Hatton Garden Ring Advice please!

[Ringhelpme]

Hello!

My partner and I got engaged a couple of weeks ago and are planning to go to Hatton Garden to get my engagement ring.

Any advice of where to start? I’m so clueless. . . My thoughts are that I want something quite simple and elegant, not too fussy. Ethical is important so maybe lab made diamonds? Or Sapphire instead? Not sure of budget (my partner doesn’t have one in mind) but is not the primary factor. We both earn well (40% tax payers), but don’t want to spend money for the sake of it - just want to get something beautiful that I will love. I have quite small hands, thin fingers so nothing too big.

Thanks for any tips or show me your ring or some pics if you think I might like it for inspiration!

Bump

I'd always look for antique or vintage. Much better value tan new and some lovely things out there.
Berganza have a website (not cheap!!!!) and a real live shop in Hatton Garden, I believe. This is not an advert; I've never had dealings with them: www.berganza.com/
But other Mumsnetters will know more.

Thanks, they have some beautiful rings! Some are super pricey but some reasonably priced (for an engagement ring anyway!)

We used these guys and they were great. You'll need to book an appointment and their workshop is in a tiny room in an office block so feels a bit weird but they did a good job and were reasonably priced.

hydeparkdesign.com

I also had our wedding rings made by Hyde Park design and highly recommend them. I have also reused them since. I first met them at a wedding fair and they were so relaxed, definitely not forcefully selling/marketing. They took time to explain everything to us and also re-designed my husbands ring when he changed his mind. They design rings more so then sell off the shelf so you really get what you want.

Oh, this takes me back - about 33 years to be exact. DH and went to Hatton Garden to buy my engagement ring. I can't remember which shop, but I got a beautiful ring which I still love. It's an oval ruby surrounded by diamonds, and it's very delicate and pretty.

Thanks all, this is so helpful.

I feel like I have a good starting point here:

Maybe Berganza to look at vintage rings, then Hyde Park design to consider lab made diamonds and am thinking maybe here www.ingleandrhode.co.uk/ if we consider any mined stones so I can be really sure of where they come from.

You need to be prepared for quite a lot of hard selling. I went there last year to browse for my 60th birthday ring and people would come out of the shop and accost me on the pavement. it put me off.

Honestly? I would go to Brighton and look at the second hand rings there. Massive selection, second hand jewellery is always cheaper than new, and you won’t pay vat on them as you would a new ring.

I had my engagement and wedding ring made in Hatton garden (shop has now gone out of business) but bought my eternity ring second hand in Brighton.

I love Hatton Garden. I used to work near there.

We got my engagement ring from the jewellery quarter but our wedding rings from Hatton garden.

I knew I wanted a flat profile and not a solitaire. We looked in windows and shops and I tried some on. The one I got I actually saw in the first shop we went to but had to see all the others before committing lol.

With our wedding rings, again, I wanted one without diamonds and that wasn't shaped to fit my engagement ring. We looked at a few and then found a lovely one with a lovely design on the edges that was perfect.

Look around, try on lots of styles, have fun and see what you like when it's on.

I went to Hatton Garden and had a great experience. There's so many shops so prices are competitive. Make a day of it and try things on and see what you start to like. You will soon get an idea of what you can get for your budget. We bought mine from A&S Jewellers. They're established and knowledgeable. I still go back annually to get it cleaned and inspected. Have a lovely day.

My biggest advice would be to go to some high street retailers like Beaverbrooks, Tiffany etc first to check what kind of rings you like. Take a note of the size, shape, setting, material etc etc of the rings.

THEN go to HG and spend some time with the designers refining exactly what you want.

Do not buy a vintage ring, you have no idea of the quality of the setting and a new ring is better value. Lab diamonds all the way, they’re indistinguishable from the mined ones.

HG will get you a fantastic bargain but they really don’t have many rings on display so it’s much better to try on some in other high street stores first before having your own made up.

We got married in 1995. We got my wedding ring from local branch of Walkers just a plain 18ct gold band. It cost £120.But they didn’t have a ring big enough for DH.

H Samuals could order one in to fit his sausage fingers but would cost £320 !

We decided to try Hatton Garden as a better value option. No idea which shop we went to. I only remember all the shops being locked and a security guard unlocking to let customers in/out.

DH had an 18ct band made to measure and we took the jewellers advice to have some decorative beading on the edges which did make his fingers look slimmer. Cost only £170. Wish we had had there for my rings.

My engagement ring came from Berganza. They are the best sales people in the world- the guy sat us down and told us the story of when the ring was made and how it had been decorated for the wearer as well as the onlooker, and all about the Zanzibar emerald mines (now closed). Then they will service it every year free of charge and do you a deal on wedding rings too. We must've bought the cheapest item in the shop but certainly didn't feel like it!

What does everyone think of these? Some that appealed on a first perusal

Do you have to make an appointment at Berganza? All the others say on their website but they don’t

I like the sapphire one. I slightly regret not getting my centre stone as a sapphire.

There is a wonderful treasure trove in Hatton Garden called Ullman’s. They sell second-hand jewellery at fair prices and without any pressure. They have a website too so you can check the kind of thing they have.

We bought my engagement rings from Samara James, a vast amount of choice, in any metal you like.
They will also send you a silver replica to try out for a while before you buy.

www.samarajames.com

OP, the twisty band in the first one isvery dated. The second one is ok.

Would throughly recommend Berganza. Suggest making an appointment which you can do via phone. You can just walk up but there is the risk that you will have to queue.

Katz is good if still there. Oldest shop in HG and no frills, no bling or hard sell. Just quality jewellery at excellent prices, with honest advice.

@Normandy144 We got my ring from
A&S as well! I wasn’t keen to go at first as I thought they looked like an 80’s travel agent but they had the most rings in the window I liked. The staff were lovely, so helpful, and years late I still look at my ring several times a day and smile

I think we need to go and look at some now. I’ve looked at so many pictures and I’m so confused as to what I want! I know it’s either Sapphire and diamond or just a single diamond and that I want something quite simple and elegant. I feel I need to actually see some rings and how they would look on my hand.

I used to work in HG...i wouldnt bother...the mark up is huge....800% to pay for the fancy shops and private guards who patrol the streets etc....go second hand or try one of the small work shops up the back stairs etc...some pointers already mentioned....if you pay £1000 for a ring they will only offer you about £200 if you ever want to sell it !!