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Hi ladies, I’ve been daydreaming about engagement rings lately, but I’m curious about how much input you gave him on yours. Did you just come out and say exactly what you wanted , or did you drop hints? There are a lot of options out there, and with everyone worrying about blood diamonds and enhanced/lab-created diamonds, I feel like diamond cerfication is more important than ever. If certification was important to you, did you mention it, or did you trust him to figure it out?
oh, we spent a few hours online (his idea) looking at styles, and I showed him what I liked. Good thing too, because he totally mis-guessed me!
In the end though, I told him, "You know Janey? [a married friend of ours] She has really similar style to me. Take her with you when you go ring shopping. She'll help."
Oh, I picked that sucker out! LOL. Seriously, we went and looked together. FI was SO overwhlemed by the process and had no idea what was more important to me - carat or clarity (clarity!), color or carat (color!) and so he was relieved I didn't want to be surprised. It is so much money to spend, it is important to get it right. He was able to focus on the details of the proposal - which ended up being a total surprise - and I picked out the details of the ring with him. Looking back I wouldn't change a thing.
I think you should at least look with him so he can get an idea of what you like. You may not even know exactly what you want until you try things on. I'd also talk to him about it and see what he has always envisioned. He may want it to be a surprise, so you may have to compromise a bit, but you can at least browse together. Enjoy this time! It is so much fun!
"I don't want a diamond."
That's all I told him. The rest was up to him, and he did great!
i am still working this one out!!! M doesn't want me to have input at all but i have wanted an aquamarine for sooo long well ever since that episode of platinum weddings were the girl had an aquamarine from vera wang.. sigh i loved that ring... he knows that i want it to have a halo setting with tiny diamonds and vintage appeal. however that is soooooo many different rings and settings lol!!! and actually i don't know how much he knows about the aquamarine i know he knows blue stone because i don't want him to spend too much on it...
I think it depends on how important the style of the ring is to you. Even though I trust his taste, I'm the planner in the relationship and an engagement ring takes a bit of planning/researching, etc., so we picked it out together. In fact, I was there when he bought and paid for it! This is a ring you will wear for the rest of your life, so you might as well get the one that you want : )
My FI always knew I wanted a princess cut diamond... but he didn't know much more than that! I showed him options online and then we actually went to a jewerly store where I pointed out settings and stones I liked. By the time he actually bought the ring, he was pretty well versed on color, clarity, etc.
Like PomPom said, it's a very expensive purchase, and it's best to get it right! After all, you are the one who will be wearing it forever :)
@tvilase: i completely agree with you on the planning aspect! However M is such a manly man that he refuses to let me have any input, he says it's totally his decision.
I knew I wanted a sapphire, no enhancement, no heat, GIA certified etc. I told my FI what I liked, my concerns of quality and gave him a picture of a sapphire and diamond ring. Because we were both concerned with the quality of stone(s) we decided to look at two reputable small town jewelers.
He knew I would wear whatever he’d presented and wanted me to have what I wanted or close to it. For him, it was more important that I liked my ring than surprising me. I’m glad we discussed what I’d hoped for and even more pleased that we went together to look and try on rings. I tried on different styles, cuts and stones (diamonds, gem-stones). I found the ring I liked most-I fell in love at first sight.
In the end he chose the sapphire himself, hand selected it and said it would‘ve been easier to have traveled to Madagascar and chosen the sapphire (joking). He really did enjoy the process and says he enjoyed the overall experience. All said and done, he says the ring we selected is nothing like what he had imagined, he had a different style and design in mind. Even with a picture, my FI had no idea what I wanted.
I thought I did. Turns out the day we went to look at some rings he had already bought the ring. Two weeks prior.
not a word! I figured (unfairly I realize) that if he knew me, he would know what I would like. And I didn't have my heart set on anything. But the rings I always saw that a I loved were super simple, and my favorites were platinum band, round diamond. And that is exactly what he got me! And somehow guessed - perfectly - my ring size from just looking at my hands!
