Which is the best wedding ring??
I am looking for an affordable engagement ring. We're saving up to buy a house, so I want to stay within the budget. I found rings that I am in love with, but I don't know how to chose a ring. I want something that will last for a few years until I can upgrade. :]
I found one that is14kt white gold...1/2 carat diamond. The link is below.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.d...
http://www.zales.com/search/index.jsp?categoryId=2115463&cp=2071133&fr=StorePrice%2FZALES%2F00040100%2F00070099&fbc=1&fbn=StorePrice%7C%24401.00+-+%24700.99
Is that good? What should I look for to get the best ring for my buck. :]
Also, does anyone know of another site/store to shop for a ring?? I'm in Northern Cali. Thanks :]
The only problem with actually going straight to a dealer is that you we would have to have immediate CASH. I don't want to have to make monthly payments on something as frivilous as a ring, but we don't have a huge lump of cash at the moment. :[
2007-03-26 17:05:34 · 8 answers · asked by DLZ 2 in Family & Relationships ➔ Weddings
Basically to get the best ring for the price you have to figure out what matters most to you. A ring is described as best on the 4Cs.
Cut is the most important. A round cut is going to bring out the sparkle and make a ring look like its more than it is.
Color and clarity are the 2 you play with. You get a lil higher color, you can get a lil lower clarity. It's like a seesaw. Usually for each 1 grade the color goes up, you can drop clarity by 2 and still have the same effect.
Would you rather have something that is a lot better diamond for the price or just something as big as you can afford?
Also there is a lot you can do with setting that helps a lesser diamond look better. For example, some have sapphire chips set underneath them to make them look more blue. A cathedral setting makes it look a lot better as well (clarity). The light can't get through the stone as much and therefore, a perfect diamond doesn't look perfect in a cathedral setting.
Look at the diamond on top of a piece of white paper.
The problem with getting one that has a lot of accent stones like those in the picture do is that its very difficult to upgrade later on. You have to get an entirely new ring--you can't just switch out the stone very well. If you get a nicer stone, it will make the accent stones look more inferior.
Consider something more simplistic like a solitare. It is a cheaper setting which allows more of the money to go to the diamond. It allows you to swap out the stone a lil easier, or you could get a wrap around to add all the accents later.
Hope this was helpful.
2007-03-26 17:26:03 · answer #1 · answered by phantom_of_valkyrie 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do not, and I repeat, DO NOT use Zales or Walmart. Painfully cheap and not in a good way.
I'd strongly recommend using Whitehall Jewelers or Ben Bridge. My engagement ring was from Ben Bridge: A 1/2 carat diamond solitaire, white gold for 1k. Beautiful and with excellent color and clarity for so low.
Pay attention to the 4 Cs when shopping for a ring: Cut, color, clarity, and carat. Learn about them and know them before purchasing the ring.
But under NO circumstances should you purchase something as significant as an engagement ring at WalMart. Zales is not great but if you must, it's at least a step or two higher than WalMart. And sorry, a ring is NOT frivolous. Especially not to the woman you're declaring your love to and asking for her hand in marriage.
2007-03-26 17:34:38 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would go with a simple solitaire setting in platinum. With platinum less likely to lose the stone, gold is soft.
I would look online.
www.bluenile.com
www.uniondiamond.com
The 4 C's is important when choosing a diamond.
Cut - shape and quality of the shape - round brilliant is the most popular, and they grade the cut, this gives the diamonds its 'fire'. This is very important and the most overlooked.
Color - How white the diamond is, D E F is considered colorless, near colorless is G H I J - try to get on the high end of near colorless, H or better.
Clarity - Can be flawless or have Inclusions (flaws) naked to the eye. I would go with VS2 (inclusion can be seen with magnifying glass at 10x). Grades are IF, VVS1, VVS2, VS1, VS2, SI1, SI2.
Carat - usually diamond just under 1/2 carat, 1 carat can be much cheaper than 1/2 or 1.
I bought from union diamond online 4 years ago, my wife was very happy. It was a round brilliant, ideal cut, H color VS2, with a certificate. 1st thing I did was bring it to a jeweler to be appraised and to set it.
Choose a nice diamond, you may have it longer than you think.
2007-03-28 07:47:20 · answer #3 · answered by no_frills 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Let your bf buy the engagement ring and choose it - it's nice to be surprized! He can buy something within his budget; no need to go into debt over a ring.
And no "upgrade" later - that's just crass, and ruins the specialness of the first engagement ring!
2007-03-27 02:23:51 · answer #4 · answered by Lydia 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try bluenile.com. They are affordable and have excellent quality diamonds. You can even design your own ring by picking out the stone and settting.
My fiance got my ring from there and I love it.
2007-03-27 01:53:55 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have to agree the one at zales.com is nice. The one in the first row third column. I like that one better than any of the others.
2007-03-26 17:20:07 · answer #6 · answered by mjfrog 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ebay has some great deals on diamond rings...just make sure it comes with certification.
2007-03-26 17:24:15 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The one in the zales.com the first row third column is nice
2007-03-26 17:11:22 · answer #8 · answered by Karzz 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