Where to buy a diamond ring?

[muddleduck]

After much encouragement DH has "suggested" that he buy me a enternity ring. Yes I know we're all supposed to be cutting back the spending right now but he got away without buying an engagement ring so I reckon I'm owed one

I have looked in a few shops and know exactly what I want, but where can I get the most bling for my cash? A friend suggested I'd get more diamond if I buy online rather that pay high street prices but I'm a bit nervous of buying online without a recommendation.

Any suggestions?

btw what I want is a yellow gold channel set with princess cut stones.

[MerlinsBeard]

we have just ordered our wedding rings from smooch we have pretty much designed our own and it has cost far far less than in the shops.

[SmugColditz]

here's good

[modernart]

Blue Nile is brilliant

[dexter73]

Maybe go to an auction because they are so much cheaper than high street jewellers.

[SunshineSmith]

Go to America. A cheap flight you get double the amount of diamond you would get paying in £ or euros.

Check american websites..... phenomenal!

[meep]

dh got mine here - recommended by a number of friends - the ring is gorgeous and so much cheaper than on the High Street

[Koshka]

lol smug colditz - that is a cool website!

[loler]

I got mine from the jewellery quarter in birmingham - most shops there design and make their own. My ring was about half the price of an almost identical (with smaller stones) one I saw on the high street. The shops are nice to wander around too.

[macherie]

A friend got a stunning diamond ring in the diamond district in New York for about half the price it would have been here. Good excuse for a trip to NY i'd say

[SunshineSmith]

ah, make sure the diamonds are certified... you get lots of crap diamonds out there...

[HeinzSight]

www.greatvaluediamonds.co.uk is brilliant. My DH bought me this one three years ago, and it's still gorgeous. Would definitely recommend this website.

[HeinzSight]

We also were looking a cooldiamonds website.

[HeinzSight]

We also were looking at cooldiamonds website.

[shortcircuit]

my DH had my engagement ring made in Antwerp. It costs about 6K & is valued at 11k. Came with all the papers etc & has been valued in the uk.

[shortcircuit]

ps don't forget the 4 c's. Clarity, colour, carat & cut

www.hwgem.com/diascale.htm

So, big isn't always better & if you have a white gold or platinum band, you'll need to have a white as you can get diamond.

[SunshineSmith]

Ah, never pay the full asking price in Hutton Gardens in London... always ask which is the best price they can give you.. a couple of years ago we got a pressie for my sis . The asking price was 3.9K athey came down to 3.4K.

Don't be shy... tell them you are a serious buyer, do your homework, write down prices in each shop you go....don't go to too many or you will get overloaded... go back to 3 of them and think about it. Buy it . Enjoy it!
xx

[LuLuBai]

Hatton Garden, definitely. My engagement ring is in the same ballpark as Shorcircuit's (price and valuation) and is certainly a lot more spectacular (and personal) than the Tiffany ring DH had originally intended to get me.

[Ronaldinhio]

Think about secondhand. My engagement ring is sh and was about a 1/3 of the price it would have been new.

[bundle]

am amazed that people wear such expensive jewellery

[MadreInglese]

Please make sure your diamonds are not conflict ones, you can get certificates for this.

You need DrNortherner to tell you her diamond ring story......

[DrNortherner]

Hello!

For my 10th wedding anniversary dh bought me a diamond ring. I gad never owned a diamond so we looked around the high street shops (as you would) we found one we liked, that was in our budget. WE nearly bought it, but dh suggessted I call SIL first (who has lots of diamonds) Anyway, she told us to ask the colour, weight and clarity before we bought and she would run it by her jeweller.

It turns out her jeweller (a small back street independant that I would never have considered going to)would have sold the exact same ring for about £800 less! The colour of teh diamonds were crap.

So we went to her jeweller, paid a lot less and got a ring that imo is much better (and the diamonds are bigger and better quality) plus he gave us a valuation certificate for insurance purposes too.

So, always check out your smaller independants - you get a much better service!

Have fun choosing!

[muddleduck]

Thank you all for ALL this info
I think I'm now more confused

I've looked a most of the sites listed by you helpful people but can't find quite what I want and don't really feel knowledgeable enough about all the clarity colour stuff. We've both booked a day off work next week so maybe a trip to Hatton Gardens is our best bet.

Dr Northerner - where is your SIL's jeweller?

[MadreInglese]

Not wanting to put a dampener on your bling excitement, but please have a little read of this before you decide where to buy from

[DrNortherner]

In Harrogate.