Engagement Ring

iMORT3rnAL said:
No divorce.... the big Harrismith - Free State farm fires from September :cry:
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:(

ABCpt said:
In that case I would rather not use my mom's ring and rather go for the cheaper one for now. You can always 'upgrade' at a later stage, when you do have the money.
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Yip.... its just a ring - rather go for a cheapie now - you'll probably find the cheapie will mean more than the "expensive" replacement in the long run.
 
ABCpt said:
In that case I would rather not use my mom's ring and rather go for the cheaper one for now. You can always 'upgrade' at a later stage, when you do have the money.
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I'm going to have another talk with my mom to get her honest opinion.

SauRoNZA said:
I don't know where you are based but I simply cannot recommend these guys enough...

http://www.lindecollection.com

Basically husband and wife team, he designs it all and she makes it.

After a botch job of a engagement ring replacement for my wife via an insurance claim drama we went there for our wedding bands and I couldn't have been happier.

Not nearly as expensive as you would expect for a "boutique" operation and I would even go so far as to say cheaper than any franchise.
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Thank you, we are actually in the process of relocating. So this might be an option if I wait a bit.
 
JStrike said:
Sell your mothers ring and buy one from Browns. It will inevitably be better (Unless it is a Tiffany's ring or similar).
And the Protea is a very good ring. And at R22k, it's a steal.

Do not go for some no name brand jeweler that will reset the other stone. This is your engagement. Not a time to be cheap
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What was suggested was that he go to a reputable jeweler that will reset the stone.
 
Viva said:
What was suggested was that he go to a reputable jeweler that will reset the stone.
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The emphasis was not on the no name brand jeweler, but on getting the stone reset. It is tacky. Just don't do it. At least for his engagement ring. It is an important event
 
JStrike said:
The emphasis was not on the no name brand jeweler, but on getting the stone reset. It is tacky. Just don't do it. At least for his engagement ring. It is an important event
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It's not at all tacky. I would be honoured to get an heirloom diamond - it has history and a story to tell

ETA - if you do decide not to use your mother's diamond, it is still a better idea to buy the diamond wholesale and have it set by an independent jeweller. The jewellers like Browns etc. put a massive markup on diamonds because the average person either doesn't know better, or because it is easy
 
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JStrike said:
The emphasis was not on the no name brand jeweler, but on getting the stone reset. It is tacky. Just don't do it. At least for his engagement ring. It is an important event
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Tacky? Spending 100k on a monstrous rock from a mall is tacky... Resetting your mothers diamond into a ring especially chosen for your future wife shows thought and caring.

Which story would you rather have your wife tell? That you went to Menyln on a sat and swiped your Platinum Card 10min later for the same ring the neighbour has. Or that when you told your mother you were going to marry this girl that she offered her engagement ring from her tragically deceased husband, that you realised it wasn't her style and spent a month looking for a jeweller who could get exactly what she wanted.
 
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Roxi_B4b3 said:
It's not at all tacky. I would be honoured to get an heirloom diamond - it has history and a story to tell

ETA - if you do decide not to use your mother's diamond, it is still a better idea to buy the diamond wholesale and have it set by an independent jeweller. The jewellers like Browns etc. put a massive markup on diamonds because the average person either doesn't know better, or because it is easy
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You pay for the Browns name and quality. Just like you would for Choppard, Tiffany etc. And it is money well spent. Especially for an important event
 
just did a quick calculation for you - on www.girlsbestfriend.co.za there is a diamond price calculator.
Did a quick calculation on these specs:
Shape: Round
Clarity VS1
Size: 0.3
Colour: I
Cost: R4,632.46

My setting cost under R10 000 - 9ct white gold, plus it has 14 0.01ct diamonds on the side, so a solitaire should be cheaper

Just saying - you could get more bang for your buck...
 
JStrike said:
You pay for the Browns name and quality. Just like you would for Choppard, Tiffany etc. And it is money well spent. Especially for an important event
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no - you pay for the name, and their mall costs. the quality isn't better than a reputable jeweller
 
Roxi_B4b3 said:
no - you pay for the name, and their mall costs. the quality isn't better than a reputable jeweller
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Ok, name and design then. The cost of their property is a factor that goes into the price. It is not a factor in why people want jewelry from them. That is name and design.