Well I don't know what I'm getting yet, but I did give some input. I told him that my top two things were 1) no heart shaped diamonds and 2) no 3-stone sets. Just personal preference. Then I told him that I prefer more unusual shapes like Cushion, Asscher, or Radiant, but if he'd rather go classic I like round better than princess. I also told him I prefer thinner bands to thicker bands.
I wanted to go ring shopping together but he said no. I told him to please consider asking one particular friend for help because she knows me so well, and she's told me that she helped him pick out a ring I'll love.
So, I guess I gave some guidelines but we did not talk at all about specifics, and I mainly trusted him to use my friend as a resource. Hopefully I'll find out soon what he bought!!
It happened all so suddenly. One minute we were driving around going to a jewelry store to get my finger fitted .. and the next thing I know we end up at my fathers jeweler to tighten my bracelet. All of a sudden "for fun" I asked to see this yellow canary cushion cut diamond and I was like .... OH MY GOD I LOVE CUSHION CUT. I DONT WANT ROUND. =) So than that was it .... I guess. I got a cushion cut. He designed it all himself though with his jeweler.
Oh and we were looking at bands (for fun again) and he showed me one with diamonds all around and one with just halfway ... I liked the one with all around best!
I made a power-point with pictures of rings I liked and distributed to my closest friends in case he asked them for help. My friend did the same thing (she gave me the idea), and her FI came to me to find out what she liked so it was perfect. In the end I don't think FI consulted anyone because he knew what I wanted - round diamond solitaire. I had been pretty vocal. It took the surprise element out of it (seeing the ring, not the proposal) but I am very picky so I don't know if I would have liked something else. Plus the size of the stone was his choice and I was pleasantly surprised to get my dream ring!
Hey gals, we started looking a year (yes, a YEAR) before it actually happened - we were up in the North Carolina Mountains (Asheville), at happened to wander into a local jewler and look at some BEAUTIFUL rings. Over the next course of the year, we would occasionally walk by a jewelry store at the mall, and he (yes, ladies, HE!) would suggest we stop in and just browse.... within the last few months before it happened, he would send me links online, usually 3 or 4, and ask me to pick my favorite. :)
It worked out well, and I ended up with a ring I LOVE!! Good job, FI.
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Oh I'll have input, I just don't know how much since he won't take the hint that I want to go LOOK AT THEM RIGHT NOW! My friend sent her boyfriend pictures of rings she liked online, but I heard that you only know what you *really* like when you go look at them yourself. So. I want to go! He wouldn't dare pick one out without me, I know that, but still!
I didn't give him any input, and he completely surprised me. He knew I like simple and elegant, just from other jewelry I own, and did a fantastic job picking out something perfect.
None. No instructions and no hints. I'm very happy with my ring! :)
@Janna19: The same thing happened with me and my husband! He got this perfect ring that I would have picked myself, AND he somehow just guessed my ring size!! I couldn't believe it XD
I've had my ring picked out since 8th grade. I unashamedly said, "Look. this is my dream ring. I don't care how you get it, it can be off the back of a truck for all I care, but I want THIS ring. I wish I could say I would be happy with a piece of rope around my finger, but I'm not."
He went WAY beyond my expectations and managed to surprise me!
everyone's stories are so cute!! it's strange because i sort of like not knowing exactly what i'll get as long as it's blue with a halo setting. i don't care for heart shaped stones and LOVE cushion and square cuts like emeralds but recently i've been a sucker for round halos so i really just don't know lol!! even though i think he knows where one of my faves is. i am so excited wondering which he'll get and it's so cool because by this time next year i'll probably have it!
am i the only one who picked out my exact ring? i found it, told him i loved it, he went and bought it. clean and simple! lol.
@ottawa:i wish!!! lol!! i have a sneaking suspicion that i will get the one i "picked" but i have no idea and won't know until he says okay. i picked my rings in my previous engagements though and i actually thought it was the way it was supposed to work until i met m!!
hehe I sent him the link online to the exact one I wanted. I spent about two months picking it out. I got it the day after it came in--only because my friend & I snooped and found out it was in already!
