Need Help on Sapphire Engagement Ring

[diablo2man]

Hi, I'm new to this forum and want to say thank you to everyone here for sharing so much useful information.

I want to buy a Sapphire or Ruby Engagement Ring to propose because my girlfriend doesn't like normal diamond ring and I want her to feel special. She wants blue or green gemstone ring with antique style so I guess I will go with Sapphire. I like red personally so I may also look at ruby.

My price range is pretty flexible, mostly because I have no idea how much a good colored stone ring could cost. I'd say 20K to 50K for now.

Could you give some advice about where I should start looking?

Should I ever look at those high end jewelry brand? I checked Harry Winston and found some really pretty sapphire rings. But I'm not sure if the price is reasonable.

http://www.harrywinston.com/store/jewels/rings-jewels/colored-stones-rings-rings

PS: I'm at NYC. Not sure if that makes a difference.

Thanks very much.

 

[Niel]

I'm sorry I am not too good with picking sapphires. Others are better. But I just wanted to say with your budget you can really get something special! I wouldn't spend the money for a HW I'd let these girls find you something amazing and have a master bench craft you something exactly for her.

 

[distracts]

First, if SHE wants blue or green, get blue or green. She's the one who is going to be wearing it, and she'll really appreciate that you got her something to her taste.

Do you have any more ideas about what you want the final ring to look like? What shape center stone does she like? Ovals and elongated cushions are easiest to find with sapphires, btw. "Antique style" encompasses a wide variety of things. What carat weight are you guys aiming for? Do you want a solitaire or something with diamonds - and if diamonds, does she like a solitaire with a diamond shank, a halo, a three-stone type thing, or something else entirely? Would she like an actual antique?

What ring size is she? Have you two gone ring shopping together yet?

Also, is the 20k on your budget a hard lower limit? I ask because my husband's ring budget was much higher than what I ended up spending (granted, this was before sapphire prices rose) and it was a great cause of stress to him for a while that he wouldn't be spending as much as his future wife was "worth" or whatever (I DON'T EVEN KNOW, BOYS ARE SO WEIRD, as you can see from my avatar pic my ring is bangin').

Just some random ideas:
http://www.engagementringsdirect.com/vintage-platinum-ring-pid-1055-44.html
http://www.langantiques.com/products/item/30-1-5001
http://www.langantiques.com/products/item/30-1-1697
http://www.langantiques.com/products/item/30-1-1935
http://www.victorcanera.com/jewelry/engagement-rings/the-alexia-halo-trilogy
http://www.artofplatinum.com/index.php/portfolio/three-stone/three-stone-sapphire-ring-detail


Some random sapphires:
http://mastercutgems.com/index.php?page=viewgem&id=6952 (If I were shopping for a 20k+ ring right now, I'd get this, get some big diamond cushions or half-moons for sidestones, make a three-stone ring, and call it a day. BUT THAT'S ME. But also this rock is totally awesome and I look at the pictures of it a lot more than I probably should.)
http://mastercutgems.com/index.php?page=viewgem&id=6950
http://mastercutgems.com/index.php?page=viewgem&id=6944

 

[Niel]

if one type of antique she likes is art deco, what i would do is see if Jeff white could cut you a step cut on a beautiful blue and then add a few step cut diamond sides, probably id send it to Leon Mege to get the sides perfect

jeff white does amazing step cuts, and i think Leon Mege could do a 3 or 5 stone with an art deco feel that would be jsut aaaamaazzzinnnggg

BUT if she wants more ornate vintage, than it might not work...

heres a photoshop but you get the idea

 

[chrono]

Ruby and sapphire are on the opposite spectrum colour-wise so I would doubly check to make sure she's okay with that. However, she said blue or green, so I'd do blue sapphire as it is easier to find. I would not seek out a ruby because she did not say red. The cost will depend on carat size, quality of colour, treatment, and a few other lesser considerations.

HW is generally good but be prepared to overpay. On the positive side, you just pick a ring and you are done. If you are up for a bit of adventure, selecting your own stone and going custom with the setting is not only highly rewarding, you will get an unbelievable stone and setting for a fraction of the HW price tag. I second the suggestion of a precision cut stone by Jeff White but have to admit this sapphire is very tempting -
http://www.precisiongem.com/Gemstones/rapidcart/sapphire.html
Gem 1417 - 4.88 ct heat only Sri Lankan sapphire which comes with a highly reputable AGL lab memo.

