So...Thinking about doing the damn thing and buying a ring sometime soon...And I know this might vary widely...But I'm looking for opinions on what a woman expects from a ring. I'm thinking platinum, round cut. Just don't know what size, and I know it all depends on budget...Just thought I would ask what all y'all decided on. Any input appreciated!
One to two months salary......
It doesn't matter what anyone but you and she think.
Seriously... [roll]
the right woman wouldn't "expect" any particular size...
Yup. I'm not wealthy, I can barely afford to pay attention. I couldn've given my fiancée a ring out of a Cracker Jack box and she'd have still said yes and been excited about it ~
JM
Women expect a ring large enough to hold your junk in, which is convenient, as they will possess said junk upon the nuptials.
In more useful news, size (in regards to diamonds) is not the only thing to look at. There are plenty of large carat, low quality diamonds in existence. You want to keep in mind the four "C"s. Cut, Carat, Colour, and Clarity.
Cut-there are any various sort, but the typical one that is sought after is the "brilliant" cut, which has 58 facets. There are other, less popular styles and shapes, such as teardrop shapes, etc. It depends on the girl.
Carat-this is something to pay attention to-there is often a price break depending on which side of the borderline it falls on. IE .95 Carats would be far less expensive than 1.05 carats. While size is nice, it's useless if the other factors are substandard, as it will only illustrate the flaws better.
Colour-diamonds can come in all sorts of colours, blue, red, yellow (yellow is not desireable, ther others vary).
Clarity-is it cloudy? It shouldn't be. They have scales that rate this-see if you can find them online.
A setting can hide a lot-if trying to get a legitimately "nice" diamond, you should look at the stones out of their settings, pick one (or many) that you like, then have it set.
From my understanding, the typical markup is anywhere from 100-200%. Keep that in mine when you attempt to bargain, and bargain you should.
That's it on diamonds, personally-if you want the ladies thoughts, post up in the ladies forum. Here we'll just tell you not to do it :P
make the beast with two backsing wow...You guys are a source of insight on any subject...AND FAST...I love this forum...Maybe I should be buying a ring your you all!
Diamonds are not even rare. It's an artificial market.
That being said I bought my fiancée a 1 Carat colorless Princess cut diamond.
I would focus on clarity, Brilliance and Color over size. I hate it when people flaunt there 3 carat diamond that has a yellow color to it.
This is a great site to learn about diamonds and play around with different bands and shapes.
http://www.bluenile.com/diamonds.asp (http://www.bluenile.com/diamonds.asp)
Quote from: the_Journeyman on October 08, 2008, 05:16:30 PM
Yup. I'm not wealthy, I can barely afford to pay attention. I couldn've given my fiancée a ring out of a Cracker Jack box and she'd have still said yes and been excited about it ~
JM
But the ring you did give her is far cry from a cracker jack box. [thumbsup] ;)
B and I went shopping together when we were ready. Not terribly romantic, but he wanted to get me what I wanted. Ended up with a 1+ carat cushion cut it a custom tension setting from Gelin Abaci (http://www.gelinabaci.com/index2.html).
IMO, platinum is not worth the cost.
Quote from: ROBsS4R on October 08, 2008, 05:29:58 PM
This is a great site to learn about diamonds and play around with different bands and shapes.
http://www.bluenile.com/diamonds.asp (http://www.bluenile.com/diamonds.asp)
Bluenile is cool. They are here in Seattle and I taught their CPR classes. They care about the employees! Lots of security to get past on my way it.
G wears a small, heart-cut diamond.
If I had to do it again I'd get her a ring with something different in it.
since then she's gotten earings of the same size that match.... and her engagement ring has been added to by rubies on the side (I was supposed ot be just getting the mount fixed).
It's about the two of you...not about us.
The more time that goes by the more that original stone means, and the less what that stone is in size and price that stone means. make sense?
we'll never trade in that stone for something else...we may add to it, we may change its mounting...but that stone, even if it were a pebble found in a stream, has a meaning.
it's not about the rock. it's about the thought behind the rock.
Quote from: DuCaTiNi on October 08, 2008, 05:15:21 PM
the right woman wouldn't "expect" any particular size...
