Buying an engagement ring

Poor_old_gill

Anyone have any advice on this- where is the best place to go?
Where are the places to avoid uf you dont want to be ripped off, etc?

People mention buying diamonds from South Africa or Dubai but how do you go about this and then how do you get the ring made up?

Go easy on me- its my first time

punisher5112

I went to fields.

Had an idea of type of ring she would like and looked at a few and picked the right one.

She was delighted as the ring was a perfect match to what she always wanted and also she had no idea I was even going to ask.

ec18

What worked for me,

Picked a budget
Went to a few places and told them what I wanted to pay
picked what I though was best

I thought about going abroad for it but I thought it would be handier for getting resized if anything happened to be able to a shop and return locally

Greybottle

The whole diamond ring as an engagement ring is a rip off in itself, but that's probably not a discussion for here.

Decide on a price and stick to it. The whole "3 months wages" thing is advertising spiel from the 1940's and 50's that can be roundly ignored.

i know people who were mad set on getting diamonds and saved a lot by going to Antwerp for the day. They went twice; once to choose and the second to pick it up and ensure the fit was good.

I know others who deliberately got fake diamond rings and are delighted with them. My cousin picked her birthstone as her engagement ring and was happier with it and saved a fortune by doing this.

If you are really set on a diamond then look into going to Antwerp is my advice.

lazygal

We didn't have a budget per se but I knew what I felt comfortable spending. I know himself would have, within reason, bought whatever I wanted regardless of cost.
I didn't want a diamond and this was great as it limited my options. I tried on a few and picked one. Went to a couple of other places just for a look and then himself went back and bought the one I wanted.
I don't see the sense in buying a diamond from abroad or going through a fuss about getting a very specific diamond, unless you've loads of time and money to do that and its something you're very interested in. I love my ring but its just a ring at the end of the day. Another one would have suited just as well.
Nearly seven years into marriage I'm very glad we didn't spend a fortune.

Bellview

My experience
Antique dealers are often a good option. We bought antique as that is what Mrs b asked. Generally you get a better bang for the buck.
On wedding rings we got them made and worked out lot cheaper than buying in shop
Try buy outside Dublin as prices better

lazygal

Bellview wrote: »

My experience
Antique dealers are often a good option. We bought antique as that is what Mrs b asked. Generally you get a better bang for the buck.
On wedding rings we got them made and worked out lot cheaper than buying in shop
Try buy outside Dublin as prices better

If I ever fancy another ring I'd go the antique auction route. There are terrific bargains to be had if you're willing to wait.
I bought his wedding ring online for about €30. Still has it, no difference to the gold ones he tried on.

lardarse

If your going over to the UK try Birmingham`s Jewellery quarter. There are hundreds of shops in the square mile great choice and very knowledgeable and some good deals to be had. 5-10 minute taxi drive from the city centre. Plus combine it with some shopping or a concert at NIA or NEC and a memorable day / weekend.

Congrats by the way.

GingerLily

Are you buying a ring together?