Jeff White
http://www.whitesgems.com/gallery/corundum.htm

Does treatment matter to you?

 

[diablo2man]

Thanks for the advice.

Honestly, I don't know what the shape she would like. I just trick some of her girl friends to ask her ring questions and she said antique ring with blue/green stone.

As a totally no-taste guy, i really have a hard to image the shape of ring. And I know she would be picky because she is in art related profession. But I don't want to shop this with her because there would be no surprise when I propose.

First, if SHE wants blue or green, get blue or green. She's the one who is going to be wearing it, and she'll really appreciate that you got her something to her taste.

Do you have any more ideas about what you want the final ring to look like? What shape center stone does she like? Ovals and elongated cushions are easiest to find with sapphires, btw. "Antique style" encompasses a wide variety of things. What carat weight are you guys aiming for? Do you want a solitaire or something with diamonds - and if diamonds, does she like a solitaire with a diamond shank, a halo, a three-stone type thing, or something else entirely? Would she like an actual antique?

What ring size is she? Have you two gone ring shopping together yet?

Also, is the 20k on your budget a hard lower limit? I ask because my husband's ring budget was much higher than what I ended up spending (granted, this was before sapphire prices rose) and it was a great cause of stress to him for a while that he wouldn't be spending as much as his future wife was "worth" or whatever (I DON'T EVEN KNOW, BOYS ARE SO WEIRD, as you can see from my avatar pic my ring is bangin').

Just some random ideas:
http://www.engagementringsdirect.com/vintage-platinum-ring-pid-1055-44.html
http://www.langantiques.com/products/item/30-1-5001
http://www.langantiques.com/products/item/30-1-1697
http://www.langantiques.com/products/item/30-1-1935
http://www.victorcanera.com/jewelry/engagement-rings/the-alexia-halo-trilogy
http://www.artofplatinum.com/index.php/portfolio/three-stone/three-stone-sapphire-ring-detail


Some random sapphires:
http://mastercutgems.com/index.php?page=viewgem&id=6952 (If I were shopping for a 20k+ ring right now, I'd get this, get some big diamond cushions or half-moons for sidestones, make a three-stone ring, and call it a day. BUT THAT'S ME. But also this rock is totally awesome and I look at the pictures of it a lot more than I probably should.)
http://mastercutgems.com/index.php?page=viewgem&id=6950
http://mastercutgems.com/index.php?page=viewgem&id=6944

 

[diablo2man]

also i think she wants a real antique ring...but don't think it is practical for me to find one

 

[movie zombie]

you can shop with her for other types of jewelry to get at least a hint of what her tastes runs towards.
also, it might not be a bad idea to propose with a picture of a ring and let her design her own.
you can run this by her girlfriends and they can run this type of thing by her in a subtle way.
with your budget you will have no problem finding a very good stone and setting.

 

[Niel]

Does she have a Pinterest?

 

[distracts]

But I don't want to shop this with her because there would be no surprise when I propose.

This is absolutely not true. Just don't tell her when the ring will be finished and when you'll propose, and she'll still be plenty surprised. You've probably already discussed marriage, so the fact that you want to marry her shouldn't be a surprise, and since this is a ring she'll wear all the time and have people judging her on, it really should be something 100% to her taste. Trust me - my husband and I bought my engagement ring together, and I was still shocked when he proposed (I thought the proposal would be in another month or two). He had told me my ring wouldn't be ready before we could go on vacation, and even if it was ready, I couldn't bring it because there wouldn't be time to get it insured, but then one night when we were getting portraits taken, the photographer asked him to get down on one knee (which I thought was just because he's a foot and a half taller, and the photographer wanted our heads on the same level, lol), and BAM! Most of my friends have done the same, and had the same result. Heck, one of my friends KNEW the day her fiance was picking up the ring, but he told her it hadn't been ready, and she was still surprised when he proposed that evening. lol. So that's really not something you need to worry about. She's still going to flip with excitement when you propose.

