Buying An Engagement Ring

trotter_inc

Scruff wrote:

Do you need to make an appointment with any of these Jewellers or can ye just walk in and start looking?

Nope... you can just walk in... Im sure once you mention "engagement ring" they'll only be delighted to help you

Fey!

"Ireland is a total rip off for engagement rings..........."

Did you pay the VAT and taxes on your ring when it arrived? Or did you just smuggle it in? It's the same as people bringing pieces in from Dubai - it's 40% cheaper as there are no taxes. However, it is still illegal to bring them in without declaring them.

"A couple more things to note -

Ask the jeweler if the diamond is laboratory-created gemstones or naturally mined. Stones created in a lab look exactly like mined stones but are generally less expensive. Jewelers are required to identify lab-created stones. If you don't know your jeweler personally, ask to see all documentation relating to the diamond."

Firstly, what you are refering to is Moissanite, not diamond. Selling it as diamond is illegal, and it is very difficult to tell the difference if you don't know what you're doing. Also, wrt the 'documentation', do you honestly believe that a jeweller is going to show you the receipt from his supplier? Not all diamonds have certs, despite the BS being flouted by several high profile jewellery shops. Get your facts right.

"If you are buying a naturally mined stone, make sure to ask if it has been treated. Heating, dyeing or bleaching can improve a stone's appearance or may help it to last longer. Some treatments are permanent. Others may change the stone so that it requires special care. You'll need to know the care your stones require to keep them looking great and to maintain their value. "

HTHP, lasering, etc must all be declared if the vendor knows that a stone has been treated. As for maintaining your stones, fairy liquid does the trick very well (gemstones attact grease, such as soap, which just needs to be cleaned off).

BTW, despite diamonds being the hardest substance on the planet, it is still possible to chip, crack or cleave them.

"In relation to the metal you choose, beware that most high-street jewelers add a thin metal coating to their rings (i can't remember which metal) to make them extra shiny under the lights in their shop. this coating will wear off after a few months and the ring will appear tarnished."
This coating is called Rhodium Plating, and it's used on white gold, not yellow and usually not on platinum. The reason for it's use on white gold is because the predominant metal in 18kt white gold is gold (18 parts gold, which is a bright YELLOW colour, and 6 parts other metals to strengthen and colour it). The ring is plated to make it whiter, and usually needs to be redone every 2 years or so.

Any chance that ill-informed people would stop showing their ignorance by talking rubbish about something they obviously know little about. If you want to be a jewellery expert, then go and do a gemmology or diamond graders course and spend 12 years working in the industry. Reading stuff on the internet and mis-interpreting it does NOT make you an expert, despite what you may think yourself! :eek:

MOTHERTRUCKER

TontoMurphy wrote:

Hi All,

thanks for all the updates... heading to O'Connors in the morning to have a look at what they a have try to find something she'd like...

Post later..

How did you get on??????????

Has anyone any experience with O Connors?
Are they ALL they're cracked up to be?

I need to know before i make the big trek up to the big smoke!

hunnymonster

Fey, your points are valid but are very aggressively made. I don't think there is anything wrong with people expressing opinions even if they haven't worked for 12 years in an industry. I'm not aware of anyone here falsly claiming to be professionals.

Not everyone wants to start their lives together in debt for the sake of something sparkly. For example, from an ethical and professional (I'm a materials scientist) point of view the idea of a lab produced stone sits more easily with me. I realise it may not be "worth" as much to anyone but me but I would be happy with it which is all that matters.*




In response to the past post. I have no idea if it is true or not but a guy I was talking to in a pub one night (who worked in a jewellery store chain) said a discount of about 15% is usual.









*I should qualify, that I have asperations to owing an engagement ring, he hasn't asked so it's not a practical consideration for me yet...........:D

trotter_inc

MOTHERTRUCKER wrote:

How did you get on??????????

