Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

How many of you...

Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
mirre

mirre

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jul 2, 2007
Messages
420
How many of you have went out to look at rings without the BF? Just to get ideas of what you want.

I have NO IDEA when he would actually propose (I''ve been meaning to sit down and talk with him about everything just haven''t planned out exactly what I want to talk about yet). But I know EXACTLY which ring I want... I went to the designer''s website and found out that they have a dealer located not too far from me (it''s the only one in the state so lucky me that it''s not very far!). The ring is similar to the designer''s ring but their version of the ring is too "fancy" for me. So I thought since I''m IN LOVE with this ring maybe I should go see if I would even really like it on my hand. And I could look at a few others too.

Good job PSers... I used to very much dislike round diamonds... I wanted absolutely nothing to do with them as far as rings go, BUT I believe I have been converted (now to see if they look good on me!)! Haha... I also like several other shapes and cuts too... but as far as finding something easily I think round would be the safest route to take!
9.gif
 
Honestly, I would wait and see if he is ok with the idea first. Would he be irritated to know that you have already started the "planning" process with/out consulting him? I waited until BF told me that he wanted me to pick out what I liked and show him. However, from being on this forumn, it does seem that some guys take it personally, and think that the GF only needs them there to actually purchase the ring, and that the girl doesn''t want their help in any other way.

It is a very touchy subject around this forum. You know your BF better than any of us, so just go by what you think he''ll be ok with. He may also want to go with you... it''s a very exciting experience!!
 
Well, I went without him, but because he wanted to know what I would want. I took my BFF because he said he would want her to help. We didnt go together because it is still VERY early, and I am giving him info for when he is ready so that I can be surprised. I agree with Meresal in that only you know what is best. My BF knows I am picky and very into this stuff, and he just wants what I want, so he is fine with me doing the picking. But if you think your BF *may* want to be involved, wait for him. Take a friend if you go without, it is pretty fun!
 
I''ve showed him a picture of the ring that I would like to have so he knows that part... and we have talked about it a little. We just haven''t talked about it in awhile so I wanted to sit down with him and discuss it more in depth but not sure what topics exactly yet.

I was going to tell him about it this afternoon, that I found out that a place 30min away carries the designer of the ring that I had showed him and that I would like to go look at it and see if he wants to go with me. If not I thought about having a good friend of mine go with me but my schedule has been so crazy that I don''t know when I would have time for her to go too... She had asked me last night if I wanted to help her plan a babyshower so maybe we could stop by the jeweler and get ideas on our way to the store to find baby shower planning things! If BF decides he didn''t want to go or wouldn''t mind if I went without him.

Part of me would love to just let go and let him do it all on his own without my input... but I''m really picky, I''ve told him what I like and then a month later I change my mind. This is the only one that I''ve liked and continued to like so I want to see if it is all that I had hoped for or if it doesn''t look good on my hand.
 
Hi Mirre!

If you have both talked about marriage and getting engaged and are both on the same path then I think casually browsing is fine. I browsed every now and then when I was at the mall not to search for my e-ring, but just to see my likes and dislikes, prices, etc.

However, I did not tell my BF my likes and dislikes until he asked . At that time I gave him a couple of ideas of what I liked and didn''t like and he was actually really happy to know the rings/diamonds I was looking at were the same quality/price he had in mind. If you do decide to sit down and talk about it (regarding styles of e-rings), try not to be too forthcoming with the info unless he asks for it.

I am picky too so I totally understand you want an e-ring that you really like considering your the one that is going to be looking at every day. If you decide not to tell him or he does not ask, when purchasing a ring, men sometimes tend to look at jewelry you wear on a daily basis to figure out your style.
 
I''ve been looking too! It''s fun!! My BF and I talked about it and we was OK with me looking and has kind of got the ball rolling with regard to him talking to his friends about how they proposed and shopped. etc. We went looking together a few days ago. He really wants to surprise me, so I am not sure how the whole proposal will actually work, but I want him to be well equipped if he chooses it all on his own.

