engagement ring questions... not enough money to buy what I'd like... ?
Q.I am having to pay for the wedding in total, for various reasons. Therefore I really cannot afford an expensive ring. In fact I am going to have to borrow money, so want to keep the price of the ring around $1500. My experience so far has been that I can't really afford a good diamond solitaire for that price. I mean, I could get a yellowish one with visible inclusions, but not a great diamond... So I am looking at something like a 5-diamond ring, maybe .2 carats each. She has actually seen some of these that she likes. However, it seems most of these are of lower quality diamonds, and are usually not issued with certificates of authenticity/grading. Right?
A.My only other option would be to buy a solitaire with a cubic zirconia or other fake diamond for now, with a promise of upgrading it, later, when I have more money... Actually, my other idea was to try to find a really pretty opal with a couple smaller diamonds on the side. We both like opals, but I have a feeling buying this type of ring for engagement would make me look cheap... But in reality, with only $1500 to spend, I guess I am, anyway... Her preferences? I think she would kind of prefer a 1 carat - more or less - diamond solitaire. But I don't think I can afford that. I think she would be happy with a 5-smaller-diamonds ring, as she has shown me one like this that she likes. I didn't buy it because it wasn't graded and I hate to pay even $1500 for something that I have no idea what it is I'm buying... What do you all think? Would she rather have a cubic-zirconia with a promise to buy a real one later, or would she rather have a multi-stone ring with lower quality diamonds? Either way, I feel I am slighting her, but I just cannot afford to spend $2500+ on a ring, right now... The wedding itself is going to set me back more than I can afford... Or should I just go into debt for the "right" ring, and make the monthly payments? Standard Disclaimer #143: I am not a doctor, blah blah blah... I am not giving medical advice, I am only giving testimony based on my experiences. Each person is responsible for what they do with information gathered. My ring cost less than $500 NZD, which is probably about $350 USD in terms of purchasing power parity. It is NOT cheap. It is the most beautiful ring I have ever seen, including ones in a museum. And this is not just love biasing my eyes. However it helps that I don't like diamonds and think that when it comes to jewellery simplicity and ceylonese sapphires are the ultimate in beauty. So my advice is look at other stones. Opals are quite nice (though not as nice as sapphires :-) ). My grandmother has an opal engagement ring which is lovely. You should be able to find one that costs considerably less than $1500. If you and her have your hearts set on diamonds choose a smaller, well-cut stone over a larger one. The beauty of the stone is not dependent on the size.
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