A practical approach would be to propose with a beautiful birthstone ring that has sentimental (and not diamond markup) value, and then pick out the ring together if you want it. The man sill gets to make the choice in the design of a significant piece of jewelry, and doesn’t get anything either are disartiatied. Or maybe they both decide on wearing simple wedding bands and the birthstone ring. Anonymous wrote:I haven't read the whole thread OP, so maybe my answer is redundant but...
I wanted (loved!) the Asscher cut also. And it's a pain in the ass. We ended up going w/ a fancy square cut which has equal brilliance and clarity but is more unusual that a simple princess cut. My stone is 1.5 carats, I don't remember the other specs but we compromised on some of the clarity/inclusion stuff to basically get a stone that is clear, totally clean to the naked eye, and brilliantly faceted. We bought the stone and then got the setting done. The stone cost about $6,500 and the total cost for the engagement and wedding bands (each of which had inset small princess cut square stones) was about $10,500.
My husband proposed w/ a ring of tiny diamond inset chips. I think he spent about $200 at a mall retailer. He wanted to have some sparkly with which to propose and he wanted my input on the ring so I would love it. It was a romantic, adult, and practical way to do the whole thing.
I am thrilled w/ my ring, we didn't go beyond what he could afford, and I had something cute and sparkly to wear until the permanent ring was done.
Maybe an approach like that would work with your girlfriend.
Good luck and congratulations!
That’s a nice tradition to pass along. I like that idea. And if you don’t want a ring, you don’t have to get anything fancy, or you can just wear your wedding band.
Anonymous wrote:Op here. I have decided on a very nice 1.5 carat round ring with a pave band for $20k. We plan on having a very small wedding. I think she will be happy with it all!
Anonymous wrote:My girlfriend and I have been discussing getting engaged. Her and her best friend ( recently enagaged) were looking at ring magazines. My girlfriend told her about a specific type of ring she hopes to have. It’s her favorite. To find a good quality diamond in that cut is very expensive. I make a good salary, but spending $30-40l on a ring is extravagant. I would rather use that as a down payment for a house. How do I keep her in mind, but go for a cheaper option? Will she be disappointed if it’s not the ring she likes?