Miss Kitty Posted October 17, 2011 Author Share Posted October 17, 2011 Nothing wrong with looking for rings together Thank you for staying on topic and for your advice. I think we should look together too. Some people think it's strange. I think as long as we don't say for sure, "Oh that's the one!" so there's surprise in it, it would be good. I want to show him what type of rings I like and don't like. Also, I want to see what price range he's looking at so I know how much to spend on his so we're about equal. Link to comment
Miss Kitty Posted October 17, 2011 Author Share Posted October 17, 2011 Does anyone know what the difference is between all the different types of metal, karats, and diamond types? Link to comment
Capricorn3 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 But again, can we stick to any advice about how to actually pick out the rings please? Does anyone know what the difference is between all the different types of metal, karats, and diamond types? I don't really think there is a specific way to pick out rings. As far as I am aware, MOST couples go to a jewellery store and choose what they want. Usually a diamond ring for the engagement ring, and wedding. They go with what they can afford. They choose either gold or white gold for the woman, and other variants for a man. You get 24 crt, 18crt, 9crt gold etc etc. The higher the carat, the more pure gold it is. The lower it goes, it has other metals in it. White gold is more expensive than yellow gold. Diamonds vary by the style/cut. The less flaws it has, the better quality and the more expensive it is. You can get a fake diamond - cubic zirconia - much cheaper, but not the real thing. You buy what you can afford, but with an already tight budget, it makes no sense to go out shopping for diamond engagement rings and wedding rings (imo). Link to comment
Valina Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 My husband and I looked at engagement rings together before he proposed. We went so that 1) I could be properly sized and 2) so that he would know what style I preferred. We went shopping well in advance, and it was more of an 'information gathering' trip. I wasn't present when he purchased the ring. When he proposed, I had no idea he had already bought a ring, and I didn't know what it looked like, but he still got to know I would love it. You should direct most of your questions about the ring to a jeweler. Pick a reputable place (even if you don't plan to buy from them) and they will give you guidance on metal v. metal, etc. Since you brought it up though, I will say that sterling silver is a poor choice if you plan to keep the ring forever. Silver tarnishes easily and it is relatively soft. Over time, the ring will start to look not so nice. Gold is also very soft and can deform easily, which is why a lot of people go with platinum, palladium, or tungsten for their e-rings and wedding bands. Link to comment
Seraphim Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 I would not go with silver as it tends to go black. My husband lost a few gold bands, then we got him one of stainless steel. Not expensive because he always loses them and it stays looking the same and it is strong (and looks like silver). Men tend to bang their hands around a lot with work and sports and things so the bands are made thicker. The higher range carats in gold, 18 KT and above tend to be soft and bend over time, but they are more valuable and tend to cost more. If you do not want a lot of bending but still want gold I would stay with 14 KT. Most bridal sets in North America are 14 KT anyway, unless you go to a more exclusive store. Diamonds depending on the quality and shape and size can cost a lot. I would opt for a smaller and better quality stone than a bigger stone of lesser quality. Link to comment
northernlight_ Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 If he is in manual labour don't go with tungsten, it is to strong. If he gets his finger smashed they won't be able to remove the ring and it can result in having serious issues, ie: amputation. Link to comment
Miss Kitty Posted October 17, 2011 Author Share Posted October 17, 2011 Thank you. This is great information. Does the cubic zorconia look realistic? I defintley think that this is a better road than real diamonds for us. We can't afford that. Link to comment
Miss Kitty Posted October 17, 2011 Author Share Posted October 17, 2011 Thank you, great information. Are these other medals very expensive? Link to comment
Seraphim Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 It depends on the quality of the cubic zirconia. Some are very well made and it takes a jeweler to know the difference. Some are cheap and it looks like it. Link to comment
Miss Kitty Posted October 17, 2011 Author Share Posted October 17, 2011 It depends on the quality of the cubic zirconia. Some are very well made and it takes a jeweler to know the difference. Some are cheap and it looks like it. Thank you. We'll look at the rings ahead of time too to make sure. I'll make sure that I mention to him, to make sure that the cubic looks real. Link to comment
redrose85 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Since you’re obviously on a tight budget, stick with 10K or 14K gold. Higher karats tend to be soft anyways. You can get diamonds if you opt for a smaller stone or a composite style (multiple diamonds set together to look like one) aka cluster settings. As soon as you hit a quarter carat or more, the price shoots up. I got a .20 ct diamond that looks much larger because it’s very well cut and has a really good colour grading. It was so much cheaper than if we had gone up .5 carats more (and that diamond wasn’t as nice.) The regular price for mine was $500, the price for the poor quality quarter carat was $700. Not worth it. Diamonds are tremendously marked up... so is gold right now-- $1500 per ounce! Do either of you have any old jewelry laying around? You could easily turn it into cash for your new rings. CZ will not last forever, so if you do go that route, be prepared to have to replace it eventually, but it could be a nice option for your first few years of engagement/marriage. Moissanite is a popular option these days. Check out link removed. Oh and don’t forget about taxes. Taxes alone added another $100 dollars to the cost of my ring. What kind of styles do you like? Link to comment
