[Zanth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oski Typically 2-3 months salary. I think it's worthwhile in this case to strech your budget a bit. Another $1k added would be nothing in the long run.

No no no no no no no no nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!~!!!!!

Blah, I HATE that line. That is a phrase coined by DeBeers for women to make their men feel like total ****-bags if they don't meet the current societal standards. Who the hell wants to spend 2 MONTHS working for a blasted piece of carbon, you know one of the most abundant element on the planet and likely the 6th most abundant in the universe?

Get something you can afford PERIOD. If your girl is upset by this dump the girl because if she is so disappointed over the cost of a SYMBOL of your love, then dude...she's gonna be FAR more disappointed by something else, perhaps insignifcant in the future. Bloody hell, what do men get that is 2 months of a woman's salary? Nothing, nadda zippo. All those who claim cars and audio, 99% of the time men are secretly compiling little hords so they can go out and buy something, maybe even under the noses of their significant others (at least with audio).

I would definitely look for cut first. Round brilliant solitaire cut is the one that when cut perfectly masks the size the most by having the widest face and the greatest sparkle. In fact, most people are caught not by the size but by the shimmer and shine baby! My wife's best friend has a 2 karat diamond but it is very dull with many inclusions. My wife's is a little .33 but it is a flawless colourless with perfect cut. I went small but high quality in the other categories. Though it did cost me a boat load, I wanted to do this, I didn't feel I had to. Next to her best friends ring, my wife's looks tiny tiny but it also outdoes her by compliments when folks are around. Simply put bigger isn't always better.

Canadian diamonds are amazing quality and if one is a Canadian, they have the opportunity to buy directly from the mine if they contact the Gov. I wish I had known this when I got my stone. My brother just did this. He paid 1800 for a 14000 stone. It was uncut etc, but he simply had a high quality jeweler do the work on it. Incredible value.

 

[Sleestack]

Much is going to depend on what your potential fiance likes. For $1,000 you are going to have to make compromises. Some girls would rather have a big diamond over quality and some would rather have a small quality stone on a nice setting. Some girls, like my wife, want it all which gets VERY expensive.

What kind of jewelry does she generally wear. If she's a minimalist, .3 carats might work, but I would say that .3 carats is pretty small and that you should at least start at .5 carats. Get the best cut diamond you can at that price and carefully choose a setting.

She'll probably want to upgrade down the road so don't kill yourself now. Honestly, your $1K budget is going to be a limiting factor, so do the best you can for now and start saving for something more substantial down the road.

 

[nabwong]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tattoou2 Whatever you decide, wrap it up with a new K701 for her! Congrats!

LOL...i wish she would propose to me with that. I would definitely say yes!

Thanks for the info everyone. Really appreciate it. Definitely quality over size for me. This is more fun than i expected.

Maybe i shd buy a plane ticket to africa and start digging lol....

Gravitas,
Thanks for the websites. If i decide to buy online, i'll let you know.

I'm thinking, it's amazing that africa is a 3rd world country when they produce diamonds. It saddens me how people invade other countries and milk their resources.

 

[Oski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zanth No no no no no no no no nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!~!!!!! Blah, I HATE that line. That is a phrase coined by DeBeers for women to make their men feel like total ****-bags if they don't meet the current societal standards. Who the hell wants to spend 2 MONTHS working for a blasted piece of carbon

I don't know, this is a place where people routinely spend thousands on headphones and amps. I mean how many headphones and amps does a single person need? I'm sure your system costs more than 2 months salary. It all comes down to a matter of priority and preference in spending money I think. While I spent less than 2 months salary on the ring, it was still a significant amount of money relative to my headphone hobby. But I'd happily buy her a ring that she'll enjoy for the rest of her life instead of an Orpheus system for myself.

In the OP's case, it's $1K we are talking about here. If that or even $2K is going to send the person into financial difficulties, I'd HIGHLY recommend not getting a diamond engagement ring at all. The truth of the matter is that most women only wear their wedding bands anyways, so it'll be a waste of money if it's not going to get worn.

