How much for an engagement ring?

[speedog]

Over 27 years married now, my wife's rings have been sitting in the jewellery box for more than 5 years needing to be resized because she's so much smaller than when we got married/engaged. My ring resides in the same place because I squished it a couple of years ago and I haven't bothered to get it fixed. We don't need rings anymore to signify our connection.

[swak]

Put a loonie in the candy machine outside wal-mart... BOOM. $1... that's all you need boys and girls

[zhao]

I spent a lot of time researching diamonds. Knowledge > money when it comes to these things imo. You can spend 20g on a piece of shit diamond, or 5g on something very impressive. In the end I spent $3300 on what locally i couldn't find for under 15g (.80 vvs1 hearts and arrows round brilliant). I also ended up buying from bluenile because they list the dimensions of the diamond and had good selection so if you know exactly what dimensions turns in to a legitimately perfect cut.

I would also highly recommend keeping your gf in the loop or at least keeping her friends in the loop (not just one either), as a ring is a very specific taste, and you'll want to know you're buying the diamond and band she will actually want to wear. If shes not picky... perfect, but odds are she will be.

The first thing you need to know is 9/10 mall store sell shit. absolute garbage. I1-I3 diamonds are for industrial drilling, yet they sell u these shit diamonds in a ring and market the hell out of how you can get a 1 carat for 3g with inclusions so big you can spot them at a glance. And 1/10 mall stores sell stuff that is so expensive you could be blind and find a better deal elsewhere. stuff that is 10g in these stores i can find a better diamond online a 1/3rd the price. The shitholes usually have 90% of their diamonds in the I1-I3 range with the odd diamond in the SI2 range, maybe with a handful GIA rated.

Here is what you should focus on to get something good for the best bang for buck.

-not all certs are the same for grading. Go by GIA certs imo, and if it doesn't have a GIA and cheap, its probably such a shit diamond they didn't want to spend the $100 it costs to cert it as a GIA. other certs are useful for comparison but i found non GIA certs usually were far more forgiving. a J color with a GIA cert could be more white than a H color with a non GIA cert.
- clarity, if you want to cheap out or save money go with a SI1. But never buy anything worse than a SI2 that is GIA and higher if not GIA. No one can tell teh difference between a SI1 and a VVS2, or even a IF with the naked eye. (I personally went with a VVS1 because i like that it is almost flawless, but still has one tiny spec of a flaw to tell that it is a real diamond)
- color, whiter = more expensive. Take your GF diamond shopping and see if she can tell teh difference between colors or if she cares. Never buy anything worse than an I color GIA IMO, as it will be yellow enough anyone can spot it. DEF is a waste of money IMO unless you are baller or she is going to be comparing against other baller's purchases... and cares. I'd say stay away from DEF because color makes a huge price difference imo. I went with a I for color because H and G significantly increased the price, and while i can tell the difference between a I and a G side by side, we couldn't tell which was which by themselves (I could tell a D from a I by itself though, and comparing them there is a pretty big diff, but i also couldn't tell a D from a F with comparison). J I could pick out by itself easily though.
-carat size. whatever size floats your boat. IMO you can get a diamond in the .7-.9 carat range that looks decently big for a very affordable price. If you're on a tight budget you can get an absolutely amazing diamond for 0.5-0.6 for very little money. Dont get anything smaller than .5 imo as the savings is not huge. I went with .8 because azn wife factor and there was no .88s that met my criteria for dimensions. if your gf has a tiny finger she may not want a large diamond too as it might attract too much attention. my wife didn't want a 1 carat because they looked too big to her.
- cut. this is the hardest and most important thing imo, and where knowledge comes in to play. If you want something to sparkle like someone threw a flashbang into the room, you want a round brilliant hearts and arrows dimensions diamond. Avoid any other cut imo because light will not reflect out of any other cut like it will out of a round brilliant. People pay big bucks for hearts on fire diamonds because they sparkle so much, which is just clever marketing and markup on diamonds that you can find on your own if you know what dimensions create a perfect storm for giving the most sparkle.

As for the band, you can buy the band and diamond separate. I had no problem finding a highly recommended jewelry crafter in edmonton that had no problem making any ring i wanted and using a diamond i brought him; i'm sure calgary is no different. He basically said if i bought the diamond from him he'd charge me $200 for materials cost for a custom ring because he'd make his profit on the diamond and it would only take him maybe 2 hours of labour, and if i brought him a diamond he'd charge me 1000ish, which was still a good deal cuz the ring he was duplicating was more than that. My wife wasn't too picky, we ended up cheaping out and going with a $200ish band from blue nile when i got the diamond.

the main website you need to read before looking at diamonds IMO is this. look for these dimensions and you'll end up with a diamond that will sparkle like crazy, and if you browse the thousands of diamonds at bluenile or other online stores you'll be able to find something decent. ALso, do not fear buying online. If you get those dimensions, the same color grade u see in stores your happy with, and anything SI1+ you'll have a the diamond you expect show up being exactly what you expect. Also, even if your budget is only like 1500 or less, you should still be able to get something that looks very very nice; it wont be huge but there are lots of very good diamonds in the 0.5 range from what i remember, and 0.5 is a decent size. Also agree its a worthless rock..... but its what our culture believes in so i guess there are dumber things to spend money on... like $$$ cars lol

http://www.heartsandarrows.com/heart...l-cut-dna.aspx

[shakalaka]

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I spent a lot of time researching diamonds. Knowledge > money when it comes to these things imo. You can spend 20g on a piece of shit diamond, or 5g on something very impressive. In the end I spent $3300 on what locally i couldn't find for under 15g (.80 vvs1 hearts and arrows round brilliant). I also ended up buying from bluenile because they list the dimensions of the diamond and had good selection so if you know exactly what dimensions turns in to a legitimately perfect cut.

