Engagement ring question

Icaras

Hi All, going to propose to the GF soon and have a question about buying the engagement ring.
I see two options:
1. Buy proper engagement ring and propose,but I'm worried for such an important ring if I get one she doesn't like it will be disastrous.
2. Buy a token ring (maybe around 150-200 euro) and then both of us (her) choose the real ring. The negative to this is she doesn't have the engagement ring until a month or two after I propose?

Am I over thinking this? All help appreciated.

joeyboy12345

Im in the same boat as you mate. Going to do the deed soon but wouldnt be happy to spend €1.5 - €2k on something she might pretend to like but actually hate!
I dont see the problem in waiting on the ring for a short while. After all its what the ring symbolises that counts,nt the ring itself!

Neyite

Why wouldn't you have a ring until a couple of months? I picked out mine and had it resized in 5 days.

jlm29

Neyite wrote: »

Why wouldn't you have a ring until a couple of months? I picked out mine and had it resized in 5 days.

A friend of mine picked hers out recently, but they only had it in the shop in yellow gold- she wanted white gold, so has to wait 8 weeks. Suppose it depends on the selection in the shop!

amdublin

I like the token ring idea.

However! If you spend 150/200 on a token ring that's almost 10% of you 2k budget!!!

Why not buy a ring for €15 in m&s - they look like engagement rings and put the money saved into the real ring budget.

And number 1 rule when buying token ring - don't buy a diamond bigger than you can afford in real life!

amdublin

Ps. Most rings take a couple of days max

Icaras

amdublin wrote: »

I like the token ring idea.

However! If you spend 150/200 on a token ring that's almost 10% of you 2k budget!!!

Why not buy a ring for €15 in m&s - they look like engagement rings and put the money saved into the real ring budget.

And number 1 rule when buying token ring - don't buy a diamond bigger than you can afford in real life!

Sounds like a plan, thanks for the advice.

pooch90

I had my engagement ring commissioned and made,took less than 3 weeks.

amdublin

Good luck and enjoy!

Post back and let us know how it all goes :-)

Icaras

pooch90 wrote: »

I had my engagement ring commissioned and made,took less than 3 weeks.

That's kind of what I'm thinking,might get one made or else travel to buy it and make a weekend away out if it.
I don't think we need a very expensive ring and the money could be spent better in another way, but her on the other hand....

pooch90

Icaras wrote: »

That's kind of what I'm thinking,might get one made or else travel to buy it and make a weekend away out if it.
I don't think we need a very expensive ring and the money could be spent better in another way, but her on the other hand....

Mine was 2500, it's a marquise cut stone so looks bigger than it is,nice interesting setting. Way nicer than a lot of rocks I get paraded in front of me. Its all personal taste but doesn't have to cost the earth.

nmg_ire

Lads, i got engaged a few months ago and got a engagement charm for a bracelet instead of a ring. She was delighted with it and we went shopping together for the ring a few days later. She wears the charm all the time as well and said a token ring would probably not be worn again. Worked out well for me, you can get those charms in most jewellers.

ms.sunnyb

I would say a token ring, got engaged a few months ago and he bought a ring, I felt so awful but I didn't like it, it was lovely but just not for me! Found one I liked in the same shop luckily they exchanged, would of been nice to go shopping together tho and for me to have choose My own style.

ToxicPaddy

Not engaged or married but so many mates of mine are, all said the same thing, token ring and go shopping together to buy the ring

She will love the idea of buying the ring and she can spend a whole day being fussed over, trying on rings and basically being the centre of attention.

It's just the icing on the cake after the actual proposal

bee06

Whether you choose the ring or not depends on how confident you are in knowing her taste and how picky she is with jewellery. When my husband proposed he had bought the ring and I love it. It's a nicer ring than I would have ever picked and I know I would have gotten so stressed about picking something out myself because of the money being spent.

A lot of my friends have picked out their own rings and would have told their boyfriends before hand that if he ever proposed they would prefer that. Has she ever dropped any hints or made any comments when her friends got engaged?

Icaras

bee06 wrote: »

Whether you choose the ring or not depends on how confident you are in knowing her taste and how picky she is with jewellery. When my husband proposed he had bought the ring and I love it. It's a nicer ring than I would have ever picked and I know I would have gotten so stressed about picking something out myself because of the money being spent.

A lot of my friends have picked out their own rings and would have told their boyfriends before hand that if he ever proposed they would prefer that. Has she ever dropped any hints or made any comments when her friends got engaged?

Haha, plenty of hints about getting hitched but nothing about the type of ring, I know she likes diamonds and white gold but how it goes together Im not sure.

Will be going down the token ring route.

RobinBanks

Hi guys,

Sorry to hijack the thread but I wondering is there certain jewelers that specialize in engagement rings. I am from Mayo and there are jewelers here of course! but the selection might not be anything like that of the high street jewelers in say Dublin or Galway for example.

I too will use a token ring for the job in hand. I was considering buying the actual ring but after reading some posts here I can see how it could back fire.

