Engagement Rings
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- elee
For all you engaged / married folks...
I'm doing a bit of research for a jewelry company website, and want to know what websites you found useful for research or shopping, whether you purchased online or in a store, and anything that you really liked / hated about the experience. I appreciate any thoughts you might have!
- sherm0
unique stuff here
always liked the stuff
http://www.clay-pot.com/home.php…I bought a ring once about a decade ago in earnest.
Was not saavy enough about the process to share the story.
- mg330
www.bluenile.com - I bought my fiance's engagement ring there, and the entire experience was very good. The site has nice tools for adjusting price range and other criteria, and on the phone they were really helpful when it came to the decision process and making sure I got the best ring for my money.
For having not seen the ring until it arrived in the mail - something most people would not like - I was totally satisfied and so was she.
- I did the same. Highly recommend BlueNile. Great quality for the price.bengerman
- doesnotexist0
make one!
- canoe0
A7 designed a nice jewelry site a few years ago
- boobs0
Go to an antique jewelry shop. You'll save a fortune buying a ring that's 50 or 100 years old, and they have a lot more character than the newer ones.
- JSK0
Start with Blue Nile. Get educated and get a ball park price.
If you are in NYC, I can introduce you to my jeweler. He taught me a lot of stuff aside from the 4Cs plus angles and degrees that matters.
Bigger is not better. Its great when she first gets but after few days, the shine fades and girls compare stones. Had a girl who got 4 carat rock which was crappy diamond compared to other much smaller one.
- calcium0
My girlfriend; now fiancé, is a geologist and wanted a black diamond. Where she saved me money, I made up for it on size.
Set a budget, stick to it, and go quality over quantity always.
The biggest thing after you buy something you and she will both love is to make sure you get it insured right away.
- Nathan_Adams0
- Dear John....JSK
- Dear Nathan, when a woman says they don't want something, they really want it. Goodbye. PS. We're out of milk.sigg
- valentine typewriter, cool. nice and restored, i take it?scarabin
- Yeah, got one in great condition. Stuck a new ribbon in it and it works perfectly.Nathan_Adams
- Sigg, sometimes when a woman says something, they actually do mean it.Nathan_Adams
- Jacque0
My wife doesn't really like diamonds, but I ended up getting her this little diamond (only .3 ct) in a tiffany setting and it ended up looking very classic and tasteful. Also, it helped that she's got tiny fingers so it looks larger than it is.
Shop local, at a store that's independently owned. Remember your three C's (color, cut, clarity). Buying quality, not size is quite important. And don't listen to that 3 months salary rule, it's total bullshit. The buying antique idea is pretty good too.
- sea_sea0
- jesus christ man!!!!Projectile
- this is my stance on the matter alsoscarabin
- carianoff0
I designed my wife's ring, just kinda sketched something out based on a design her grandmother had, nothing else looks like it.
Also she has olive skin so I went with a stone that went well with that. a Pink Champagne Zircon (not at all like zirconia)
Property wise its nearly as hard as a diamond and I thought was real unique. It has an amazing range of color depending on the day and color of what she wears. from neutral pink to orange and purple.You don't need diamonds anymore, don't let that convention rule your decision.
- i agree, but unfortunately some girls are brain washed and think that's what they better get. this crystal you chose is gorgeous.sea_sea
- JG_LB0
i looked for a few months online before i got a recommendation from my client who made her ring. he ended up making me exactly what my woman wanted. i got a pearl instead of diamonds and she gets complimented all the time. whenever she shows it to her friends or whoever they immediately look at me with the good job look. we both dig it. i think i'm getting a wooden ring.
some sites i bookmarked:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/7003…
http://www.lagunapearl.com/Akoya…
http://www.etsy.com/listing/6180…
http://www.simplywoodrings.com/r…
http://www.wood-rings.com/silver…
http://satomikawakita.com/512-11…
http://www.gemvara.com/Round-Bla…
http://www.diamondintherough.com…
http://shop.kenanddanadesign.com…
http://www.google.com/search?hl=…
http://www.mysapphiresource.com/…
http://www.angara.com/p/round-sa…
http://shop.kenanddanadesign.com…
http://offbeatbride.com/2010/10/…
- err0
- NegativeSpace0
You don't need diamonds exclusively but that will probably be what the majority of people are looking for. Its good to have options though.
Most sites these days seem to have a scale where you can set your price range along with other criteria in order to find a stone. Most sites start the search with the stone, and then you try to pair it with a setting.
Personally I found this to be a bit backwards. Although the stone is the meat and potatoes when it comes to the overall value/cost of the ring, it's really the setting that often gives the ring its unique personality. I knew what style of ring my gf (now fiance) wanted, and it was the setting that kind of defined the cut that I wanted to get.
Biggest thing I could see being helpful in a site is having lots of information to educate the consumer. Go above and beyond the 4 C's. You can get much bigger bang for your buck if you go down the scale in color (H, I, J), and the differences are negligible. Ultimately the thought of getting a perfect diamond is nice, but to the naked eye, color and clarity (VS1 and above) really goes noticed for the most part. Once I learned all of that stuff, it made my search much easier.
Cut is probably the most important thing to understand. Things like the girdle thickness, angles, and symmetry all play a huge role in reflecting back light. A lot of people don't get this and get caught up in table size and carats. Unfortunately diamonds with lesser cuts end up looking dull.
One thing I'd recommend if this guy wants to get his site scoring high marks in the engagement ring market, is to look into ASET (preferred) and DiamXray imagery. It helps visualize the light return of the diamond. A lot of online retailers don't take the time to do this, but I think it is well worth it. When you can't see the stone with your own eyes, this is the next best thing. It will give you an idea of much light the stone will throw back and its a simple way of comparing two stones in a fairly standardized environment without being able to see them side-by-side.
Hope this helps. I did my e-ring search completely virtual and worked with a Jewler I was comfortable with in NYC, all through his website.
We ended up with a nice cushion cut stone in a halo pave setting:
- NegativeSpace0
Oh yeah, and getting in the good books with the Pricescope.com crowd, is also a good idea.