ring help please

[akw94]

Well, I thought perhaps reading everyone else''s posts here would be enough for me, but there''s so much info. and so many terms that i''m a little confused.
I have done a little searching on rings, after finding a bunch of info from one of the forums here. I found that I like the antique style the most, but I don''t know much more than that. I looked through a bunch of links and after I was asked what I liked, I sent the links to him. Now, it seems like there''s so much more to know about rings..styles, shapes, cuts, etc... Anyone have a brief overview available? Also, I wonder about choosing a ring that I can''t try on. It could easily turn out that I don''t like what I thought I liked. I wouldn''t want him to buy it and then I secretly don''t care for it. I also wonder if I should be more specific and pick one of them or let him pick from my variety. We haven''t gone anywhere to look together although he''s said he''d like us too. We have had opportunities but he''s never suggested going in a store, and I''d like him to bring it up. That might be silly of me but after he told me to go look, I did and now he''s said nothing else. I actually don''t know if there are stores that would have the kind of rings that I like. Most stores that i''ve glanced around don''t have styles that interest me. I also hadn''t even thought of picking the diamond and not sure where to start. Since I sent him the links, we haven''t talked about rings and I wonder if he wants to do the rest...i''m just worried b/c I am pretty picky (which he''s well aware of). How excactly does the pricescope discount work?
Help please and thanks in advance!

 

[Caribou]

Hi!

My advice would be to go and try on rings that look similar to the antique styles you like...if you can find the same ring you found on line, better yet.

I went looking at rings with a friend of mine and tried on a halo ring...it was beautiful...however, when I showed my FI the ring he was less than impressed. He said it didn''t look ''e-ring to him'' but he said if I loved it he''d get it for me. However, he also wanted to like the ring so we went shopping together and found a style that we both really like (well I love it). I still love the halo rings (hopefully I didn''t insult any halo-girls out there) but I''m very happy we went to look toghether.

I never had the problem of having a hard time choosing the shape stone I wanted, I''ve always been a RB girl. But if you like different stones (emerald, cushion, asscher, etc) I would try them all on to see what looks best on your finger. Hopefully that will narrow it down. Also, try on styles that you might not consider because like you said the style you have in your head (antique) might not look as good on your finger as say a more modern (bezel) ring.

Good luck. It''s a lot of fun looking.

 

[SoonIHope]

I definitely agree with Caribou - TRY ON LOTS OF RINGS!!!! I was very very surprised to see how drastically my tastes changed when I actually saw different stone shapes/setting styles on my finger. I ended up with a stone shape I''d never even heard of before trying on rings (cushion) on a micropave band (whereas I had scoffed at the idea of diamonds on a band before, thinking it was too gaudy. HA!

) So basically, try on a little bit of everything and just see what you think after that. Remember that most ring pictures online are also many many times magnified, so they don''t even necessarily have the same "look" in person. I also think that going with your boyfriend is a very good idea, since I was surprised that, like Caribou''s boyfriend, mine had several opinions on what "looked like an engagement ring" that surprised me, and several styles that he just kind of didn''t like for whatever reason. Ultimately, I gave him a list of basic guidelines, and several actual ring pictures, and he chose the perfect combination of all of them for me! I felt ten million times better about the whole thing too, knowing that we were on the same page in terms of what the final product would look like, so I wasn''t worried at all that it would end up being something I didn''t love. So I highly recommend trying on a bunch of rings with him. GOOD LUCK!!!!

 

[anchor31]

I agree with Caribou and albi... Try on as many as you can! I was dead set for a five stone when I came on board here, but when I tried one on recently, I didn''t like it at all!!

My advice would be to tell him that you would like to go on a shopping trip and try on rings with him to see what you like and what fits your hand and style best. Sizes, shapes, settings, everything. My boyfriend didn''t want to take me shopping initially too, but when I told him I wanted to try them on first to see what I like, he agreed. Yes, I know rings can be returned but we both attach a lot of value to the ring he will propose with, and we want it to be the one.

Good luck!

 

[akw94]

Thanks everyone! I think I will have to go look together at rings. I just feel weird bringing it up. I think i''ll wait a few months and then suggest we go. I don''t think he''ll mind but I don''t want him to feel pressured. When I have ventured in a couple stores myself, i''ve never seen any rings that look similar to the style I like. Of course, i''ve only browsed in stores in malls, never gone to outside jewelers. Any suggestions in the Chgo area? I like ones w/some sort of engraving on the sides, something unique but simple. I''ve been looking at these:
http://www.antiquejewelrymall.com/artde12cadif.html
http://antique-engagement-rings.masterpiecejewels.com/masterpiecejewels.cfm/antique-engagement-rings/ANTIQUE-STYLE-RING-R0280.html
http://www.gordonclark.com/shopDisplay2001.html?itemID=259 (not antique style but still really like)
http://www.diamondsonfifth.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=TDP&Product_Code=FL008-1
http://antiqueengagementrings.com/shopping/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=22 (2nd and 5th from the bottom)


I think I also like a round stone so i''m not even sure if all of these are doable or if I will like them on my hand. I think I like the sort of ring where the diamond sits a little higher, if that makes sense. Does that have to do w/the prong type? Anyone know other sites for this sort of style?