My BF tells me (and I know its true) that I am picky, so he wants my input on what the ring will look like.

Shopping for jewelry is loads of fun! Good luck!
 
I don't see what the big deal is in looking. I looked at all 5,000+ rings on amazon.com one day after I realized we were headed in that direction. I hated nearly all of them. I also went to a few mall stores and hated everything I tried on. If he had to choose on his own, he surely would have picked something I didn't want. I don't like most Erings and I wear very basic jewery so there is no way he could even guessed at what I wanted since I had no idea either. In fact, after a while I told him that I would never have a ring because I hated everything I saw. It was driving me mad. The only thing I found that I loved was the Tiffany Legacy but I wasn't keen on the starting price (little did I know just how expensive it would be for me to get a decent size stone!!).

Later we went to Jared just to look for the first time together (eww Jared, ahem). I found a 3 stone halo ring that I really liked. It was 3k (overpriced I'm sure) and we thought that would work. But then I thought, did I really find my Ering at freaking Jared?!?! I had already been lurking on pricescope for a while and I decided to do a search on Jared. I then proceeded to have nightmares about the saleswoman and the quality of the ring. That was the end of that! I then decided I wanted to try the Ritani Endless Love three stone and really wanted to try it on. So he took me ring shopping again, I tried it on and hated it (as an Ering, great as a RHR). I then decided to try on the one stone halo for the heck of it and we both loved it. That's how we came to the conclusion that a halo would be perfect for me. But have since agreed on custom so that I can get the elements of the Legacy I want but still have a round stone. Later we went to Tiffany and I finally got to try on a real Legacy but we still wanted a round stone (although I would never turn down a Legacy haha).

Wow, that was quite the ramble. Point is, you should feel free to shop. Especially if you are picky. I think it would have been a more stressful process for him if he were forced to shop with me every single time I wanted to look (online or offline). By doing a lot by myself in the beginning, I eliminated quite a few styles.
 
i looked too, and though my BF and i talk about marriage/future all the time, i know that an engagement is a ways out still. but i already know exactly what i want, and last weekend i stopped at a BBB to look at THE ring in real life (side note - holy crap!!!!!
30.gif
). when i told BF about it, he rolled his eyes at me.
20.gif
hehehe! he''s said that he wants to do it himself, so i gave him a list of settings, where to get them, diamond shapes, specs, where to get them...etc etc so that he can.

i don''t think there''s anything wrong in looking. i just maybe wouldn''t tell him if you''re not on the same page (not you specifically mirre, but in general). that''s a good idea to take the friend if he doesn''t wanna go. hope you love it!!!
1.gif
 
I think this too would be a little bit of a touchy subject. What if you find THE PERFECT AND ONLY ring and it''s totally out of his budget? Or what if he hates it? I think that while it is the lady who has to wear the ring, most girls ultimately want their guy to like it as well. I think shopping to know if you like round stones vs. emerald cuts or three stone vs. solitaires would be fine, but I don''t think it would really be fair to pick out the exact ring you want without him.

Luckily for me, the ring I''ve dreamed of is in my SO''s budget, but I know he would have been devastated if he had set aside a budget in his mind and I showed him THE RING and it was like 2 or 3 times as much. So until you know how much he''s willing to spend (which might be now, in which case, look all you want
31.gif
), I wouldn''t go as far as trying out exact rings with stones and settings and possibly getting your hopes up. Just my opinion, though.
 
Well if you plan to marry a guy, you probably already know what he can afford and therefore should have "the ring" that falls within his budget. Otherwise I would have been getting a Tiffany Legacy without even looking at other possibilities. I was able to get a general idea of what I liked (edwardian/art deco style halos) and told him about it. We tried them on, and he liked them. We only had to shop for a month together (as opposed to the full year I had been looking on my own).
 
