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Helping BIL buy ering...suggestions?
So my BIL is looking to pop the question and asked my help. He doesn't know what his girlfriend likes but I think the simpler the better. I told him to either go for a round, cushion or radiant cut with a thin plain band or thin microdiamond band.
What do you think? His budget is about $8000.
Re: Helping BIL buy ering...suggestions?
This is my engagement ring and I think it's pretty simple with just a little something extra - sort of like what you suggest your BIL look for.
http://www.tiffany.com/Engagement/item.aspx?GroupSku=GRP10016&selectedSku=23464489#f+3/0/0/0/0/0
P.S. I don't mean go to Tiffany directly although I do love the cliched blue box coupled with a proposal. Just suggesting the style to look for. FWIW, the first thing I thought when I saw my engagement ring for the first time (MH picked it out) was that it was something I look forward to handing down to my kids someday. It seems pretty timeless. Maybe I'm wrong though ...
I suggested a style like this to him.
http://www.tiffany.com/Engagement/Item.aspx?GroupSKU=GRP10015
We're going to go to a local jeweler (high quality guy I have bought jewelry from) to take a look. I just didn't want to be out of the loop with this style
I don't want him to buy from Tiffany b/c I think you can find similar quality for way less elsewhere. He has been married before so he does know a bit but he needs some hand holding and that is why I offered to go with him.
I would go to a private jeweler. And he should not be shy about bargaining.
$8k isn't going to get him much at Tiffany.
This is just my suggestion, but if he doesn't know what his girlfriend's style is, I would suggest he propose with a diamond, then take her shopping to choose her setting after he proposes.
I'd steer away from cushions & princess cuts. They're really trendy these days (according to my friend that works at a jewelry store and sells "white-gold-square-diamond" rings all day every day).
I wanted something very simple. I have an asscher cut diamond solitaire on a thin platinum band.
If she wants something a bit more sparkly, I'd go with a round cut diamond solitaire. Doesn't get more classic than that.
Princess is definitely out b/c that's what he gave his first wife. I prefer round (mine is a round solitaire with a plain knife edge thin band) but I think he may want something a little 'different'. I think I'm going to try and convince him that round is the way to go b/c it's so classic.
He wants to talk to her mom and see if she has any ideas. He says they're very close and would probably know. He wants to ask her for 'permission' to marry her daughter and then ask if there is a style she likes. I'm not sure if that's a good idea (asking her ring preference) but he seems to want to.
This is my ring ( not my picture, but exact style). It is a henri daussi radiant cut (shaped like emerald but w/ more facets) and I love it. I still get compliments on it all the time, 8 years after receiving it. I think it is timeless, but w/ a twist. I believe it was apx. $8k.
Here's a novel idea: why not let the woman who has to wear it for the rest of her life pick it out? Tell BIL to propose without it and let his first gift to her be choosing the one piece of jewelry she'll get to wear til the day she dies.
DH proposed spontaneously to me on vacation, and when we got home, I got to go pick out my own ring. It is thrilling to have your very own Sweet Home Alabama moment. To have the jewelry store open to you and be told, "Pick any setting you want." Absolutely fabulous. So I chose the setting I wanted and the cut of stone to go with it; DH chose the specific stone he could afford.
Your BIL's girlfriend has a style and should have a voice in this. If she isn't dropping the usual "Oh, look, I just happened to leave the magazine open to this page" hints, somebody should ask her.
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ooof, he doesn't know what she likes? Is she the type that would freak out if she didn't get a ring at the proposal?
FWIW, if DH would have gotten me a diamond engagement ring, I would have realized he didn't know me at all.
I didn't get a traditional ring, either. Mine is his mom's old wedding band with some little channel-set diamonds. Not me at all, but it was, in his words "getting the ball rolling." My wedding ring is much more me, and is what I wear every day. My ering is in my jewelry box.
Tell your BIL to first figure out what cut she likes and then go to Pricescope.com. It's a mesage board/forum with TONS of jewelry nuts and they can help him evaluate stones and get the best cut for his budget.
How about he picks out a diamond and proposes with just the diamond? Then she can pick out the setting that she likes. That way he has something to present to her when he asks, but she gets to get something that she really likes. Unless he gets a really odd stone, I would think she would be thrilled with whatever stone he gets.
I got to pick out my own ring and then when and where I got it was a surprise. I didn't get to see it put together until he asked, but I got to pick out the stone and setting ahead of time. I really preferred it that way and so did he. That way he knew I would love it. My setting is the same as the first poster's link, but mine is not a Tiffany. We went to a local jeweler that is known for quality, honesty and decent prices. I have a cushion cut diamond, but it's not a traditional cushion cut. I think it's classified as a cushion brilliant since it's a cushion shape cut like a round brilliant. I liked the square stone without the harsh corners of a princess. This is what I have:
http://kesslersdiamonds.com/kesslers-lightning-bolt-cushion-cut-diamond.html
I prefer round diamonds too.
Echoing pp's; does he want the proposal to be a surprise itself?
We talked about the ring before we were engaged. My centerstone is round and a family heirloom from H's family. We browsed several settings together and I choose my top 3 favorite. It was up to H to choose which of the 3. Then, when the proposal came 5 months later (which killed me bc everyday I wondered if it'd be the day); the ring and the proposal itself were still a huge surprise.
Here's my ring, which seems simple and classic with a twist at the time; although now it does seem like a popular style/setting:
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<a href="http://s582.photobucket.com/albums/ss262/hzswanson/?action=view
~~~MARRIED BIO~~~
I'm obviously of the minority but I would have been pretty sad if DH had proposed to me with just a diamond. I LOVED that he spent so much time and effort picking out something that he thought I would love and that he thought was special and unique for us (my ring is pretty unique, I havent really seen many that have the same band style as mine has). Honestly, its not what I maybe would have picked for myself but I love it more because I know that it was something special and thoughtful from my husband. He was so proud of himself and told me how he looked and looked and looked until he found the perfect one-- that is SO not like him (he is a HUGE mans man, doesnt ever shop, wears jeans and a white tshirt and work boots everyday kinda guy). To me my e-ring is about sentiment and meaning and not necessarily a fashion accessory or something I am wearing to show off to other people.
Every time I look at my ring or think about how DH picked it it makes me smile :-) I think the thought and sentiment behind the ring are more important than the style or ring itself.
Sidenote: I'm not saying that your DH didnt care or doesnt love you if you picked out your own ring. Everyone has different preferences, I just wanted to offer an alternative option. He pick the ring that he thinks will suit her and that she will love and he give it to her- no opinions from anyone else :-)
I wouldn't like being proposed to with a diamond only so I'm not going to mention that to him. When she's telling her friends she will want to be wearing it not popping open a box with just a diamond in there. The jeweler he will buy from will most likely let him 'exchange' the setting if she doesn't like it but we have very similar tastes so I think we (BIL and me) will come up with something nice. It is going to be simple and classic.
He's going to ask her mom what her preference is. She doesn't have a pinterest account but that was a great idea