Well......the time has come....
- Thread starter Spunger
- Start date
I say get something simple and meaningful without breaking the bank and spend the rest on a kick-ass wedding and honeymoon.
The wife's ring was less than a couple hundred. The diamond was my grandma's, and we got it mounted on a new ring. Of course, we were both still in school at the time.
Our whole wedding was less than $1000. The church was free since her dad and uncle(?) did some repair work, her dress was sewn by her grandma, one of our mom's friends did the cakes...
Our whole wedding was less than $1000. The church was free since her dad and uncle(?) did some repair work, her dress was sewn by her grandma, one of our mom's friends did the cakes...
I have a jeweler out of Atlanta that hooks me up because I have sent so many of my friends there to her for rings. I had a custom ring made for my wife that I designed. 3 stones, a VGA1 1 ct Emerald Cut Diamond in the center, with two 1/4 ct Trillion Cut Diamonds on the sides, in an Antique Band. I put about $4200 into it. Worth well more than that. Its all about the hook up. Find one before you buy a ring so you can get much more for your $$$.
Did you move her into a trailer after the ceremony?
When we met I was living in a trailer. Does that count?
Wow thanks guys for all the insight.......it's 9:30 in the morning and I got 3 pages of posts LOL.....
The 3 weeks worth of pay she'd get squat.....she makes considerable more money than I do. About $800-900 more a month than me. I told her what I can comfortably afford......which is in that $3000-3500 range and that's really all I can afford. So she stepped up and offered to help......hell it is not just about her and me, we're suspose to be becomming "ONE"
I got a quote I emailed an online place about........$1700 for the wedding band......and like $3700 for the platium setting WITHOUT the retarded center diamond. I'm guessing that can run another $1,000 easy or more depending on the quality. That is a brand-name ring designer...Kirk Kara I think.
So that's already way outside of our budget combined. We need to go to the nearest local place to check rings out (about 30-40 minutes away) and see what they have to offer. I know I won't buy anything unless it is certified by AGS or GIA that is for sure. I know there's lots of crooks out there too just trying to rip people off. I have seen the diamond chart with the 4C's and I know that I'd rather have a smaller stone of higher quality than some giant chunk of so-so quality.
I'll have to re-read this stuff when I am at home so I can better digest it all. Maybe I'll let her read this as well so she can see the different suggestions and such. We are both as new as can be on this....and so far the only places we've gone to we have either been ignored OR they just didn't have anything that struck our eyes. She has been going to a jewler now for a while getting pieces made and he seems to do a good job, just takes his sweet time doing it. So who knows...
The 3 weeks worth of pay she'd get squat.....she makes considerable more money than I do. About $800-900 more a month than me. I told her what I can comfortably afford......which is in that $3000-3500 range and that's really all I can afford. So she stepped up and offered to help......hell it is not just about her and me, we're suspose to be becomming "ONE"
I got a quote I emailed an online place about........$1700 for the wedding band......and like $3700 for the platium setting WITHOUT the retarded center diamond. I'm guessing that can run another $1,000 easy or more depending on the quality. That is a brand-name ring designer...Kirk Kara I think.
So that's already way outside of our budget combined. We need to go to the nearest local place to check rings out (about 30-40 minutes away) and see what they have to offer. I know I won't buy anything unless it is certified by AGS or GIA that is for sure. I know there's lots of crooks out there too just trying to rip people off. I have seen the diamond chart with the 4C's and I know that I'd rather have a smaller stone of higher quality than some giant chunk of so-so quality.
I'll have to re-read this stuff when I am at home so I can better digest it all. Maybe I'll let her read this as well so she can see the different suggestions and such. We are both as new as can be on this....and so far the only places we've gone to we have either been ignored OR they just didn't have anything that struck our eyes. She has been going to a jewler now for a while getting pieces made and he seems to do a good job, just takes his sweet time doing it. So who knows...
DOOOod! DO NOT LET HER KNOW ABOUT RIDEMONKEY!!! ISN'T ANYTHING SACRED TO YOU?Wow thanks guys for all the insight.......it's 9:30 in the morning and I got 3 pages of posts LOL.....
The 3 weeks worth of pay she'd get squat.....she makes considerable more money than I do. About $800-900 more a month than me. I told her what I can comfortably afford......which is in that $3000-3500 range and that's really all I can afford. So she stepped up and offered to help......hell it is not just about her and me, we're suspose to be becomming "ONE"
I got a quote I emailed an online place about........$1700 for the wedding band......and like $3700 for the platium setting WITHOUT the retarded center diamond. I'm guessing that can run another $1,000 easy or more depending on the quality. That is a brand-name ring designer...Kirk Kara I think.
So that's already way outside of our budget combined. We need to go to the nearest local place to check rings out (about 30-40 minutes away) and see what they have to offer. I know I won't buy anything unless it is certified by AGS or GIA that is for sure. I know there's lots of crooks out there too just trying to rip people off. I have seen the diamond chart with the 4C's and I know that I'd rather have a smaller stone of higher quality than some giant chunk of so-so quality.
I'll have to re-read this stuff when I am at home so I can better digest it all. Maybe I'll let her read this as well so she can see the different suggestions and such. We are both as new as can be on this....and so far the only places we've gone to we have either been ignored OR they just didn't have anything that struck our eyes. She has been going to a jewler now for a while getting pieces made and he seems to do a good job, just takes his sweet time doing it. So who knows...
:huh:
The first rule of ridemonkey...
I'm with Wumpus on this one.
We were both still in grad school and I think I spent about $300.
I've thought about getting something bigger and better for her.
