Diamond Engagement Ring Nz?
Q.I'm looking to buy an engagement ring shortly and to be honest I'm freaking out. I've already been round a few shops - MHI, Walker & Hall and Partridge Jewellers - but I have no idea what I'm looking for. I am looking for quality but am on quite a small budget. It also has to be a diamond. Don't ask me why - it's just a personal choice :–) Does anyone have any handy hints, the hidden dangers and/or where is a good place to go?
A.Keep in mind that you won't get a bargain. You may, if you are lucky, end up paying a fair price, but you won't get a bargain. Anytime you see a ring going for substantially less than you have seen elsewhere it will be because of some fault in the stone. Like it will be colour M or I2 clarity. I would advise you do some reading and decide on the minimum colour range you will be happy with. ie GHI and the minimum clarity ie VS2-SI2 and then get the biggest stone you can find with those parameters for the amount of money you want to spend. ie you have a budget of $3000 and you find you can get a ring with the above qualities that is 0.4 carats. You may also want to look into the cut variables as well. ie table width 58%, grown angle 34 degrees etc. That is more difficult as most jewellry chains don't have that information on thier stones and will look at you like you are crazy if you ask. Again this is one are where you can think you are getting a bargain when you are not. ie a stone might be listed as having a 1/2 carat spread. That means that it is as wide as a 1/2 carat stone of ideal proportions. Most likely the actual weight will be less than 1.2 carat, it is probably flatter than desirable so the internal angles are not very good and thus it has poor sparkle. For a pretty good lowdown on what to look for in diamonds I would recommend you read the articles at http://www.niceice.com/ For cerified stones of known dimensions, locally, I would suggest http://www.quasardiamonds.co.nz/ I would suggest that you not buy any diamond via mail-order but rather through a reputable local jeweller that will let you sit down and compare different rings/stones. Apparently it should look like a little round piece of metal just large enough to slip a finger through the center of (her finger, not yours), along with a rock stuck on the top of it. Something that sparkles is usually what they like to see and show off. Being expensive also helps, but not if it means that you can't afford somewhere to live. If you want a quality large diamond cheap, a hammer might help to break the display case, that and real fast legs. ;-) Your best bet would be to shop around, and even the Warehouse might not be the cheapest or even have the best range. Without it being next to worthless, a good jeweller might suggest something that looks as good as a diamond without the need of a magnifying glass to have a good look at it. Workout what you can afford and shop round getting advice from different jewellers while you're at it. That would be your best bet, and try to let it worry you too much. It's all bound to workout just fine. If you want to really splash out, you can always do it for your wedding anniversary when you might be more able to afford to, if you think you'll need to make up for your first choice. It should be the special occasion and what it represents that will be the most important thing, Hugh. Whatever you choose is bound to be better than a washer from Mitre 10. ;-)
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