Pinterest is a good idea - if you don't want to directly shop with her, could you have her make a pinterest board with rings she likes or send you links to rings she likes so we could see her style? Even if you aren't as artistically-inclined as her, if she has strong preferences, many of us will be able to deduce them and send you appropriate suggestions.

also i think she wants a real antique ring...but don't think it is practical for me to find one

If she wants a real antique ring, get her that! There are plenty of places online that sell antiques and we can probably recommend some places where you can shop in person if we know what major city you're near. Many pricescopers have antique rings and know good places to get them. There are a lot of really awesome antique sapphire rings out there.

also, it might not be a bad idea to propose with a picture of a ring and let her design her own.

Since she's artistic, she might really love this option!

 

[movie zombie]

distracts is so very right re it can still be a surprise!

 

[carmen1]

For what its worth, I have always thought that Single Stone has beautiful vintage/antique- inspired settings. With your budget perhaps you could select one of the gorgeous sapphires suggested by prior posters and work with Single Stone on finding/designing the perfect setting with an antique feel.

https://www.pricescope.com/blog/top-3-engagement-rings-styles-single-stone
https://www.pricescope.com/blog/jewel-week-unique-diamond-ring-leaf-motif
https://www.pricescope.com/blog/jewel-week-unique-vintage-inspired-engagement-ring-reset
http://www.singlestone.com/index.php?page=collections

 

[chrono]

The problem with the surprise is that it can be a good surprise or a bad surprise.

Good surprise - propose unexpectedly at a time and place that she didn't see coming.
Bad surprise - propose with a ring that she considers ugly, tacky, etc that she has to wear for the rest of her life.

I second / third the suggestion that you get the stone, let her have free reign with the setting design, then you don't let her be involved anymore until you are ready to propose. It will still be a huge surprise for her to see the ring because seeing it in a picture and actually seeing it feels very different aka 2D versus 3D, plus it's HER stone and it's now HER setting, you know what I mean? This way, you get the best of both worlds. She gets a ring she loves AND the surprise. She won't know when the ring is ready, when you will propose nor where the proposal will be.

Just saying that she wants an antique setting isn't enough information. There are so many different eras and styles from Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Victorian, and more and each one has a different look. Even within each era, they vary from simple to complex. I do think it is best to play this safe, especially since a custom setting is going to cost you anywhere from $2000 to $5000.

 

[Euphony]

I work in a custom wedding jewellery shop... We do a lot of rebuilds for women who do not like their rings. And it can be an emotional thing, because no one wants to hurt their partners feelings. I agree with the idea that buying a centre stone is a pretty solid way to go if you want a total surprise. I would try to get more input about shapes and sizes she prefers before even doing that, personally. Some people do like finger coverage, but many, many women like low profile, smaller stones. I think that for women who are not used to wearing jewellery, 2cts is usually the mark they like because the bigger the stone, the deeper the stone. Depending on her lifestyle a lot of women find large stones unwieldy. Lots of things to think about.

It is admirable when a man wants the woman he loves to have the most beautiful ring on the planet, but I have found it is more often the woman taking the man down on the size of the stone and the price tag on the ring because they are just not that comfortable with it. These are things you can't know until you ask. If she prefers smaller stones, you might be very under budget, and I would encourage you not to sweat that. It is first and foremost to show her how much you love her, what it says to other people is of secondary importance.

I am Canadian, and we tend towards more conservative sizes, so my experience is biased in that way. But most people on this forum are experienced wearers of large gemstones, so I thought I would make a counter argument. You need to know your lady's taste is the point we are unanimously making.

 

[movie zombie]

...........Bad surprise - propose with a ring that she considers ugly, tacky, etc that she has to wear for the rest of her life..............

or decides she wants an "upgrade" and starts searching for other stones and/or settings but feels guilty because she doesn't want to hurt your feelings.

 

[vintagelover229]

There are some at langs

This is amazing and unique
http://www.langantiques.com/products/item/30-91-3555


http://www.langantiques.com/products/item/30-1-435

http://www.langantiques.com/products/item/30-1-4707

http://www.langantiques.com/products/item/30-1-4241

I'm pretty sure this is an actual antique-the ring is very unique as well
http://www.langantiques.com/products/item/30-1-5070

http://www.langantiques.com/products/item/30-91-3577

 

[movie zombie]

diablo2man, this is for you and reinforces what we've been saying/writing.....

https://www.pricescope.com/communit...g-your-ering-is-bad-for-your-marriage.189569/

the comments from pricescopers certainly reinforces what many of us have been saying.

