And this part has come to a close. Bought a ring Friday night, and am waiting for him to send it to me. Ended up spending more than I wanted to, beacause I had to have it be a really good stone. Excellent everything, the only things wrong with it are the size is only .9 Carat, if you're vain, and the color is only near colorless (can't remember what color it actuallly is... looked clear to me)
I spent between 1.35 to 2.15 months salary on the thing--depends on if you are looking at gross or net, and if you are adding in my second job.
Now I have to come up with a proposal idea.
Mine is off being cast after reviewing the wax buildup of it a week and a half ago. Final bill for both the engagement and wedding ring will end up being about 1 month's salary, though it will be WORTH well more than that thanks to a surprise gift from a relative.
I have a proposal idea, but it's kind of cheesy and I don't know if I'll have the chance to pull it off without it being VERY obvious that I'm leading up to the proposal (which she knows is coming, she just 'knows not when'...).
Good luck!
I'm chiming in late, but congrats man!
You know... If you wanted to, you could upgrade the ring later. For instance, when our son was born I bought a larger diamond (and kept the old one). If/when we have another child I plan on upgrading the band. The plan is to take that old diamond and old band in and have those put back together and give it back to her to pass down the family line.
(if we have a third child, which is the current plan, I'll buy her a better wedding band to go with the set)
Just food for thought.
Enyar wrote:
Where did you get it? I'm in the same boat.
Gale Diamonds in Chicago. I was at the very bottom of what he does, but if everybody in every industry gave you that kind of service and dedication, the world would be a much different place. Make an appointment, show up to his shop (which is actually a condo), get buzzed in, he pulls out a bunch of diamonds from a safe, and away you go.
I compared with Blue Nile after I made the purchase. I basically paid $200-$600 more than there (but a whole lot less than any retail shops) for the following:
+The education he gave me
+The ability to see the diamond before I got it
+The knowledge that the jeweler who was setting the diamond was the best of the best of the best (which is something that I was scared about w/ BlueNile), and
+Lifetime free resizing and cleaning. Hopefully there is a provision for our lifetime vs. his
Doing it again, and knowing what I know now, I might do it online. But probably not. Thankfully it is a one time ordeal.
Congrats! Something like this is where I was perfectly ok paying a bit more for the warranty, guarantee and customer service.
Now prepare your nerves for the call to her FIL if applicable and then the actual moment.
Ring came in last night. Compared it again, with exact specs, to Blue Nile... Turns out that I paid about $400-$500 less. Happy day!
Driving the two hours to visit her dad either tomorrow or Thursday. I figure this isn't something I want to do over the phone.
Congratulations!