I had an entire word document with pictures and descriptions ready to go! BUT he asked me what I wanted and we have been together for 9 years.
Well...I mentioned EVERYTHING to him. He begged me to go diamond ring shopping with him, but I refused. But I did give him a class on diamonds (showing him bluenile.com diamond buying guide) and had him talk to my cousin. I absolutely made him promise to only get a certified diamond so that we wouldn't be supporting the blood diamond trade. When we walked around and passed jewlery shops I showed him ones that I liked. Online I showed him ones that I liked too. And in the end even had some rings saved at bluenile.com, which in the end is where he chose my ring from. I was concerned about ebing too annoying or controlling, but I think that he appreciated it because although in the end he made the final decision, he needed some guidance bc he had no idea!
I told him I would like white gold because that's what my mom has and I told him I didn't want a stone with right angles (emerald/princess) because I don't like how they look on my hand. I also mentioned that Blue Nile might be worth looking at. Of course unbeknownst to me he was researching for months and it paid off! I love my ring...and my FI... :0)
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@anamcara - Ooh is that the bluenile design your own 3 stone ring?
I want a ring just like that but in yellow gold... we've been looking loads on bluenile too.
Can I be rude and ask what carat size that is? It's absolutely stunning!!
FH and I went to look at styles way before we got engaged, just to look at styles...To be honest, I was so overwhelmed and giggly about the whole thing that I couldn't really focus and it wasn't much help...And I didn't even know what I really wanted...After a few arguments regarding my involvement with picking the ring out, I finally said, "Round stone, diamonds on the band, thin band" and left it up to him...I adore my ring but there are definitely things I would have changed if I had been more involved in the design of it...Oh well, gotta love the boy for wanting to do it himself!
I told my guy a few things about a e-ring for me- no princess cut, no platinum & a solitare. He already knew that I'd want a silver/white gold/platinum colored ring and something pretty classic looking without me having to tell him. He also knew that I wouldn't pick anything out. Although when he started talking about rings, I did mention that he could ask family and friends for help on the style. Especially, my best friend who was a manager at a jewelry store once upon a time. She ended up emailing him pictures of rings that I would like and he sent her the final design for approval. I love my ring- its got a round solitare with pave diamonds and fine metal beadwork on the band.
I had emailed him several links to rings I liked. He replied back and said, that's pretty but I don't like it. So finally I just point blank asked him what he liked. He said I thought you'd pick something out that was blue not a diamond. I was shocked to hear him say that because deep down that's what I wanted but thought he wouldn't go for it!
So we got on the computer right then and I showed him some blue stones I liked. We later picked it out together while on vacation in Hawaii!
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I basically picked out my exact ring. We looked at a lot of rings in stores, and one day I saw one and I just said "this is perfect!". 2 days later that's the day he bought! I had initially thought I wanted a princess stone, but he got a round one and it's perfect. :-)
vintage2010: sigh that's my dream ring (i almost cried when i scrolled down and saw it sigh) it is definitely the one i'd want or at least have a ring that is inspired by it... perfection i tell ya!!
We looked at some rings at Kay Jewelers- we were actually there returning something else, and he suggested that we look while we were there. I didn't see anything I liked there, but I told him I like emerald cuts, and cushions. I e-mailed him 3 or 4 pictures online, and he took it from there. He got me an emerald cut, but he put his own spin on the setting. I thought I wanted a halo (which I love) but I really love what he got me. And I love that he put his own spin on it! It's perfect.
All I told my dear Mr.LittleOcto was that I wanted it to have certification (conflict-free, please!!) and that I wanted something understated. He totally took it from there and hit a home run. He took into consideration that I would need something low-profile because I work with animals and am a huge mess...losing the stone was a definite possibility with me. He got the most beautiful, creative, quirky, darling ring I've ever seen and I'm totally in love with it. Now I just need a wedding band that works with it!
IMG_0858.JPG (146.8 KB, 72 downloads) 2 years old You must log in to post.
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