 

[Zanth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oski I don't know, this is a place where people routinely spend thousands on headphones and amps. I mean how many headphones and amps does a single person need? I'm sure your system costs more than 2 months salary. It all comes down to a matter of priority and preference in spending money I think. While I spent less than 2 months salary on the ring, it was still a significant amount of money relative to my headphone hobby. But I'd happily buy her a ring that she'll enjoy for the rest of her life instead of an Orpheus system for myself.

Reread what you wrote here and reread what you originally stated and I responded to. This quote I have above relates to a subjective desire imposed entirely by the will of the person who wants to 1) spend the money 2) make his fiancee happy by doing this. It also refers to the subjective spending limits of a person. Yes my system costs 2x my monthly salary but BUT!!! I was not forced to do this by any societal pressure nor is there any expectation of me or anyone else doing so. In fact many get into headphones because it is a very cheap hobby and a wonderful alternative to speakers in this regard.

If you want to spend 6 figures on a ring, I won't object, but if you claim that one should typically spend 2 months on a ring then I will. That 2 months bit is a slogan by DeBeers and is a means as part of their 60+ year monopoly machine to perpetuate the devious lie that diamonds are rare. They aren't. Not at all actually. They ARE however, limited on the open market, mainly because DeBeers et. al., retain their monopoly and control the distribution and circulation of the gems to the public.

Long story short, do what you want with your cash just don't throw around slogans that try to cooerce men to spend nothing less than 2 months else they not be quite a man. I'm not insinuating you meant that in any way, but that is the bottom line of the slogan and the mentality behind the "2 month" rule.

Btw for transparency's sake, I spent well over 2 months salary when I bought my wife's engagement ring. I too did it because I wanted to and I wanted her to be happy with it, and ideally some form of quasi-investment despite the evil of the diamond emperors.

 

[Oski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zanth That 2 months bit is a slogan by DeBeers and is a means as part of their 60+ year monopoly machine to perpetuate the devious lie that diamonds are rare. They aren't. Not at all actually. They ARE however, limited on the open market, mainly because DeBeers et. al., retain their monopoly and control the distribution and circulation of the gems to the public. Btw for transparency's sake, I spent well over 2 months salary when I bought my wife's engagement ring. I too did it because I wanted to and I wanted her to be happy with it, and ideally some form of quasi-investment despite the evil of the diamond emperors.

I fully agree with you regarding the DeBeer's monopoly and their method of conducting business. The 2 months salary is but a guideline really, nobody is forcing anybody to do so...my original post used the word "typically" in describing the 2 months. To me, this is a looser rule than say tipping or paying taxes.

That's why I've never seen anybody size up a person's pay based on the ring they gave, because it's not a very reliable indicator really.

For transparency's sake, I actually spent only about 1.3 months of salary, so I obviously didn't adhere to the 2 months guideline. I'm very happy with the stone and the setting as is my GF, and ultimately whatever ring that makes the couple happy is a good one.

But it sounds like you got a beautiful ring for your wife, congrats to you too. I think the raw diamond idea is a really good one if the OP can find a good cutter do to the job.

 

[AuroraProject]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikey01 Nix the ring idea. Dump the girl. Get a dog and a nice new SinglePower SDS. I the long run, you will be very happier with this revised marriage.

This man speaks the truth.

 

[Zanth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oski The 2 months salary is but a guideline really, nobody is forcing anybody to do so.

I agree, but the problem is that there is a stigma attached and many men are made to feel inadequate if they don't spend 2 months on the ring. Certainly there are women out there who don't care one iota. You have one, my wife is another. But there are others that do want a 2 month salary+ ring and when men walk into a jewlery store and start asking questions, many times the clerk asks what the price range is...of course, a necessary question, but later on as they are doing their sales thing...they slip in the 2 month salary bit. This fortunately didn't happen with me, but I have been shopping with 3 of my friends at different times and each jewler each friend attended had this happen. DeBeers and other diamond companies have commercials that use the 2 month statement as a rule not a guideline: "How else to better spend 2 months salary?" Repeat something enough times and people take it as a rule and not as a simple guideline. The power of suggestion is incredible and the male ego fragile

Perhaps Ottawa has vultures, but I would bet it is far more common than uncommon. It just boils my blood, kinda like how Halmark made Valetines day into a major holiday, not to mention their distortion of Mrs. Howe's action of honouring the pacifism of mothers. Engagements should be a momentous occasion, the guy should never feel pressured about the size of the ring he is going to present, but rather the fact that he is presenting himself in his entirety and ideally for life, to the woman he loves. The ring is the symbol of that love, not the love itself, as DeBeers would like everyone to believe.

