Engagement Ring

[Jmac]

I'm thinking about asking my GF to marry me on our 7th year anniversary coming up next month and was just looking for some advice about what to look for in an engagement ring.

Where's a good place to look (Vancouver Island or Lower Mainland) ?
What kind of price should I expect to pay to get a good quality ring ?

TIA

[joquio]

in for more info about this too....

I actually researched a little and planned for last november but end up post ponding since I couldn't find more details...

[hirevtuner]

i always hear ads from spence diamonds, showroom full of diamonds to look at and congrats in advance

[azzurro32]

If ur spending lots maybe try seeing a diamond broker first
Posted via RS Mobile

[Jassanova]

Go to Diamond Deals www.diamondeals.ca and you'll get a good deal if you're looking for a high quality diamond. I was really happy with what I got there.

[impactX]

Do a search in the fashion forum... made a post there a while ago.

[FI-Z33]

awwee this is cute GOOD LUCK!

[yameen]

don't mean to hijack, but what does a ring in the middle finger represent? just curious.

[LenovoTurbo]

Originally Posted by TG

don't mean to hijack, but what does a ring in the middle finger represent? just curious.

If i remember correctly in Chinese, each finger means;

Thumb: Chase/Dating
Index: Promise
Middle: Engagement
Fourth: Married
Pinky: Divorced

But i could be wrong.

[adrnlnrush00]

Dude, congrats. I married my highschool sweet heart after dating her for ten years.

Some people say that there are five "Cs" to buying a diamond: cut, clarity, colour, carat, and cash. Really, I think it's just three Cs: cut, colour, clarity. Remember, the most important thing about a diamond is its ability to reflect light. Cut because the brilliance of the diamond (how it reflects light) is entirely dependent upon its shape (ie. Width and depth); clarity because a diamond with great cut but poor clarity will have so many inclusions (flaws) it will never reflect as much like as it really should. Finally, colour because a diamond with great cut and clarity will, again, lose it's brilliance the poorer the colour. The best colour is so clear and transparent that you can read a newspaper through the diamond - then it only gets worse from there. Girls are not picky on size but you should meet the minimum threshold of one full carat. None of this 0.9xxx of a carat bullshit. So long as you meet the minimum size then size isn't as much a factor beyond one carat; focus next on getting best cut, clarity, and colour.

Word of the wise. You will save money in the long run if you get her a matching engagement ring and wedding band set. Choose an engagement ring that is made as part of a set. You don't have to get the whole set now (though you have more bargaining leverage if you do) but getting the ring as part of the set will make everything look better when it's together on her finger. Believe me, it's difficult to find different designs of engagement rings and wedding bands that look good together. It's like having one set of rims on the left side of the car then having a different set on the right side. It looks fine when you only see one side of the car at a time but when taken as a whole it just doesn't look right.

Anyways, congrats and good luck finding a ring and wedding band.
Posted via RS Mobile

[skyxx]

^Man, this Person knows his stuff!!!

[LC21]

Originally Posted by IntegRice

If i remember correctly in Chinese, each finger means;

Thumb: Chase/Dating
Index: Promise
Middle: Engagement
Fourth: Married
Pinky: Divorced

But i could be wrong.

can this be applied to the right hand, except for the ring finger? =P

[kitsune]

Thats so sweet. Congratulations!
Look through catalogues, Ive noticed diamond shops/custom jewellery shops have them from designers.
Then its like pick and go, you choose a diamond and they can make a ring to your liking.
Lots of places in richmond, seems pricy though.
Best of luck!
Posted via RS Mobile

[tool001]

Originally Posted by adrnlnrush00

Dude, congrats. I married my highschool sweet heart after dating her for ten years.

Some people say that there are five "Cs" to buying a diamond: cut, clarity, colour, carat, and cash. Really, I think it's just three Cs: cut, colour, clarity. Remember, the most important thing about a diamond is its ability to reflect light. Cut because the brilliance of the diamond (how it reflects light) is entirely dependent upon its shape (ie. Width and depth); clarity because a diamond with great cut but poor clarity will have so many inclusions (flaws) it will never reflect as much like as it really should. Finally, colour because a diamond with great cut and clarity will, again, lose it's brilliance the poorer the colour. The best colour is so clear and transparent that you can read a newspaper through the diamond - then it only gets worse from there. Girls are not picky on size but you should meet the minimum threshold of one full carat. None of this 0.9xxx of a carat bullshit. So long as you meet the minimum size then size isn't as much a factor beyond one carat; focus next on getting best cut, clarity, and colour.

