Playaa January 20, 2009 Share Playaa Member January 20, 2009 Yep, planning on getting an engagement ring. Thoughts? Ideas? She wants something antique. Any opinions on reputable sellers? Advice on sifting through the crap and spam on ebay/craigslist? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magruter January 20, 2009 Share Magruter Member January 20, 2009 4c's learn em. Buy quality over quantity with any diamond. My wifes 1/2 carat princess cut VVS1 d/e colored diamond is much more spectacular than any single carat diamond I looked at with lesser qualities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stutters January 20, 2009 Share stutters GC Alumni January 20, 2009 imo, it's her ring, so get her input. i got lucky and allied with her friends who were able to leak me inside info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bewildered January 20, 2009 Share Bewildered Member January 20, 2009 If you want to surprise her AND let her give input, consider a jeweler that will let you select the stone, then have it set in a temporary setting. Then the two of you can shop for the setting once she says yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unclean January 20, 2009 Share Unclean Member January 20, 2009 First off, congrats on the decision! Secondly, buying a ring is an intimidating process. I should know... I've seen a lot of guys purchase them (I used to sell jewelry). Odds are you have two ideas in mind: 1. What if she doesn't like the ring? That's potentially a ton of money spent on something she doesn't like that much. I think this is a huge misconception - most women would be thrilled with whatever you got them, it's more about the meaning and thought behind it. In your case, if you're looking for an "antique ring", do you mean one that's actually an antique, or one that looks like an antique? 2. What size stone is right, aka how can I get the most "bang for the buck"? NEVER go through Craig's list, ebay, etc. The potential for scams is just too high. I went through a diamond dealer in Chicago. And he set it up as an internet order to my brother in another state, so I didn't have to pay sales tax. Ended up saving over $400 that way. And if you can pay in cash, most jewelers will give you a 3% discount (because they have to pay a transaction fee to the credit card company). The rest falls into two categories: A. The setting In my opinion, this is the tougher part. You really need to get a "feel" for her style, what she likes and doesn't like. It doesn't hurt to bring one of her friends along that knows her style well. Another option you have is to get a simple solitaire setting (they're usually free) and pick out a different setting together. B. The stone Like Mag said, learn the 4 C's (cut, clarity, color, carat). You'll have to balance those to figure out what suits her (and you) best. I looked for the sparkle first - for maximum sparkle, you'll need a perfect or near perfect cut, decent clarity, and good color. The carat doesn't matter as much at that point, just as long as it "fits" in with her finger well. By that, I mean it should look like a good size while she's wearing it. It's kinda like a tv. Sure, the 72" looks great in the store, but how does it look in your 8'x 8' apartment? I hope this helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mohawk January 20, 2009 Share mohawk Member January 20, 2009 here's my advice, run Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Playaa January 20, 2009 Author Share Playaa Member January 20, 2009 There is no surprise here and I will definitely not be choosing it without her direct input. What I'm looking for is tips on saving money, places to look, etc. Her father has a friend who is a jewelry wholesaler, but we are looking for an antique as in actually old, not antique looking. example: http://cgi.ebay.com/ANTIQUE-6-PRONG-PLATIN...1742.m153.l1262 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unclean January 20, 2009 Share Unclean Member January 20, 2009 There is no surprise here and I will definitely not be choosing it without her direct input.What I'm looking for is tips on saving money, places to look, etc. Her father has a friend who is a jewelry wholesaler, but we are looking for an antique as in actually old, not antique looking. example: http://cgi.ebay.com/ANTIQUE-6-PRONG-PLATIN...1742.m153.l1262 You can disregard most of my earlier post then. To save money: 1. Pay in cash, you can save 3%+ that way with a local retailer 2. Try to set it up as an online sale, you can save sales tax that way 3. See if you can get one from an older relative that isn't wearing it anymore. And why ebay? Wouldn't you be worried about getting a fake diamond? Or a new ring that was cast to look old? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anonymo January 20, 2009 Share anonymo Member January 20, 2009 She wants something antique. Any opinions on reputable sellers? Advice on sifting through the crap and spam on ebay/craigslist? shovel + cemetery = win Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magruter January 20, 2009 Share Magruter Member January 20, 2009 She wants something antique. Any opinions on reputable sellers? Advice on sifting through the crap and spam on ebay/craigslist? shovel + cemetery = win +1 internet funny... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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