Ok, so we're seriously ring shopping now....

[neebelung]

It's been a "given" all along that we'd get married, and in fact, FH is the one who started buying me bridal mags, etc.... for me to start with the planning (we've even got a timeframe nailed down, and the location)... .only thing missing is THE RING!

So now we've started seriously ring shopping, and my mind is turning to mush (and I know his is, too).... Where do you begin? Are the "mall" jewelers any good, how do you know if a small, independent jeweler is reputable/will still be there 10 years from now if we have a problem, and what about online jewelers such as Bluenile.com?

I know a bit about diamonds (and I'm educating FH), so I have a pretty good idea what to look for, but how do I know if (once I select something) I'm getting a good deal? It's so hard to compare prices on comparable stones, esp now that it seems everyone has their own "special" cut (i.e. Leo diamonds... I've run across two other similar things at other jewelers, but can't recall the names of them)....

I want (as everyone does) to be able to get the best diamond we can for the money, get a fair deal on it, and know there's a solid co. backing up the quality and workmanship.

So where do we begin???? What have your experiences been with mass market/chain stores, independents, and online retailers?

[litlbit]

Congrats! The ring is always fun! *sparkle sparkle*

We looked at the stores in the mall to get an idea of what I liked before we settled on anything. They were all super friendly and helpful. We ended up getting mine at Crescent, but Roger's was really nice too. Just make sure you love your ring and the people are helpful. They shouldn't be stressing you out during this time.

[BJC777SRL]

What I was told about mall jewelers is that they will most always be more expensive than independent stores. I think due to high overhead costs.

[Julz518]

I wasn't involved in my ring shopping AT ALL... but here is what my FH told me about his experience.

He first went to a local reputable family jeweler - one my mom has been going to since we moved here in 1992 (he took her with him). He took a look at what they had, and listened to what they could offer, and then went on to look at other stores.

He looked at a bunch of chain stores and just wasn't nearly as satisfied with the service at any of them. They all seemed more concerned with making a sale THAT DAY, than with getting him what he wanted. He got the impression that the salespeople at the chain stores were not as knowledgeable about actual Jewelry making, they were just sales people and were only familiar with what they had in stock at that store.

So he went back to the local jeweler. He picked out the general style of setting that he liked and then they ordered stones for him to choose from in the approximate price range he was looking - my ring has three stones, each of which my FH picked out individually. Then they put the ring together and he decided what "modifications" he wanted them to make to it. So even though my ring isn't anything horribly "unique" it IS a "custom" ring. I later went back to that store and have them make me a fake replicate of my ring, and they were equally helpful to me.

Anyway, my first piece of advice would be to ask around - mainly to older people who are from the area and familiar withthe local stores. My second piece of advice is to worry more about getting the ring you want NOW then worrying that the store will still be there in 10 years. I don't think a local family store is any more likely to disappear then a chain store, and you never know if YOU will even still be there in 10 years - you will always be able to find someone to take care of your ring. And finally, be ready and willing to ask questions: look for a jeweler who can/will answer anything you ask, someone who is willing to REALLY work hard for you to get you what you want - not just sell you something out of a case. And as you go through the process, you will learn more about diamonds and their value, so by the time you buy, you will know if you are getting a good deal or not. You just have to be willing to put the time into it.

Good Luck and have fun!!!

[Marksbride]

I don't really have any advice. I know that Mark got mine from Rogers and Hollands and that's about it.

Just have fun! (I'm sure you already are!)

[michaelsbride]

I got mine from a chain. I love it, i love the service, and i love knowing that there are 7264935734 billion stores that i can go to if i ever have a problem. My ring is unique in that i ventured outside of just their engagement rings and got a ring from the sapphire collection.

A lot of people on here don't like their service plans offered at the chains but I get my rings sized, cleaned, serviced anytime i want for free so I love the warrenty.

[Marksbride]

Originally Posted by michaelsbride

I got mine from a chain. I love it, i love the service, and i love knowing that there are 7264935734 billion stores that i can go to if i ever have a problem. My ring is unique in that i ventured outside of just their engagement rings and got a ring from the sapphire collection.

A lot of people on here don't like their service plans offered at the chains but I get my rings sized, cleaned, serviced anytime i want for free so I love the warrenty.

My ring is from Rogers and Hollands and I have to agree with you. I love knowing that there are millions of stores and great customer service. I've never had any problems at all.

[neebelung]

Thank you for all the feedback everyone... With regard to the service at chain stores, I guess we're fortunate in that all three places we went to Monday night, the salespeople were REALLY wonderful, very helpful and knowledgeable, and not at all pushy. Shoot, one guy spent the better part of half an hour just looking for pricing on a particular wedding band FH liked (which was very simple, tungsten carbide - so we knew it was fairly inexpensive).

But the pricing at those places did seem really high.... so we're going to try to find some referrals to some smaller, local shops and see what comparable diamonds are running....

And then there's still the internet.... Bluenile.com could save us anywhere from $1000-$3000 on stones/settings comparable to what we've been looking at.....

[litlbit]

I have heard good things about Bluenile.com. Good luck!

[Julz518]

Originally Posted by michaelsbride

A lot of people on here don't like their service plans offered at the chains but I get my rings sized, cleaned, serviced anytime i want for free so I love the warrenty.

I think most stores, chain and local, offer this kind of service. At least, I know mine does. The only difference I've found is that my jeweler does not REQUIRE me to bring it in to be serviced every so often in order to maintain the warranty. Therefore, even if I go 2 years without so much as having it cleaned, I can still go back there and have it serviced... and not have to pay $30 to have my warranty re-instated.

I recently went in and had both of my rings cleaned, the real ring reshaped and my fake one reset... all for free!

[RazzelDazzle]

We bought ours at www.bogett.com

[Cowboy's Girl]

Congratulations!! We knew we were going to get married before we got the ring, too...but it still makes it nice!!
FH bought my ring from a local jeweler here in Columbia. His ex-fiance told him that he WOULD NOT get her ring from a mall store, so he went to this place. It has been around for years and he was really pleased with their service. When the time came for him to buy mine, he checked into many different places, but was able to get a higher quality stone from the local jeweler than he could at the mall stores. Everyone at the chains were very helpful, but in the end, he just liked the ring from the local guy better. Some times, the chain stores have special "diamond events" where they bring in a bunch of loose stones and you can choose from those. I highly recommend that, if you can...
Good luck!!

[neebelung]

Originally Posted by Cowboy's Girl

Congratulations!! We knew we were going to get married before we got the ring, too...but it still makes it nice!!
FH bought my ring from a local jeweler here in Columbia. His ex-fiance told him that he WOULD NOT get her ring from a mall store, so he went to this place. It has been around for years and he was really pleased with their service. When the time came for him to buy mine, he checked into many different places, but was able to get a higher quality stone from the local jeweler than he could at the mall stores. Everyone at the chains were very helpful, but in the end, he just liked the ring from the local guy better. Some times, the chain stores have special "diamond events" where they bring in a bunch of loose stones and you can choose from those. I highly recommend that, if you can...
Good luck!!

We did indeed end up going with a smaller, locally owned store that's been here for 30 years, and we couldn't have been more pleased with the whole experience.

[NovemberGal]

Originally Posted by Cowboy's Girl

Good luck!!

Razzel has dug up an old thread...if you check newer posts you'll see that Nee has got her ring...and it is be-OOH-tiful.

ETA: Posting the same time you were Nee, sorry!

[neebelung]

LOL... no problem (and thank you! )