Well this is a perfect test then. If you actually try, which it sounds like you are, and go out and buy something that is as nice as you can comfortably afford and she is perfectly happy with it then she is a keeper. If she gives you any kind of displeasure feel you don't need her. She doesn't respect you for you and you will live in a materialistic missery world your entire life. Kind of a little reality check i'd like to call it.

I have a bro-in-law that has dated this high maintinence bitch for 8 years or so (since high school). She didn't really come from money but acts like it. She is a Nurse making ~20 an hr. and basically works 36hrs a week and still lives at home. She could make considerably more money if she drive 30 mins. and worked a little OT but that would cut into her shopping time if you catch my drift. My bro-in-law works hard and makes about $10/hr but she wants a $5000 ring and a $150000 house. This is why they've only dated for so long, he is trying to live up to her expectations and now they are in their mid 20's and both still with their parents because she is a selfish and spoiled bitch. He just thinks there is nothing better out there. I've called him a dumbass so many times it just isn't worth it anymore.
Just don't let this be you.

I will say from his shopping you can buy a diamond online and band and have them set locally and get twice the ring for the same money. You will need to educate yourself on diamonds that's for sure.

 

I hear ya man. Honestly my GF is not like that at all. She is one of the nicest people you will ever meet and would never ever do anything like that. She teaching 1st grade, how mean could she possibly be. I mean she even pays for dinners and occasional vacation trip we go on. I make pretty good money, I built my house 3 years ago, truck will be paid for hopefully next year, so I am not hurting, i am just kinda CHEAP!!! But IMO this is one of those things that I don't want to be cheap about, that is whole purpose of this thread... I am buying what I can afford nothing more and nothing less, however I may have to finance it for 3-4 months to get it in the time frame I want..

But your right I do need to educate myself a little on diamonds and stuff! I am just kinda leary about buying a diamond over the internet... Do they speciality deliver those things or what?

On a side note she allready told me that I am going to have to sell the truck after we get married.... I was like what??? Then she said you need a Crew Cab with 4X4, then I was like YES!!! Oh and she said that when we build our next house we are going to build me a 3 bay shop, so she can park her car in the garage......

 

DAMN.......

I don't know about everyone else but to me that is high high high. It all depends on your budget but still.... I think tradition is that your are supposed to spend 2 months salary on the ring. With me that would have been over 7K bucks and there ain't no way in hell, although my Fiance would have killed me for spending anywhere near that on her ring.

You can get nice rings from 1500-3000 if you look. I bought my fiance her ring the Day after Thanksgiving in 2006, got the engagement ring and the wedding band, for like $1200 bucks, but the ring was originally over 2K. But my fiance also wasn't the type to want anything too flashy and is very outdoorsy, so she didn't want anything that was too fragile and stood up so high, so it worked out just right.


Main thing is to decide on what your actual budget for the ring is. Set your price range and don't waiver. The set your sights on getting the most for your money. There are a vast array of ring types so you need to decide what your looking for or what you think she might like or want as far as diamond shape, size, and setting ang color of gold or other material. If you catch the places at the right time, you can get damn good sales and deals and really maximize your money for a much nicer ring or still stay at your desired price range and the the ring that much cheaper.

Best thing in the world is to just get out there and start looking. Good luck, I just went through it not too long ago myself.

 

Damnit, shows you how much i know about this stuff... I don't think my GF wants anything flashy, and she is the outdoors type too. I mean we go camping for 3-5 days, showers usually are not really available at the places we go and she is all for it. She is also a tiny little thing 5'1" 110#s so I don't think she would want something huge. I guess I need to go to a store and check out the sizes of these things... Thank goodness her sister is going to help me....

 

yeah, keep in mind how "active" of a person she it, any outdoors stuff and sports will mean you want a cut that doesn't stand up too high, otherwise it'll snag on everything and potentially dislodge the stone... which, while on the subject: look into insuring the ring, you can usually get a fair price for insurance on items like that from places like State Farm, etc.

 

take your camera phone, and make yourself a spread sheet . . . I'm not kidding. Find something that you like, and find a whole saler. Take pics of what you think that she likes, and show it to a jewler or someone that makes rings. Screw Robbin's Bros, and any other place that has a "store front" or any mall shop. They're charging full retail.
Find what you're willing to spend, and ask to be shown loose stones. Don't get cought up in the ones that are in the cases. Take pics of what you think she likes or what she acutally wants.
Anyone can slap a stone on a ring and call it some design. I went to 26 different shops before deciding on what I wanted. Someone would show me a stone, and the specs. I could instantly compare it to someone else.
Certs - they're really important when you're getting loose stone. Look at the markings first on the cert and then look at the stone's makrings. If they don't match it to a "T" . . . then there's a reason that it's so cheap.
Cuts - some shine better than others. Don't just look at it from one side . . . flip that sucker upside down and every witch way.

Hope this helps

 

That is great advice!!! So did you find a wholesaler online?

 

Congrats man... Like everyone else said. Look around! Dont jump for the first thing. I ended up getting a hell of a deal when I bought my ex hers. Then when everything was done I was trying to get rid of them easy! I tried to trade them for a tattoo... Hell, last time my brother's in-laws were here, his father in-law offered to buy me a HSW Wet Kit for the set! Still, have em though, he never followed up!

 

go to a store front and LOOK, DONT BUY....see what style of diamond you like....what cut, clarity, and color.....the decide the size you like for HER....if shes tiny, dont get anything bigger than a medium/large stone. my brother got his wifes diamond online and had it set in platinum....he paid 7500 total and got it appraised at 15k

 

dude ! . . . it's not a muffler . . . you're going to have to suck it up and check them out in person. Keep in mind, she's going to be shoving this thing in peoples faces, and they're all going to ask where she got it from.

3 c's Cut, Clairtiy, and color . . . The Clairity and the color are the two most cost determining factors in the whole thing. You'll notice things like that when you're shopping.
Places will have the same sized ring, but it will cost 2K more because of it's "looks."
Lots of shops buy from whole salers, and mark it up, and you're not getting anything special.
The whole salers will have tons to choose from, and tons that are the same size. If you're at a "retailer," they'll have a few, and they won't move at all on the price.
Something else, cash talks bigtime. If the whole saler doesn't have to pay taxes on the "sale," then that saves them money and you at the same time.
Shop around, . . . more than you would with a new car. They're just as bad if not worse than a car sales man. They'll show you a price on a calculator, and "this is what I can do today," crap . . . . just say thanks, write the price down, and take off to the next store.