Diamond rings

[Beaver1]

In the near future, I will be buying a diamond ring for this girl I know .

Any good advise on where to shop? Or not to shop? PMs welcome on any business names.

Thanks!

[pdxkevin]

Don't get one off of the craigslist!

Do learn as much as you can before you even step into a place. Learn about not only the colors/cut/quality/settings/etc but learn why some settings hide the flaws in some cheap diamonds so they can jack the price up. Same goes for lighting. Find out why some cuts cost more than others.

Look at the stone outside the setting. I bought the stone one place and the ring at another.

There may be a reason one place wants to rush you. Take your time and spend your money wisely.

Find out what shape and type setting she wants before getting to far down the road if you find out without tipping your hand. Some want a round cut - some want a tear drop - some want another... Find out what to look for in the cut your seeking.

[goodkarma]

I see you are in Corvallis, I'd recommend Olufson designs on 2nd street. Very honest, local guy.

[wsuweston]

When you get a diamond ya get what ya pay for. I perfer a spending the same amount on a better grade smaller rock. The better grades just pick up light better. I am happy with the higher end diamonds at Fred Meyer Jewlers. Their waranty has been very good. Wife lost her solitare from the ring, we went in and they got her a new diamond within a week. No cost. That warrenty is for life

[FrogPond]

Sean and Elisa Olufson ARE great people. Sean can work with you to design a totally custom ring, or they can get just about any style you desire. They won't sell you junk. Their name rides on their quality. They grew up in Corvallis and have a wonderful family. I have known them for almost 20 years. Believe it or not...the easy part is finding the ring! Best wishes!

[Snowman]

I just did the same thing last year around this time.
We shopped all over the place. She had a doozy picked out at costco that was over 4 karat but it had a few too many digits in the price for me.

As was already posted learn the 4C's. Most of the jewelers we talked too explained it pretty well for us.
One other thing that we noticed was a beautiful ring on the counter might not look that good on her ring finger and vice versa. If this is not a surprise for her, I highly recommend she try different styles of rings on. Also, the cut is hugely important. I know my wife had her heart set on a princess cut.
We ended up at Fred Meyer jewelers. I was skeptical getting a ring there but there was a very nice one and as soon as she tried it on, it just looked fantastic and she loved it immediately. If it is an option for you, they offer 1 yr interest free so we just paid it off at the last minute and saved a ton of finance charges.

Good luck and congratulations!

[julezilla]

I think going to The Shane Company in Beaverton might be worth the drive. They have excellent quality stones, a huge selection, and you can't beat the price. Plus, there's no sales pressure and their employees really know their stuff. They also offer a lifetime warranty.

If it's a surprise, get a simple solitare, then have her pick out her band after she says "yes". That way she gets something she loves.

One other thing I learned when shopping, you'll pay a premium once the stone is over 1 carat. If you're looking in that range, look for something that's .95 to .99 carats and no one will know the difference and you'll save a few hundred dollars.

And an interesting bit of trivia I learned the other night on TV: 87% of american women would not trade in their original engagement ring for a bigger stone. She'll love whatever you get her.

[iwanttofish]

The first ring I gave my wife as an engagement joke was a wedding ring spinner

[julezilla]

Originally Posted by iwanttofish

The first ring I gave my wife as an engagement joke was a wedding ring spinner

does she still have it?

[wthr4d]

I didnt have a lot of money or credit when I met my wife so i ended up at a jewelers that handled estate items. I was able to get her a half carat diamond in a platinum wedding set (engagement ring and wedding band) for under $500. later my wife was shopping with her frined and they stopped into the FredMeyers jewelers. they found out my wifes set was worth twice what I paid for it and WAY more than her competitive friends set was worth. (we didnt see her much after that, OH well) moral of he story... someone elses "history" can be true character and great value. oh yeah and its been 13 years this august with no complaints yet, on the ring that is :smile:

Good luck, congrats!!

paul

[Gus Orviston]

Check out a gem broker, you can find them listed, or a place called Gem Labs. You can get a way better diamond for any cost/grade going this way. then you have to find your own setting.. that is easy enough, but the jewlry shops don't want to warrantee the work.. that is ok.. just insure it.

gus

[iwanttofish]

Originally Posted by julezilla

does she still have it?

Yes she does it is hanging on her bulletin board above her desk.

