1/2ctw Diamond Engagement Ring ?
I'm ready to pop the question. I'm confident the answer will be
yes. Now I need to find a ring. I am not a jewelry kind of guy, and am
fairly cluessless about such things as buying an engagement ring. I
don't want to just walk into a mall jewelry store and be eaten alive. I
want a nice ring that will make my sweetie feel special, but I don't
want to cripple us financially (I'm hoping to buy a house for us soon,
and I'm not particularly wealthy). So I figure I have to be a fairly
smart shopper for her little decorative rock. Can anyone suggest good
places to start educating myself? Is there a book like "Engagement
Rings For Dummies"?
One way to avoid 'getting into trouble' with buying the ring is to propose
with an inexpensive ring, or no ring at all, with the promise to buy her
an 'official'/'real' engagement ring afterwards. THis way, the proposer
still gets to pop the question with a ring, and the proposee gets a ring
they like (I'm using gender neutral terms here, since my engagement story
is case-in-point that women are also proposers....In my case, I proposed
with a brass ring (a piece of costume jewelery, really), and we chose both
Are you sure she *wants* a diamond and not a coloured stone? A solitare
rather than a cluster or small 'rocks' set into a band?
My point? The 'traditional' solitare isn't for everyone, and if you're
not sure how to go about buying the ring, then maybe (I odn't know - I
don't know you or her), you suspect she has very particular taste or you
aren't sure of her taste!
Hey, here's an idea -- do some browsing in stores to get an idea of
prices, styles and quality. If you're able to choose a 'favourite' store,
then take her shopping. (If you're doing it soon, then maybe the guise
of "holiday shopping" might work?? Depends on her cultural and religious
inclinations, of course....) Don't tell her you're going to a jewelry
store, just make up some excuse ot go to a store *near* there, and then
walk in with her. Go to the rings section, ask the clerk for a ring
(could be any ring, could be the one you've chosen in advance, whatever),
and ask her then. When she says yes, you can choose the engagement
ring(s) right then and there!!
Actually if you call Tiffany & Co ask them to send you their Video and
booklet about buying a diamond. These are free and are excellent
starter sources. Tiffany is about 30% more than a diamond merchant
but I felt it was worth it. Anyway, you don't need to buy from them
to take advandtage of their great info. See http://www.tiffany.com