Where did you get your E Ring?

[Eeyore's Tailfinder]

Those of you that know where your DF got it from, where did you get yours or where would you recommend?

And also, if you don't mind answering (you don't have to ) - how big is the diamond/stone? I'm trying to get an idea of how different sizes look on actual hands Methinks they should have hand models on the websites!

 

[alissa2008]

DO NOT GO TO KAYS

*ahem* Now that I have that out of my system, that's where my e-ring is from and in the 6 months that I've had it, they've had it 4 times (for a total of two of those months). DON'T go there. I can't say that enough. The stones have fallen out 3 times and their jeweler sucks. DON'T GO TO KAYs. Period.

 

[alissa2008]

oh, and my ering's main diamond is 1/2 carat and there are little diamonds on the band that make up another 1/2 carat -- so 1 carat of diamonds all together.

 

[DisneyBrideToni]

My DF actually got the diamond from a family member and got it set at Whitehall Jewelers who were great and very helpful.

It is a 1 carat emerald cut set on a white gold cathedral setting.

 

[alissa2008]

oo toni I love your ring!

 

[lurkyloo]

I got mine from www.fragments.com, but it's not a traditional engagement ring.

 

[Ember]

Ooo, I'll play!

My ring is from a small independent jeweler. We spent a day driving all over the city looking at rings and comparing prices. The little boutique we finally bought my ring at had the best customer service and very competitive prices. So don't be afraid to check out the small places!

my ring is .8 of a carat, with another .7 or so in smaller stones around the band. (I only have a clear pic with the wedding band, too, and this was before they were sized properly...)

 

[DisneyFairy19]

DO NOT GO TO KAYS

*ahem* Now that I have that out of my system, that's where my e-ring is from and in the 6 months that I've had it, they've had it 4 times (for a total of two of those months). DON'T go there. I can't say that enough. The stones have fallen out 3 times and their jeweler sucks. DON'T GO TO KAYs. Period.

That really sucks... mine is from Kays and I couldnt be happier... I needed it sized smaller and it took 5 days.. my stones have not fallen.. they are great with cleaning.. we are getting our bands there too...

I feel so bad for you that you have a horrible experience
Here is my ring... I always told Geancarlo that I want a princess cut with diamonds on the side...

 

[figmentcookie]

Blue nile, 1ct. Keep in mind my ring finger is a size four, which you can see are very small and elf-like.

 

[Cosi Bella]

DF and I were in NYC one day, we were catching a show, and we "happened" upon the Diamond Exchange. We went into one of the stores, and bought a diamond that day! I wouldn't recommend a big exchange like that, unless you really know what to look for in a diamond! They can easily scam someone who doesn't know what they want/ what they should be looking for. (NOT that we knew at all what to look for, I think we got fortunate to get a pretty reasonable jeweler). I got the 1 Carat I was looking for and gave a little on the clarity to keep the price reasonable. You can't even see the imperfections with your naked eye (although sometimes DF grabs my hand and looks really close to try and find it! )

I would seriously recommend using bluenile.com as a research tool. They offer diamonds at a lower price than the big name jewelry stores you find in malls, and the smaller jewelry shops you might find locally in your town. DF and I would have bought my diamond from them if we hadn't found this one in the city. You can even see the certificate (mostly GIA's) that show the map of the diamond; what inclusions there are and where in the diamond they are located right on the website. Once you get an idea what a certain size, shape, clairty, and color diamond goes for on bluenile, you can go into any jewelry store and be sure to get a fair price! (expect to pay a little more in a jewelry store than bluenile's price) HTH!

 

[Eeyore's Tailfinder]

Thank you very much for the [very quick!] replies and advice!

I'm so excited because we are talking about looking for an engagement ring I am over here in the UK so everything in general is pretty much expensive so we are looking online, as well as US websites, and trying to find the best deal for us.

We only have about $1600 to spend since we will be moving into our first home in October (renting) so we are trying to buy stuff for that (as well as trying to save some spending money for 3 weeks in WDW ) I am hoping for a princess cut diamond with smaller princess cut diamonds inside the band.