Icaras

I know its not the easiest thing to do but Im looking at going abroad to by mine, I havent researched it full but I think you'll get the same quality cheaper abroad (I could be corrected on this). We have bought good quality rings for very cheap in America (have family there) so maybe that or maybe a long weekend in Antwerp. Also dont feel pressures into you have to spend a lot of money, the whole 1 months wages thing was made up by the jewelers, as long as you both like it dont really worry about the price.

jon1981

Token ring and go shopping as a couple. Its a fun day out, spot of brunch in between jewellers. Be sure to set expectation on the budget with your fiance.

What some lads do is talk to the jeweller out of earshot from the fiance and ask them to show you everthing in your budget. However it gives your cards away as the jeweller knows your top end so haggling is more difficult.

Defo don't buy it yourself if you have any doubt on what she'd like, it really is a nice day out for the two of you so enjoy it.

It took us 5 weeks to get the ring , had to be made. But it was kinda fun for those 5 weeks, knowing we were engaged but nobody else did ...we told ppl as soon as the ring was received.

Blured

Went down the token ring route myself - got a cheap ring in M&S and then went ring shopping together. Went to Bespoke Diamonds, right beside the Dail and couldn't be happier with the service we received

SarahMollie

Yeah I'd also back the idea of a token ring

Although I would keep it under €100 and then put the rest of the money towards the main ring itself.

I'm not engaged but I know I'd be a nightmare to shop for - I think most girls have specific tastes and she'll want to wear it for life, so best shes 100% happy with it.

SarahMollie

Icaras wrote: »

I know its not the easiest thing to do but Im looking at going abroad to by mine, I havent researched it full but I think you'll get the same quality cheaper abroad (I could be corrected on this). We have bought good quality rings for very cheap in America (have family there) so maybe that or maybe a long weekend in Antwerp. Also dont feel pressures into you have to spend a lot of money, the whole 1 months wages thing was made up by the jewelers, as long as you both like it dont really worry about the price.

America was historically a good option but the weakness of the Euro is a real problem at the moment for Irish shoppers.

I hear Dubai is now a bit of a place for Europeans to go looking for diamonds?

jon1981

I don't know what your budget is, but if you're not spending more than 6-7k I wouldn't even bother going abroad.

RobinBanks

Anyone able to recommend some jewellers in Dublin. We are planning on going up visiting friends over Xmas. Could be the best time to look

SarahMollie

jon1981 wrote: »

I don't know what your budget is, but if you're not spending more than 6-7k I wouldn't even bother going abroad.

Agree with this wholeheartedly. Unless you also genuinely have an interest in visiting the place anyhow. If its just a shopping trip, flights, accommodation and all the usual expenses can often make it a false economy.

amdublin

Breretons on oconnell street is a nice jewellers with good value.

Re token ring I'd spend no more than 15/20 euro. You can get rings in marks and Spencers or oasis or river island that look like engagement rings.

If you spend anymore you are just taking away from the real ring budget.

NB! Rule no 1 for a token ring. Never buy a bigger diamond than you can afford for the real one!!!!!*

* personally I think token rings should be fun pink toy type ring from clare's accessories making for a bit of fun and no way of mixing it up for a real one rather than token

GaGa21

RobinBanks wrote:

Anyone able to recommend some jewellers in Dublin. We are planning on going up visiting friends over Xmas. Could be the best time to look

Depends on your budget. But I would recommend the high street jewellers on Grafton Street such as H. Samuels or Fields as they will have nice rings at a good price....maybe even a sale at this time of year. You can go to the private jewellers scattered all around that area then for more expensive rings.

Toots

amdublin wrote: »

NB! Rule no 1 for a token ring. Never buy a bigger diamond than you can afford for the real one!!!!!*

Unless it's one of these:

Icaras

She said yes.

wirelessdude01

How did you ask?

Toots

Icaras wrote: »

She said yes.

Nice one!! Congratulations!!

Icaras

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

How did you ask?

I'm on the phone for the next few days but when I get home I'll fill you in on all the cheesy details.

Icaras

Sorry for taking so long in checking in.
Bit of background 1: The first ring I bought her she jokling asked was it an engagement ring and my reply and ongoing joke was I was going to buy a ring for each finger and the last one would be an engangement ring.
Background 2: She took in a stray cat when it was young and had it for a number of years. It used to beat up her other cat and when we got together I took it to live with me, I had move to the UK a few months before and the cat was really great to have around.

On Christmas day I got her some okay presents, not great but not terrible either. We done the presents exchange and the Christmas morning bits. When she went to get changed I put a bag with 4 token rings that would be special to her (dog ring, emerald ring, skull ring and cat ring) around the cats neck. When she can back into the room I asked her whats up with the cat, she found the bag and I said "the cat must have gotten you a Christmas present".
She unpacked the rings and in the last one I put a note asking would she marry me, she said yes, cried a little, we hugged and then had breakfast.

amdublin

Well you win the award for great proposal!!!!!

intheclouds

I love that the cat was involved!

Atomic Pineapple

What an awesome proposal Icaras, I thought mine was good! But what we're all dying to know is what did you have for breakfast?

Icaras

Atomic Pineapple wrote: »

What an awesome proposal Icaras, I thought mine was good! But what we're all dying to know is what did you have for breakfast?

Bacon and egg rolls - happy Christmas to one and all!