purchasing an engagement ring

SuperiorReturn Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > wtf? > the first question the girl’s friend will ask is > where you got it from > costco? > you guys are in finance. i knew the economy was > bad, but you guys are sad That way when he divorces, that will be one less thing he will have to fight to get back.

SuperiorReturn Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > wtf? > the first question the girl’s friend will ask is > where you got it from > costco? > you guys are in finance. i knew the economy was > bad, but you guys are sad Duh, you’re going to eBay a Tiffany’s box for $50.

or get it custom made. dont get some sad looking 10k rock

holy shit he went to jared’s

Got married @ 25 and loving it.

comp_sci_kid Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Got married @ 25 and loving it. Aren’t you a chick though? That would be a biased opinion.

i am a chick? Maybe… let me go to a bathroom and check… brb

comp_sci_kid Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > i am a chick? Maybe… let me go to a bathroom and > check… > > brb Everyone on here says you are one. I dunno what made them think that.

The Hope diamond is on exibit at the Smithsonian museum of natural history. Go steal it and propose to Jessica Alba instead.

If you can, try and make an experience out of buying the stone / ring. My fiancé and I went to Brussels as something like 2/3 of the worlds diamonds are cut there. We visited many back street wholesalers, we even meet up with a friend and visited a diamond bourse (have you seen the beginning of the movie Snatch?). We spent two / three days in Brussels and had a memorable experience. Highly recommended! Shame the football world cup is coming to an end, you could have gone to South Africa to buy a stone and seen some of the games as well. My 2c worth

The+1Guy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > If you can, try and make an experience out of > buying the stone / ring. My fiancé and I went to > Brussels as something like 2/3 of the worlds > diamonds are cut there. We visited many back > street wholesalers, we even meet up with a friend > and visited a diamond bourse (have you seen the > beginning of the movie Snatch?). We spent two / > three days in Brussels and had a memorable > experience. Highly recommended! > > Shame the football world cup is coming to an end, > you could have gone to South Africa to buy a stone > and seen some of the games as well. > > My 2c worth Blood diamonds.

No, not red diamonds. The clear white ones :-0

Are you able to ask your gf what she thinks is reasonable? If yes, then you should come to a mutually agreeable amount, given that you will spend money that would otherwise be spent on your future house/family’s education etc on what is largely a piece of metal & rock. I did this with my wife and we went round all the jewellery stores in the city till we found one. Mine was less that 1X salary, but I guess it depends what your salary is… Anyway, she still wears it every single day… If no, then you might not be ready to do this marriage thing.

Alternative solution: Let her pick out the ring. Buy her a dummy ring for $100 or something to propose with first if you like. I’d say keep the cost in the four figures. $20k is too much in my opinion unless you have inherited wealth or generous parents. Don’t go into debt for this. You’ve wedding costs to come too, remember. As for the comment someone made re:socially arranged marriages - I totally agree. It’s weird how many people seem to marry whatever girlfriend/boyfriend they happen to be with when they hit their early 30’s and then a few months later announce they’re expecting. I think it’s as much a social expectation that people feel as it is a biological clock ticking. It seems to me a lot of the time that people break up with girlfirends/boyfriends in their 20’s to go travel/find themselves/too young to be tied down etc, and then they go marry someone a few years later who they don’t even like as much as the person they dumped a few years back because it’s ‘the marrying time’. Break free of the social constraints people! You are not too young. If you want to get married at 24 to someone you love, then I think you’ve a much better chance of a happy and successful marriage than two 33 year olds who are settling.

Looking back at my situation, my now wife picked out her own diamond and ring. I knew that I completely trusted that she wouldn’t blow what would eventually become our money on a diamond, but at the same time, she wanted a “bling” factor. She ended up with a custom designed ring and a 1 ct ring for about $7500 if memory serves me right. I think it was $6500 for the engagement ring and another $1000 for her wedding band. (Sadly, the mens rings, unless you get more bling than her, will be around $400) Not sure where you are located, but going to a big city in the US (Say New York, Chicago, SF, etc…) you will get the opportunity to meet with a lot of jewelers and more than a few of them will help design a ring. Good luck and congratulations. We’re approaching our 2nd anniversary in a few weeks.

I spent close to 5K back in 2008 when I proposed her to marry me. It’s a decent size and has a bling factor. She gets comments on her ring here and there and she loves those comments. I think girls want bigger ring just to show off but that is how they roll.

Why not see if youre Gma’s ring is floating around. My mom said that I get to propose to my wife (like that’ll ever happen) with her current ring. It was my great grandmothers ring and its pretty fuggin awesome.

marcus phoenix Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > Blood diamonds. Most diamonds are.

Buy a cubic and a real one and let her pick which one she wants. Hopefully she picks the cubic and you can return the diamond.

marcus phoenix Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > comp_sci_kid Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > i am a chick? Maybe… let me go to a bathroom > and > > check… > > > > brb > > Everyone on here says you are one. I dunno what > made them think that. back… results are inconclusive and need an expert opinion. I will update you ASAP after i visit my doc.