I went to different jewelry stores a lot before we got engaged...it''s just shopping. You try on clothes all the time, right? Trying on rings is exactly the same thing to me.
 
Date: 11/29/2007 4:48:08 PM
Author: MoonWater
Well if you plan to marry a guy, you probably already know what he can afford and therefore should have ''the ring'' that falls within his budget. Otherwise I would have been getting a Tiffany Legacy without even looking at other possibilities. I was able to get a general idea of what I liked (edwardian/art deco style halos) and told him about it. We tried them on, and he liked them. We only had to shop for a month together (as opposed to the full year I had been looking on my own).
Click to expand...

You are definitely right about knowing what a guy can likely afford to spend on a ring. I just think that what he can afford might be different than what he''s willing to spend and you couldn''t really know that without having a chat with him about it first. I''m all about knowing what you like and what you would likely want, I just think if I were a guy, I would be sad if I couldn''t afford the love of my life''s dream engagement ring that she found before we talked about it.
 
I think it''s fine to look as long as you think BF is cool with it, like talking about it in a vague way. I look all the time, and my BF knows it''s partly just fun for me, not really and truly ''shopping,'' more like browsing a bookstore for interest. And especially because we''ve talked about getting engaged within the next year, I felt it was okay for me to join this forum, look a bit more into prices, etc. I think aliciagirl has a good point about looking at things that may be WAY out of the budget, and about him potentially not liking what you like, because I really like a ring that is ridiculously expensive, but when I told BF about it, he was like, "well, can we find something close?" and thanks to PS, I know we can, and also that it would be fine for me to contribute to the cost in some way. Also, last night we were shopping and I asked if we could ''visit'' the ring I like, and he said yes, and after we left the store, he said it was good for him to see the real thing up close again and be reminded not only of how beautiful it is, but how happy I look when I see it and am trying it on. So, I think my point is, maybe he would want to see it, too! You never know until you ask...
2.gif
And potentially, if you don''t know what the budget is, or don''t feel comfortable asking straight out, "What''s my ring budget?" this could give him some idea of what you like, and maybe start the discussion.
 
Too funny, I was just walking through my city''s jewelry district an hour ago and thinking about how much fun it would be to browse through the rings. I don''t wear much jewelry, so while I have a general idea of what I like/dislike, I really have no experience to base it on. And I have a bias against most traditional e-ring settings, so I think it would be good to either confirm my dislike or find out that they''re not that bad. I don''t think I''ll want to shop for rings with my BF when the time comes, I''d rather have him look at some photos of things I like and choose one of them or something similar on his own. I think he''d prefer this too (we don''t shop well together, whether it''s electronics, groceries, or anything in between, and we fully recognize this fact).

I''m actually more scared of the salespeople than of what my BF would think. I''ll feel like I''m wasting their time, and jewelry store salespeople always seem so aloof to me! I only window-shop because I''m so uncomfortable in jewelry stores...I''m pathetic, I know.
 
Date: 11/29/2007 5:01:04 PM
Author: aliciagirl

Date: 11/29/2007 4:48:08 PM
Author: MoonWater
Well if you plan to marry a guy, you probably already know what he can afford and therefore should have ''the ring'' that falls within his budget. Otherwise I would have been getting a Tiffany Legacy without even looking at other possibilities. I was able to get a general idea of what I liked (edwardian/art deco style halos) and told him about it. We tried them on, and he liked them. We only had to shop for a month together (as opposed to the full year I had been looking on my own).
Click to expand...

You are definitely right about knowing what a guy can likely afford to spend on a ring. I just think that what he can afford might be different than what he''s willing to spend and you couldn''t really know that without having a chat with him about it first. I''m all about knowing what you like and what you would likely want, I just think if I were a guy, I would be sad if I couldn''t afford the love of my life''s dream engagement ring that she found before we talked about it.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I guess it depends on the person. I wouldn''t be sad if I couldn''t afford the dream ring if the girl chose a ring she knew was far out of the range of affordability. That''s why a girl should limit her search to those in her bf''s price range (which is essentially her own price range, you will be married after all). Besides, what''s the difference? If you shop with your guy only and come across your dream ring, it could still very well be out of his price range. The great thing about looking on your own is that you can eliminate that choice from the get go, choose something within budget, and then tell him about it. He never has to know about that 20k dream ring you saw before and he doesn''t have to feel bad about not being able to afford it.
 