Buying good quality, no name brand stuff is fine and all when you're trying to save some money.
Your engagement is not a time to be cheap (In my opinion)
 
ScottulusMaximus said:
Which story would you rather have your wife tell? That you went to Menyln on a sat and swiped your Platinum Card 10min later for the same ring the neighbour has. Or that when you told your mother you were going to marry this girl that she offered her engagement ring from her tragically deceased husband, that you realised it wasn't her style and spent a month looking for a jeweller who could get exactly what she wanted.
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:)
 
JStrike said:
Ok, name and design then. The cost of their property is a factor that goes into the price. It is not a factor in why people want jewelry from them. That is name and design.

Buying good quality, no name brand stuff is fine and all when you're trying to save some money.
Your engagement is not a time to be cheap (In my opinion)
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I'm going to quote myself here:

Roxi_B4b3 said:
The jewellers like Browns etc. put a massive markup on diamonds because the average person either doesn't know better, or because it is easy
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Personally I don't view independent jewellers as a "no-name brand" I think it is much more exclusive than a run of the mill chain jewellery store. You get to customize your design, and get exactly the ring that you want. I can't do that at Browns. It is "what you see is what you get"
 
JStrike said:
You pay for the Browns name and quality. Just like you would for Choppard, Tiffany etc. And it is money well spent. Especially for an important event
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Fully understand your point, just funny seeing Browns in the same sentence as Chopard and Tiffany
 
CharlieM said:
Fully understand your point, just funny seeing Browns in the same sentence as Chopard and Tiffany
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Yeah, they're not anywhere near Chopard and Tiffany. I tried to think of another high end jewellery brand in SA, and couldn't think of any. So fell back to other (International) brands I know and like :)
 
I would keep your mom's old ring, and have a cubic zirconia fitted to it for now. No-one will be able to see the difference, and you still keep the memory of it. Later when you've got money, you can get another diamond for it, and she will still have her ring, and you wife will have a custom made ring with a diamond which has family history. Everyone wins.
 
Colin62 said:
I would keep your mom's old ring, and have a cubic zirconia fitted to it for now. No-one will be able to see the difference, and you still keep the memory of it. Later when you've got money, you can get another diamond for it, and she will still have her ring, and you wife will have a custom made ring with a diamond which has family history. Everyone wins.
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I actually thought of this a few minutes ago and I agree with you. Even though my mother gave me permission to do what is needed, she is not yet able to think clearly after what happened. They were married for 28 years, keeping the ring that set that in motion has more value than what she realizes.
 
iMORT3rnAL said:
I actually thought of this a few minutes ago and I agree with you.
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You're going to have to stop reading my mind like that while I'm typing. :)


iMORT3rnAL said:
Even though my mother gave me permission to do what is needed, she is not yet able to think clearly after what happened. They were married for 28 years, keeping the ring that set that in motion has more value than what she realizes.
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She's making a sacrifice for you - it's what parents do. Given the small amount of money you'd get for the metal in the ring, it makes far more sense to keep it around. And she'll really appreciate the gesture. Actually both your mom and gf will appreciate it.
 
here's my story

Found the ideal ring from deBeers after not being happy with any local companies (Brown's included - too commonly available)

Found a fabulous local jeweller / diamond merchant who gave us amazing advice and then had the ring made to my specifications and from a choice of about 5 stones.

We went with white gold because platinum is too "grey" for my skin colour and to highlight the colour of the stone

The saving from going to a jeweller and diamond merchant allowed us to get a much better and bigger stone (just comparing price vs a Brown's etc) (also the ridiculous exchange rate & mark up vs buying from DeBeers!)

I'd keep mom's ring and maybe wear as a dress ring unless the diamond is super awesome, in which case reset it (or if SO hates the style)

I think selling the ring for "scrap" is not an option imo
 
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