Obviously been living in a garage too long so I have no idea apart from what I’ve seen on the telly 
And obviously this is for someone else’s info and not mine…
What is an engagement ring meant to be made of and how much should it cost (heard some wild, no doubt drug fuelled rumour it was meant to be ¼ of a
months wages 
, god that’s like the cost of a Ferrari for me ) also are they suppose to have some diamond stuck in it too. Would a quality high
speed ball race do? stainless off course
Anyone know of such alien things?
Ta 
foxes biscuits have a special offer at the moment, for around £2 you can get approximately 9 of these bad boys:
should keep her happy (and quiet) for around 90 to 120 seconds :p
A 1/4 of a months wages - you'll be lucky!? I have been told it is between 1-2 months wages! Keep saving Mr Whippy!
As for materials, go with what they like... My Mrs hates gold, so if I ever sort it, it will be platinum, with as big a clear rock as I can afford.
Unfortuantely, it was a ZX12 lump this month instead!
omg party rings - I'd kill for them.
1/4 of a months wages isn't a lot to spend on an engagement ring. My brother sometimes works on jewellery at Argos and they have them at around
£2000
quote:
Originally posted by paul the 6th
foxes biscuits have a special offer at the moment, for around £2 you can get approximately 9 of these bad boys:
should keep her happy (and quiet) for around 90 to 120 seconds :p
Whippy you old romantic ....... its not how much it costs
You are making the first biggest mistake there in thinking that you only have to buy one engagement ring - unlike I and a number of my mates who ended
up buying two - not for two different women either.
I bought the missus one all by myself with no input from her and it was when I had a lot less money and in reality probably did cost about 1/4 of a
months salary. But then as time went by she slowly grew less fond of it and I ended up buying a second one for about 2 months salary which she seems
happy with for now!!
Platinum is the way to go in terms of metal, but don't forget you've got the diamond lessosn to come yet. I never knew there was so much
difference in terms of clarity, cut, colour etc.
I'd "tell your mate" to buy a cheap piece of costume jewellery, propose and then take her to the shop after and get her to pick a real
one!
quote:
Originally posted by cd.thomson
1/4 of a months wages isn't a lot to spend on an engagement ring. My brother sometimes works on jewellery at Argos and they have them at around £2000
Mr Whippy,
for your 'friend' I can only share my experience. That type of ring is normally a diamond solataire and you can believe what you like about
cost - I've heard up to 3 times monthly salary (pish). When we got engaged the ring was the last thing on my mind. I managed to get down on one
knee, ask the question, she said 'Yes' (after - 'Are you winding me up'. We went into town had a stiff drink then chose the ring
together.
Pass on my best to your friend!
Don/
quote:
Originally posted by cd.thomson
1/4 of a months wages isn't a lot to spend on an engagement ring. My brother sometimes works on jewellery at Argos and they have them at around £2000
clicky
And I'm using argos to prove a point.. Don't even try going into a proper jewellers!!
oh and O2G, what can your bike do that my 1980s £50 peugeot road bike can't
[Edited on 30/11/09 by cd.thomson]
quote:
Originally posted by eznfrank
I'd "tell your mate" to buy a cheap piece of costume jewellery, propose and then take her to the shop after and get her to pick a real one!
you might wanna try
the moneysavingexpert forums as well quote:
Originally posted by cd.thomson
omg party rings - I'd kill for them.
1/4 of a months wages isn't a lot to spend on an engagement ring. My brother sometimes works on jewellery at Argos and they have them at around £2000
quote:
Originally posted by cd.thomson
clicky
And I'm using argos to prove a point.. Don't even try going into a proper jewellers!!
oh and O2G, what can your bike do that my 1980s £50 peugeot road bike can't
As stated - tradition is 3 months salary and you REALLY dont want to let her know you bought it from Argos!! Best sell all your toys mate to pay for
it!!
I'd agree except a mate did that, she refused to believe he'd be so cheap to propose with a fake ring and is convinced its a real massive
diamond.