I'm pretty sure that MzDNA would murder me in my sleep if I pissed away a bunch of money on another ring. I can hear it now ... "What the FVCK were you thinking? Do you know what kind of trip we could have taken for that kind of money?"
We were both still in grad school and I think I spent about $300.
I've thought about getting something bigger and better for her.
I'm pretty sure that MzDNA would murder me in my sleep if I pissed away a bunch of money on another ring. I can hear it now ... "What the FVCK were you thinking? Do you know what kind of trip we could have taken for that kind of money?"
I spent about $2500 on her promise ring that she beat the hell out of, so I spent $35 on the Ti band she wears now. It matches mine, but I am a better shopper.
She spent $300 on mine, I got her's on ebay.
She spent $300 on mine, I got her's on ebay.
In my experience, Tiffany charges a $15000 premium for the blue box. That's an expensive box.
oh, 'nother question. those that would not use blue nile, why not?
in my looking, it seems that jewlers very rarely have stock of the cut i'm looking for, and I've been thinking buy the diamond from BN and have it set by a local jewler...
in my looking, it seems that jewlers very rarely have stock of the cut i'm looking for, and I've been thinking buy the diamond from BN and have it set by a local jewler...
OK, some more info for for you...
1) there is NO GUIDELINE about how much to spend. Yes, it is a marketing ploy by DeBeers. Any girl who tells you how much to spend is not worth the ring.
2) Do NOT go to a small jeweler, or a chain store. You are in SB, right? Go to downtown L.A. As was said about the NYC jewelry district, you WILL save a ton. Jewelry has a 300% markup from the jewelry district to the store. We're talking HUNDREDS of stores/jewelers, with THOUSANDS of gems. And you have a better selection of stones than any 10 stores combined.
3) Do NOT tell her how much it costs, EVER!!!!!! it takes away from the romance of the ring. Remember that the ring is a symbol, NOT an investment. Your money will be better spent on a nice honeymoon, or on a house rather than an expensive ring. Remember: most people can't tell the difference between a cubic zirconia and a diamond, let alone the difference between a high quality diamond and a mid quality diamond.
4) Do your homework about whatever stone you are going to purchase. And not just here on RM. I can tell you about sapphires and a bit about diamonds, but that's about it. And truly high quality diamonds are EXTREMELY expensive.
5) It's the quality of the stone makes the stone high quality, not the box, brand, or store name. Stay away from Tiffany's.
1) there is NO GUIDELINE about how much to spend. Yes, it is a marketing ploy by DeBeers. Any girl who tells you how much to spend is not worth the ring.
2) Do NOT go to a small jeweler, or a chain store. You are in SB, right? Go to downtown L.A. As was said about the NYC jewelry district, you WILL save a ton. Jewelry has a 300% markup from the jewelry district to the store. We're talking HUNDREDS of stores/jewelers, with THOUSANDS of gems. And you have a better selection of stones than any 10 stores combined.
3) Do NOT tell her how much it costs, EVER!!!!!! it takes away from the romance of the ring. Remember that the ring is a symbol, NOT an investment. Your money will be better spent on a nice honeymoon, or on a house rather than an expensive ring. Remember: most people can't tell the difference between a cubic zirconia and a diamond, let alone the difference between a high quality diamond and a mid quality diamond.
4) Do your homework about whatever stone you are going to purchase. And not just here on RM. I can tell you about sapphires and a bit about diamonds, but that's about it. And truly high quality diamonds are EXTREMELY expensive.
5) It's the quality of the stone makes the stone high quality, not the box, brand, or store name. Stay away from Tiffany's.
That's the First Rule of marriage.... Don't disclose anything!WERD!
but you forgot to tell him to NOT TELL HIS GF ABOUT RIDEMONKEY!
No good can come of her (or anyone else) thinking it's a diamond when it's really a CZ (or vice versa for that matter)
:biggrin:
I'm not big into jewelry - but my engagement and wedding bands are two things that I LOVE and wear all the time except when mountain biking or doing dishes (lucking I do neither that often LOL). Ever fall on one of your fingers and watch it swell? It would suck to have those rings cut off. But I digress.
Get her what she wants and she'll love it - but don't ask her to pay for part of it - that's just cheesey. She can buy the wedding band she wants.
No, my point was to maybe get a lower quality diamond and put the savings into a honeymoon or house or something. Not to get a CZ. And I never asked my wife to help with the cost of ANY of the wedding jewelry. She found a bunch of photos of rings she liked and I went from there.
relax - it was a joke.
and not you - Spunger said his gf was willing to chip in - BAD IDEA.
I just got engaged in Jan. I gave him input about wanting a 3 stone setting, wanting white gold, and gave him website links of what I liked. He had total control on the diamonds and how much was spent, I didn't even mention any cost. It's beautiful and I wouldn't change it for the world but he's paying for it for awhile.
You pay shipping, and I'll send you a box for free. I've got a few laying around. Don't know what kind of 'experience' you had, but I'd say it is NOT typical.
Dunno, but Tiffany quoted me 15-22k for emerald cut, 1-1.5ct, vvs2-vs1, d-g color diamonds. Two in particular.
Most other places have had those specifications in the 3.5-7 k range.
We talking about the same Tiffany & Co.?
few bucks for a box of cereal, 5 minutes of digging. your set.
I think I spent about $1000 for the engagement/wedding band set that I got for my (now X) wife. The engagement ring was a typical single diamond on a gold band. The "marriage" part of the ring was a wrap that contained 4 smaller diamonds, two on either side of the larger engagement stone.
I couldn't afford any more at the time and she was happy with it. In hindsight, glad I didn't spend any more....
Good luck and congratulations.
I couldn't afford any more at the time and she was happy with it. In hindsight, glad I didn't spend any more....
Good luck and congratulations.