Word of the wise. You will save money in the long run if you get her a matching engagement ring and wedding band set. Choose an engagement ring that is made as part of a set. You don't have to get the whole set now (though you have more bargaining leverage if you do) but getting the ring as part of the set will make everything look better when it's together on her finger. Believe me, it's difficult to find different designs of engagement rings and wedding bands that look good together. It's like having one set of rims on the left side of the car then having a different set on the right side. It looks fine when you only see one side of the car at a time but when taken as a whole it just doesn't look right.

Anyways, congrats and good luck finding a ring and wedding band.
Posted via RS Mobile

i think the last one is Country and not cash. As they are many dimonds out thr, some are certified and some arn't. Many of you have heard about blood dimonds. these arn't certified and thus cheaper than canadian dimonds.

i think if u go down in the states, u can get way better deals than up here in Can..

[joquio]

Originally Posted by tool001

i think the last one is Country and not cash. As they are many dimonds out thr, some are certified and some arn't. Many of you have heard about blood dimonds. these arn't certified and thus cheaper than canadian dimonds.

i think if u go down in the states, u can get way better deals than up here in Can..

Any reputable shop in Washigton state?
Or any reputable online shop?

[Ulic Qel-Droma]

how much cheaper are blood diamonds?

[joquio]

Originally Posted by Ulic Qel-Droma

how much cheaper are blood diamonds?

About US$26 for the special edition
http://www.amazon.com/Diamond-Two-Disc-Special-Leonardo-DiCaprio/dp/B00005JPGO

[sexyaccord]

bluenile.com bluenile.ca

[JLC]

you can't really go wrong with a round brilliant diamond on a simple solitaire setting...

But if you want to do something different, the best thing to do is consult one of her friends to see if they have any ideas what type of stone shape she likes and in what type of setting...hopefully a friend that wont go babbling to her about it...but yeah...

GL and have fun!

Bluenile.ca is a good site...

[pharmed]

Be familiar with the basics of the stone before even looking for a place to buy one. A good place to start learning is http://www.canadadiamonds.com/diamond_tutorials.htm

In general, the bigger the diamond the better the specs need to be. Larger diamonds with larger proportions will magnify any flaws. Point inclusions are favored over other types, such as feathers. When it comes to grading, not all labs are created equal. AGSL is preferred over GIA (AGSL grades harder, which means you actually get what you pay for instead of over paying for a lesser stone).

A general overview:

1) Cut - this affects the fire of your stone the most. No point having a big, poorly cut diamond because it will look…meh. AGSL(0,0,0) or Ideal cut would be the way to go. For cool factor, check out a "hearts and arrows" cut stone. A smaller, well cut stone will sparkle brighter than a large poorly cut stone. And with diamonds, even she has to admit it’s pretty much all about the sparkle.

2), 3), and 4) are Color, Clarity and Carat, in no particular order.
Color - unless compared side by side, and to a stone that is a few letters different, the untrained naked eye can't tell. DEF are the colorless stones, and have a premium price. G next to an F is pretty much impossible to distinguish, but if you put it next to a D, you would be able to tell. Once it's in a setting, it's even harder to tell the difference.

Clarity - You can't tell with the naked eye, or with a 3x scope. Even with a 10x, only with the right focus can you see the spec. And the difference between vvs1 and vvs2 is that the inclusion is near the sides vs. in the centre. For value, a good pick would be vs2 (or vs1) simply because you really can't tell the difference, and again, it will save you money.

Carat - For value, go with a 0.01 pt lower than the threshold: ie) get a .99 instead of a 1.00 to save money, unless it's really important for you to have a 1.00 diamond. Or, if you're looking for a 1.2, go with 1.19. If you go to a jewelers in town, they'll have a book on prices. See where the splits are, and go with the highest in a split for the best value.

Setting
Unless you go with platinum, a setting should be in the range of $200-$400, platinum around $1000. The bulk of the ring budget will be eaten up by the stone.

Other Resource
www.pricescope.com is a great resource. Lots of good information, reviews of grading labs. Also includes tools that you can use to help with selection. Great source of information.

http://www.pricescope.com/cutadviser.asp - Holloway Cut Advisor
Computer analysis of the angles and measurements of a diamond to tell you how good the sparkle would be. Being a layman and trying to “see” the difference between two or more very similar stones is really hard to do. Trust the mathematics. Not all grading labs provide you with the specs, but AGSL does.


When you've educated yourself and are ready to go shopping, sites like BlueNile will be tempting.. instead, stop by different local diamond dealers. Like most large purchases, prices can be negotiated and while they may not match an online price exactly, the difference may be worth it if you're more comfortable there and you've found the perfect one.