Date: 11/29/2007 4:48:22 PM
Author: thing2of2
I went to different jewelry stores a lot before we got engaged...it''s just shopping. You try on clothes all the time, right? Trying on rings is exactly the same thing to me.
Click to expand...
Ditto!
 
I never went ring shopping with my boyfriend. I printed out a picture from a website and got it to him through a friend who was pretending to be helpful to him just in case he needed it for the future. I wasn''t supposed to know he was ring shopping.

It was a round with 6 prongs (because I like that it keeps it looking round), in a tiffany setting, with a totally plain band.

My boyfriend saw the pic and got me a round stone with four prongs (it looks 100% square), it is a cathedral setting (because he thought it would be better about not snagging when I am working), and it has small bagets because he thought, "who wouldn''t want more diamonds?"

Now, I love love love my e-ring because it just happens to be beautiful, looks great on my hand and it''s meaningful b/c it''s the ring he proposed with but it is not what I would have picked out. He saw the ring and without my explanation as to why I would want certain things in a ring he made decisions about what to get.

If you want a certain ring you should go shopping and explain all the details. I feel like I lucked out by really loving my e-ring but that easily might not have been the case.
 
many more times than I care to count....but in all fairness sometimes I go just for a pick me up...trying on bling is better than wasting your money on drugs...diamonds will always be there!!
 
Date: 11/29/2007 7:22:44 PM
Author: musey
Date: 11/29/2007 4:48:22 PM

Author: thing2of2

I went to different jewelry stores a lot before we got engaged...it''s just shopping. You try on clothes all the time, right? Trying on rings is exactly the same thing to me.
Click to expand...

Ditto!
Click to expand...

I agree. D and I had talked about marriage a couple of years ago and I found the Tiffany lucida and fell in love. We were still a few years from getting engaged but I showed D the ring and he adored it also. At the beginning of last year, we starting talking about getting engaged sometime this year and so during last year and this year, we went ring browsing many times and we didn''t see anything that could compare. We were in Paris last year and we went to Tiffanys to see the lucida in person and we were both in love. We looked in a few more shops over here, and online, but all of them didn''t compare. In fact D was more adamant than me about getting the lucida. So we went and bought it this July in NY. If D didn''t have the budget for my lucida, I would have totally picked something else, afterall it''s just a ring, but it is nice to have the one that I dreamt about. So I definitely wouldn''t feel guilty about going ring browsing-there are so many out there, it''s best to find a couple that you like.
 
Ok so I talked to BF last night (very brief discussion). I don''t think he likes shopping with me too much unless there are guy things for him to look at too, because I will look at EVERYTHING in the store about 20 times and spend hours and usually he''s ready to go. So I said "I found a dealer that sells the designer of the ring that I like from the picture. I would like to go look at it and see if I really do like it or not, would you want to go too?" He kind of gave me one of those looks that I know very well that seemed like an ''Oh what a fun girly thing to do'' haha (Which I plan to talk to him about if he doesn''t want to look at it because he''s not ready or if he just didn''t want to go look). Either way I asked if he would mind me going by myself and he said he didn''t care so I said I would see if B (a friend of mine) wanted to go with me.

I talked to B today and she was going to be in that town tomorrow anyway so we decided to go get baby shower stuff and make a stop by the jewelry store tomorrow morning. I kinda like that she''s going because then I can get an outsider''s opinion of how the ring really looks because since I LOVE it I may not have a clear view! The only thing I worry about is that she VERY opinionated.
 
