How to buy engagement ring?
Q.Having just started on my search for an engagement ring, I'm wondering, are the prices that the stores give you the list price? In other words, is it expected that you "haggle" on the price as you would for a car?
A.YES!!! We walked into a store once and were looking at a ring (this was our first trip out and weren't planning on buying anything) and she said, I'll take $1400 off if you want it today. He actually ended up purchasing the same ring a month or two later for $2200 less than retail. So haggle haggle haggle! Remember what you are looking at is the worth of the diamond. No matter what your monetary range, I would suggest sitting down with a 'hometown' jeweler, a certified gemologist. That person should have the patience to talk you through the 3 C (carat, cut, and clarity) of a diamond. What you want to be looking at buying is an individual diamond, (the price for the setting is insignificant ~$200) not the whole set. The reasoning behind this that you should be able to look at the diamond (at various magnifications) to see for what you are paying. If the diamond is already set as is might be the case with a mall jewelry store, an imperfection can be easily masked underneath a prong and the price of the gem may be over inflated or the setting may influence the color of the diamond. The reason mall stores drop their prices so much is they know that you are buying a significantly cheaper stone and their happy to let you walk away with a happy feeling. Trust me, everyone makes a profit no matter how good the deal. Once you have an idea of what your fiancee is looking for in her ring I would suggest talking to 2 or 3 gemologists and they will quote you prices (share those prices with the others) as well they will have the luxury of shopping for what you are looking for the next time they go out to buy diamonds wholesale. The biggest key here is TRUST...if you feel awkward you can leave...and PATIENCE. It's a hard decision but you'll know when you have the perfect stone and it will show in your fiancee's eye when you pop the question. You can haggle. This is done by saying that you can't afford that much for the stone, though that's exactly what you were looking for. They will then usually drop to a lower price. How about saving some real change and trying out some estate pieces at the better estate jewelers in the area?????? They are usually reputable, have classy pieces, give good prices, and do not charge to mount things or crap like that....
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