In 2 years every time he bring it up she thinks he's winding her up. She's still got the fake ring, he's still got the cash in his
pocket (well did have, he went out and bought an old BMW a while ago).
Tell your make good luck & the amount of cash thing is a scam from the 1920's. Look it up on google. Its 'supposed' to be around 2
months salary - id say 2 months salary once you've paid all your bills etc
looks like someone has run out of ideas for a christmas prezzie for the missus
quote:
Originally posted by James
Erm... Argos and jewelery?
HaHaHaHa -- If "he's" worried about the cost of the ring wait till "he" find out what a weddings going to cost.
Isn't there a book "Buy a ring and get engaged for £250"? Or was that optimistic pricing in the 80s? The only way you'll do it for
that is:
1* balacalva + gloves - you probably have one for your bike+
1 cheap/used Shotgun (I assume your "mate" can borrow your hacksaw.....)
I think I "got away" with just over half a month salary when I had a moment of insanity.
Regards
Hugh
do the blokes get a ring or something they'd like...say a new Chevy v8 engine?
quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
do the blokes get a ring or something they'd like...say a new Chevy v8 engine?
(reminds me of the Johnny Cash song "One piece at a time"
quote:
Originally posted by James
quote:
Originally posted by cd.thomson
omg party rings - I'd kill for them.
1/4 of a months wages isn't a lot to spend on an engagement ring. My brother sometimes works on jewellery at Argos and they have them at around £2000
Erm... Argos and jewelery?
My sister is a qualified goldsmith.... she wouldn't even polish that rubbish for someone.
I know one girl with a £6000 ring that my sister did for her. I know another who's ring probably cost something similar- possibly more.
Rich husbands!
3 months salary is the tradition. But at the end of the day... that's probably a bit silly!
What's wrong with a 19mm copper pipe off-cut I reckon!
Cheers,
James
The jewellery industry used to say a month's salary. Often now they say 2 or more. It is pure self interest on their behalf, and a bit of
blackmail on you.
Traditionally, an engagement ring is a simple gold band with a single diamond. £30 from Argos to £300,000,000,000 at OligarksRUs.
Make it the same carat gold as the wedding ring, so they're the same colour. Lower carat gold is harder and so harder wearing. Higher carat
gold is more expensive but more pure. Anything more than 18 carat is for magpies and gold diggers
Large diamonds are more "chavy" and are best avioided though tiny ones are a bit cheapskate.
White gold looks like silver and costs like gold. They can see you coming, you know.
Jeweller's mark ups are not in percentages, they are in multiples. 5x the trade cost is not uncommon. A friend of a friend "was
retired" in his early 50s. He set up a Jewellery store on a local market with the commensurate low rent. Most of his days were spent piercing
the ears of children but the rest of his time he worked like this: Customer goes to a high street jeweller and takes a photo of a £500 ring. Photo
is shown to market jeweler who looks through the catalogues and finds the same ring. (high street shops don't make jewellery). He offers the
ring for £350 and gets the sale. Pockets £250 for his trouble and the customer saves £150. Either go back to the shop without your intended and
haggle hard or find a friendly low key jeweller who sells things "cheap".
it's not the cost of the ring thats the problem, or even the wedding day. It's the bloody devorce thats the real killer.
When I got engaged we went together and bought the cheapest ring that didn't look silly.
21 years on and we are still very happy.
Pay out big sums of money if that is what it will take to make you both happy, it's always like that buying stuff anyway you have to compare the
cost of the purchase with how happy it will make (both of) you.
quote:
Originally posted by cd.thomson
oh and O2G, what can your bike do that my 1980s £50 peugeot road bike can't
quote:
Originally posted by roadrunner
it's not the cost of the ring thats the problem, or even the wedding day. It's the bloody devorce thats the real killer.
