Engagement ring help...?

Question

i am planning to buy engagement ring (diamond ring) for my soon to be wife and i dont know what to buy.. any suggestions? how much is the lowest cost ? per carat?

Answer 1

The jewelers' "rule of thumb" with regard to spend is 2 months salary. That can be a lot if you make a good income. Diamond prices depend on the "4 Cs" - carat, cut, colour & clarity - so the bigger, most precise cuts, whiter and clearer the stone - the more expensive. You can sacrifice in one area for another to lower the cost
You need to first figure out how much you want to spend (can afford to spend) and then shop from there.
My advice is to get a very white stone (they sparkle the most) with average to good clarity (SI1 or 2) and a decent cut (a round stone will also give you the best value as they are most common). Then you can go for size...

Answer 2

Get a solitaire diamond ring. I would prefer a round diamond set on a golden ring. The trend is for platinum ring but as time goes by scratches will make the ring dull and looking cheap. Its easeir to maintain an 18k gold ring than a platinum ring.
Choosing the right diamond depends on your fiancee. You can opt for smaller stone with high quality if your soon to be fiancee is more into details and knowledgeable about stones or a bigger stone with less quality if shes a showoff and less knowledgeable or big and high quality if you have the budget and if shes high maintenance.
Make sure to opt for color and cut. In my experience no matter how high the clarity is(no one would use a miscroscope to look for inclusions) if the color is not in the scale of colorless it will still look cheap. While the cut will bring out the most fire and brilliance of the stone if it has a perfect cut.
I would suggest not to spend more than $3,000 for an engagement ring ( I think you can get 0.75 to 1 carat with good color and clarity for that price). You have to think of the wedding expense(unfortunately for Filipino guys) and of course you will soon start a family.
You can always upgrade the diamond to a higher quality later on.
Remember no matter what, a diamond is a diamond specially if it sparkles like a diamond should be!

Answer 3

I have to disagree with the first poster. My husband chose a ring before he proposed, and the proposal and the ring both came as a wonderful surprise. I wouldn't trade the ring that he selected for anything!

In general, I would say that bigger diamonds are better, even if the quality isn't as high. Everyone will tell you that a diamond is an investment, but the truth is, it will more than likely never be "cashed in" - so I would put more emphasis on the appearance than the actual value.

Answer 4

You need to educate yourself on the 3 "C"s (cut, clarity, color) before you go looking. Go to a reputable dealer, one who is recommended by friends or co-workers who have purchased jewelry there before. Have a budget in mind - they say it's usually 3 months salary. I would not go to a jewelry store located in a mall. They usually pay high rent for a space like that, and they pass the cost onto the consumer. You might want to look for a wholesaler, they usually have low overhead costs, and you can get really good deals, especially on loose stones. The jeweler that you visit should always have time to sit with you and provide you with a wide range of options depending on your budget. They should allow you to look at the diamond through a jeweler's scope. I can't stress how important it is to be educated before going to visit a jeweler's. As to what the cost should be per carat. It really depends on the cut, clarity, and color. The higher onthe scale the clarity and color are, the more expensive your diamond will be. Women tend to go for the bigger diamond even though it might have more flaws in it than the same cost smaller diamond with the better clarity!

Answer 5

Oh no don't do what Lucky Eddie suggests I promise that won't be good. I just hate when my hubby ask me what I want, or when he brings me to a jewelry store and says pick out what you want. So unromantic (if that is a word lol) No offense Lucky but that would make me really mad. Kay jewelers is about the best carat to cost wise and she can trade it in for a larger ring with each anniversary.

Answer 6

Buy one at Auction, go for a Victorian Ring the Victorians Knew what they were about and they were amongst the best Enginneers in the World, after all it was the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, go to Christies Auction Rooms, your also buying a piece of history which will increase in value as time goes by.

Answer 7

i agree with everything mark c said, except i was always told the cost should be equal to *one* month's salary. i spent about 1/4 of that cuz i'm a cheapskate. LOL.

i'd go with a princess cut, personally.

Answer 8

For Pete's (whoever he is) sake, talk to your soon to be wife and get something you both are happy with. If you just go buy something it's pretty selfish cuz she's going to wear it every day of her life.

Answer 9

try not to go to cheap she will have it hopefully forever. If you don't ave a lot of money get nice diamonds and plan on adding to them as you can afford to financially.

Answer 10

you cant beat a nice I1G clarity solitare.
set ya back about 5k for a nice one on the cheap...if ya wanna go cheaper without her knowing and living with the guilt of a cheap ring on her finger try bidz.com
i bought my girl a nice 24k white gold solitare set me back 102k but she likes it i like it so every ones happy...