[SMDBICH]

If you got money, go downtown Vancouver and get her a fat Tiffany diamond. If your gonna be cheap than just get her something from the local jewelry store. If she isnt a materialistic girl then get her something cheap otherwise go for something big if you got the money

[joquio]

Originally Posted by pharmed

Be familiar with the basics of the stone before even looking for a place to buy one. A good place to start learning is http://www.canadadiamonds.com/diamond_tutorials.htm

In general, the bigger the diamond the better the specs need to be. Larger diamonds with larger proportions will magnify any flaws. Point inclusions are favored over other types, such as feathers. When it comes to grading, not all labs are created equal. AGSL is preferred over GIA (AGSL grades harder, which means you actually get what you pay for instead of over paying for a lesser stone).

A general overview:

1) Cut - this affects the fire of your stone the most. No point having a big, poorly cut diamond because it will look…meh. AGSL(0,0,0) or Ideal cut would be the way to go. For cool factor, check out a "hearts and arrows" cut stone. A smaller, well cut stone will sparkle brighter than a large poorly cut stone. And with diamonds, even she has to admit it’s pretty much all about the sparkle.

2), 3), and 4) are Color, Clarity and Carat, in no particular order.
Color - unless compared side by side, and to a stone that is a few letters different, the untrained naked eye can't tell. DEF are the colorless stones, and have a premium price. G next to an F is pretty much impossible to distinguish, but if you put it next to a D, you would be able to tell. Once it's in a setting, it's even harder to tell the difference.

Clarity - You can't tell with the naked eye, or with a 3x scope. Even with a 10x, only with the right focus can you see the spec. And the difference between vvs1 and vvs2 is that the inclusion is near the sides vs. in the centre. For value, a good pick would be vs2 (or vs1) simply because you really can't tell the difference, and again, it will save you money.

Carat - For value, go with a 0.01 pt lower than the threshold: ie) get a .99 instead of a 1.00 to save money, unless it's really important for you to have a 1.00 diamond. Or, if you're looking for a 1.2, go with 1.19. If you go to a jewelers in town, they'll have a book on prices. See where the splits are, and go with the highest in a split for the best value.

Setting
Unless you go with platinum, a setting should be in the range of $200-$400, platinum around $1000. The bulk of the ring budget will be eaten up by the stone.

Other Resource
www.pricescope.com is a great resource. Lots of good information, reviews of grading labs. Also includes tools that you can use to help with selection. Great source of information.

http://www.pricescope.com/cutadviser.asp - Holloway Cut Advisor
Computer analysis of the angles and measurements of a diamond to tell you how good the sparkle would be. Being a layman and trying to “see” the difference between two or more very similar stones is really hard to do. Trust the mathematics. Not all grading labs provide you with the specs, but AGSL does.


When you've educated yourself and are ready to go shopping, sites like BlueNile will be tempting.. instead, stop by different local diamond dealers. Like most large purchases, prices can be negotiated and while they may not match an online price exactly, the difference may be worth it if you're more comfortable there and you've found the perfect one.

WOW thanks for such an informative post.
I'll look into your links and do more research on diamonds.

Originally Posted by SMDBICH

If you got money, go downtown Vancouver and get her a fat Tiffany diamond. If your gonna be cheap than just get her something from the local jewelry store. If she isnt a materialistic girl then get her something cheap otherwise go for something big if you got the money

Thanks Captain OBVIOUS

[impactX]

Originally Posted by pharmed

Color - unless compared side by side, and to a stone that is a few letters different, the untrained naked eye can't tell. DEF are the colorless stones, and have a premium price. G next to an F is pretty much impossible to distinguish, but if you put it next to a D, you would be able to tell. Once it's in a setting, it's even harder to tell the difference.

Until the girl wears her wedding gown and the rock appears yellowish compared to the gown.

To the OP: For the clarity, a SI grade may sometimes look better than VS grade depending on the placement of the inclusion. You could have a white feather inclusion that is graded as SI while having a tiny black dot inclusion graded as a VS. Under 10x magnification, that dot could be sticking out like a hairy mole while the feather inclusion could be hiding well. A good jeweller will be patient and take the time to explain things. Don't ever get rushed by the sales into buying one.

[racerman88]

Ran a diamond broker at www.diamond.ca is really good to deal with. The popular diamonds now are Canadian diamonds.

[Wetordry]

One month turnaround is pretty tight. Whether you pick up local or online, you have to give the supplier time to work on the ring.

Not likely going to happen unless you pick out your diamond & setting NOW.