 

[KYTGuy]

I bought a really good diamond for the first wife - it went when she did...

For the second wife, I bought what she wanted, and she wanted little, just a token.

See the WIRED article where they grow flawless diamonds for $5/carat? Why you gonna strap your finances? Better to invest the big money, and have something really significant WHen YOU RETIRE. If the marriage doesn't work out, the amount of money is split in half...only half lost!

Besides, is the two month's salary rule the price when you buy it, or the price to sell it? Hmmm?

 

[1911]

i know..buying a diamond was a pain..that is why my parents bought my fiances ring for me...cause 2month salary at that time would be zero.
a word to the wise.. my parents bought a 1carat flawless diamond in a platinum setting at that time but the setting was a little too big when it came back...the dumb jeweler tried to say that was ok because my fiance fingers would get fat over time(how ridiculous was that statement???)
anyways we forced her to replace the setting..when the diamond came back i could of swore that it was not as brilliant as before....but how can a layman really know?? it is too bad that not only is DeBeers running a racket but so are alot of the jewelry stores...there was an article that the type of business that produces the most millionaires are jewelry stores.
that said nabwong not only put effort into purchasing the ring but put alot of thought of how you will present the ring....
my sister married a pastor so obviously his budget was not that high..but he bought an exceptional wedding band encrusted with high quality diamonds. as others have pointed out most women do not wear their wedding rings that often. i feel that with .3 carats you may be better served going the fancy wedding band route as the markup seems to be less. you should go to a store and see what .3carats looks like..it may help your decision making process.

 

[gimmieshelter31]

If your wish is to present a diamond ring to your woman ,then by all means do so! I suggest avoiding jewelry stores at all costs (pun intended).

My suggestion is to check your local telephone directory for diamond brokers. Visit a few if you can. Ask questions and don't buy that day. When looking at stones look at them against a white background. Do not go for the black velvet presentation lol. Explain what you are looking for and ask to see the options. Also suggest seeing some loose stones. Good luck and congrats.


oz

 

[909]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nabwong Hey guys, I'll be visiting stores over the next week or so but I've found a few stones online. I don't know if 0.30 carat is too small. But i'm leaning towards exceptional quality. Color - D Clarity - VVS1 Cut - Ideal Carat - 0.3 ( too small? ) I'm also looking at upgrade options. I've read that quality stones will retain their value irregardless of size. So you know, maybe in the 10th or 25th year, i can upgrade to a bigger stone. Anyone with experience with online purchases? Retail stores seem to mark up 300% or something...

About two years ago, I finally bit the bullet and made my engagement ring purchase online. However, I spent over two years of research before I felt comfortable and confident to purchase a costly single diamond. The information below is primarily intended to be used injunction with round cuts.

Regardless of your budget, I would put the most stock in the cut then carat. When you buy a super ideal, ideal (or hearts and arrows) cut diamond, it will typically show up one to two shades lighter than 90% of the diamonds in the market that are just averagely cut. Only if you select an ideal cut and yellow gold setting I wouldn’t go lower than I. Only if you go with an ideal cut and white gold or platinum, I wouldn’t go lower than H. I spent hours comparing ideal cut diamonds side-by-side for color differences, but they were very subtle. They were less subtle with the table side down, but no one will look at your wife’s diamond with a diamond color kit or against a black cloth table side down. I ultimately decided upon a hearts and arrows cut, G color, because I felt it was the best value and it compared very similar to an ideal cut E.

