Where to take my woman to buy an engagement ring?

Rufus50

Hi All,

I plan to propose to my better half next Dec (2011) so am beginning to look into costs and ideas etc...
Ideally i want to propose at home in Ireland but give her a token ring and then surprise her by flying her somewhere for 4-5 days for a celebration hol and to most importantly pick out the ring.
I have been looking around the net at what the best places are to buy and New York has been coming up- we have never been and we would both love to go(she especially would love to go there) so i think im almost settled on New York but would love other peoples recommendations. Originally i wanted to bring her to Dubai as rings are such good value there supposedly but im now thinking New York. Antwerp is also meant to be good but id rather New York as i feel this would be more special. Any other suggestions?

Budget wise- everyone has their own opinion and are entitled to it. Mine would be something special obviously but not spending crazy amounts in my opinion like anything over €5k. I am not in this position to afford this and would rather take her away to pick it out-pay her flights and accom etc and make it special. I would be thinking ring wise in the range of approx €3k. Do people know if i would get something nice for this. What are average prices etc? From what ive looked up it seems average price was just under this. I know also that she thinks spending too much on an engagement ring is madness.

First step for me really is deciding on a location so any recommendations would be great but as i say im almost set on New York but would love to hear other peoples views. Also as regards token rings, what would you feel i should be spending?

Thanks lads

happyeverafter

New York would get my vote - have heard that the diamond district is best place to go
Your budget sounds right.
Just be aware that it will be very cold there in December - although, it's very cold in Ireland in December.
I wouldn't pay more than 150 for the 'now' engagement ring - maybe you could think of some way of recycling it - making it in to earrings once she gets the real ring or something.....

tinkerbell

First off - yay for you and your to-be fiancée!

Secondly - don't bother with the "token" ring. In my opinion, it is a waste of money. There's no point to it at all .... all you need to say are the four words (Will You Marry Me?) - there's no need for wasting money on some silly little ring just for the sake of having something on the day you say the four words.

Finally - I also nominate NYC! Especially if she really wants to go there, that would be an amazing trip for her! Going to where she really wants to go AND getting to pick out an engagement ring, seriously - dream come true! So there is absolutely no need to buy a token ring.

happyeverafter

Well, when you get engaged people always ask to see the ring. It's a nice to do. Previously I got a keyring which had a huge fake diamond ring on it - it even came in a ring box. So that might be something else to consider
http://www.amazon.com/Kate-Aspen-Engagement-Ring-Chain/dp/B0015R5TIA

Rufus50

Thanks lads- appreciate the replies.
Im thinking its defo going to be New York.
Alot of planning ahead so but cant wait to start looking into it and booking flights etc..

gozzers08

Congrats mate. I got engaged in paris last summer, we took the train to antwerp then and spent the day diamond shopping. I did a lot of research beforehand into the more reputable dealers etc. With a budget of 3k or so for a ring you would get a really nice one here, i cant recommend it highly enough for diamond shopping. i wouldnt recommend it as a romantic getaway spot though im afraid, the old town part is nice enough but otehr than that its not much to get write home about!! Ring shopping yes, getaway then New York has to be the location! Gd luck!

gozzers08

oh and on the initial ring question - i woudl defo have a token ring, i bought one in paris for 30€, just a very plain nice silver ring, she still has it and likes it so it wasnt a waste. when you propose i really think you should have some kind of ring. i would never have bought the engagement ring myself, given what type of ring she chose I would have chosen the opposite - phew!

The Davestator

I got a token ring in Claires accessories for 3.50! She was delighted with it and enjoyed the fact that I didn't waste money on a one week ring.

orlaithd

Don't bother with the token ring- waste of money (unless its a claire's cheapy but even still!)

Don't forget about Antwerp for the rock! I just got engaged at Christmas- my xmas present was a trip to Bruges, where we got engaged and went down to Antwerp for the ring. The OH had done all his research online and had the appointment booked based on recommendations on this forum and the tripadvisor one.

Bruges was amazing at Christmas. I know OH consider NY too as I love it and flights were cheap enough but NY accommodation mad expensive- just something to consider when planning the trip.

Rufus50

Thanks for the replies.
I am going to go with New York i think-it would be a great trip and surprise.
Hotels do seem crazy expensive so i will need to do alot of research.

Flight wise-would i be better buying earlier do ye think?
At moment i can get direct flights for approx 470 euro per person to New York.
Wondering should i consider booking now or waiting to see if any sale may happen.

Irish_Elect_Eng

May I make a suggestion....

Propose to her on the trip, not in Ireland, NYC would be a great choice.

(Unless you have a strong reason to propose to her in Ireland, a special place etc.)

A couple of reasons:

(1) It would create a fantastic memory of the actual event of popping the question. For example - there is a tradition of people proposing on the ice at the Rockefeller center in New York at Christmas, imagine a thousand people applauding your fiancée when she says yes?



