Where is a good place to buy an engagement ring?

Lozeebee on 29/05/2014 - 11:49

Hi all,

I'm looking around for an engagement ring and have absolutely no idea what I'm doing.

I've come across GS Diamonds (http://www.gsdiamonds.com.au/) who also happen to have a store in QVB.

It seems like you can get something pretty decent for around $4000-$5000 but I dont know how to measure what's good or not.

I don't necessarily want the cheapest out there, I don't mind paying a bit if the price is right I guess…

Does any other OZB'ers have advise on anywhere else besides above I can go have a look? Preferrably in the Sydney metropolitan area!

I'm looking at roughly $4000-$5000 range. Is that too little or too much?

Thank in advance for the help! I'm really lost in this area…

General Discussion

Comments

      • sal78 on 03/06/2014 - 01:37

        i have a 6 prong setting and i really do not recommend it . it gets caught in everything. i havent worn it in 10 yrs. i always thought bezel setting was so ugly but now i completely understand the practicality of it.

    • ankor on 02/06/2014 - 20:44

      You pay gst,so long as you buy from a country where there is an agreement not to pay duty. For example, I bought from James Allen and did not pay duty because I followed the above from this thread.

      http://www.pricescope.com/forum/rockytalky/ring-delivered-to…

      Make sure you go for free shipping to your place of delivery, and that you haggle a lot. Internet retailers are cheaper than bricks and mortar, but you can still get about 15% off the ticket price.

  • leeroys_dad on 02/06/2014 - 11:56
    +1

    i proposed with a cheapie ring, as i wanted my now wife to choose the ring. choosing a ring is a huge part of the fun! (although can be stressful). this way she gets exactly what she wants. we bought from whiteflash. we hda to pay 15% tax (10% gst, 5% import duty), but still way way way better off than buying here.

    the wedding band was another thing. we had a look at prices online and they were about $1000. diamonds international have a 40% off ALL stock a few times a year, so we just hung out for that as my wife found a ring she really liked. although be very careful here. 2 stores in brisbane quoted $1400, but one store quoted $900 (carindale). for the exact. same. ring. shop around :)

  • AlanHB on 02/06/2014 - 13:44
    +5

    I feel really uncomfortable about forking out more than a couple of hundred dollars for a ring.

    I worked hard to get to this level of income, and I'm currently in the position where I'm covering 100% of the rent and bills for both of us (she's inbetween jobs). That's enough to show my love. I don't want someone now telling me I have to spend a couple of grand on a fashion accessory to show I value our relationship.

    • Cheeper on 02/06/2014 - 22:15

      and take it from an old guy who has been there and done that…. no matter how big the stone, the wearer can wander off on a whim tomorrow.

      • montorola on 03/06/2014 - 08:10

        Us men don't have it easy, women are so demanding

        • AlanHB on 03/06/2014 - 21:19

          Well I'm not saying that women are demanding, I just hate it how there's an expectation that guys have to fork out a stupid amount of money for girl to show to other girls and them go "ooohhh pretty!".

          I've heard some people say I'm meant to spend 3 months of my income? That's almost $25k? F**k that. If I was dating someone who insisted I spend that amount of money on something that goes on that finger, I'd cut them loose.

        • ozeebee on 04/06/2014 - 09:25

          Wow please hire me if you earn that much!

          I heard that as well, but no way I can afford that…

        • AlanHB on 06/06/2014 - 07:39

          Haha - if you have the right degree and work hard it's very possible that you'll have a similar level of income in a short period of time.

    • redlover on 04/06/2014 - 16:28

      Cant agree more with you. Im female and I think its a waste of money to have thousands dollar spent on ring.
      My hubby proposed me with 0.5 carat and a house to live in. I love him for doing that

      • AlanHB on 06/06/2014 - 07:40

        Good man, I love him for doing that too.

  • congo on 02/06/2014 - 15:12

    Cabrammatta or Chinatown (Asian) stores tends to be better valued.

  • nickio on 02/06/2014 - 16:40
    +2

    First thing, familiar yourself with diamond company.
    I am talking about company that cut, polish and grade diamond.
    The most respectable one is GIA.
    http://www.gia.edu/gem-lab-service/diamond-grading

    Next, there are so many factors that can affect the diamond cost. Beside the 3C, there are cut, polish grade, blueness of the diamond, and the thickness. So familiar yourself to how to read a diamond certificate, because this is a lot more accurate than the independent valuer can tell.

    Depending on how heavy(carat or .ct) you want to go, anything higher than 0.50ct it is safer to go with a diamond with laser inscription and certificate.

    This is the inscription http://www.diffractiondiamonds.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/1…

    Get quote around, asking for certificate diamond and the copy of the diamond and compare them.