Don't buy one from the high street stores!!! Massively over priced and sister-in-laws turned out to have a worthless flawed diamond in it when
she sold it after splitting up!! The valuer said "did you buy this from H samual by any chance", and she had!! Apparently they do it all
the time!!! Make the effort and go to the Birmingham Jewelery quarter, they are half the price and you will be guaranteed good quality. It
doesn't save you any money as all you end up doing is spending the same amount, but get something better I spent 1500 on the wifes, same ones
on the high street are 3k+!! Also had 2 friends come up from london, purely to go to the jewelery quarter, and the one guy reckons he saw the same
ring in covent garden for 3x what he paid!!!!
Although my best advice is, don't do it!!! lol!!
oh, if you get the choice of ring right, the amount of brownie points you earn is unparalleled!!! I used mine for many trackdays and weekends away with the lads!!!
LOOK IT'S QUITE SIMPLE SCOTT.
You love her, she loves you, you want to get engaged,she picks a ring (hopefully a cheap one) and that's it. This pish about percentage of
sallary is just hype from the industry to make you spend more cash nothing else.
Love has no cash amount so just leave it at that.
Hope that does'nt make me sound like too much of a poof
quote:
Originally posted by omega 24 v6
LOOK IT'S QUITE SIMPLE SCOTT.
You love her, she loves you, you want to get engaged,she picks a ring (hopefully a cheap one) and that's it. This pish about percentage of sallary is just hype from the industry to make you spend more cash nothing else.
Love has no cash amount so just leave it at that.
Hope that does'nt make me sound like too much of a poof
quote:
Originally posted by omega 24 v6
LOOK IT'S QUITE SIMPLE SCOTT.
You love her, she loves you, you want to get engaged,she picks a ring (hopefully a cheap one) and that's it. This pish about percentage of sallary is just hype from the industry to make you spend more cash nothing else.
Love has no cash amount so just leave it at that...............................................
quote:
Originally posted by omega 24 v6
LOOK IT'S QUITE SIMPLE SCOTT.
You love her, she loves you, you want to get engaged,she picks a ring (hopefully a cheap one) and that's it. This pish about percentage of sallary is just hype from the industry to make you spend more cash nothing else.
Love has no cash amount so just leave it at that.
quote:
..... surely it is something you should choose together?
tip - don't let your friends potential talk to any friends who've just got married!
Left mine in a room with my mates misses the week after they'd come back from honey moon. I also left them with a bottle or two of wine.
Half an hour later I was told I had to take the g/f on a cruise of the med for a long weekend.
Half an hour later I was told I had to take the g/f for a safari holiday.
Half an hour later I was told I had to get a diamond ring for the g/f. It had to be class this, platinum that, carrots the other.
(g/f was laughing her head off and quite sober through all this).
The next day i looked up aforementioned said ring. I'd be looking at over 5 grand. G/f said she wouldn't like a ring like that ..... i have
picked a good un this time
Coincidentally, i was looking at Trashy Weddings
If the woman you want to marry (and who is supposed to love YOU!) is unhappy because she doesn't think you've spent enough on a
ring........... hmmmmm
Take her to the shop and buy one together, that's what me and Mrs Beddows did - sod tradition . The engagement ring was only 2 or 3 hundred
quid as I recall BUT the setting was a slightly odd shape so we spent a bit more on getting her wedding ring made so the two fitted together on her
finger. It's only a token of your love at the end of the day and a curtain ring should actually be enough tbh lol - but you really should spend a
little more than that
And yes, the wedding itself is the really expensive bit
Ah well, you see Whipster .... this is where I shatter all of you guys illusions, that all of us girls think the same.....
I would be horrified if 'im indoors popped the question with an already purchased ring......
Point one, the stone and setting would be wrong, not to mention the size (for the second point).....
Mind, if you already know the answer to the 2 points above, then go for it......but within your means.......AFAIR there is no set amount that you
'should' spend, after all, you have saving to do for your future.....
All of the above IMHO of course.
If you do decide to buy a big ol rock, then head east my man (but only to the middle bit!)... long weekend in Dubai should do it!