 

[minousbijoux]

You've received some excellent advice from other posters. I just wanted to echo what another poster said about size. Beauty comes in all sizes. Please don't think necessarily that you must have a large sapphire or ruby to make a statement. Many of us here would rather go for a brilliant, vivid smaller stone of limited treatment - say 2-4 carats - than a larger one of good but not phenomenal quality. If you considering an antique ring, please look carefully at the stone, and don't fall for bigger is better!

 

[diablo2man]

Firstly, I want to thank everyone answer my question above. I will reply one by one. I didn't follow up on this because of some personal matters. But now it is back to schedule and I will propose next month. I want to update my situation a little bit.

I think I will lower the budget to 10K +- 5K since I realized paying more than I can afford is not a sign for love or financial responsibility. In this budget I don't need to borrow money or max out my credit card. Also after many people above suggest, I don't need to spend that much to get a good sapphire ring. I can leave really fancy ring to anniversary once reaching a better financial status. (I mentioned the price of engagement ring to my girl and she thinks it is insane to spend much money on a ring)

Secondly, I really need to get something asap and prefer store/jeweler that in NY metro area. Do you have any suggestions? My initial thoughts is natural sapphire company since it is just blocks away from my office but there are a lot of controversy on this forum about that firm. I'm looking at something like:

http://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/sapphires/sapphire-jewelry/c-28-sapphire-rings/p-51777-blue-sapphire-ring-j4099/

Thirdly, as some suggested, I may just buy a stone and let her choose the setting afterwards. Do you think it is a good idea? (romantic or not to propose with a stone?)

Thanks again for the help!

 

[diablo2man]

Does she have a Pinterest?

this is her pinterest. could you help me find her style? thanks a lot

 

[diablo2man]

But I don't want to shop this with her because there would be no surprise when I propose.

This is absolutely not true. Just don't tell her when the ring will be finished and when you'll propose, and she'll still be plenty surprised. You've probably already discussed marriage, so the fact that you want to marry her shouldn't be a surprise, and since this is a ring she'll wear all the time and have people judging her on, it really should be something 100% to her taste. Trust me - my husband and I bought my engagement ring together, and I was still shocked when he proposed (I thought the proposal would be in another month or two). He had told me my ring wouldn't be ready before we could go on vacation, and even if it was ready, I couldn't bring it because there wouldn't be time to get it insured, but then one night when we were getting portraits taken, the photographer asked him to get down on one knee (which I thought was just because he's a foot and a half taller, and the photographer wanted our heads on the same level, lol), and BAM! Most of my friends have done the same, and had the same result. Heck, one of my friends KNEW the day her fiance was picking up the ring, but he told her it hadn't been ready, and she was still surprised when he proposed that evening. lol. So that's really not something you need to worry about. She's still going to flip with excitement when you propose.

Pinterest is a good idea - if you don't want to directly shop with her, could you have her make a pinterest board with rings she likes or send you links to rings she likes so we could see her style? Even if you aren't as artistically-inclined as her, if she has strong preferences, many of us will be able to deduce them and send you appropriate suggestions.

also i think she wants a real antique ring...but don't think it is practical for me to find one

If she wants a real antique ring, get her that! There are plenty of places online that sell antiques and we can probably recommend some places where you can shop in person if we know what major city you're near. Many pricescopers have antique rings and know good places to get them. There are a lot of really awesome antique sapphire rings out there.

also, it might not be a bad idea to propose with a picture of a ring and let her design her own.

Since she's artistic, she might really love this option!

Thanks a lot for your help. I think what you said is indeed convincing. Could you help me find her style? Also do u think propose with a stone and let her choose the setting afterward is good idea?

Here is her pinterest and personal website (hopefully she won't find out, lol)
http://pinterest.com/franceswang/
http://www.francesyinwang.com/

 

[diablo2man]

For what its worth, I have always thought that Single Stone has beautiful vintage/antique- inspired settings. With your budget perhaps you could select one of the gorgeous sapphires suggested by prior posters and work with Single Stone on finding/designing the perfect setting with an antique feel.

https://www.pricescope.com/blog/top-3-engagement-rings-styles-single-stone
https://www.pricescope.com/blog/jewel-week-unique-diamond-ring-leaf-motif
https://www.pricescope.com/blog/jewel-week-unique-vintage-inspired-engagement-ring-reset
http://www.singlestone.com/index.php?page=collections

