Weddingbee boards

My boyfriend of 10 years asked if I'd like to go engagement ring shopping with him yesterday. He also mentioned, he'd be willing to wear a male engagement ring (something we've talked about previously). So, I'm looking for recommendations on reputable places in the Bay Area where we can shop for both (we're in San Francisco but are willing to drive some ways out of the city if you have a good place.)

I'm also considering a fancy color sapphire instead of a diamond, so any places you know that might offer a good selection on non-traditional engagement rings would be great too. Thanks! 

Thanks for the recommendation Lillindy, is that were you got your rings too? Do you have any tips on specific stores to check out? I started storting through some of the jewlery stores Websites yesterday through the JewleryMart/Giftcenter link but there is a LOT (I only got through to the "D"s) Thanks!

Congrats on your engagement!  That's awesome that your fiance also wants to wear ring. 

If you're willing to drive down to San Jose, I would suggest The Classic Rock, www.theclassicrock.net/, in Japantown.  I got my engagement ring there, which has an alexandrite as the center stone.  The staff was really nice, and Jeannie knows a lot about colored gemstones - she loves them!  She took the time to show me and my fiance other gemstones that were more affordable yet had the qualities that I was looking for in a stone (we eventually still chose the alexandrite).  Anyway, Jeannie even ordered some gemstones, a couple of them being purple sapphires, just for me to look at.  And let me tell you, the stones were unbelievable, some of the best you'll ever see.  She got these untreated purple sapphires that resembled grape juice - the color was so rich.  The prices were all at comparative, affordable.   You can read about them in Yelp as well...I even wrote a review.

If anything, I would check this place out just see their stones and gain more information about sapphires and possibly other gemstones.  Happy hunting!