Engagement ring advice

Sorry to get off the topic of diamonds - what would you do if your significant other was anti-diamond (because of it's history, etc). What are some other options out there?

Originally Posted by mafoofan

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So what if Blue Nile gets what the diamond dealers don't pick? That doesn't mean the stones are lower in quality. In fact, the diamond dealers are picking what they believe will sell for the most profit, which isn't necessarily the same as what a knowledgeable buyer is looking for. Anyway, Blue Nile supplies scans of the GIA certificates, which tells you as much as what 99% of all diamond dealers will tell you. There's no voodoo going on.
Exactly. He doesn't seem to understand the concept of "rating" Look up what a "commodity" is Figure out what specs you want, then shop them around. Doesn't matter if BN sells dogshit alongside D/VS1/Ideal

Originally Posted by Aldehyde

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Here's a wild thought:

Don't get a diamond.

I bought an Alexandrite for my fiancÃ

es ring. And with the assistance of a jeweler, I'm making the ring myself. Which means far more than dropping big bucks on a 3C ring.

My brother bought his wife an art-deco era ring with no gemstone at all.

She should be marrying you for who you are and how you treat her, and it has nothing to do with how much money you spend on a ring. Which is all diamonds are about. A big flag you can wave and say
"I LOVE YOU $15000 MUCH, WHICH IS MORE THAN JEFF LOVES HIS WIFE - HE ONLY LOVES HER $7500 MUCH. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? I LOVE YOU TWICE AS MUCH AS JEFF LOVES HIS WIFE!"

So. Don't buy into it. Think for yourself.


Let me know how that works out for you.

Originally Posted by yaphi

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Sorry to get off the topic of diamonds - what would you do if your significant other was anti-diamond (because of it's history, etc). What are some other options out there?
My fiance actually wanted me to use a CZ and spend the money on hardwood floors. I said "yeah...no". But if she had wanted sapphire or something else I would've been fine with it. :shrug: I get it when people say "your wife-to-be should be happy with anything you give her or else she's not worth it!" but why make her settle? If she's worth it, she's worth pampering on at least this one thing...arguably the most precious, lasting material possession she will receive. Lord knows we spend plenty on all sorts of toys for ourselves.

I am probably going to end up just getting a band for an engagement ring, but I think that's weird. She won't like a diamond, or sapphire. Would rather have me spend the money on anything else really.

Originally Posted by Aldehyde
Here's a wild thought:
Don't get a diamond.

I bought an Alexandrite for my fiancÃ

es ring. And with the assistance of a jeweler, I'm making the ring myself. Which means far more than dropping big bucks on a 3C ring.

.

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Exactly, Trini.
Good luck negotiating with 1/2 a century of brainwashing.

Aldehyde, a 3 carat ring would run you about $40,000.
(Or about $80,000 in Tiffany's)

I had a friend who's fiancee was the same - she wanted just a simple thin white gold band (she was anti-diamond as well, for humanitarian reasons), and they donated to charity the money they would have spent on the diamond.

Originally Posted by Reevolving

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Exactly. He doesn't seem to understand the concept of "rating" Look up what a "commodity" is Figure out what specs you want, then shop them around. Doesn't matter if BN sells dogshit alongside D/VS1/Ideal
what you don't understand is that BN sells dogshit H/VS1/Ideal next to great H/VS1/Ideal and the people you speak to there have no idea which is which you seem to think that any 2 stones with identical 4 C's rating are equal, and this is patently false

Originally Posted by Reevolving

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Wrong. You are not comparing apples to apples. Just stick with GIA and then compare. Last I checked, BN (or any website with big volume and low overhead) will be cheaper than you local ripoff merchant or Zale's, et al.
all the ones I looked at were GIA certified. go look yourself. try to figure out why some are much cheaper than others. and of course BN is a lot cheaper than Zales. I would never recommend going to Zales. but there are options besides "blue nile" and "mall" I bought my stone at a B&M dealer for a price that was right in the range for similarly specc'ed stones (identical 4 C rating, all GIA certified) on BN. only, I got to see it before I bought it and knew it was an awesome stone

I know sapphires are really popular right now.

My friend compromised with his g/f and bought a diamond center stone with two side sapphires.

Originally Posted by yaphi

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Sorry to get off the topic of diamonds - what would you do if your significant other was anti-diamond (because of it's history, etc). What are some other options out there?

And when I say compromised I mean she said, "Get me that because that's what I want."

And he said, "OK."

Originally Posted by mafoofan

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That's how I got "stuck" with a D/VVS2 stone. I wanted a particular size Royal Asscher and they are even more rare than generic Asscher cuts since only the Asscher family makes them. So when one finally showed up, I couldn't be so picky about the exact grading.



Yeah, basically you pick solitaire or side stones, number and type of prongs, halo or no halo, pave or no pave (and what kind of pave), etc. It's not rocket science. Self-designed rings that break the classic mold are almost always ugly as sin.

Where did you go foo? I'm in the prelim of looking but know I'm either going Asscher or Cushion, however I'm aware that the generic Asscher cuts distort the picture a bit. I'd only go for Royal

Originally Posted by TRINI

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Let me know how that works out for you.


I'm not getting your tone and if your being genuine or not.

She was the one the picked an Alexandrite over a diamond so there will be no problems with her rejecting it or being unhappy she doesn't have a diamond.

If you genuinely want to know how the ring making goes let me know and i'll take photos / explain the process. I've got the appointment the week after next.

We will be designing the band, forming the band, soldering on a setting that was previously purchased (basket) and having a specialist set the stone.

The point of the post was just to express the thought that there are alternatives to diamonds. I personally think they are extraordinarily overpriced for what they are, are not very pretty, and are the result of ruthless (and extremely effective) marketing.

Originally Posted by B Hamilton

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Where did you go foo? I'm in the prelim of looking but know I'm either going Asscher or Cushion, however I'm aware that the generic Asscher cuts distort the picture a bit. I'd only go for Royal

I used some broker based in Florida. If you want a Royal Asscher, there are only certain dealers through which you can get them. So the easiest thing to do is look them up on the corporate website and then call around to comparison shop.

Originally Posted by mafoofan

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I used some broker based in Florida. If you want a Royal Asscher, there are only certain dealers through which you can get them. So the easiest thing to do is look them up on the corporate website and then call around to comparison shop.

Your vast diamond knowledge is probably what's confusing people to think that you're Jewish.

- B