Engagement Ring / Wedding Band - Diamond Alternative Heirloom

8ro on 28/07/2019 - 21:50
Last edited 29/07/2019 - 23:59

Hi,
I am looking for an engagement ring that will double up as a wedding band.
There have been numerous posts discussing similar concerns at various price points, however, this post differs as per the outcomes hoped to be achieved which are mentioned below.

I am looking to get a platinum-based ring for $10000 (GST inclusive).
I am trying to have a discussion around if someone HAD to spend 10000 for a ring that would have dual-purpose, what stone or style would they consider. Rarity takes precedence over prettiness, so please No Moissanite, CZ or other similar alternatives.

I am not viewing this as an investment decision from which I will earn great returns, but rather hoping to get something that will retain its value over time. (Please do not suggest buying something cheaper and putting rest of the money in term deposits/bonds)

Therefore, feel free to recommend other precious stones or maybe even argyle pink diamond for the ring. Please note that it must, however, be suitable for daily wear and therefore ideally should not be less than 8 on the Mohs scale.
I am based in Sydney, so something that can be easily procured locally would be a bonus.

I am not seeking a discussion around whether:
a. I should be spending this much/little on something like a ring
b. Diamonds are a scam, with no intrinsic value (with links to CH’s video)

EDIT: I have changed the title to reflect that I am not looking for a colourless diamond.

General Discussion Wedding Ring

Comments

  • jerrus on 30/07/2019 - 09:25
    +3

    I got my wife a ring with a green sapphire, she always gets comments on it as it's a little different

    • 8ro on 30/07/2019 - 19:31

      That sounds great. Were there any other stones that you looked into or were interested in?

      • jerrus on 02/08/2019 - 10:10

        Thought about an emerald but the jeweller thought they weren't durable enough for an everyday ring. The actual ring has 3 small diamonds on each side leading up to the sapphire as in .oOsapphire Oo. The sapphire is vastly larger than any of the diamonds which are there largly to make the sapphire pop.

  • cyrax83 on 30/07/2019 - 09:55
    -2

    lol @ all the OzBargain cheap skates come out like clockwork when it comes to Diamonds.

    • Jugganautx on 30/07/2019 - 11:17
      +3

      Lol @ all the people that need to spend $10k to keep their partners happy.

    • brendanm on 30/07/2019 - 11:38

      Diamonds have no value, of course people are going to comment on it. Paying 10k for a bit of carbon some starving African pulled out of the ground is pants on head stupid.

  • timothyb on 30/07/2019 - 11:34

    Where are you based 8ro? I just got an engagement ring from Arman's in Sydney and it was the easier than I ever could have imagined. I think you're gonna need to start going into some physical stores to get a feel for prices then check back online, you might find somewhere that will fit your budget more than you though.

  • Tuftsdude on 30/07/2019 - 11:56

    Sapphire or ruby, untreated if possible from a wholesale gemstone dealer. I deal with mainly emeralds (7.5-8 on mohs) and lower quality sapphires and rubies. And no need to make your goal to spend 10k, if you find someone good and cheaper, settle with that.

  • IIGnomeII on 30/07/2019 - 15:00

    Can't give you any help with the stone but I can say you can save a bit of money in buying the stones from a supplier and then paying a decent jeweler to set the stone in a ring she likes.

    When I was buying the engagement ring I was also told to look at the auctions for second hand vintage jewellery, but ultimately went with the above method.

  • lltravel on 30/07/2019 - 15:18

    You really think you're going to get a rare diamond for 10k?

    Mate you need to up your budget and look at blue or pink diamonds for investment.

    If money is no object you would be looking at a red diamond but

    Goodluck

    • 8ro on 30/07/2019 - 19:26
      +1

      No, I don't think that I will get a rare diamond for this amount, however, I do believe that there might be other precious stones which I might be able to get for this budget.
      A decent quality 0.10 ct pink diamond would be possible with this budget, but I was hoping if there would be other options.
      Given how so many people are riled up about a 10k ring, I can't imagine if someone actually asked for advice for a budget that would barely cover a 1 ct pink diamond.
      An average Tiffany ring STARTS at 10k and according to various articles average expenditure on a ring is around 7k, therefore it's a little perplexing, why some can't fathom that this purchase is not outrageous or might actually be quite modest for some.