I would also highly recommend keeping your gf in the loop or at least keeping her friends in the loop (not just one either), as a ring is a very specific taste, and you'll want to know you're buying the diamond and band she will actually want to wear. If shes not picky... perfect, but odds are she will be.

The first thing you need to know is 9/10 mall store sell shit. absolute garbage. I1-I3 diamonds are for industrial drilling, yet they sell u these shit diamonds in a ring and market the hell out of how you can get a 1 carat for 3g with inclusions so big you can spot them at a glance. And 1/10 mall stores sell stuff that is so expensive you could be blind and find a better deal elsewhere. stuff that is 10g in these stores i can find a better diamond online a 1/3rd the price. The shitholes usually have 90% of their diamonds in the I1-I3 range with the odd diamond in the SI2 range, maybe with a handful GIA rated.

Here is what you should focus on to get something good for the best bang for buck.

-not all certs are the same for grading. Go by GIA certs imo, and if it doesn't have a GIA and cheap, its probably such a shit diamond they didn't want to spend the $100 it costs to cert it as a GIA. other certs are useful for comparison but i found non GIA certs usually were far more forgiving. a J color with a GIA cert could be more white than a H color with a non GIA cert.
- clarity, if you want to cheap out or save money go with a SI1. But never buy anything worse than a SI2 that is GIA and higher if not GIA. No one can tell teh difference between a SI1 and a VVS2, or even a IF with the naked eye. (I personally went with a VVS1 because i like that it is almost flawless, but still has one tiny spec of a flaw to tell that it is a real diamond)
- color, whiter = more expensive. Take your GF diamond shopping and see if she can tell teh difference between colors or if she cares. Never buy anything worse than an I color GIA IMO, as it will be yellow enough anyone can spot it. DEF is a waste of money IMO unless you are baller or she is going to be comparing against other baller's purchases... and cares. I'd say stay away from DEF because color makes a huge price difference imo. I went with a I for color because H and G significantly increased the price, and while i can tell the difference between a I and a G side by side, we couldn't tell which was which by themselves (I could tell a D from a I by itself though, and comparing them there is a pretty big diff, but i also couldn't tell a D from a F with comparison). J I could pick out by itself easily though.
-carat size. whatever size floats your boat. IMO you can get a diamond in the .7-.9 carat range that looks decently big for a very affordable price. If you're on a tight budget you can get an absolutely amazing diamond for 0.5-0.6 for very little money. Dont get anything smaller than .5 imo as the savings is not huge. I went with .8 because azn wife factor and there was no .88s that met my criteria for dimensions. if your gf has a tiny finger she may not want a large diamond too as it might attract too much attention. my wife didn't want a 1 carat because they looked too big to her.
- cut. this is the hardest and most important thing imo, and where knowledge comes in to play. If you want something to sparkle like someone threw a flashbang into the room, you want a round brilliant hearts and arrows dimensions diamond. Avoid any other cut imo because light will not reflect out of any other cut like it will out of a round brilliant. People pay big bucks for hearts on fire diamonds because they sparkle so much, which is just clever marketing and markup on diamonds that you can find on your own if you know what dimensions create a perfect storm for giving the most sparkle.

As for the band, you can buy the band and diamond separate. I had no problem finding a highly recommended jewelry crafter in edmonton that had no problem making any ring i wanted and using a diamond i brought him; i'm sure calgary is no different. He basically said if i bought the diamond from him he'd charge me $200 for materials cost for a custom ring because he'd make his profit on the diamond and it would only take him maybe 2 hours of labour, and if i brought him a diamond he'd charge me 1000ish, which was still a good deal cuz the ring he was duplicating was more than that. My wife wasn't too picky, we ended up cheaping out and going with a $200ish band from blue nile when i got the diamond.

the main website you need to read before looking at diamonds IMO is this. look for these dimensions and you'll end up with a diamond that will sparkle like crazy, and if you browse the thousands of diamonds at bluenile or other online stores you'll be able to find something decent. ALso, do not fear buying online. If you get those dimensions, the same color grade u see in stores your happy with, and anything SI1+ you'll have a the diamond you expect show up being exactly what you expect.

http://www.heartsandarrows.com/heart...l-cut-dna.aspx

Jesus man...you must really like typing. Every post I see from you is a massive essay. Good for you for being thorough with your responses. That being said, I only read them when I am not tired/lazy. lol.