[jvp]

Originally Posted by Beaver1

In the near future, I will be buying a diamond ring for this girl I know .

may want to spruce that up a bit before you pop the question or hope she doesn't read this. LOL just kidding but seemed a bit impersonal toss in a wonder/loving/etc girl. 20+ years later it still wins me points.

shop around and be an informed consumer and remember the markup on jewelry is very high so get quotes and use them to get competitive prices elsewhere.

mostly congrats

[samiam]

start working on her right now on not being "worldly" and "materialistic" and against the diamond industry! watch Blood Diamond a few times with her. then she'll want the hippy-style daisy ring you make for her on a picinic! HA HA. i'm kidding. that'd probably never really work anyways. perhaps you will find yourself walking past some jeweler windows with your girlfriend and perhaps she'll notice a few styles. maybe you could even stop and initiate the discussion somehow. i don't think it's a damper on the whole romance to actually clue her in that the big question might be close. i'm sure there are some styles of diamond cuts and ring styles that she likes and dislikes. for example, gold versus silver. solitaire versus clusters of diamonds. my wife, when she was my girlfriend, hinted at me what she liked and disliked. afterall, she's the one who will be wearing it. as for where to shop, i looked at a few places for that first ring, but i couldn't afford much and had to shop sales. i just made sure i kept it reputable and got a certified diamond. yes, i said first ring. for our ten year anniversary that first ring was demolished, and the diamond solitaire was turned into a necklace. now she sports a new solitaire in a new ring, with anniversary band.... and whenever i gaze into that new ring i keep rubbing my eyes and thinking "did i just see a jetboat in there????" nahhhhhhhhhhhh. she's a happy girl, and that sure makes my life better.

[Cornbread]

Go to the Shane company. Find the diamond you want to give her and ask them to set it in a simple solitaire loaner ring. They do it all the time. Then after you propose you bring her back and she gets to choose the ring she wants the diamond set in. If you already know the ring you want to give her have it them set it in the ring and skip the loaner ring part. You really can't beat them for quality to price ratio and they clean it and maintain it for her for free after you buy it. They also allow you to upgrade the diamond over the years as well based on the appreciated worth of the current diamond you have from them. It's a pretty neat deal.

[El-Kabong]

Originally Posted by Beaver1

In the near future, I will be buying a diamond ring for this girl I know .

Any good advise on where to shop? Or not to shop? PMs welcome on any business names.

Thanks!

my $.02

find a stone from a reputable stone dealer.

find a someone to make your setting.

nothing against jewelry stores in general, but get exactly what you want from the people who sell the stones to the jewelry stores and the ring makers who the jewelry stores will sub-contract your setting to. There are many local folks who would love to work with you on designing the exact setting for the stone.

In my case, I chose the stone, presented it to my wife-to-be, then together we met with the ring maker and designed the exact matching rings we wanted.

EK

[Pelhament]

If you don't mind driving to Eugene, check out Wally Anderson Jewelry Designs and ask for Tanya Drury. I bought my gal a ring earlier this year, and had it appraised for twice what I paid for it. It was gorgeous, my fiance obviously loved it, and the customer service was exceptional. She gets it cleaned once a month for free, and all repairs and what not are free as well. I had an idea of what I wanted cut, size and setting wise but they didn't have exactly what I was looking for, so I showed her a picture of what I wanted and she found the components needed and had the ring created for me. Definitely worth a look.

[Just_learning]

talk to a friend of hers that you trust. no need to bring it up to her.

[Bluto]

Once you learn your diamond stuff... ask some of the jewelry shops if they ever host estate rings. I picked one up that way - it was a beautiful old fashion cut 1c diamond in a fufu mount. I had it remounted in a new platimum mount from the jewelery store that is across the corner from Nordstroms downtown. Together it appraised for over $16K... but only had about $6K into it.

For the life of me I am having a brain **** on the name of that downtown store by Nordstrom (family store, been in Portland for a long time)... but we still go and look around once and a while and the salesperson still calls us by our names. The last time we went in, my wife had her ring cleaned and the salesperson said "Here, try this one one while you wait"... which my wife promptly did. It was gorgeous... so I asked how much. Answer: $3.5M - told the wife to take if off.

[anglingaddict]

Originally Posted by julezilla

I think going to The Shane Company in Beaverton might be worth the drive. They have excellent quality stones, a huge selection, and you can't beat the price. Plus, there's no sales pressure and their employees really know their stuff. They also offer a lifetime warranty.

If it's a surprise, get a simple solitare, then have her pick out her band after she says "yes". That way she gets something she loves.

One other thing I learned when shopping, you'll pay a premium once the stone is over 1 carat. If you're looking in that range, look for something that's .95 to .99 carats and no one will know the difference and you'll save a few hundred dollars.

And an interesting bit of trivia I learned the other night on TV: 87% of american women would not trade in their original engagement ring for a bigger stone. She'll love whatever you get her.

I would second what she says here about Shane Co. as I have gotten my wife several things from there. Very nice people to work with and they even tolerated all 6 kiddies when I went in to get her pearls this last Christmas. The only way I could "sneak" that gift in was on a night when I was watching the kids! Anyhow, the only thing I would add to that, especially with you being in Corvallis, is to take a look at their website before driving up. It's pretty good. I also second all the advice on learning as much as you can before you decide. The internet makes that a bit easier now at least! Best of luck!!

[lofty]

Hey Beaver1,

I'm actually a jewelry buyer so I thought I'd give my opinion. With diamonds it's all about quality. When comparing stones, always look at their grading report and what the cut/carat/clarity/color is. They should either have a certificate from GIA or EGL (These are the big ones, there are others out there).