    If you are not going for the top grade diamond, I will suggest :
    - F color
    - VVS2 or VS1 clarity
    - Very good Cut , Very good polish ( this will make a huge different )
    - Medium blue ( strong blue will have that purple effect in the diamond)
    - medium thickness
    - Heart and Arrow *optional (put it in a special glass, you can see heart on one side and arrow on the other side), a diamond with heart and arrow cut will be at least 10% more expensive.

    All these information are listed in the certificate, if the diamond has one.

    For store, go Asian area for a few quotes. Always ask for GIA certificate.

    Never ever go for GIE.

    Edit: To answer you question, in an Asian store with the grade diamond I list above, you probably looking at 0.65~0.70ct single stone on an 18K white gold band.
    Notes:
    18K gold will last longer than Platinium because it is stronger, and platinum is soft.
    6 prong ring to set the stone will make the stone looks bigger.

    • [Deactivated] on 02/06/2014 - 18:37

      @nickio, how much would something like the ring you've described cost?

      • nickio on 03/06/2014 - 10:50
        +1

        @Jar Jar Blinks
        I would say you are looking at $3.5-4.5k for the stone.
        The ring will be anywhere starting from $400.
        I am only familiar with the Asian jewellery market, so these are price around places like Cabarramatta or Springvale.

        • [Deactivated] on 03/06/2014 - 17:38

          Thanks @nickio. Much appreciated.
          Looks like there's quite a lot of bargains to be had in springvale. I need to go there more often.

  • LlamaOfDoom on 02/06/2014 - 17:55

    I went with a stone from Israel Diamonds (http://www.israel-diamonds.com/)

    0.58ct Round Diamond, F/VVS2, was $2.25k US.

    Wife loves it, its a great stone.
    Cost me a mint to get it set (I was thinking $600 tops?) @ $1k for setting into a nice ring, but we were quite specific in what we wanted to maybe cost more.

    Good luck!

  • MikeKulls on 02/06/2014 - 20:02

    I'd advise not overspending. I paid extra for a nice diamond and the novelty didn't last long.

  • gummibears on 03/06/2014 - 00:44

    Enlightening thread.

  • chiefbodge on 03/06/2014 - 03:01

    We got our ring from a Thai jeweller: http://www.lambertgems.com/ After reading great reviews online we popped into their office in bangkok when we were on holiday and they sketched the ring my fiance wanted exactly. A couple of weeks later we received it in the post when back in Australia and it was exactly like the sketch. Was 1/3 the price we were quoted in Australia.

  • [Deactivated] on 03/06/2014 - 11:02

    Heard Costco do bargain on Diamond rings as well.

    I've seen them displayed on the other day but unsure it's actually a bargain or not but might worth checking if your lady doesn't really care about the brand.

  • 8200 on 03/06/2014 - 11:10

    "I'm looking around for an engagement ring"

    = RUN!!!!

    Anyway, here you can buy wholesale, those in the know buy here:

    http://www.gndesignerjewellers.com.au/

    Nick and George no longer own it, not sure what the new guys are like but worth a look if your in/from Melb.

  • big on 03/06/2014 - 21:39
    +1

    Why diamond rings are a scam :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5kWu1ifBGU

  • Beerzy1980 on 03/06/2014 - 22:21

    Blue Nile
    www.bluenile.com/au/
    As the largest online retailer of certified diamonds, engagement rings, and fine jewellery, Blue Nile offers outstanding quality, selection, and value.

  • Gagosta on 04/06/2014 - 07:59

    Hey mate i am not sure if you have purchased a ring yet. What I wish I had done when i purchased my Tiffany's engagement ring for my fiance is what I am doing now!

    I was referred to a jewellery maker in Melbourne. He is a wholesaler who makes a lot of retail jewellery. He has made our wedding bands for us. Basically we saw the design we wanted and he made it! Paid $1700 and they are insurance valued (retail) at over $5k. I would suggest trying to find someone who is a wholesaler.

    I would be happy to put you in touch with this jeweller. Send me a pm if you are interested. They may know a similar person in Sydney?

  • mrmarkau67 on 04/06/2014 - 08:53

    It has been a while since we got married, but I did some research and found diamonds are beautiful and a huge scam; anything to do with the "wedding industry" is a ripoff. Walking into a jeweller and asking for a custom engagement ring is like a lamb walking into an abattoir and asking for a challenging position in the meat industry. We went for beautiful early 20th century and late 19th century estate pieces, bought at auction and at antique jewellers for our engagement and wedding rings. We also looked very closely at some 1960s Tiffany pieces.

  • Connections on 29/09/2014 - 17:56

    Another good diamond wholesaler similar to GS Diamonds is - http://www.larsenjewellery.com.au/ they have a store very close by, a friend of mine purchased his engagement ring from them last year for around the 4k mark. Personally I would compare the quality of the diamonds at both. You can pay far more for high quality diamonds and the clarity is a big one. I actually did not know how complex diamonds were until I went shopping with the friend.

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