Get your girl as close as you can to the Christmas tree and have her look up to see the top, when she looks back down, be down on one knee with your diamond in hand. Tell her how much she means to you, and that there is nobody on this planet you’d rather be with.:cool:


(2) Once she says yes then you have a couple of intimate days as a couple, to buy the ring, make plans for the future, pick a date for the wedding, etc. before you have to face into family and friends congratulations and questions.

(3) Propose somewhere you would want to visit again, a trip to that location goes down well as a anniversary present later

(4)

magneticimpulse

orlaithd wrote: »

Don't bother with the token ring- waste of money (unless its a claire's cheapy but even still!)

Don't forget about Antwerp for the rock! I just got engaged at Christmas- my xmas present was a trip to Bruges, where we got engaged and went down to Antwerp for the ring. The OH had done all his research online and had the appointment booked based on recommendations on this forum and the tripadvisor one.

Bruges was amazing at Christmas. I know OH consider NY too as I love it and flights were cheap enough but NY accommodation mad expensive- just something to consider when planning the trip.

If I had a choice between Belgium and New York. It would definitely be New York. Belgians are very dry. Fair enough Bruges is ok...but I really dont see the attraction in the town. Its ok to walk around for a few hours...but I was happy to leave the place after about 4 hours and definitely not a place i would have spent any longer....it definitely doesnt get my vote and must see location. Hell I'd recommend even Cambridge as a destination far above Bruges...at least there is an atmosphere.

Again Antwerp was a place I only wanted to stay for about 2 hours. I find them grey cold cities and would prefer to stay in Ireland at that rate. The Belgians have no humour what so ever.

As much as Ive already been to New York quite a few times...and again its not a beautiful city...I have to say, at least it has great places to eat in, more things to see and cheap shopping in the likes of Sephora.

All in all if i was to be proposed to, I would choose Rome or somewhere with real romance and places to see and visit. Hmm and yummy food as well. Definitely if I had the choice it be Rome.

bills

Check out voltaire diamonds.
Lots of posts on here re Voltaire diamonds & Seamus.
He really is very helpful.

badboyblast

I was in the same boat as you OP 2 years ago, I`ve heard some dodgy stories about New York .

The value is in Antwerp, New York dealers buy from Antwerp.
Forget the city, holiday etc, you want to get a quality diamond at a good price - Choose Antwerp.

If you`d like some info, PM me.

magneticimpulse

badboyblast wrote: »

I was in the same boat as you OP 2 years ago, I`ve heard some dodgy stories about New York .

The value is in Antwerp, New York dealers buy from Antwerp.
Forget the city, holiday etc, you want to get a quality diamond at a good price - Choose Antwerp.

If you`d like some info, PM me.

In which case Id advice you to propose in another place and then go to Antwerp. It is not an attractive city at all and not romantic in any sense. I would suggest going for a weekend in summer to Rome or somewhere else to propose and then a month later go to Antwerp. Definitely would not visit there in Winter should you decide to go. Very dreary place and everything is closed on Sundays anyway (even the petrol stations).

golfball37

The city centre of Antwerp away from the diamond district area is a very nice. Lots of restuarants and bars, cobbled streets and markets.

Cannot receommend going there highly enough to buy the ring. Saved an absolute fortune.

I can tell more if anyone wishes to know via PM.

Rufus50

Thanks for all the replies.


I am still thinking of New York. The surprise of going to New York i feel would beat Anthwerp hands down and by the threads on this it seems New York is good value too compared to home for rings. I know the hotels are crazy priced but hoping i can get some good offers.
Especially that we have both never been and she would love to go i think it has to be New York.
Anthwerp probably sounds best for rings value wise but im sure there is a great choice in New York too.
I think ill go with proposing at home in a romantic way and give a token ring and whisk her off the next day with her not knowing where we are going until we reach the airport.

mightymouse11

Hi,
i actually just did the exact same thing this year in NY on new years day.I went through all the different ideas regarding ring. Buying ring in Ireland,Getting it made,getting in NY.In the end i got it here and brought it over to NY.I know you hear so much about getting it in NY and the price of it. But too be honest if anything goes wrong with ring long way to go back to where you got it. There are some great deals on rings in ireland at the moment and first price given is never the final price.

tinkerbell

Excellent idea Rufus. Personally I think the idea of going to Antwerp is blah. I would not want to go there! Even if you do get better value over there, why would you want to go there anyway. She'll have a better time in New York. Good luck with it!

magneticimpulse

tinkerbell wrote: »

Excellent idea Rufus. Personally I think the idea of going to Antwerp is blah. I would not want to go there! Even if you do get better value over there, why would you want to go there anyway. She'll have a better time in New York. Good luck with it!

I agree about Antwerp. It was alright, but prob one of the least likeable cities ive ever been to in my life. There is a reason why its famous for diamonds, because there is absolutely no other reason why you would want to visit there.

