Engagement ring from high street shop?

[Bluesea14]

Where did you get your wedding ring? I have been looking at one in hsamuel and can't find anything similar online. Apparently high street shops should be avoided but I'm not sure we have the budget for an independent jewellers. Looking to spend around £1k. My local city has 4 independent jewellers with the average ring price of around £3k

Why should high street shops be avoided??
I have a ring from F.Hinds that I love which was around £400 and one from Luceir that was £500, both beautiful, and lasting well.

An independent jeweller (well, a good one) will be able to make you a ring to suit your budget and you'll get a much better stone than you would from a high street shop. Go in and have a conversation with them, they will definitely be able to make you a lovely ring for £1000.

I’ve got an engagement ring from Beaverbrooks and an eternity ring from Whibleys, love both but prices have soared since these purchases 18 years ago/ 14 years ago.

My engagement ring from a local chain jeweller (about 20 shops in specfic region) was priced at over £8k. Came away really disheartened at what I thought was a generous budget could buy!

We got an independent in the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter to make one for us- £3k with a larger, better quality diamond. Would recommend over and over again, was so worth the day trip!

Mine is Ernest Jones. My only wish is that I had gone for a second hand or vintage ring, we'd have got much more for our money! I'd highly recommend you look at second hand.

Gold has shot up in price so look for a reputable second hand jeweller. You’ll get more for your money. I think, but not sure, theres no VAT to pay on 2nd hand goods so that in itself is a bonus.
Take your time, do your research. You’ll be living with your choice for a long time!

Definitely go to the Birmingham jewelry quarter. A whole street of jewelry shops both sides of the road. I picked a design I loved and they bought in a stone for me to DH specifications.

Look at vintage - way more bang for your buck and better from an environmental perspective.

Definitely go vintage.

Wish I’d gone vintage. Mine was from a local independent jeweller.

Mine came from a pawn shop. I love it.

H actually brought me a more expensive ring that I never wear because the diamond is too big.

If I buy jewellery I like to go to Brighton.

I think it came from a High Street jeweller who offered engraving. Was a fair while ago.
We liked the rings they had and so bought them. The rings were important, not the shop.

Go to Hatton Garden or Birmingham Jewellery Quater and haggle

Is your concern about the high street because of ethical concerns about the mining etc? If so then even more reason to go vintage.

I saw my engagement ring on a high street jewellers website but DH couldn’t stretch that far with budget. However, as someone else has said, go to an independent jeweller. We went to Hatton Garden. They will copy a ring and bring it in on budget. For instance it was way cheaper to have lab grown diamonds, which I preferred from an ethical point of view anyway.

Mine is a 1930 ring from ebay. Came with full refund policy, great shop reviews and I took it to an independent jewelery to get valued/ authenticated so it felt low risk. It was a replacement for a lost ring - that was vintage too but bought from a second hand jewellery store, so I was more confident second time round.

Got a £230 jobbie from the high street in 2004, matches its 2006 £53 counterpart wedding ring from the same shop perfectly. Still on my finger and still love the ‘giver’ just as much.

We got ours from a mid‑range jeweller rather than a big high street shop and were really happy with the quality — but you can find great rings around your budget without paying £3k.

I've designed the same style of ring online using the websites where you pick your diamond and they are all all coming up over £1500.

I wish I could but it's hours from me and I have a baby :( I've been looking online but I can't seem to find the ring I like within budget.

No, more that the ring/diamond is poor quality. I'm more than happy with a lab diamond but I haven't been able to find one within budget for the style that I would like.

Mine cost £1500 from Hatton garden 5 years ago and when I got it independently valued was £3500 the good thing about Hatton Garden is not just the experience - I got to choose my diamond looking through a monocle and the band but I go in the same shop every 3-4 months and they clean it for free. Mine is 0.5ct but the stone is the highest quality so not the biggest but definitely the nicest I’ve ever seen. I have a solitaire on a 6 prong which makes it look slightly bigger.

Thanks for all of the replies! I have shopped on quite a few jewellers that are showing up in Google maps in HG and the jewellery quarter, however for the ring I like I'm struggling to find any under £1400 - and that's with low quality stones.

Could you tell me the name of the jewellers please? Thank you

What style of ring do you want?