Older son is likely to get engaged within the next few months . He and his girlfriend of 3 years (they live together) are suggesting the parents meet and he said he needs to find an engagement ring! I searched and saw a couple of older threads but nothing recent . Any experience with Blue Nile, James Allen? Any DC jeweler ideas?
May I just tactfully suggest that your son get input from his girlfriend about the style of ring she wants. She will be looking at it everyday, and it should make her heart sing.
2 Likes
Totally agree on that! That’s a given!
1 Like
We were fortunate to have a family ring which we gave to FSIL for DD. If that hadn’t been the case, they would have gone shopping together to look at various ring styles. Then FSIL would have purchased the ring. It would have been from our local jeweler.
I designed my own engagement ring with a local jeweler. Recycled gold and man-made blue diamond (and man-made little regular diamonds) and it was wayyyy cheaper than a regular commercial ring. And ethical!
FWIW, we split the cost of the ring. Which I guess in the grand scheme of things didn’t matter either way since our finances were already pretty tied together as it was.
He did say they will look together and do know about Blue Nile. His girlfriend has a good friend whose husband owns a jewelry design business and they may look there but I hope they will not feel pressure or obligation to buy if the designs aren’t right . My sister has a good friend whose son is in the jewelry business and my sister has said more than once that my son should talk to him if he gets engaged. That time seems to be coming but don’t think he needs to talk to this guy unless he can’t find something in DC or online(unlikely) so hopefully my sister does not push the issue. All of this is up to them, just glad an engagement seems to be in the works! His girlfriend is lovely!
Is Occoquan to far? It’s probably 35 minutes south on 395 then 95. I recently was quite pleased with Touch of Gold Fine Jewelry. They made a beveled set necklace from a stone we had. Their rings seemed quite nice (without a Tiffany’s premium).
Occoquan is such a nice town! Thanks! Good info for anybody in the DC area looking for jewelry.
I bought a loose diamond about 10 years ago after a lot of research (upgraded W’s engagement ring). I used a company in NY called Good Old Gold - quality and price were better than Blue Nile.
There was a diamond/jewelry forum I frequented that helped a lot but now I can’t remember the name for the life of me (might have been pricescope?). Regardless, the state of the art on what determines a good-looking diamond has evolved beyond the “4 C’s” and your S would do well to take the time for some research and investigating other resources beyond Blue Nile.
Anyway, I bought the diamond remotely and W had a local jeweler create a custom setting for it. BTW the diamond didn’t actually come loose, I think I paid around $50 for what they called a “presentation setting”, basically a cheap no-frills setting intended to be temporary. Saved a ton of money and got much better quality than purchasing either locally or through Blue Nile.
1 Like
What about Worthy. the Real Real, or any of the other used jewelry sites? A great chance to get a nice ring for less money.
Blue Nile is pretty decent as far as pricing goes. I usually can get better pricing by going to Hong Kong or Bangkok where the setting labor will be cheaper. If you go to a storefront place, make sure to ask if you can give them an out of state address so you can save on sales tax. Many places will send say a box of chocolates instead to the address. (I don’t think Blue Nile will charge for sales tax unless you are in NY).
While I have no knowledge of DC jewelers, I am a proponent of utilizing local jewelers rather than ordering online. They can work within the couple’s budget, demonstrate how various characteristics of particular stones impact the appearance of the ring, custom design, and show examples to refine style preferences. . Most buyers aren’t budgeting for nearly perfect diamonds, but one can choose the variables that matter most and create a great ring. It is a fun process to share with your partner.
I introduced DD and SIL to a trusted local jeweler. They hesitated initially (out of fear of higher costs), but soon were reassured by how their budget/tastes were respected, as well as what they learned. In one visit, they had the engagement ring designed (incorporating an inherited stone) and wedding bands selected. Congratulations to your son!
Will she even want one? I think that is something they should discuss. I think if she does, then it is all hers to sort out.
Thanks to all for the replies! Yes, they have discussed it enough to know that she does want some kind of ring. And they plan to check out Blue Nile (therefore, my question about experience with online places) and a couple DC places yet to be determined, as well as talk to her jeweler friend.
Consider GIA Certified!
Tiny Jewel Box in DC is great at educating prospective purchasers. Can work with any budget. Beautiful jewelry.
@romanigypsyeyes , now that I’m older, I wish we had purchased a man made diamond. I don’t think it was even known about back then. They are REAL diamonds. It would have cost half and I could have gotten an even bigger one.
CZ’s are more like 1/100 the cost of a mined diamond.
Were I in their position, I might be inclined to go in the direction of antique or estate jewelry; and for a bonus, Washington, DC is chock full of jewelry stores selling antique and estate pieces!
A couple I know had a good experience with Brilliant Earth at the showroom in Washington, D.C. They have natural, lab-created and vintage diamonds and colored gemstones, and use recycled gold. For the newly mined natural diamonds, they follow strict ethical standards, with a listed country of origin for most stones.