Your Opinion On Engagment Ring

[I'm A Guest!]

Hullo one and all!

Yes, I'm male & I'm seeking your opinion. Let's get that out of the way first!

I have been with my girlfriend for 5 years now & think the time is right to ask her to marry me.
My budget is pretty tight right now, owing to a huge investment in my job & hopefully our future together. To this end, I was thinking of purchasing a loose diamond - upto £1200 level. You can get them well presented in fancy, wooden boxes and 'fake' presentation rings, and you can get very good diamonds for the price I'm looking at. My thought is, that I choose the diamond, then my g/f can choose the setting (it also gives me another couple of weeks to save-up for the setting!) - it is, afterall, her who will be wearing it for many years! But, there is a niggling doubt that she might be a little disappointed if she is unable to wear it straight away.
Btw, we're off to Bruges soon. It was just going to be a weekend away, but I may just pop the question when we're there. Whattd'ya think - a romantic city in which to do it??!

So, it's over to you. What would you feel in these circumstances?
Your opinions are very much appreciated!

[Guest]

there is a film called Breakfast at Tiffany's. in it the man gives the woman an engagement ring from a Cracker Jack box (this is a popcorn/peanut/carmel candy that comes with a small "prize" wrapped up in the box along with the candy). they go to the jeweler and have this plastic trinket of a ring engraved. almost everyone, especially the ladies, put this film WAY up there on their lists of romantic films.

i suppose what i'm saying is that it depends on how well you know your lady. but, it sounds ok to me. good luck

[Homer69]

In my opinion, I think you should get the ring. Pick something nice and simple, cuz when you pop the question and give it to her, at that moment, its not right if it doesn't go on her finger She won't care about how big the diamond is.... etc etc. I wants what it symbolizes.

[Guest]

I think it's thougtful of you to consider that she may want to pick out the setting. You two haven't looked at rings together before?

Have you decided if you'll go with brilliant (round) or princess cut? I think women with more traditional taste usually like the round, while women with more elegant, simple taste like the princess. I love princess cut! Also, the clearer and more facets the diamond has, the more sparkly it will be, which to me is more important than size. I would rather have a smaller, but brighter diamond than a larger and duller one.

If you are thinking princess cut, you could always tell her you were thinking of setting it as a diamond shape, rather than a square shape. i.e. if you turn it 45 degrees it will be in a diamond setting. Make sense? A man working at a jewlery store did this for his wife and he said it makes the diamond appear much larger than if it's set in the traditional square shape. Anyway, just a thought. Good luck!

[cs203]

I think the idea of choosing the diamond and her choosing the design is fantastic and original! I recently got engaged and chose my own ring, though it is hard choosing even as the fiancee so i think it must be even harder choosing it as a gift, worrying if it will be liked. Your girlfriend will have the best of both worlds, your input of choice and her own! Also you have something to propose with- my fiance didn't have but i would rather that than have a ring i don't love to bits. I think it is a beautiful idea! Go for it and good luck!!!

[cs203]

as for proposing in Bruges, if you do decide to do that (again, a lovely idea) be careful with the diamond if you go for that option- you don't want it to get lost in your travels! Best of luck!

[tecker]

It don't matter what you do, whatever you do will be wrong! Get used to it, once your married.............

Only kidding ladies!

[averageguy]

Did the same in Paris. I just gave her the rock (I knew how incredibly fussy she was about jewellry). Forget fake presentation rings or little wooden boxes - carry the diamond in paper folded many times. It worked for me - she got unbelievably excited. I bet you she spends most of the journey home from Bruges scribbling down diagrams and discussing different designs, My advice is, try and appear interested if she does!

[Angelo]

I'd say buy one of those cheap rings and then pop the question.
In my opinion you should not give into the marketing ploy of de beers and jewelers about having to spend two months pay.
Fact is that it is the act of love, devotion, amd commitment that makes a marriage work not how much you can spend.
Seriously! if the jeweler says you should ask him if that is true then why do so many celebrities are divorced,
do some research about the trutht behine two months pay; you will see that you will have more questions than answers that are given my jewelers