      • lainey13 on 31/07/2019 - 08:55

        .10 is absolutely tiny!!

      • lltravel on 31/07/2019 - 09:31

        all good op, i don't think your budget is crazy, That's about on point. I have budgeted 25k for when the time comes.

        Ignore the people that think 10k is too much. This is a bargain forum so you're bound to get a bunch of people hating on you for not spending it on $5 charging cables.

      • lux on 31/07/2019 - 20:10

        I deal in argyle pinks, for that price you could get a pink diamond, but probably not with an argyle certificate. I have something in stock that fits your budget and would work well to fit the design brief. As for using the term "investment" I'd be wary of anyone saying a $10,000 pink is deemed an investment. I invest people's superannuation into pink diamonds for a living, the minimum you're looking at is about 40K, and there are certain parameters that are taken into account for what is deemed 'investment grade."

        • 8ro on 31/07/2019 - 20:32

          What parameters should a pink diamond meet according to you to make it "investment grade"?

          • lux on 31/07/2019 - 21:22

            @8ro: if your using your super fund, the ATO wont allow you to wear it to start with, it needs to go in a vault facility. Secondly some shapes are easier to liquidate than others, and you generally want it to be over 0.20ct and in a higher colour.

          • lux on 31/07/2019 - 21:25

            @8ro: i dunno what the rules are on here, you can email me if you have more questions [email protected]

  • fruxo on 30/07/2019 - 18:19

    If you are not going with a diamond, why would you need to spend that much? Most other stones would be cheaper. Although I admit I don't know which gems meets your hardness requirement, maybe it excludes most of them.

    If you are after a diamond of a different colour, you really need to figure out what you want first as many are rare and expensive. If you are buying a much smaller one just to get the colour, you want to make sure it's what you really want.

    Is it for you? If not, you should ask your wife as engagement rings are very personal and it's very risky going with a different colour stone if you have no idea which colours she likes. It's weird asking this question and not even mentioning which colours she likes or does not like as that's the most important detail…

    Edit: I don't believe in diamonds, they are a huge scam. But my wife wanted a big and ridiculously expensive diamond, so that's what she got. It's her ring after all so her opinion is what matters.

  • JungliChilli on 30/07/2019 - 19:01

    The number of ring ads I've been getting ever since I clicked this post is too dam high!

  • jacross on 31/07/2019 - 07:52
    +1

    Actually now that I think about it, WHY is rarity more important than aesthetics?

    • lltravel on 31/07/2019 - 09:32

      rare diamond stones can double in value over time.

      • pancaeks on 31/07/2019 - 10:44

        But are you going to sell the ring in time? I'm pretty sure you don't buy the ring hoping you can sell it in the future.

      • jacross on 03/08/2019 - 07:49

        So they're after a pig in a poke, for in case the marriage fails?

        Okay…

    • brendanm on 01/08/2019 - 13:28

      Op only wants a high yield investment ring

  • syousef on 31/07/2019 - 09:59

    What matters here isn't whether it will retain it's value. You're going into marriage hoping for it to last I presume. So you won't see that value again. Assuming you have chosen someone suitable to marry what matters is that 1) Your partner is happy 2) The ring lasts.

    One other thing to consider. Some people develop a skin reaction to the ring over time. I asked my wife to stop wearing her ring years ago. She was struggling and trying to persist, even switched it to different fingers but it was causing her pain. She finally relented. I'm glad she didn't get insulted when I didn't spend 3 months salary on the thing and insisted she coming shopping with me for the ring. Hers was a smaller diamond but a decent quality ring in the less than $4k price range (2007 pricing). It sits in a cupboard and has no effect on the quality of our marriage.

    A ring is just a ring. Good luck with your marriage.

  • [Deactivated] on 16/08/2019 - 21:28

    I know you've said you wanted a diamond alternative but what about a salt and pepper diamond? Not many people have seen one and they look very different to a colorless diamond , especially in a pear shape : vid

    This was also one of the bridal sets that I'd shortlisted : it's a green sapphire with moonstone accents. It's vintagey.

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