What ring?

[neonplanet40]

So, looking for an engagement ring . . . .

I don't know much about rings but I am looking a diamond ring with white gold metal.

I am thinking around £800 or so but a little flexible. I want the best diamond I can get for the price!

Anyone got any good deals?

Ideally I would love to spend more but saving for a house etc. Times are tough

I notice H Samuel etc has deals and that on atm but I don't know much of what I am looking at.

This design is nice:

http://www.hsamuel.co.uk/webstore/d/...olitaire+ring/

But is much more expensive

Really I want the best deal I can get which is why I need help

[TheAnimus]

Diamonds are an evil monopoly.

You can maybe buy something outside of de beers http://d.neadiamonds.com/lab-created...llow-Diamonds#

But you will quickly see that £800 goes nowhere.

How about looking for a 'vintage' ring. Or second hand.

Basically diamonds hold jack squat poo of their value, so a vintage ring will be much more affordable. Diamonds are a complete scam.

[neonplanet40]

Thanks for the reply. In terms of second hand, where is best to look?

[deejayburnout]

Remember that the ring is a symbol of love.

No matter if it's a £20 or a £800 ring.

Don't get me wrong if you can afford it go for it as it will of course be a nicer ring and she will of course love it.

I would ask yourself ' Would she love me any more if the ring was more expensive'

And congratulations in finding the lady that you want to spend the rest of your life with.

Good time ahead.

[herulach]

Scam they are, but unfortunately you sometimes can't get away without one. Don't get anything white gold from samuels, got the mrs a cheap one from there about 8 years ago, yellow in about 3 months 'oh it muct be a reaction to your skin'.

If you end up with new, see if you can find a local diamond merchant, go with a budget in mind and see what you can get. You might also want to consider palladium. My wedding band is made of it, and it was about 50% the price of a white gold one. It scuffs easier, but its actually white, so no need for replating.

[TheAnimus]

Well you need her ring size, then ask some local firms what they have in stock. Myself I wouldn't buy anything without seeing it in person.

[kalniel]

For me, it was all about getting the right spec stone, so something like blue nile build your own where you can search by the criteria that are important to you - I was after sparkle rather than size, so looked for how well cut they were etc.

http://www.bluenile.com/uk/

[circuitmonkey]

If your London based get down Hatton gardens, is were I got the wedding bands made up.
If you near Birmingham try the jewellery quarter, is were I got the engagement ring made.

Both areas require a bit of leg work but there are some fantastic deals to be done!

[Kumagoro]

If you or know someone who hoards club card vouchers then they are worth 4 times or we're the amount at goldsmiths. I went for platinum.

[Lucio]

I'd suggest actually getting your other half's opinion on the matter, it's her ring after all and she's the one who gets the pleasure of showing it off.

[MrRockliffe]

The problem is, diamonds aren't rare. They're simply not, it's just that their flow is controlled to the point that only a small percentage of the total amount of diamonds are mined. I would probably get a second hand one. I'm pretty sure some jewelers sell second hand ones. Spend a day shopping around and asking where to go, that's probably your best bet.

[Smudger]

Also bear in mind that the last of the white gold came out of a mine in Wales earlier this year - so there might be a premium on that.

I second what Circuitmonkey said: if you have a Jewellery Quarter in Norn Iron, go there. At least you can see what you're buying then, and haggle. Also, do a Chandler and get the assistant to propose to you holding out the ring. If you get butterflies, that's your ring.

[kalniel]

Also bear in mind that the last of the white gold came out of a mine in Wales earlier this year - so there might be a premium on that.

White gold is just yellow gold alloyed with nickel (and copper usually), or some other metals. It can be made from yellow gold so no worries about supply.

But yes also agree about visiting jewellery quarter/hatton gardens - was recommended to me but the geekyiness of choosing my exact spec diamond won out for me (and was appreciated by my now wife).

[santa claus]

Keep in mind that this is not just about materials; you're investing in your emotional future. A ring is, as we know, a big deal to your betrothed.

Personally, I wouldn't buy at H Samuel because it doesn't have the 'je ne sais quoi' of exclusivity. I do like your choice though and if she wanted it more than anything else in the whole wide world, I would get it for her.

Don't undervalue the bond that ring will create; she will look at it daily and you don't want her thinking 'cheapskate' when she does. You'll also be surprised how much pride you will feel in seeing her wearing something you had to stretch to get, because, as they say, she's worth it .

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

TBH,if the price of the ring makes or breaks a relationship,I suspect it is already broken at some level. A lot of people around the world still get married happily even if they have nowhere near the amount of money for a £800+ ring(even if the guy sold a limb) or a fancy wedding or honeymoon. I think its important you try to get what you can afford(or afford to pay back in a short time),than start your life mired in even more debt(which can end up destroying many relationships more than what a pretty ring can save).

So,one piece of advice is don't go over the £800 you have for the budget,if that is what you can spend.

The wedding industry alone is worth $300+ billion worldwide so there are vested interests in pushing people to spend as much money as possible:

http://www.thinksplendid.com/2011/11...at-glance.html

They want people to pay more.

Edit!!

Some of the figures are conservative in the previous link:

http://arabiangazette.com/big-fat-gl...ding-industry/

The UK wedding industry is $11 billion alone each year. That is over £100 for every man,women and child in the country.

[smelly]

First thing is congrats mate!

When i brought my wife's engagement ring I used my house deposit for it and went the whole route of clarity, color and carat etc. and it was only .77 ct. She liked it but i think she liked it more because i was proposing and she would have liked anything I offered.

Buy the brightest, the most sparkling diamond you can get for your money, don't buy the biggest.

Save any extra money for house, wedding etc you'll need every bit of cash you can get.