Engagement ring.. Pick one myself or let her choose after I pop the question?

Radioheader

Great thread, loads of great tips.
I plan to propose to my girlfriend on Blessington Lakes next month.
Was thinking of giving a claddagh ring or a dress ring; which is preferable?
I think we would prefer to pick the real ring together and I wouldn't have a clue to be honest.
In term if buying the actual ring, do I call the ring shop in advance, tell them my max spend is 3.5k for example and that I expect a 10% discount or so. What tactics should I employ there? Don't want my girlfriend to know how much I am paying.
Finally, my girlfriend doesn't wear rings; do I go medium or large ring? She is of average build and is about 5'8" I would guess.

Gatica

Radioheader wrote: »

do I go medium or large ring?

If you're talking about picking the ring together, once the shop has your budget pick the ring she likes best with best stone you can afford. She'll know quick enough if it's too big or small on her hand.
If it's just the token ring, then don't worry too much about it and just get a costume ring, maybe one of those that resizes.

Radioheader

Gatica wrote: »

If you're talking about picking the ring together, once the shop has your budget pick the ring she likes best with best stone you can afford. She'll know quick enough if it's too big or small on her hand.
If it's just the token ring, then don't worry too much about it and just get a costume ring, maybe one of those that resizes.

Thanks Gatica, sorry I meant the token ring. Would you go Claddagh or Dress Ring? Thanks for the advice.

Gatica

Hard for someone else to make this decision for you... Does she have a one of those pandora or similar charm bracelets? They do engagement ring charm for them. Would be lovely for her to be able to keep wearing it after the engagement or after she gets the ring.
Personally, otherwise would prefer a claddagh ring as then it's something special that could be kept and worn on the other hand. Sizing could be tough for something like that if you don't know her ring size. If she's tall, she'll probably have more average sized hands, even if she's slim built - friends got size M before for someone similar height. If it's within range she could just wear it on any of her fingers and then get it resized.

Radioheader

She doesn't have a Pandora bracelet but that sounds like a nice idea. I think I will go for the claddagh ring. Thanks for your help again.

quadrifoglio verde

I'd second the claddagh ring as well. Has a beautiful meaning behind it as well of love friendship and loyalty.
Even when the ring is replaced with a proper engagement ring, it'll still have meaning and will be minded and passed on to children.

If it was me I'd spend about 100-200 for a proper one. Some of the antique jewellers in dublin have lovely old ones. You might even get lucky, she'll love the claddagh so much and the idea behind it that shed rather have it than a big rock!
Happened my cousin. Her husband proposed but got her a claddagh as a token ring, 10 years married and they still haven't gotten around to getting a proper engagement ring.

Pumpkinseeds

Choose it together would be my advice. I loved mine because my husband bought it for me, but I never actually 'liked' it and would never have chosen it myself.

Metroid diorteM

I used a prayer ring with daisies wound around it (and later she chose her final ring).

michellie

My fiance brought me into a jewellers over Xmas so I could pick out my Xmas present, I was looking at engagement rings in there(as I always do) and pointed out the one that I liked. He proposed with that ring last month before we left for a few days in the UK

By the way I didn't have a clue the proposal was coming, total shock!!