So size doesn't matter.....
Quote from: kopfjager on October 08, 2008, 06:15:08 PM
So size doesn't matter.....
That's what they all say....IT'S NOT TRUE..Oh wait...we're still talking about diamonds...
Quote from: ducpainter on October 08, 2008, 05:12:35 PM
It doesn't matter what anyone but you and she think.
That's good advice. When my fiancee' (just got engaged 2 weeks ago) and I decided we were serious, I took her out to the jewelry stores. We ignored price and just looked at styles and settings. That way, when the time was right I already knew what I wanted, and just fit a stone and setting to my budget. (shopping around helps a lot. After some legwork, I found a place that had nicer stuff and beat everyone else by 1K)
I think the best thing to do is figure out what you want to spend, and strike a nice balance between size and quality. As someone said above, I chuckle when someone flaunts a big ass cloudy rock that could double as a broken window at an accident scene. That said, you don't want to give her a flawless little chip-ette either.
In the end it's more about the symbol more than the physical stone anyway. Good Luck! [thumbsup]
Quote from: DuCaTiNi on October 08, 2008, 05:15:21 PM
the right woman wouldn't "expect" any particular size...
+11ty billion
Just ask us all to give you one dollar. Depending on how much we give you, you buy [roll]
Quote from: somebastid on October 08, 2008, 05:21:08 PM
Women expect a ring large enough to hold your junk in, which is convenient, as they will possess said junk upon the nuptials.
In more useful news, size (in regards to diamonds) is not the only thing to look at. There are plenty of large carat, low quality diamonds in existence. You want to keep in mind the four "C"s. Cut, Carat, Colour, and Clarity.
Cut-there are any various sort, but the typical one that is sought after is the "brilliant" cut, which has 58 facets. There are other, less popular styles and shapes, such as teardrop shapes, etc. It depends on the girl.
Carat-this is something to pay attention to-there is often a price break depending on which side of the borderline it falls on. IE .95 Carats would be far less expensive than 1.05 carats. While size is nice, it's useless if the other factors are substandard, as it will only illustrate the flaws better.
Colour-diamonds can come in all sorts of colours, blue, red, yellow (yellow is not desireable, ther others vary).
Clarity-is it cloudy? It shouldn't be. They have scales that rate this-see if you can find them online.
A setting can hide a lot-if trying to get a legitimately "nice" diamond, you should look at the stones out of their settings, pick one (or many) that you like, then have it set.
From my understanding, the typical markup is anywhere from 100-200%. Keep that in mine when you attempt to bargain, and bargain you should.
That's it on diamonds, personally-if you want the ladies thoughts, post up in the ladies forum. Here we'll just tell you not to do it :P
Diamond Dave ;)
You could buy the biggest diamond you can afford or the most expensive diamond you can afford or you could PM motogpfan on this board and get a custom made ring for her that is unique and possibly even pay less than you can afford. Perfect run on sentence :D
Quote from: El Matador on October 08, 2008, 06:57:14 PM
Just ask us all to give you one dollar. Depending on how much we give you, you buy [roll]
Did you buy your bike from that guy?
One carat in a black titanium tension set. Simple, but bad ass. She just wears the one ring, did not want a set. I have the perfect wife ;D
ok couple of things.
Does she ride with you? if so realize she sholdnt be wearing her engagement ring with gloves on (errr personal lesson) but to that end you want to matching band to have power too.
If you are trying to surprise her. think about these things
What color jewelry does she wear. is she a gold girl? silver (white gold)? or platinum only?
What's her favorite shape.. i know funny question, but look around. what inspires her at her place? does she like smooth lines circular objects (yes she like cylindrical otherwise you'd be out the door)?
also, what kind of jewerly does she own that she really likes to wear. realize she may wear it with it so if she wears all gold with red rubies. dont get her a whitegold setting with a non clear diamond. she'll never wear them together and you'll be buying more than just a ring soon enough.