Has anyone any experience with O Connors?
Are they ALL they're cracked up to be?

I need to know before i make the big trek up to the big smoke!

I bought an engagement ring in O Connors in Novemeber, excellent price...

Got it valued independant of O Connors for insurance purposes and its valued at DOUBLE what I paid for it...

They've a great selection up there, service is great too...

Fey!

Hunnymonster; sorry if you felt that my last post was aggressive. The reason for it is that I've seen so many threads and posts which have extremely bad advice, and also an even bigger amount basically saying that ALL jewellers in Ireland are expensive and rubbish and don't know what they're talking about.

MOTHERTRUCKER

Well done Fey!

I totally agree with your points.

So tell us all.......... Where would you go to buy an engagement ring?

i.e where do you work and what comments do you have on O Connors?

Fey!

I'm based in Galway myself, working in a small antique shop in the city centre (naming it would be in violation of advertising rules here, I believe).

I'm not familiar with O'Connors retail, but I do know some of the family in the manufacturing side and find them good to deal with (my uncle used to be the foreman in O'Connors many moons ago before he went out on his own). My parents bought their ring there back in the 60's!!! O'Connors are around a long time, and there can only be one reason for that.

MOTHERTRUCKER

Fey! wrote:

I'm based in Galway myself, working in a small antique shop in the city centre (naming it would be in violation of advertising rules here, I believe).

I'm not familiar with O'Connors retail, but I do know some of the family in the manufacturing side and find them good to deal with (my uncle used to be the foreman in O'Connors many moons ago before he went out on his own). My parents bought their ring there back in the 60's!!! O'Connors are around a long time, and there can only be one reason for that.

Thanks for your honesty Fey!

I have been into O Connors recently and was very impressed with the
show rooms. Not just your ordinary Jewellers, its like entering fort knox.
Private consultaion the works. Seem very professional.
Even thou i had done my research on diamonds and engagement rings prior to the appointment i found them very sincere and helpful.
(Not patrionising like most other jewellers, that don't even bother explaining all the terminologies.)
My impressions about their pricing structure, i found a bit unusual, all the rings she showed me had a small sticker stating the Carat and price, but the girl explained to me
" oh no thats only the RRP just devide that by 2 and thats our selling price, we are wholesalers and sell at wholesale price".

O.K. This seems fine, and believe me they have some very fine jewellery.
Its just i still can find just as good Cut, Carat, Colour and Clarity and the same price elsewhere.

For example she showed me a Platinum 0.72 Carat Diamond solitare, Color G Tiffany style ring for RRP. Euro 10,000. Which they would sell at E5000.

But i can buy this ring here
http://www.diamond-ireland.com/engagement-rings-dublin.html

for the same price

I would appreciate your comments or recommendations Fey!?

My gut feeling is to go with the reputable company O Connors!
But at the end of the day its a hell of a lot of money.

Fey!

2 things you haven't mentioned there are clarity and cut. The clarity refers to any internal marks which may block light going through the stone (that's a very basic way of putting it), and the cut refers to the shape and finish of the stone (is it round, square, oval, etc., and is it well proportioned, as each cut has "ideal" proportions (very technical, and very difficult to appraise for a layman)). There is also fluorescense in diamonds - not good in high colours, but no harm in low colours - but in a G a slight fluorescence is no harm (don't get too into this, as you'll end up with a lot of information in your head which will take away from the ultimate question: "Do I like the ring on my hand?" which, to me, is the most important thing. Rule of thumb is that if the diamond is nice and lively and bright, it's probably good!

Another thing to watch out for is the make of the ring (quality of workmanship) - I've seen a lot from abroad (outside of Europe) and a few from "budget" jewellers - remember you get what you pay for.

I put a post up a few weeks ago which someone stickied; it might be worth a read.

PLEASE NOTE: None of my comments above are meant in a condescending manner. I just can't think of a politer way of phrasing them whilst still getting my point across.