[max_boost]

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Jesus man...you must really like typing. Every post I see from you is a massive essay. Good for you for being thorough with your responses. That being said, I only read them when I am not tired/lazy. lol.

haha yea, zhao and r3ccOs sure write some long winded posts but it's quite informative haha

the guy to see is Justin at Gem by Carati

call ringer Ng for all your ring needs

[zhao]

arts major. years of being forced to write shitty paper after shitty paper no one read scars deep down to the core lol.

[taemo]

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For my wife, I bought her one for about $1500 almost 10 years ago as I was young and just starting out in my career, going to get her something in the $5-7k range here for our 10 anniversary next year. Wife is the same way, if I spend that much money on a fucking ring she would murder me for buying that shit instead of something much more useful.

same here, bought her a ~1500 ring 2-3 years ago, lately she wants a tacori ring (thank you social media) but we agreed I'll get her one for our 10 year anniversary, so I have 8 years to save for one

[blitz]

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Also, @those that are saying if she wants a nice ring, she's high maintenance - not always true... maybe she just likes nice stuff. My wife would have been happy no matter what, but she also appreciates nice things

It’s not wanting a nice ring, it’s demanding a nice ring that’s an issue.

I was unemployed when I proposed. $3k FTW!

[lasimmon]

Just remember. The bloodier the diamond the better.

[D'z Nutz]

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I believe the gentleman's rule of thumb is 3 months pay. This is a legit answer.

That was never a gentleman's rule. That was a De Beers's marketing campaign that women (and therefore men) bought into.

[That.Guy.S30]

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That was never a gentleman's rule. That was a De Beers's marketing campaign that women (and therefore men) bought into.

Da beers to my knowledge was a 1 month salary suggestion. The 3 month rule I picked up from quite a few people from the shop. Ages range from 60-90 and they all had the same answer. Does it really matter? No.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[you&me]

I think I've even posted this before, but this article outlines the entire fabrication of the diamond market. It's a little long (though barley longer than a zhao post), but a really interesting read -

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine...iamond/304575/

[zhao]

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Really though, weddings rings are not just for you and her. They are a clear indicator to those around you that you are taken. The most likely reason a couple doesn't wear at least the band is because they are keeping their opportunities high and options open. Might be time to get a fish bowl and some new interesting friends!

the most likely reason you can think of to not wear one might be that reason, but that is only one of the many reasons not to wear one. I dont wear mine 95% of the time because I dont like wearing rings, and that is all.

Almost no one in the shop I work in does either, because tradesmen dont generally wear wedding rings because it is a safety hazard.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[carson blocks]

I didn't shop based on cost, we just went to every store in town until we found a design she loved, and as long as it wasn't ridiculous, it cost what it cost. She's not hung up on the size or bling factor, but wanted a unique design. I wanted something she'd love forever and be happy with forever. I spent a little more than anticipated on both our rings, but we both feel we picked the right ones. Her engagement ring was $5-6k, Her plain custom wedding band was a little over $1000 IIRC, and my ring was $1500 I think.

If I could do it again though, I'd take the picture of the ring she wanted to the guy that custom made her wedding band, as we've had some quality issues with the plating on her Michael Hill ring wearing off super quick, while her custom wedding band is holding up way better. We're on the fence about going after Michael Hill and just getting it remade properly. Torn between the sentiment attached to that ring being the one from our wedding, and wanting it done correctly to last forever and not look like crap every few months.

[shakalaka]

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I've worn mine pretty much 24/7 going on 10 years now, kind of feel naked without it

I feel the same even though I've only been married 2 years. I can count on one hand the number of days when I haven't worn my ring and when that happened, it felt pretty odd.

[rx7boi]

Question for you guys though...if you had the option of sourcing the same kind of diamond through a family friend, would you do it or would you insist on purchasing it in store, along with all the mark up?

I only ask because my dad has been in the industry for 30+ years as a jeweler and I got the hook up It's where I got my fiancee her engagement ring.

[speedog]

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Sure sure, we all know what's really up though you ol' dog haha.

If it's been out of commission that long you probably don't even have the tell tale wedding ring tan anymore! I bet that makes it a lot easier to hit on the chick working till at 7-11

Really though, weddings rings are not just for you and her. They are a clear indicator to those around you that you are taken. The most likely reason a couple doesn't wear at least the band is because they are keeping their opportunities high and options open. Might be time to get a fish bowl and some new interesting friends!

Then explain away my parents, my Dad hasn't worn his wedding ring since the mid-70's and my Mom, probably for a few decades as well and they're coming up on their 60th and are quite happily married.

[speedog]

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Yeah I know a lot of trades guys that don't wear them on a regular basis for that reason. I am mostly just teasing Speedog, haha

I've worn mine pretty much 24/7 going on 10 years now, kind of feel naked without it

Well my Dad almost ripped his ring finger off jumping down from the side of a grain truck's box. Myself, I don't think a ring would get in my way as a carpenter - it's just that my wife and I aren't big jewelry people, hell I haven't worn a watch since 1977 and my wife hasn't worn one since the early 90's. We both can appreciate such things but it just isn't our thing.