You'll get the right ring, have a nice wee holiday and still save yourself a fortune!
Good luck!
for me it worked well to pick out the ring and surprise her with it. if you have half decent taste and a set of eyes to look at the type of stuff she
wears she'll be so delighted with the ring and the fact that you undestand her so well the cost wont matter at all.
i didnt spend anywhere near the 2-3 months guff, but she still looks at it and sighs and loves it. fortunately i married someone with quite simple
tastes.
well she married me.
and lets face it you're hardly the 'most conventional conventionist' anyway
Seriously, take her to buy what she wants but I suspect if you were to slip a spare (clean!) bearing or 'O' ring on her finger when you
asked her (knowing you as well as she she must!), if you get it right it would probably become one of her most treasured possessions, maybe even more
so than the ring you buy because it's more 'Scott' than anything you could ever have bought...........and she gets to choose the ring
she wants
Hmm loads of advice there to say the least
Who’d have thought it would be soooo difficult or complicated?
Well thanks all for taking the time to offer advice there’s quite a bit to think about and kind of siding towards the idea of letting her wander
around a jewellery shop pointing at shiny things, think first would be needed a trip to the pub first though to calm the nerves.
Off to get a coffee now and ponder…
thanks
Get yourself a decent woman (like my other half) who demanded I not waste extraordinary amounts of money on a stupid bit of metal and carbon which really means bugger all. At the end of the day it's how you feel about and behave towards someone that actually means something, not how deep your pockets are.
Mmmmm I don't wear any rings at all.....ever...
Blimmin dangerous when working on bits of metal and engines....
Fozzie
My wife doesn't wear any rings either (she doesn't like jewellery at all) says they irritate. If she can't get her finger in a 15mm pipe olive she's too fat or possibly a bloke in drag, dump her.
One of these should do the job if she doesn't go and get it valued.
http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.item.J41769.desc.Diamonique-100-Facet-150-ct-tw-3-Stone-Ring-14K-Gold
You could always propose outside of the jewellers!! I've seen that happen once in Liverpool city centre on a busy Saturday afternoon!! He was
brave in front of so many people - it worked though!!
g/f liked the QVC ring - i then showed her the web site and she asked if i thought she was worthy of a fake......
i think i'm in trouble!
quote:
Originally posted by MikeRJ
Get yourself a decent woman (like my other half) who demanded I not waste extraordinary amounts of money on a stupid bit of metal and carbon which really means bugger all. At the end of the day it's how you feel about and behave towards someone that actually means something, not how deep your pockets are.
As above - seriously consider 2nd-hand rings from a reputable dealer. You'll have a task, working out the selling point for the intended, but it
is worth it - both from the value-for-money view and for the increased variety available.
I've bought my wife some jewelry from shops in Hatton Garden, London. The expedition to get them was part of the fun. She's ended up with
a nice ring, and a very nice bracelet with diamonds and emeralds - and she's very happy with them too!
Both were around 50 to 100 years old, which adds to their charm.
dont know anything about it but was reading an article
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/2005/05/01/8259747/index.htm
that mentioned http://www.bluenile.com/
"The Blue Nile story is aimed at guys (the ones who buy engagement rings). The story is framed perfectly for their worldview. It says,
"You're smart enough to buy the right diamond at the right price." Tiffany can't tell that story, and neither can the cheapest
guys. Women hate the Blue Nile story because it suggests that Tiffany is selling an empty blue box for thousands of dollars. Men love the story for
precisely the same reason."
just passing info on random things i read when bored at work
Personally If a woman demanded the 3 months wages ring from me I would have said good bye enjoy your life. Been very happily married for 16 years.
We used that 3 months wage for the down payment on a house.
3 months = 5 months after taxes here.
Dale
quote:
Originally posted by Steve G
As stated - tradition is 3 months salary and you REALLY dont want to let her know you bought it from Argos!! Best sell all your toys mate to pay for it!!
pearl?
Well we know how some people's mind works!