Don't compare a stone that has the same quality on an EGL certificate to a GIA stone. GIA has the strictest grading process out of all of them. An EGL stone might be listed as E / VVS1 but if it was graded by GIA it would probably be graded as F / VS1. So when comparing the paper quality make sure the certificates are from the same agency.

I would also suggest getting it mounted on a cheap setting if you don't exactly what your future wife wants. Once you give it to her you can work with a designer to get the perfect setting.

Once you know about the C's and have seen the difference in actual stones shop around even online to make sure you're getting a fair price. Off the top of my head I can think of 2 very large, well know websites that have over 25000 loose stones each. If you order a stone and don't like it you can always return it. Some people will think this is crazy but at least compare the prices to see if the savings is worth it to you.

Hope this helps. Feel free to PM if you want any specific information.

[dogwood]

Originally Posted by Beaver1

In the near future, I will be buying a diamond ring for this girl I know .

Any good advise on where to shop? Or not to shop? PMs welcome on any business names.

Thanks!

Beaver1 - Congrats

A good friend of mine, Mikeymoto here on ifish, is a jewler and told me to check out Costco when I was looking to buy an engagement ring. He said that they sell excellent quality diamonds at hard to beat prices. They also have settings or you can just buy the diamond and get the setting elsewhere. The best thing about Costco aside from a good quality product is that there is no pressure from salesmen and no outrageous mark up. I can get you in touch with Mike if you want more info. - Craig

[RealTrouble]

Just over a year ago I was in the same place.

I had the benefit of having the owner of a reputable jewelry store in Eugene help me pick a stone I learned ALOT before I made the purchase. Here are a few important bits of information regurgitated from a guy with 25+ years in the business and 2 gemology degrees.

Remember, it is not only about the Cut/Clarity/Color/Carrot that makes a beautiful stone. The angles the stone are cut greatly effect the stones ability to reflect light out the top of the diamond. You could get a 1/2 carrot stone that is a F, VS1, Perfect cut diamond that stinks because they have too much weight at the wrong place on a stone. Properly cut, it might only be 1/3 carrot, but since they left too much on (wrong angle) you pay for the 1/2 carrot but it doesnt reflect well.

Unless it is important to you to be able to say "I have a VVS1 stone" dont waste your money. It is impossible to tell the difference between a VVS1 stone and an SI1 stone with the naked eye. (only under 10x magnification, and how often do your friends look at a diamond with a magnifying glass.

Shop everywhere and educate yourself. Walk into a store knowing your stuff and you wont get ripped off.

Look on BlueNile.com. You can purchase a stone on there (if you educate yourself first) and get a greatly reduced price.

My .02

-RT

[uspolymer]

Diamonds...we all got sucked in...hook, line, & sinker...especially moi
Who's says diamonds are girl's best friend?
Are diamonds really forever?? NOT~~

Even knowing all this...I couldn't let my fiance down.
I searched high and low (from Oregon to California to New York).
Did you know that Costco gets their diamond from NYC???
They sold over 60,000 carats (diamonds) last year.
If you have connections in NYC, it's the place to buy.
NYC must be the diamond capital of the world.

To make the long story short...
I got my diamond from a broker in downtown Portland.
There are a group of diamond dealers/brokers in downtown Portland (around 2nd & Washington). They're mostly owned by Persians.

I ended up getting a GIA certified 1.25 c, G, ideal cut, for $$$$$ I got a great deal, but still too much for a charcoal.

Don't forget get the 4 C's (COST, COST, COST, COST)

Happy Hunting...

Alan

[Corkie Monster]

The Shane Company! Outstanding non pushy/preditory service, lifetime warranty.

CM

[fineline]

Pm sent.

[backlash442]

Originally Posted by Beaver1

In the near future, I will be buying a diamond ring for this girl I know .

Any good advise on where to shop? Or not to shop? PMs welcome on any business names.

Thanks!

Congadulations.

Think ruby not diamond imo. Actually more valuable but DeBeers would never have you believe it. I did that for mine many years ago but then her birthstone is a ruby so it worked.

[IDWITHELD]

How does everyone feel about jewelry from a pawn shop?

Ok, how about a pawn shop in Las Vegas?:grin:

[Lefty]

Originally Posted by Beaver1

In the near future, I will be buying a diamond ring for this girl I know .

Any good advise on where to shop? Or not to shop? PMs welcome on any business names.

Thanks!

Michaels Jewelry down by the old Safeway, across the street by Subway. That guy knows his stuff and has nothing but quality in my opinion. Pay the extra bucks for a better piece, you'll be glad you did in the long run and so will she

[Go_Getter]

PM Sent, we got twice the ring for the same money at the place I told you in the pm....good luck. I also came across a guy starting a diamond business here on Ifish, he was selling something to get started, I'll look for the post and pm you with it if I can find it..good luck!!