I've been looking on Blue Nile and all the jargon is so overwhelming! Should I go for a larger diamond and compromise on the '4 Cs' or go with a smaller, more perfect diamond?

Also thank you ladies for posting the rings on your hands - that's really helpful!

 

[DisneyFairy19]

I am hoping for a princess cut diamond with smaller princess cut diamonds inside the band.

Thats exactly what I told DF... my ring looks like the style you explained

 

[WithDisneySpirit]

Oh, Alissa, I am also sorry about your experience at Kay Jewelers. My DH won't go anywhere else and my e-ring is a three stone Leo Diamond from there. I have not had any problems whatsoever. I will post a pic tonight, I hope. He also gave me Leo Diamond earrings this year in honor of our tenth anniversary and vow renewal

ETA: The center stone is a half carat and the side stones are quarter carats.

 

[alissa2008]

That really sucks... mine is from Kays and I couldnt be happier... I needed it sized smaller and it took 5 days.. my stones have not fallen.. they are great with cleaning.. we are getting our bands there too...

I feel so bad for you that you have a horrible experience
Here is my ring... I always told Geancarlo that I want a princess cut with diamonds on the side...

I'm glad you haven't had problems!! Maybe it's just OUR kays... We had a rough time with thier national customer service line too. I think the major problem was because we had the two diamonds removed and replaced with amethysts - I'm not sure the ring was designed to hold them... plus there aren't any prongs on the side gems, only like a groove in the gold...if I had to do it over, I would have gone with a more traditionally pronged ring... But I love it!

 

[Eeyore's Tailfinder]

Thats exactly what I told DF... my ring looks like the style you explained

Your ring is beautiful

I really love Jeff Cooper's stuff too, but I can't find prices so I'm not sure it's a good sign

 

[SBPbride]

Alissa, I'm very experienced with diamonds and I have to say that yours is very well cut even in dim lighting!

 

[snow_white725]

I'm at work so I don't have a picture of mine, but the DF got it from Tiffany's. (There is a picture on the e-ring post.) It was a surprise so I don't know how the purchase process was, but they have been super wonderful since then! They resized it in one day (with the in-house jeweler) and will let me drop it off whenever I want for free cleanings. The managers called to congratulate us after the engagement, and we have gotten all the paperwork in a timely manner. It really has been the best experience!

Oh, and I have the traditional Tiffany round solitaire in a 6-prong setting on a platinum band. The diamond is 1.2 carats, F on the color scale, IF on the clarity scale. (That was another good thing about Tiffany’s - they only carry very high quality diamonds!) Good luck with your shopping!!

 

[SBPbride]

I got my ring from a family jeweler and will continue to shop with him...but if I didn't have attachment to him, I would go to www.whiteflash.com or www.goodoldgold.com OR www.jamesallen.com

These vendors ship overseas and they are VERY reputable...you can search the internet for them and you will find almost all positives...they are all wholesale diamond experts and they also do stock and custom settings. www.pricescope.com is a great place to start learning about diamonds. You want to select a diamond from their expert cut or a A Cut Above (ACA) hearts and arrows selection...this will ensure you get the best bang for your buck. If it comes down to a choice you ALWAYS want to get the best cut for your money and sacrifice in color or clarity because a well cut diamond looks bigger and it will sparkle like no other. It will also face up a little larger especially if it's ideal cut. You really can't go wrong on pricing with any of them...and the Pricescope ladies will be fabulous in helping you find an AMAZING sparkler in your budget. I don't work for any of these companies, I'm just a huge fan of all of their work and their pricing.

STAY AWAY from chain jewelers like Kays, Zales, Hannoush, JR Robinson, Nassa, Jared, Belden etc...they are almost all owned and operated by the same Sterling company and sell a lot of real "dogs"...they get the left overs basically.

 

[SBPbride]

Ember am I crazy or did you change your center stone to a round?

 

[BaBeeCee14]

This is my e-ring. DF got it from Blue Nile.com and its a 1.12 carat emerald cut diamond.

I highly recommend bluenile because you can design your own ring. It has all different types of settings and you can chose what style stone you want. They also have all different price ranges.