are not liquid, and aren't anywhere close to as rare as the prices seem to indicate they are. It's an artificially inflated market supported by dumb men, entitled women, and brilliant marketing strategy.
quote:
At the peak of tulip mania, in March 1637, some single tulip bulbs sold for more than 10 times the annual income of a skilled craftsman.
LINK
Today's diamonds = 1637 tulips.
Posted on 4/21/16 at 4:14 pm to Jon Ham
Just saw an ad at the top of this thread for Sylvie diamonds. ;) Gotta love modern day marketing. (Was on my phone, i got adblock to block em on my lappy.)
Posted on 4/21/16 at 4:15 pm to Jon Ham
quote:
Diamonds do not have a utility
Diamonds have a ton of utility and are used everyday on every construction project across the world. They are the hardest material in the world. But yes the amount of money I pay for diamonds I use on a daily basis is way cheaper per gram than what goes on a ring.
Posted on 4/21/16 at 4:31 pm to Jon Ham
First off, congrats!
I'll echo what a few others have already said. Find a local jeweler and work with them on making something custom. That's what I did and I ended up with a .75 carat diamond, 14k gold band, for ~$1,500. M'lady loves it.
I'll echo what a few others have already said. Find a local jeweler and work with them on making something custom. That's what I did and I ended up with a .75 carat diamond, 14k gold band, for ~$1,500. M'lady loves it.
Posted on 4/21/16 at 4:41 pm to Jon Ham
quote:
they don't because they aren't actually worth anything close to that.
Apparently diamonds sold at the Jewlery store are or people wouldn't pay for it.
Like I said there's no reasoning around they're worth what people will pay for it.
Posted on 4/21/16 at 4:43 pm to Vols&Shaft83
quote:
Don't get married
I feel bad for your girlfriend.
Posted on 4/21/16 at 7:17 pm to Jon Ham
quote:
Anyone have any advice on how not to get fricked in the arse
Just ask any Aggy
Posted on 4/21/16 at 7:50 pm to Jon Ham
Solution: find a girl who isnt superficial and doesn't expect an expensive diamond ring.
Posted on 4/21/16 at 8:20 pm to Jon Ham
See if any of the jewelers in your area are diamond wholesalers. They'll have a larger selection on-hand and better prices (and more negotiable in my experience). This way you'll get a better deal and actually get to hold/see the diamond before purchase.
If there isn't a local wholesaler, you can try a few online diamond wholesaler. Blue Nile is well known. My favorite was James Allen. They have higher standards on what diamonds they list. Ritani is also pretty good, and they also partner with local jewelers.If you put down a deposit on one of their diamonds, they'll ship it to a local jeweler so you can see it in person. Those 3 sites list 360 degree views of each diamond. Be careful with some other sites out there because they might just show you stock photos.
If you're going with .5 carat, try to get something in the DEF color range, vs-vvs clarity, and an excellent-ideal cut. It won't be a monstrous rock, but it'll shine like an LED
Good luck. I made the purchase a few months ago. It was painful to spend so much money on something thats essentially useless
If there isn't a local wholesaler, you can try a few online diamond wholesaler. Blue Nile is well known. My favorite was James Allen. They have higher standards on what diamonds they list. Ritani is also pretty good, and they also partner with local jewelers.If you put down a deposit on one of their diamonds, they'll ship it to a local jeweler so you can see it in person. Those 3 sites list 360 degree views of each diamond. Be careful with some other sites out there because they might just show you stock photos.
If you're going with .5 carat, try to get something in the DEF color range, vs-vvs clarity, and an excellent-ideal cut. It won't be a monstrous rock, but it'll shine like an LED
Good luck. I made the purchase a few months ago. It was painful to spend so much money on something thats essentially useless
Posted on 4/21/16 at 9:25 pm to Jon Ham
When I got engaged, I had my ring made. It was a 2 carat diamond, princess cut set in white gold band. The wedding band was another total of 2 carats of small diamonds that the engagement band sat in.
Remember on figuring your cost, you will also need to purchase a wedding band.
You do not want to spend what I did, according to your OP...but I saved a ton of money by using my hometown jeweler to make the ring for me instead of some bullshite large dealer.
Remember on figuring your cost, you will also need to purchase a wedding band.
You do not want to spend what I did, according to your OP...but I saved a ton of money by using my hometown jeweler to make the ring for me instead of some bullshite large dealer.
Posted on 4/21/16 at 9:27 pm to Jon Ham
Buying a diamond is just dumb when you think about it. It's a damn rock.
Posted on 4/21/16 at 9:42 pm to Jon Ham
My gf knows that I'll soon be in the engagement ring hunt myself so she sent me a link to an etsy page of this girl who makes (what she described) as really nice engagement rings for pretty cheap. I have no idea about cuts or carats or any of that stuff so I'm just taking her word for it. I'll try to find it and show you.
eta: Also, my sister who is a marketing exec for a fashion boutique said that girls are more and more beginning to embrace alternative gems that are generally cheaper than diamonds.
eta: Also, my sister who is a marketing exec for a fashion boutique said that girls are more and more beginning to embrace alternative gems that are generally cheaper than diamonds.
This post was edited on 4/21/16 at 9:45 pm
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