UK moissanite engagement ring?

[emmaj987]

Hi all, my otherhalf popped the question over christmas i'm so excited! He used a cheap placeholder ring as he knew i wanted to choose a ring together.

We've spent days out shopping looking at styles and cuts, sizes, (the 4cs) and i feel we've found the perfect ring.

Now the hard part, a friend recommended i look into a moissanite ring... this is the first i've heard about moissanite and i'm really torn what to do! Has anyone here bought a moissanite ring before in the UK? Its such a huge cost saving and would really help as we can put this towards our dream wedding.

I'm absolutely fine buying a moissanite over a diamond, i've had friends buy alternative engagement rings and as long as it represents our love for one another thats fine.

My main concern is if it will stand the test of time and the ring is clearly hallmarked in the UK, i've done some research and most moissanite suppliers are based in the US and manufacture their rings in China, the metal is not UK hallmarked so you'll never be sure if you get what you're paying for.

From research so far Charles & Colvard, Forever One appears to be the moissanite stone of choice?

If anyone can offer any advice, it would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Emma

I actually lost my first engagement ring (didn't go down to well TBH).
We ended up replacing in with a moissy as I really wanted a diamond / diamond look this time round, and couldn't justify the cost of what I wanted. I went for a platinum solitaire in a 1.5ct, I've had it now for about 18months and wear it every day. No one has ever asked me if it is or isn't a diamond, i'm certainly not going to enlighten them, I would recommend it for sure.

Please post a pic of your ring when you get it :)

Each to their own. I don't think a lab created stone is worth anything other than the labour used to produce it, and won't hold its value. I have always bought second hand or antique, either from the same jeweller my mother used or from auction.

I have just seen this in post sales at Denhams. Its fairly similar but the real thing.

Oh, and congratulations

The second ring is a bargain.

OP Congratulations on your engagement but as Minnie says above you could buy a genuine secondhand diamond ring of equivalent stone size and good quality for much, much less than the 'High Street' £10,000 you suggest above.

Here is just one example carolefranks.com/Antique-Rings/Good-Quality-Diamond-Solitaire-Engagement-Ring/3997 And it's platinum, which is more valuable than white gold.

Second-hand jewellery does not increase the demand for new unethically mined stones. But if you want new and ethical, it's perfectly possible to buy those.

But flora, that ring is £2,500. More than double what the OP is paying for her ring.
Everyone knows that the price of diamonds is artificially high - if you can get something which is more sparkly and just as durable, why wouldn't you?
Most people don't re sell their engagement rings, so their monetary value is pretty irrelevant once you've paid for it.

I guess I never really considered buying a second hand engagement ring.

Thanks for the link Flora, but the stone colour and clarity isn’t as good as the moissanite stone I’ve chosen and it’s still double the price/seconf hand. If you find a 1ct ring with a D-F colour and good clarity that would be an equivalent I think, these were all in excess of 10k for a diamond equivalent.

I’m not against second hand rings or any other gems, it’s all personal choice and the most import thing is the meaning behind the ring.

I've no idea why people keep harping on about diamond engagement rings 'holding their value', being an investment, how much you'd get for them if you sold them etc. Surely nobody buys an engagement ring with a view to selling it one day?!

Oh, and if you're considering what might happen in the event you and your fiance were to split and you wanted to sell (which is a pretty horrible thing to consider when you're just celebrating your engagement imo), let me tell you about the engagement ring exH gave me. He paid £800 for it 22 years ago (diamond solitaire, .75ct). When I sold it after we divorced 15 years ago, the most I was offered was £150.

My moissanite ring is a half carat solitaire which cost about £250 around ten years ago. Similar ones sell for about £150 second hand now, which isn't a lot - but in real terms it's depreciated in value to a far lesser extent than my diamond did. A larger stone set in 18ct with diamonds like the OP's would hold its value even more.

Not that any newly engaged couple really think in those terms, surely?

Oh and I adore opals, but sadly they're way too soft to be worn every day as an engagement ring would be. My mother had a beautiful one which she never took off - she wore it daily for about 15 years, and eventually it cracked in half and started to crumble. I have some lovely opal pieces but I only wear them occasionally, sadly.

QuimJongUn ( at your ace name) that's made me sad, I damaged my ring, had it remade and now save it for best / never wear it, and would love an opal as a daily inexpensive replacement ring!

Might drop hints to dh for my birthday that has a scary number later this year!

Floras
That diamond is a J colour.

Remember the 3 C's
Cut Colour and Clarity ( I think)

My ring arrived yesterday, I love it

Thanks for everyones advice, as promised here’s the photo.

Now for wedding planning

It's beautiful Emma, congratulations and enjoy planning your wedding

Gorgeous ring. Glad you are happy with it.

Congratulations Emma! That ring is beautiful! Where did you get it from in the end?

Wow very beautiful!

Thanks so much, its so strange to wear it!

missmememe - i eventually bought it from Lily Arkwright, its the 1ct

lilyarkwright.com/products/cicely-round-shoulder-set?variant=4719636152352

It was a choice between Lily Arkwright and Very in the end, Very have a lot of unnamed Moissanite which put me off as i really wanted the Charles & Colvard Forever One Stone.

Missmeme is a sock puppet. Her only other posts relate to a discount code for the site the OP used - posted two months ago.

Well done on your advertising campaign OP

I’ve had a few moissonite rings, necklaces and earrings. They are stronger than diamonds, clearer, sparkle more, I would never go back to diamonds. When I put a diamond ring on the same finger as my moissonite the diamond is definitely the poorer visually. As long as you use a reputable dealer that uses quality gold etc there better than any diamond

Actually there are many options for the Moissanite engagement rings to procure via online. You also get discounts and many other options to customize your moissanite diamond ring.

I've heard that too.