Oh, so many questions....

Thanks!

 

[akw94]

I keep forgetting to say--> Albicocca, I love your ring! It is beautiful. Wow!

 

[Caribou]

I think depending on the ring style you have the prongs set up however high you want them.

I always wanted a higher set center stone but the way my e-ring was made it sits lower. At first, although I absolutely love my ring, I wished that it was set higher but now I can't imagine it being set any differently.

BTW, I LOVE the last ring you posted, the cushion one, very pretty.

ETA: I should probably pay more attention since I was looking at the wrong ring.

In the last link you posted my ring looks like the 5th one, except it has a basket of tiny diamonds around the prongs of the center stone. Not to toot my own horn but it's a beautiful ring.

 

[akw94]

I like that one too. Well, ok, I like them all...maybe that''s my problem.
What does it mean to be a "cushion" style?

Do rings require a certain size diamond or can they be sized accordingly? Same question about shape of the diamond?

 

[Caribou]

Date: 2/16/2006 3:36:49 PM
Author: amy94
I like that one too. Well, ok, I like them all...maybe that''s my problem.
What does it mean to be a ''cushion'' style?

Do rings require a certain size diamond or can they be sized accordingly? Same question about shape of the diamond?

I was looking at the wrong ring...

. I read your post again and noticed you said you like 2 and 5, mine looks very similar to 5, without the engraving on the side and a couple minor differences. Cushion is an oval shaped diamond, it''s very pretty.

For true antique rings I''m not sure about the diamond size. If it''s a replica or pretty much any other ring, usually you can have any size diamond, they just have to change the prongs. I think the last link you posted states the size stone that can be placed in it.

I found that most rings I looked and tried the prongs were set for a 1ct stone but all the jewelers said there would not be a problem with have a bigger or smaller stone set it.

 

[akw94]

I went around today to different sites and found lots of different shapes. I do like the Cushion, especially the Old Mine Cushion.
Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Now, i''m excited to go looking, at least to narrow down my likes and dislikes. I think it''ll be tough finding what I like in stores but you never know. I have a feeling i''ll end up buying online but I definitely have to try on something similar first!

 

[ilovesparkles]

Have you looked at the Whitehouse Brothers? They have rings that look similar to the ones you are looking at. Good luck!

www.whitehousebrothers.com

 

[akw94]

Thanks for that site. I hadn''t been there before. I think the rings are pretty. I like having the engraving on the sides or small diamonds on the sides, just wish I had an idea how it would look on *my* hand. The only thing that turns me away is when sites don''t list the price. Generally, the prices are too high when not listed, but i''ll certainly put that site on my list!
Thanks!

 

[SoonIHope]

Date: 2/16/2006 10:13:39 AM
Author: amy94
I keep forgetting to say--> Albicocca, I love your ring! It is beautiful. Wow!

Awww, didn''t see this till just now! Thank you Amy!!!!

Have you brought up the idea of going ring-trying-on with your boyfriend yet? He''ll probably drag his feet a bit, but I''m sure he''ll agree to go with you in the end! I don''t have any specific store recommendations for you, but I''m sure you can find some antique-style rings with engraving somewhere!! One other thing to remember is that you don''t have to be interested in BUYING the rings you try on, so you can either go into a super expensive designer store to get an idea of styles OR just try on costume jewelry.

Either one of those would still give you an idea of about how large a stone you like, how the different types of settings look on your hand, etc! An antique store might have a few pieces too? Good luck!!!

 

[akw94]

Albicocca, he actually initially brought up us going to look but hadn''t brought it up in the last few months since I sent him some pics of my likes. The other day, I couldn''t help myself and did say that I''d like to go looking with him. He replied that he thought that was a good idea. That made me very happy.

So now i''ve decided that i''ll wait a few months and then suggest a time to go, if he hasn''t brought it up. I don''t want him to feel pressured b/c i''m not needing a proposal right away, even though I wouldn''t turn him down now. It''s funny, he actually brings up wedding stuff and being married more than I do. Then once he started bringing it up, I started thinking about it more and more and it led me to you guys. I''m sure I think about it way more than he does. We''re getting our place together in August and will start looking in May, so i''m really excited about that.

When everyone has gone looking together, do you have a list of places to go that are spread out or just to a certain area that has a bunch of stores?

The thought of just trying on rings makes me nervous and excited!