When you've done your homework, what about her friends? has she ever mentioned to anyone abot what she likes? or even told you about someones gawd awful 3 carat yellow ring in yellow gold. not the ring you want to emulate.
to give you an idea. we had looked at just christmas rings one year that were similiar to bands and got a style. she likes white gold. she likes channels and she liked princess cut (square)
my choice was easy once i learned things about her.
so, her promise ring is a channel setting white gold with small princess cut diamonds
her engagement ring is similar channel but larger with a large near flawless diamond my sister gave me (boy save me a chunk of change)
and her band is a larger version of the promise ring.
she wears all three at times
plus she has a set of jewerly from swarovski that matches the channel cut that she wears with them. (got that first to test the waters on the style)
oh that's a good point. have you ever bought her jewelry before. what was her favorite? realize you may know more about what she wants than you think. then again if you don't... maybe it's time to find out.
Whatever you can pay cash for and not break the bank account in the process.
Quote from: Drjones on October 09, 2008, 05:56:12 AM
Whatever you can pay cash for and not break the bank account in the process.
That's so true, it's amazing how many people forget this. It's just a ring, your marriage will be a lot better off with a ring you can afford then a huge rock and a mound of debt to go with it.
choose cut and clarity over weight (or size as most people call it). a high-quality diamond will look better than a larger one with a dull sheen.
Certain types of cuts look bigger than others of the same weight. A square emerald cut (often called an Asscher cut) looks bigger than a round (Brilliant) because the surface is broader and the culet is shallower in comparison.
Also, the more facets in a diamond, the more sparkle -- each facet is a prism. So a Royal Asscher (which is a step-cut square emerald) looks more sparkly than a regular Asscher which is not step cut. Ask about the number of facets. A regular round Brilliant has more facets than a cushion, etc. Bluenile.com has all the info online and is a good place to shop.
Be aware that the setting style will affect how it looks -- if you have an open, high mount, then more light comes in from the bottom. More light = more sparkles.
I recommend you stay away from atypical shapes like pear or oval, etc. Stick to round or square for the engagement ring. I have a friend who got an oval for hers and while she loves the guy and told him she loved it, she wasn't incredibly happy about it (he didn't ask). Pay attention to what her friends have -- this seems silly but it is important. She will want to show it off and if all her friends have a certain style, she may want to have a similar style OR she may want something totally different. You need to know.
Lastly, ASK HER WHAT SHE LIKES. Go ring shopping and see which ones she prefers. You don't have to get the exact one she picks, but try to note the style and mount, metal etc. Getting her a ring she likes is far better than getting her a super-expensive one she doesn't.
Hypermotard S in Red with a heated seat. She will love you forever [thumbsup]
Quote from: ducducgooseme on October 09, 2008, 06:32:23 AM
Hypermotard S in Red with a heated seat. She will love you forever [thumbsup]
save that for the wedding gift. ;D
one other thing... IF you are suprising her. get a ring she wear on that finger and 'borrow' it to get the correct size. you dont want to get her the ring and then it not fit and have to send it to get sized and she's without it. (yeah another lessoned learned, bought her a replacemnt emerald ring to keep her finger warm)
and remember it's not the ring it's the presentation... make it the perfect moment and she wont notice it's a coke tab ring.
Quote from: factorPlayer on October 09, 2008, 03:25:52 AM
Did you buy your bike from that guy?
Actually, I did. It was a VERY good deal.
nkryptit,
There already been lots of good advice and I'll throw my 2 cents in.
The tension lies in what a girl would like to have and what you are willing to spend. Yes, I hear ya that size doesn't matter and if it does, you should dump her. However, it is the rare girl who will prefer the smaller rock to the larger rock, ALL ELSE BEING EQUAL. Case in-point, they second thing she is going to want to do after you propose is show the ring to her girfrields and family. Any they will have an opinion and it will influence her mood unless she is a zen master*. Hence we are back at square one with the upper limit being what she would like to have if money was no object. The lower bound is what you want spend. Hell, I still don't understand how anyone can drop that much cash for somehting that doesn't even go vroom. The amount you ultimately decide on is going to be somewhere in that bound.