Seraphim Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 That is true too. They don't last forever. Look for closing sales as well. I got a SUPER deal on my new ring after I lost my original one. My ring was originally about $4000 I think and I paid about $900 with the taxes. Link to comment
Valina Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Thank you, great information. Are these other medals very expensive? My rings are both palladium and I chose it for a few reasons: 1. I wanted a white metal 2. White gold is actually just yellow gold with a white metal plated on top of it and that plating wears off, leaving you with a yellow ring 3. Gold is soft so even if it were naturally white, I wouldn't prefer it. 4. Platinum, which is a white metal, does dull over time (although it still looks nice) and palladium does not and personally I prefer the shiny. Also, platinum is quite pricey. 5. At the time my rings were purchased, the palladium was actually less expensive than white gold. With gold prices soaring, I would think that's still accurate. I do know what my e-ring was appraised for since I had it insured, but most of it was the cost of the diamond I'm sure so I couldn't break out the metal cost with any confidence. My husband's ring is tungsten and as northernlight mentioned above, this material cannot be cut off with a ring cutter so that's something you should consider if your SO works with his hands. This didn't bother us and it is a dark (re: manly) color with a really nice weight to it; my husband's ring cost about $200. In addition to gold, etc, they also make men's rings out of titanium. Thought for you: have you considered a stone that isn't diamond? Ie ruby, pearl... Link to comment
greywolf Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Since you're on a tight budget, do you feel like a ring is absolutely necessary for you to get married? You could get married without rings. Link to comment
Miss Kitty Posted October 18, 2011 Author Share Posted October 18, 2011 Thought for you: have you considered a stone that isn't diamond? Ie ruby, pearl... Yes, I told him that since I'm not real traditional, I don't need a diamond. I love Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald as well. I don't need real either as long as they look real. So a cubic zirconium style of any of these would work well too. I didn't think about a pearl. That could be really cool. Link to comment
Miss Kitty Posted October 18, 2011 Author Share Posted October 18, 2011 Since you're on a tight budget, do you feel like a ring is absolutely necessary for you to get married? You could get married without rings. I may not be all that traditional, but yeah, I think it's important. I got engaged without a ring before and I got tired of people asking me why I didn't have one and I felt a little like he didn't care that much about the engagement since he didn't even bother with a ring. We didn't last and I honestly didn't feel as connected without a ring. I kept looking down at my hand and feeling like something was missing. I don't need anything fancy, but I want to be able to look down at it and smile knowing what it means. Link to comment
redrose85 Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 You definitely get a LOT of people (even strangers) asking to see my ring. It’s just expected now I guess. Link to comment
greywolf Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 You could get ring tattoos. That would be cheap. Link to comment
Capricorn3 Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 You could get ring tattoos. That would be cheap. LMAO! Sorry, but that was really funny. I almost choked on my water, lol. Link to comment
greywolf Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 LMAO! Sorry, but that was really funny. I almost choked on my water, lol. I was serious though >_> Link to comment
DylanNotorious Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 You could get ring tattoos. That would be cheap. Yuck! It's just too much of a hassle to get them removed later on......... Link to comment
Capricorn3 Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I was serious though >_> Oh dear. ooooops, lol. ~slinks off roflmao~ (Sorry, it just really cracked me up, lol). Link to comment
greywolf Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Yuck! It's just too much of a hassle to get them removed later on......... I think some of them look nice, and if the OP is against prenups then I don't see what the issue would be with tattoos. Link to comment
Mesemene Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Titanium is another option for a hard-metal ring for him - it comes in the silver color you want, both brushed and mirror finish, and there's a lot of engraving and design options for it. Link to comment
SayWhen Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I got my husband a tungsten ring from Amazon just like Hers did...can't remember the price but it was around $50. He loves it and there is no difference between the one he has and the $300 tungsten rings sold in stores. For awhile I played around with the idea of getting wood carved rings but something told me they wouldn't last. Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.