BOOHOO!!!! Who is good at engagement ring shopping :-(

[sweetheart]

On saturday I looked down at my hand and noticed that 2 of the claws on my engagement ring had broken and the diamond was gone

I'm going to claim on the house insurance and have a certificate somewhere at home with the exact details of the cut / clarity etc but I want to find another ring.

The original is valued at £1300 I think so I'm assuming I'll get the same from the insurance to replace it (minus the bloomin excess of course!). My ring was a single diamond - solitaire I think.

Where can I get a good quality ring as a replacement?

[kenobi]

This is a very, very good website - they undercut most shops, have a huge range with proper certification and have ethical policies. www.77diamonds.com/

(no I don't work for them )

[IvyAndGold]

I love it! Just don't tell DP!

[gregssausageroll]

Do you want another ring or just new stones re-set into your current band?

[CaveMum]

We got mine in Hatton Gardens in London. We took the train down and made a day of it. Plenty of shops to make your selection from.

[sweetheart]

I think it has to be a new ring. The ring I had was a 2nd hand antique ring and this is the 2nd time the claws have broken. Lukily the first time was just after it was brought and I heard the diamond drop so we took it back to the shop. I think if I had it fixed again now I'd be forever worrying about it breaking again.

[kenobi]

Yes - Hatton Garden is great if you know what you are doing. Just to warn you I have heard a fair few stories of people being ripped off. Make sure you see the GIA before you buy.

[goldenbaby]

Where are you in the country? If you buy a second hand diamond you will get much more for your money because you don't pay VAT. If you are near Yorkshire there is a great shop in Yeadon that sells preowned diamonds and has some amazing bargains. It is a pleasant shopping experience too - it's not skanky!

[sweetheart]

That's the trouble - I don't know what I'm doing and don't want to get ripped off I loved my ring!

[kenobi]

sweetheart, I really can vouch for 77diamonds - they're legit and very good. I write about diamonds as a sideline to my job and I can't think of a better organisation offering diamonds the way they do, with sizes and prices ranging from £500 to £100,000.

Of course, if I was going for serious bling I'd head to Harry Winston but I'm sort of assuming that if you were looking at that level you wouldn't be on an internet forum!

[lalababy]

Hatten Gardens is the biggest rip off because people think it is cheap so they really trick you if you come across as a novice.

I would suggest that you go to Bluenile.co.uk... decide what you want in terms of cut, clarity, colour, carat and shape. Work out what table / depth you want (google that to understand). Then once armed with the cost of these diamonds you can then compare with shops across hatten gardens and come across as someone who knows that they are talking about.

I'd suggest you read the following articles as well... so you don't get duped!
www.diamondhelpers.com/ask/0040-scams.shtml

We bought my fantastic ring from the following webiste... B2Cjewles.com my sister lives in the states and was visiting - so she collected it for me which meant I saved 20% VAT ... and could be a better diamond. I got in valued for insurance in the UK and it was worth much more than I bought it for!

[ladydeedy]

Hatton Garden is great but there is so much choice it is v confusing. I got my engagement ring and wedding ring at Bernstones there. they will do you a good deal I am sure. I got around 25% off the price... well worth going there... good luck.

[Littletonlady]

I have to recommend Ingle and Rhode as they can create engagement rings copying a specific style or let you design your own. They are ethical and use fair trade gold etc. My engagement ring was the same price but it's platinum with a White sapphire although could have been a coloured one for the price. The ethical diamonds were over budget.

[clucky80]

I'm with lala baby here, both me and my friend got our engagement rings from Blue Nile too. I didn't have a clue at first about cut and clarity etc but it really sets it out clearly. My ring was too big at first and I just sent it back and they made it smaller for me. I think they are based in Ireland? As far as I can remember you choose your diamond, then the setting etc. I got a matching set for my engagement and wedding rings. DH got his wedding band from there too, a plain band but much cheaper than it would have been in the more well known jewellers. We went to Hatton Garden too as we live in London and I would have got a much smaller diamond from there for the same price.

[supadupapupascupa]

i would recommend taking a trip to the birmingham jewelry quarter. They manufacture as well as sell their diamonds and therefore you cut out the middleman. My earings and wedding rings are all valued at about 170% what I paid for them.

[Ambernj1]

HG is great, and a lovely day out. Got my engagement ring there and have never seen another like it (it has a purple sapphire as the main stone.)

The choice is phenomenal and i imagine prices are quite competitive given the proliferation of jewellers in the area. You can also get something specially made there (which is what my first fiancé did - shame is was hideous, though that is not the only reason we split!)