Other factors to consider:
If her hands are large, you should spend more for a rock that is porportional to her. If her hands are small, they can get away with spending less and have it look visually the same
Pick your rough budget, they really get to know your girl's preference. Some girls prefer size to clarity. Other girls have a specific cut in mind. Depending on the setting, the color is either a big deal (silvery sertting) or less an issue (gold setting). What you want to do is optimize based on her perference. Heck, I'd love to own a D16, but I cannot affort it so within my price band, I prefer a naked bike to a super bike.
lastly +1 on BlueNile! I went that route since they have the largest inventory and the prices are darn competitive.
* Is she is a zen master, why buy a rock at all since it is just societal construct?
Quote from: nkryptit on October 08, 2008, 05:05:03 PM
So...Thinking about doing the damn thing and buying a ring sometime soon...And I know this might vary widely...But I'm looking for opinions on what a woman expects from a ring. I'm thinking platinum, round cut. Just don't know what size, and I know it all depends on budget...Just thought I would ask what all y'all decided on. Any input appreciated!
just rereading your post... LMAO 'the damn thing' ... you certain you want to jump into the cold dark waters of marriage (not saying your girl isn't a warm mermaid waiting on the bottom... mine is (in case she's reading)... but the damn thing??? LMAO
Didn't feel like reading page 2 so if it's been said, sorry.
Presentation and intention is much more important that the size of the ring. Most of their friends won't be asking how big it is. They'll be asking how you proposed and she'll want a good story.
my woman dropped a hint one time. go to somewhere that sells second hand rings (dont wanna say pawn shop, but you get the idea), and get a cheaper ring. once you get the hard part out of the way, THEN take her shopping for a ring that she likes. if you do that, she will have a ring that she can show off, and one to wear the rest of the time.
makes no sense when i type it, but like several people said before, its not the ring, its the presentation that matters most.
Does the size of her ring matter to her family, friends, and coworkers? Does your fiancee care? Does she like bling and want to show off? If so, find a good balance between the size (carat), cut, and color. Diamonds with flaws can be hidden by the setting and/or prongs. For sheer brilliance, the classic round will sparkle the most. Good luck shopping and congratulations!
Let's not forget the ring says something about you, too.
What guy here hasn't checked a girls hand to see if she was single only to be blinded by the huge friggin' rock on her hand?
Just look at it as a way to tell strangers that you're better than them, without ever having to meet!
Quote from: somebastid on October 09, 2008, 09:14:30 AM
Just look at it as a way to tell strangers that you're better than them, without ever having to meet!
[laugh] I have to admit that I've thought about it that way a couple times too.
Don't forget to take into consideration what she does for a living. It can have an impact on the type of setting you/she wants to get.
Some prong settings are high and get caught on everthing, especially clothing. Which could result in her losing the stone.
No matter what you get her, INSURE IT!!!! with jewelry insurance. Don't assume it is covered under your homeowner's/renter's insurance, some have a jewelry exclusion clause.
Channeling.....bitterness :P [popcorn]
(http://sinfest.net/comikaze/comics/2000-12-24.gif)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ur2er-STls (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ur2er-STls)
ok ya got tons of advice... how about some feedback info on how ya doing? did you chicken out? cold feet? or did you fly to vegas and get a crackerjack ring?
Having been in the jewelry biz.......I had this tacked up in my office
Could be NWS
http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff27/charlieff/debeers.jpg (http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff27/charlieff/debeers.jpg)
Quote from: Charlief on October 10, 2008, 08:59:43 PM
Having been in the jewelry biz.......I had this tacked up in my office
Could be NWS
http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff27/charlieff/debeers.jpg (http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff27/charlieff/debeers.jpg)
yep, photobucket deleted it.
I gave my wife my great-grandmother's ring when we got married. I had the ring brought up to like-new condition but made no attempt to replace the rather small diamond. I was only 19 at the time and couldn't afford anything.
It's been 27 years and I can afford lots more now. That's still her engagement ring, with the same little stone. For one thing, replacing the stone would make it something else, not her engagement ring. For another, she's not really a diamond girl. Pearls are more her thing.
A marriage is about a whole lot more than a ring or the stone in it, so much more that the whole ring thing seems faintly ridiculous to me now. That's not to say I didn't worry about it back in '81 but if I'd blown the tuition money on a rock back then I'm sure we'd regret it now.