With respect to clarity, I wouldn’t go lower then a clean and well placed SI1. I decided upon the VS2 because I felt it was the best value point and the flaws were located on the side and you can only notice the flaws with a loop. I couldn’t justify paying a premium for something I couldn’t see with my naked eye and did not effect the brilliance (white light), fire (color light), and sparkle (scintillation).

The first two things people notice about a diamond is its size (carat weight) and sparkle beyond that most if not all of the people (except jewelers or those that are very savvy about diamonds) will not see the difference between a D and G and a flawless and VS2 while the diamond is set. And I do believe most woman indicate that the diamond’s size is most important to them. You should realize that you pay a premium for the popular sizes such as .25, .50 and 1.0 carat and so on. If you select something right below the .50 like .47, you will save some money as well.

If I were you, I would narrow my search to the following:

Cut: Hearts and Arrows, Super Ideal, or Ideal

Color: F to I color

Clarity: VS1 to SI1 (depending on placement)

Carat: as big as you can go within your budget.

When all was said and done for me, I ended up doubling my budget because I looked at this purchase in the long term and cost averaged my purchase over twenty years to justify the additional expense. The diamond I bought my wife two years ago is now about 30% more than what I originally paid.
I purchased my wife a Superbcert (Excel diamonds) hearts and arrows, which I had set in a Vatche X-prong setting. I believe Vatche makes the settings for Tiffany. All I can say is that people are blown away by my wife’s diamond even jewelers.



Here is a link to a forum similar to Head-Fi, but the topic of discussion is diamonds:

http://www.pricescope.com/

Here are two website sites that I highly recommend buying from:
http://www.exceldiamonds.com/
http://www.goodoldgold.com/

(I believe both merchants offer trade-in upgrades, but you should ask to be sure.)

Since I never really trusted my eyes while selecting a diamond, I relied upon the following technical and objective data that both of these websites provide, yet on some you may have to make a special request.

Here are the following technical reports that you should learn more about and request this data, on the diamond you select before you actually buy it, if possible.

GIA Report (or AGS—but I wouldn’t put too much stock in their ideal rating)
MegaScope report
BrillanceScope report
ImageScope Photo
Close up photos of the diamond and if applicable any inclusions or flaws.

 

[kramer5150]

I bought my wifes ring at niceice.com

Todd has a really funny sense of humor and is a nice guy. I came to his house when he used to live in Sacramento. We looked at a LOT of diamonds before I purchased one form him. Note he wont open his house to just anyone. I have relatives in the Sacramento area that have done a lot of business with him so he generously opened his doors for me after he did his background check on me.

PM me if youre interested in more..

Second the costco recommendation... Unless shes high maintenance and into brand name and the whole designer image crap.

Garrett
Good Luck

 

[nabwong]

Hahaha....i don't think i'll make the trip from Boston to Sacramento. Pricescope is really overwhelming; kinda like how head-fi was when i first joined. The superbcert cuts look good.

 

[909]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nabwong Hahaha....i don't think i'll make the trip from Boston to Sacramento. Pricescope is really overwhelming; kinda like how head-fi was when i first joined. The superbcert cuts look good.

Out of all the sites that included such reports and especially the brillancescope data, SuperbCert's diamonds in general were superior only second to Good Old Gold. Not only is the brillancescope's three scales important, but the pictures as well (I looked for something that was balanced, close to off the charts in all three categories and beautiful to the eye). After deciding upon a particular SuperbCert diamond, I priced other hearts and arrows that were at minimum twice as much, if not more at some local retailers. When I had the diamond appraised for insurance purposes, it appraised for almost three times my purchase price. My father was so impressed with my wife’s diamond he bought a Superbcert for his wife as well. The greatest gratification was my wife’s response and then later that special evening she was still mesmerized by the diamond. It’s also nice when my wife tells me someone commented on her diamond, which happens frequently. One more thing, hearts and arrows or super ideal cut diamonds will appear bigger then an ideal cut or the other 90% of regular cut diamonds. I think in general it will appear anywhere between 10 to 20% larger to the eye.