Engagement Rings

Hi, my boyfriend and I have recently decided to get engaged, we are a young couple in our early twenties just out of education and into our first posts in full time employment, we've been scanning the net for ideas on prices and styles and have been to a couple of jewellers, but everything just seems far too expensive, e.g we looked in a jewellers in Killarney, Co. Kerry, one particular ring we were shown was a simple round cut solitaire diamond on a white gold band, not especially big either and the price we were given was €6,500 ...?!! Is there such a thing as an engagement ring for less than €1000..? Any help or advice appreciated.

Its the symbol of the ring not the price that matters. People go a bit lula about these things. If you buy a ring (he buys a ring) that you can't afford you'll have loan repayments you can't afford. Some people buy them later, when they have a bit more cash. Some use their granny's ring - passed on from generation to generation.

Of course you can get a ring for €1k region.

You could consider gemstones other than diamonds.
Or, I know that the french jeweler on Clarendon St, off grafton st here in Dublin does these clever rings where he puts 4 stones close together to give the impression of a bigger stone. Stones less than 1 carrot or half a carrot (ie .9 or .45) are obvioulsy much cheaper.

I got mine in Antwerp, you'll get anything you want there at whatever your price range is but possibly the trip might add expense.

Rule of thumb i think was 4 times monthly salary, but who really cares - its your life, not anyone else's.

Hi Emmalou,

Daveyboy has some good suggestions there (except I'm imagining a carrot shaped ring (instead of carat!))

There are a couple of things you can do to reduce the price :

- decide which is most important to you - carat or colour or clarity.
For example a ring in the colour range D,E,F carries a huge premium, but speaking from experience, I find my ring ends up covered in soap, shampoo etc, so even if it was a much lower colour, you wouldnt notice the difference. So you could go for the same size (carat) ring in a lower colour, for much cheaper.
The same goes with clarity - you can easily compromise on clarity, since no-one carrys a loupe around with them to inspect your ring, so if it has a few imperfections, no one will know.

Maybe dont go for a solitaire - go for a number of small stones. For example 4 x 0.25 carat stones will be much cheaper than 1 x 1 carat stone.

Best of luck..

Thanks for the suggestions, we really are novices when it comes to this subject and its important we get a good deal, I know when there is a budget involved you have to accept your limits, but i don't want to settle for any kind of a ring just to satisfy the budget, i do know that i would opt for white gold and prefer square cut styles rather than round shapes, is the shape a factor affecting cost?
I would love to know more about Antwerp also, im gathering there is quite a diamond industry there...?

WE are just after returning from the states. I bought my wife an eternity ring over there, paid $1,000.....€750. Looked at similar here before we left and most places were charging €2,000.
I know you are just after leaving college but if you can hold off on buying here and work a holiday to the states into the process you will save bigtime. We will never buy jewelry in this country again, you just get ripped off every time.

Myself and my fiancee gave each other plain platinum bands, mostly because of the ethical issues surrounding diamonds. (And financial -- you wouldn't want to resell it, but on a matter of principle their resale value is shocking.) I'm well chuffed with mine and I'm pretty sure she's well chuffed with hers too. Cost about €1400 all-in, but you'd get a pair of white gold rings for under €1000. Or he could just buy a ring for you; most blokes wouldn't be mad about the idea of wearing an engagement ring, I should imagine.

adam

daveyboy said:

Rule of thumb i think was 4 times monthly salary, but who really cares - its your life, not anyone else's.

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Not being cynical here but surely rule of thumb should be what you can actually afford not 4 times your salary

Appleby jewellers used to give 25% off depending on were you worked, which college you went to. Perhaps they still do that? It is a big saving on a ring that costs 1k or more

have a look at a few jewellers websites, here's one on fields (no affiliation)for just over 1000 i'm sure if you go to a jeweller and tell them your budget they will find something to suit. Its not the cost or what its worth it's what it means to you best of luck to you both

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You could also do a search of the AAM site for "engagement rings"
This would give you a flavour of other posters' experiences looking for engagement rings. For example here, here, here, or here

Congratulations on your decision!

You could also look at antique rings. Not sure where you get them, but as mentioned above, the resale value of diamonds is shocking - 50-70% lower than the price you pay new.

Hi emmalou, I got engaged this time last year and before I did I couldn't pass a jewellers without looking in the window!

There is plenty out there for your budget, here are a few places where if I am correct i remember seeing rings in the window in the region of your budget:
h samuel
fields
o connors in harold cross
john breretons jewellers
weir & sons

Like the other posters have said, rings with a few smaller diamonds usually cost a lot less than 1 stone on its own. They may equal the same carat overall.
Don't let the ring you saw for 6500 put you off. I think single solitaire rings tend to be the most expensive and it possibly had a very high grading.

If you can wait, then I would buy abroad. My ring was bought in nyc, better value than here and then much better with the way the exchange rate is at the moment!

Congratulations, its a very exciting time!

Thanks for all the response,
I have been looking on a site Diamonds-usa.com They do free shipping to Ireland and give prices in dollars and euro, I have found a handful that suit my taste at really good prices and now find it almost hard to believe how affordable they are..?!
I really want the genuine article and dont want to be disappointed, does anyone have experience of this site or of buying such an item online with only a picture and description to go on?...

I've never heard anything about that site I'm afraid.....

I wouldnt be buying anything like a diamond ring online, you really do need to see something so precious and valuable up close and personel. Good luck to both of you in the future.

I think this should be about what the individual couple want, both discuss expectations and stay within your budget. An engagment ring is a highly personal purchase and so de values as soon as you leave the shop. If you were to sell the ring you would never get what you paid for it. So it is not an investment purchase.

Many years ago I worked with a very elegant stylish lady who had beautiful jewellery. I very much admired a ring she was wearing. She told me out straight that it was 'a fake darling' and to go and spend my money on all the other things that a couple need.

If you are individual and think a bit outside the box, how about an 18carat quality setting with a very good quality faux stone that mimics a fine diamond (I'm not talking cubic zirconium here)? Jewellers here do not sell these just real cheap looking tack if you try to get a fake ring. If you are interested please just send me a private message. I have no affiliation to any organisation I'm just a canny consumer like anyone else.

It is my own personal opinion that money cannot buy style and panache I have seen some very ugly knuckle duster real diamond rings for 30k and no one in the real world would wear one I realise that people will agree/disagree with me but thats what makes the world go around.

Anyway be good to each other and happy in your choices.

Got ours in Belfast . . . Seems to be about 10-20% cheaper there. There are a varied range of jewellers all around its city centre.

Shop we were in said they got a lot of custom from South of the border.

Hope that helps

Rule of thumb i think was 4 times monthly salary

Is that before or after tax......

lyonsie said:

Rule of thumb i think was 4 times monthly salary

Is that before or after tax......

Click to expand...

I'm kind of shocked by what used to be two weeks wages or a weeks wages in the old days has now become 4 months salary. Evene wikipedia puts this down to De Beers marketing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engagement_ring#Price

I'd be very uneasy about being with someone who was taken in by that rule of thumb or felt under pressure to blow so much. Personally my partner and I don't believe in marriage for ourselves, the magic words or legal jargon not really affecting our spiritual commitment to each other but this 4 months rule of thumb seems to be giving two fingers to those for whom the institution is still quite important.

Cost of the ring should be 4 months salary.... There are urban myths folks and this may be one of them