I'm looking around for an engagement ring for my girlfriend...?

Question

one of my friends said i'd be better getting a second-hand one cos it'll be a nicer ring for my money.
I reckon this is pretty cheap and that she'd be upset if she found out...
is it ok to buy a second-hand one?
if the reason's to make it a ROCK?

Answer 1

Perhaps instead of saying second-hand, you could refer to the ring as "Vintage", that sounds better. Personally I would rather have a vintage ring, I like the idea of having a ring with history. I once knew a guy who's wedding ring was an old Roman gold ring he bought at an antiques shop, how can anyone not like the idea of a ring that is 1000 years old?

Answer 2

Only you know your girlfriend. If she is a very practical type could be fine but most females think an engagement as a very special time in their life as would prefer new. Think it different if it had been passed down in the family as from a grandmother etc. I take it you are going to surprise her? If not tell her the funds you have got and give her the choice. This is just a thought but as a mother of daughters I know my girls would probably rather choose their rings, saying that there are exceptions of if you know what the girl wants. If you play on the safe side you can propose with a token ring and immediately hit the shops. The romance would be there and she would get what she wants. Quite often here in Yahoo Answers there has been questions from girls asking what they should do as their partner choose the ring and they didn't really like it. Very best wishes.

Answer 3

Do not buy a used ring. I know it can save alot of money, but the ring already has bad karma since it was used, obviously the previous person's engagement didn't work out.

Make sure you are not buying blood diamonds also. My fiance knew this was importnant to me. Canadian Diamonds are a good way to go or any diamond that is certified and has a serial number lazer on it that you can only see with 500x magnification.

Also get educated on how to pick out a quality diamond. Size really wont matter if you can see a big huge flaw in the middle or your diamond:( What you want to look for is clarity, cut & color. Don't listen to what others say, clarity is important, really they all are important, but no one wants to see a huge intrusion in the middle of their diamond.

Do not buy a diamond from a store that says anything like "Intrusions are natural and make each diamond unique" which is code for, our diamonds are crap.

What you want to get is a diamond that is near colorless, has an ideal cut and is SI1 or better. Do not buy from a store that only sells I diamonds, they are junk. You area also better off not to buy from a chain, but a private store that carries better quality. I personally found most chains do not carry many diamonds better than an I.

Also, dont settle for sticker price at these private stores. If they are not having a sale and you are buying a ring that is worth 3G or better ask for a discount. If they won't give you one, walk, go back tell them if you purchase it right now how much % off will they give you.

My fiance got 25% off my ring. I thought him how to deal well.

Good luck and I hope you find the perfect ring :)

Answer 4

I wouldn't go second hand, it just screams tacky, besides just think of how she would react if by some chance she did find out? If she is like 95% of other women she will not be happy and you will end up having to go get a new one anyway. Save yourself the trouble and just look around for a good deal, you DO NOT have to go to Tiffany's. I seriously hate when someone show's you an engagement ring and the first thing out of their mouth is "It's from Tiffany's!" no one gives a crap but you. You can find a decent ring for a decent price. Try local mom and pop jewelers, they are more likely to cut you a deal.

LOL, I knew a girl once that had a 1/4 ct stone (nothing wrong with that at all) but because it was from Tiffany's it was better then my 1 ct stone when they are both the same clarity and set in white gold bands. Just amazes me. They went $3500 in debt and I got mine for just over $1300 because he shopped around for a deal. Nothing wrong with a 1/4 ct stone when you are proud of the ring for what it stands for, not where it came from.

Answer 5

NO NO NO NO NO!!! your friend must be a male... Go get her a ring without stones and promise her that you will buy her one with a diamond next time.. She will understand and if she doesn't, take back the engagement ring cos this gal wont stick with you through thick and thin.. but if she accepts it, when you do have the money, make sure you treat her right and get her a good nice new ring...

trust me, she would flip if she found out the ring is second hand... i know i would.. for sure..

Answer 6

NO! And what the heck is your friend talking about? I would be uspet if my husband did that. What does she like is what you should start out with. The only way you would give her a second hand ring, would be if it were a ring that was your grandmother's or mother's. Otherwise take ur butt to a jewelry store and foremost take her out and let her show some rings that she likes and go from there. this will give you an idea when you go back to get it for her.

Answer 7

Okay, I worked in an extremely upscale jewelry store for some 20 or so years.

All diamonds are old, no such thing as new one -

If you can get a good price on the stone through a pawn or advertisement in classifieds, go to the jeweler in a store and have it remounted in new mounting.

Brush up on what to look for in a diamond.

Cut (not shape) is dimensions of cutting
Color - completely colorless is highest grade and can be measured by comparison with others.
Clarity - requires really some type of magnification to get true grade, but usually if it is not eye-visible, no one else will see it either.
Carat weight - how much the stone weighs

Clarity has a bigger effect on price than color so my suggestion (and what I do) is go for High color and lower clarity. Color covers the whole stone, while clarity is only on a very tiny part of it.

Good Luck.

Answer 8

There are some beautiful antique rings out there, in no way would I be offended if my b/f bought me a stunning, Victorian or antique ring. A ring being second hand does not always mean the marriage has gone wrong for any reason, it could be that someone had a very happy marriage for 60 years but have simply died and their family have sold the ring on, it does not always mean a bad marriage.

Answer 9

you don't have to call it second hand; you can say it's " a period piece"you can actually get some really unusual things at a good price,by buying second hand; it's up to you, if you want to stay with a really modern piece; or go back about 25 to 30 years for a "period" piece. If you buy second hand, you can have a jeweller clean it up and polish it to look like new anyway.
But are you sure she would be ok with you choosing it? A lot of women like to be in on the choosing! Having said that, my partner chose my engagement ring all by himself; it's fabulous!A plain gold ring with high "shoulders" and one BIG stone.

Answer 10

A diamond will last forever. Does it matter if you can get a really good second hand one at a low cost or a cheap new one that is not so good.

Knowing women, they like to wear a good diamond that gets noticed so they can flash it around to make other women a bit jealous.

Its called the WoW factor & you only need to get a new box.

You might speak to her & go out & choose one together.

There are a load of jewellers in Brighton & you dont have to pay the shop window price.

There is a load of good expensive eye catching diamonds from rich old girls who have passed away at good prices & they all look new.