I''m glad the talk went well. You''re going to see the ring... How exciting!! You''ll have to let us know how it looks!!
 
Once me and a friend went looking at rings. Neither of us were in a steady relationship at the time but we wanted to admire some shiny. It was the starting ground; I found out what I liked. I didn''t try any of the rings on. I wasn''t really planning on anything either.

My fiance and I went looking at rings once before he proposed; I had no idea he was going to propose so it''s not like their was any planning for me.
 
Yeah I know how much everyone here LOVES pics so I have told myself I'm going to try to sneak a pic with my camera phone while the sales person isn't looking... maybe I could have my friend and the girls she's taking shopping distract the sales person lol! Plus I would like to be able to show him what it looks like on if he wants to know or something.

I'm mainly wanting to go because I always wanted a princess and never thought I'd like rounds and now I'm kind of leaning towards rounds... So I just want to see what actually works with my fingers.
1.gif


We live in AR and yesterday I sent him a message that I want to go to Murfreesboro (which is quite a drive for us) to look for diamonds. I'm not getting my hopes up that I could find one there that would be big enough to make into a ring. But at least that way it is a little way of getting him to think about it haha... plus it'll be fun, we like going to places that we can just spend the whole day together, we just don't get to do that very often with our crazy schedules (and me being in school working part-time with no money lol)! AND how awesome would it be IF we did find one good enough to make the main stone in an ering!?!

In case many of you don't know about it, you pay a small fee to get into the "field" and then you can look and dig all day and whatever you find... you keep. On their site they have some of the "famous" stones found, one was either 20 or 40 carats uncut. There was one that a lady found that was around 3 carats in the rough and ended up being little over 1 carat after she finally decided to have it cut and put into a special ring. It's on display and makes "tours" around the country and it is a PERFECT diamond... it says they gave it like a 000 rating because it is completely FLAWLESS and COLORLESS. I can't help but wonder how much that puppy would cost!

ETA: It says mostly people find around .20 and .25 carats (uncut of course) but you can find 1 carats and I guess you could get lucky and find a great one. Even if it was a tiny little thing at least it would be a nice little keepsake/souvenior
9.gif
 
Date: 11/29/2007 4:48:22 PM
Author: thing2of2
I went to different jewelry stores a lot before we got engaged...it''s just shopping. You try on clothes all the time, right? Trying on rings is exactly the same thing to me.
Click to expand...

I agree completely. My best friend and I would casually go into stores and try on what we thought we liked - and then ended up changing our minds! I had always wanted a 3 stone, but felt drawn to a princess cut. After trying on every shaped solitare they could find - I found out that my fingers are too short and stubby to have a solitare - tried on a 3 stone and I fell in love (and it looked a whole lot better too). So, FF and I designed what I wanted for the setting - now I''m going on month 2 of waiting for it on my finger.
 
Let''s clarify that the princess looked horrible on my hand, I''ll be the proud owner of a 3 stone with round rocks
1.gif
 
I looked and tried on rings a couple of times. Mostly I was too embarrassed, but I wish I wouldn''t have been. We ended up with the first thing that fit into the budget and while I''m not sure I could ever give it up I wish I''d tried more shapes, sizes, and settings than I did - 3 years later and I''ve never been completely happy with my ring even though I had a ton of say in it. I felt too silly to try things on to know what I actually wanted and since it was long distance (and jewellery) he wasn''t able (or interested) in spending as much time analysing the shapes, etc as I was.
 
I''ve been window-shopping since I was about 12, but last year I spent hours trying on rings and checking out different shapes on my fingers and getting some idea of the carat weight I''d like and all that... J has already said that if I get an engagement ring (finances permitting), he wants me to pick it out since I know a billion times more than him about diamonds and I''m quite selective and he''s afraid he''d mess it up. I also plan on paying for half of it, assuming we don''t instead get an engagement apartment or an engagement car or whatever.
 
Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Jewelry Blog
PriceScope-Concierge-Ad
Find prime cuts.
Top