I mean if it was your local city and you lived there, sure i could understand. But i would not bother with the hassle of getting flights etc. I think proposal's and engagment ring shopping should be romantic and that would not be my ideal place at all.

At least with New York you could take a carriage around Central Park. Or ice skating at the Rockafellar centre. Plus theres hours upon endless hours of shoe shopping and make up shopping!! Macy's, Sephora...the list goes on. Sure could even go Wedding dress shopping while your there (they cost the same as engagement rings)

I think the biggest surprise would be if it was just a random day. I love the idea of that...not Christmas, Valentines, New Years or birthday. Just some complete random day when she doesnt expect a proposal and that way in years to come you can enjoy it. The reason I say this...maybe there is a month the 2 of you have nothing happening? I mean for me January, April, May, September etc are months where there is absolutely nothing to get excited about...so that in my opinion is the best proposal.

Your idea of proposing at home sounds wonderful! I can imagine it must be very nerve wrecking, so doing it in a familar country and surroundings prob make it more calm.

moco

Hi, I’m in a similar situation, we’ve discussed getting engaged when we’re in New York next month and getting a ring there. Does anyone know of a good ring shop? I’ve looked at some websites and a lot of the rings are awful and gawdy. Comparing Tiffany’s prices on their UK and US site, rings definitely seem cheaper in the US.

I’m just concerned about going to a rubbish shop and getting ripped off so was wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction?

Intothesea

Hello there. New York is one of the best places to score a good deal, but you have to go prepared. In general the diamond district is full of shysters and B.S.ers, as you'd expect. Apart from being armed to the hilt with relevant knowledge and good equipment, you can hit good, trustworthy spots. In some of the best places a few days may be needed to put the ring together, so if in doubt, ring up and make a few enquiries beforehand.

You have the pick of high-end jewellers in Manhattan, so it might be worthwhile to check things out for cost, style and quality at Tiffany, Cartier, Bulgari etc. And then you can move onto other territories for comparison and a less wallet-threatening deal. A few ideas:

ID jewelry is in the diamond district. They are honest and trustworthy (in my experience):
https://www.idjewelryonline.com/cont...ano9u17q7lr7m3

Irish people abroad are very fond of Hanikan jewellers:
http://haniken.com/?page=contact


A little further out are Engagement Rings Direct. Again, trusted vendor with some excellent prices:

http://www.engagementringsdirect.com/About.aspx

The tax situation in NY is approx. 10% sales tax. Good luck with the deal

moco

Thanks for the info

Some people have warned me that if I get a ring in New York that customs will search through my baggage and if they find a box, then I'll have to pay tax on it It this true? Like if I wore the ring home are they likely to go rifling through all my stuff and find the box or certificates?

Intothesea

I'd jettison any packing and mail the certs home. This is my impression of how people approach the problem, anyway As far as tipping off a search goes, I'd say the stone would have to really stand out from the average in some way, e.g. size. HTH

moco

Lol unfortunately I don't think we'll be tipping off any searches then. Thanks!:)

104

Hi, Very interesting posts, most seem to be about the area (NY will always win that one)

What about value for money ? It sound like Antwerp has more reputable dealers and is better value ?

sparky_2011

104 wrote: »

Hi, Very interesting posts, most seem to be about the area (NY will always win that one)

What about value for money ? It sound like Antwerp has more reputable dealers and is better value ?

I recently got engaged and got my ring in Antwerp and couldn't recommend it highly enough! I'm really surprised by some of the comments here on the city as we absolutely loved it. Obviously it's no NYC and I wouldn't be spending weeks there but for a 2/3 day break it's perfect. You should research the ADJA jewellers in Antwerp (there's 4/5 of them). You definitely get better value there than in Ireland but I couldn't comment on it compared to NY.

SunSeaSand

sparky_2011 wrote: »

I recently got engaged and got my ring in Antwerp and couldn't recommend it highly enough! I'm really surprised by some of the comments here on the city as we absolutely loved it. Obviously it's no NYC and I wouldn't be spending weeks there but for a 2/3 day break it's perfect. You should research the ADJA jewellers in Antwerp (there's 4/5 of them). You definitely get better value there than in Ireland but I couldn't comment on it compared to NY.

Sparky,

Do you mind me asking some more detail on Antwerp? We are not in a position to go as far as NY so some of the debate above is irrelevant to us this time round!

We are VERY new to this- just starting to look around and do initial research so feeling a bit lost!

Have questions such as : did you look around Dublin (or whatever your city is!) and then decide to go elsewhere for the ring? is there a significant saving that makes it worthwhile leaving the country to buy them?

what did your girlfriend think about the selection of rings in Antwerp (dont want to get there and then find nothing we are interested in!)?

If you prefer to Private Message any of this that's fine with me!

Thanks

Is

Rodar08

We got an amazing ring from Seamus of Voltaire Diamonds in October for a great price. Can't say enough about him and of course my ring :)