Engagement Rings

[Rsully70sev]

The shane company, across the freeway from the washington square mall, on the west corner of highway 217 and scholls ferry road, open mon-fri 8 saturday and sunday till 5. Also available online at shaneco.com

hate that radio ad lol

glws

[brutus87]

That's not bad advice. Some people are superstitious about that--thinking if someone else's marriage didn't work out it could pass along with the ring. Some pawn shops, and a few jewelry stores, allow upgrades. Some "pawn shops" are also jewelry stores. So you get a ring and since you bought it there you have the option of upgrading to a higher priced one down the road and your old ring goes in the used side of the shop. So the ring on sale might just be one that was upgraded from and not one from a marriage that didn't work out.

My first marriage we got a ring for $100 bucks. It wasn't a huge diamond. It wasn't really anything at all...until one day we went in to a nice store to have it cleaned and the owner asked if he could examine it. He showed us it was flawless and the clarity was of a kind that he said would be difficult to find at the current time. It wasn't like a 10,000 dollar ring or anything but it was a very nice diamond in his professional opinion. Point is you can really score sometimes.

If you are set on a diamond be prepared to do a *lot* of reading so you know what you are looking at when you finally decide...espeically if you go a craigslist kind of way (which isn't bad, either).

Second time around I won't be buying a diamond, though. If you read up on the whole history of diamonds, even excluding the really horrific conditions under which are mined, it's one of the largest commercial scams ever perpetrated on men and women. I also think that if one puts a lot of thought into a custom ring it says something special...and that's the route I intend to take.

Dunno if any of this has helped. I always communicate my thoughts on these things with my partners. Communication is the lynchpin of a successful marriage (I happen to think that my first marriage of ten years is something to be proud of in current times even though we had to dissolve it so we could continue growing in a healthy way) so start early and start often is my best advice.

BOOOM!
This is why I love R3v, thanks!
I havent forgotten about that pic of the taillight too! MY dad is sending me a pic tomorrow.

[Dj Buttchug]

tacori.com

[camip]

Meth heads best place to buy stuff they got everything for CHEAP just male sure they dont follow you home.

[750]

Learn the 4 C's so you know why your stone cost a given amount.

I bought the stone first. GIA paperwork just in case the event comes you need to sell. Then later found a setting. Shop around.

[5spoke]

Best bang for your buck is probably going to be outside the US. I bought my wifes from a jewelry shop in the Caribbean. Had it custom made, with a bigger/nicer diamond than I could afford here in the US and it looks great. There are a ton of Jewelers down there but I put a link to the one I used below if you are interested.

The process went like this,

1. Emailed them a picture of a similar ring and asked if they could do it, including size, cut, clarity wishes.
2. Haggled price because their first price is never their best price. You can haggle same price for bigger stones too if you want that.
3. They started to build it and when finished mailed it to me.
4. After I approved the finished result and had it appraised here in the US to make sure everything was legit is when they got paid. I gave them no money until I was 100% happy with the product. (Appraised at a little over double what I paid for it)

The whole process took maybe 2-3 weeks. She gets compliments on it all the time, and she likes telling people it was custom made. You get a few extra brownie points.

http://www.grandjewelers.com/jewelry/

Edit: I found a picture of the ring that they made me. Its not a super simple ring to make and they did an awesome job. The guys down there are some really capable jewelers. This is her actual ring on her actual finger, not the pic I sent them.




Edit again: You can also just buy the ring you want from them, they carry name brands too and it will still probably be cheaper.

[chucker]

Tacori.com

Even you young kids who dont know shit about much in life can see the difference.

chucker

[5spoke]

Tacori.com

Even you young kids who dont know shit about much in life can see the difference.

chucker

trollercopter

[dreamchasin]

you got a Freeman Jewelers by you? I went there for my fiance's, went to the estate sale ones. Got a $4,500 (appraised value) for $1,200. I believe estate sale ones are people buy them and customize them, and if something goes wrong they return it or cancel payment, which leaves the jeweler with a custom ring they can't sell for what it's worth. I'm not sure if I am 100% right, but that's what I got from the lady explaining it to me.

To the one who said you're too young, I asked my fiance 2 months after I turned 21.

[z31maniac]

$5k? Sorry, I'm the hater that doesn't believe in spending a lot on jewelry.

Try this:

1. Go into jewelry store and purchase expensive ring.
2. Try to get 50% of of what you just paid for it anywhere.


Also, if you have to finance it, you're spending too much.

[mrsleeve]

I just want to toss this out there, as I dont know if its been covered or not.

But if you want to do something that will hold value a bit better than a cartel controlled supply of diamonds

Something in the corundum family, Ruby, sapphire and such. If you can go vintage ruby, do so, they are much more valuable than much of the newer mined stones. Also have been unaviable for a long time since we have not traded with burma in a few decades. they are not as clear they more of a pigeon blood color. Or a Montana Sapphire they come in many other colors than blue.

Just my 2 cents

[brutus87]

It will be in cash, I dont finance if i can help it.

[z31maniac]

That's good, but I'd still reconsider that much money, personally.

The whole 2 months salary and all that crap is just marketing nonsense.

[brutus87]

Thats what i thought too!
If i can get something really nice for under 4, i would be really happy.

[Joe G]

find a diamond dealer in NYC's diamond district. Best deals youll find are direct from dealers.