I like singe stone too. the first two links look really beatiful. Do those settings work for sapphires? thx

 

[diablo2man]

I work in a custom wedding jewellery shop... We do a lot of rebuilds for women who do not like their rings. And it can be an emotional thing, because no one wants to hurt their partners feelings. I agree with the idea that buying a centre stone is a pretty solid way to go if you want a total surprise. I would try to get more input about shapes and sizes she prefers before even doing that, personally. Some people do like finger coverage, but many, many women like low profile, smaller stones. I think that for women who are not used to wearing jewellery, 2cts is usually the mark they like because the bigger the stone, the deeper the stone. Depending on her lifestyle a lot of women find large stones unwieldy. Lots of things to think about.

It is admirable when a man wants the woman he loves to have the most beautiful ring on the planet, but I have found it is more often the woman taking the man down on the size of the stone and the price tag on the ring because they are just not that comfortable with it. These are things you can't know until you ask. If she prefers smaller stones, you might be very under budget, and I would encourage you not to sweat that. It is first and foremost to show her how much you love her, what it says to other people is of secondary importance.

I am Canadian, and we tend towards more conservative sizes, so my experience is biased in that way. But most people on this forum are experienced wearers of large gemstones, so I thought I would make a counter argument. You need to know your lady's taste is the point we are unanimously making.

I totally get what u said. My girl always mentioned that she think large stone looks bad and not for her. She doesn't like showing off and want something elegant and low profile. I guess it is me who wants to buy a large stone for her and feel good about it since it is also a sign of men's social status. This is a good article about this phenomenon. Basically author claimed it is jewelry company who push people think like that.

http://www.businessinsider.com.au/why-diamonds-are-a-sham-2013-3

 

[chrono]

Given that you are pressed for time, I would get the stone first and propose with it set in a plain solitaire, allowing for a fancier setting at a later date (also when you are less rushed). NSC may be a good choice for you considering the location and time constraint. My only caution is to look out for poorly cut stones, as evidenced in your example link.

 

[movie zombie]

after looking at her pinterest I think she is very minimalist in her jewelry style.
at least at this point and time in her life.
she just is not into "bling" but I do think she would love some high karat gold!
Chrono has given you good advice.

 

[carmen1]

If you are in a hurry and want to deal with someone local, Diamonds by Lauren is also in NYC and they also sell nice settings. Here is one cut by Roger Dery that is well under your budget: http://www.diamondsbylauren.com/ind...lue-sapphire-cushion-cut-gorgeous-color-r4191

I think Prima Gems is also in NY, so you could also go there to look for a stone: https://primagemsusa.com/products/148,41

If you are not sure about the setting, you could also buy her a beautiful blue sapphire and have it set in an inexpensive solitaire setting, and when you propose you can tell her that you'll go shopping for a new setting together. And in the meantime she can wear the ring in its temporary setting.

 

[diablo2man]

after looking at her pinterest I think she is very minimalist in her jewelry style.
at least at this point and time in her life.
she just is not into "bling" but I do think she would love some high karat gold!
Chrono has given you good advice.

thanks for the advices! What do u mean by high karat gold? i know she mentioned that she wants a gold ring not white gold ring but 99% of engagement ring i see is white gold/platiumn

 

[diablo2man]

Given that you are pressed for time, I would get the stone first and propose with it set in a plain solitaire, allowing for a fancier setting at a later date (also when you are less rushed). NSC may be a good choice for you considering the location and time constraint. My only caution is to look out for poorly cut stones, as evidenced in your example link.

really? why do u think it is a bad cut? i may have a real bad eye for this, haha. I probably should read more articles about cutting. do you have recommendation?

thx

 

[chrono]

High karat gold is anything above 18K yellow gold.

It is possible that the ring isn't photographed straight on but when you can see a large window this easily in a stone that is already set means the window looks larger when unset. This windowed area means light leaks out the back instead of bouncing the light back to your eye. The stone is only lively around the outer edges whilst the center looks dead in comparison.

 

[velouriaL]

If I were you, I'd go down to Greenwich Jewelers in lower Manhatta. They carry a variety of great stuff, like Single Stone antique-look, Sholdt modern designs, and Megan Thorne romantic/organic looks. If you're in a timebind, you can just see what they can do for you, in terms of sourcing sapphires. If you are a little more flexible, you can source the sapphire yourself (Jeff White or Mastercut).