Engagement Ring in Med School

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badasshairday said:
Do moissanite have the same rep as CZ stones, in terms of being "fake diamonds"? Or are they more their own type of stone?

Like you say, "Baby, will you marry me?" and slip her the ring. She asks you about it a few days later, "How many carot's is this diamond, so I can tell my friends when they ask!"

Do you say...
A)"It is moissanite, better than a diamond"
B)"It is a 1 carot diamond"
C)"Um, I forgot"
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Everything that's not a De Beers mined diamond is going to be labeled as "fake" diamond, even created diamond. For the demographic that only wants "real" diamonds, they don't care about any other reasoning.

CK = for poor people that want something like a diamond
Mossanite = some sentimental value, but reasonably priced. But different then diamond
Created diamonds = no sentimental value, but reasonably priced. Identical to natural diamonds, except for tiny De Beers scratch. No ethical issues.
Mined Diamond = 95% sentimental value. Ethical issues. Super bloated expensive, but most girls will accept it.
 
Meh. I have no idea if the diamond on my bring is mined or lab-created. I don't care, either, though lab created would be nice for the sake of the shadiness of the diamond trade. I had no idea what Moissanite was until this thread. I would have been sad if I'd been given a CZ, because I'd trust my husband to know me well enough to know I'd prefer a smaller diamond to a larger imitation.
 
Anyone have a link for these lab created diamonds? Are they white or colored?

I'll add my story really quickly. I bought my wife a 0.75 carat stone for 1K when we got married 7 years ago. This was always meant to be a "starter" stone and after we started making some money we upgraded. She is quite happy now and this should (better) be the "forever diamond". Anyway, the ring you buy at first doesn't have to be her "forever ring". When you start pulling in some cash you can buy something bigger/more expensive.
 
hrandani said:
CZ? This is 2011, baby. Moissanite. How's she going to get upset if she doesn't even know what it is?
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I second moissanite. It's cheap, it's durable, doesn't come with a variety of ethical issues, and it's also beautiful. If your girl can't appreciate frugality at this point....well, I'd better not say what's on my mind about that.
 
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political-pictures-sarah-palin-john-mccain-look-shiny-object.jpg
 
Please read pricescope.com or you will buy ****, I guarantee you.

Also agree with educated poster above who suggested AGS/GIA ONLY. EGL is notorious for soft grading at least 1-2 grades lower than the above labs.

Cut is the most important C. AGS000 or GIA Ex/Ex/Ex is what you want, it will make a smaller diamond appear larger due to better fire/brilliance/light return.

Buy from a PS vendor with an upgrade policy, and you can trade in your diamond for a more substantial one when your $$$ starts coming in.
 
Jolie South said:
I'm not talking about a 10 carat stone. I'm talking about something that's pretty but realistic for a non-celebrity/crazy rich person to have, which I gauge to be probably in the 1.25-1.5 carat range.
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Most of the girls who got engaged 4th year at my med school have 0.7-0.8 carats. Only one out of the 30 or so had a 1.5.

There are student loans you can take out 4th year for interview money. I would take out one of those, because they have better interest rates than anything your local diamond store will give you.

Hope you don't have to pay for the wedding!!!! Student loans are a bitch!
 
pkwraith said:
Created diamonds = no sentimental value, but reasonably priced. Identical to natural diamonds, except for tiny De Beers scratch. No ethical issues.
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Created diamonds could have sentimental value. I think there's a company out there that will cremate your grandma and turn her ashes into diamonds. I bet there's enough carbon in a few pints of your blood to make a diamond. You could theoretically give a real blood diamond that was made in a lab from your own blood. Depending on one's point of view, it'd either be creepy as hell or hella romantic.
On the other hand, the idea that a diamond ring is an appropriate engagement gift was created from whole cloth for DeBeers in the 1930s by a bunch of out-of-work propagandists who couldn't earn a paycheck villainizing the Huns anymore. It is one of the world's greatest, most successful scams. It's worth noting that the same DeBeers that pulled this off has been a criminal organization for most of its history - its executives have only recently been able to travel to Europe or the US without fear of being arrested. It was a huge de facto supporter of apartheid, and has repeatedly paid huge fines for illegal and unethical business practices. You have to ask yourself, how do you feel about being scammed out of several thousand dollars by a evil corporation. How do you feel about being pressured into a tradition fabricated for the express purpose of fleecing you? How do you feel about supporting a brutal industry that has ruined whole nations? If you have self respect or a well developed sense of morality, don't get her a diamond. You don't even need both of these things - one or the other should be turn you away from diamonds.
 
I am late to the game..but I bought my fiance her ring last august right when I started school. We just bought our first house so I had like NOTHING saved up because I spent everything on the house.

Checkout www.bluenile.com They have a really great selection of loose stones. As far as color and clarity go....its not as important as a good cut. A good cut can make a flawed diamond look great since the "light properties" of the stone are good. I ended up dropping about 650 on a solitaire setting. As for the diamond...my grandmother had a "crap" diamond that she didnt think was even real. She gave me the ring and I went to a GIA gemologist for testing...turns out it was real and is a 1.50 ct old mine cut (circa 1930 this is how they were cutting) vs2 J color diamond.....and get this...appraised for $10 grand lol.

My grandma thought it was worth maybe 1000 dollars at the most. So that is my diamond story for anyone who cares.

But checkout blue nile...pretty reasonable prices.
 
phltz said:
Created diamonds could have sentimental value. I think there's a company out there that will cremate your grandma and turn her ashes into diamonds. I bet there's enough carbon in a few pints of your blood to make a diamond. You could theoretically give a real blood diamond that was made in a lab from your own blood. Depending on one's point of view, it'd either be creepy as hell or hella romantic.
On the other hand, the idea that a diamond ring is an appropriate engagement gift was created from whole cloth for DeBeers in the 1930s by a bunch of out-of-work propagandists who couldn't earn a paycheck villainizing the Huns anymore. It is one of the world's greatest, most successful scams. It's worth noting that the same DeBeers that pulled this off has been a criminal organization for most of its history - its executives have only recently been able to travel to Europe or the US without fear of being arrested. It was a huge de facto supporter of apartheid, and has repeatedly paid huge fines for illegal and unethical business practices. You have to ask yourself, how do you feel about being scammed out of several thousand dollars by a evil corporation. How do you feel about being pressured into a tradition fabricated for the express purpose of fleecing you? How do you feel about supporting a brutal industry that has ruined whole nations? If you have self respect or a well developed sense of morality, don't get her a diamond. You don't even need both of these things - one or the other should be turn you away from diamonds.
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Yeah...but does your fiance care about any of this crap? Mine didnt and I love her so I just dealt with the diamond issue. Plus my diamond was cut in the late 20s very early 30s so its not really an issue haha.
 
willen101383 said:
I am late to the game..but I bought my fiance her ring last august right when I started school. We just bought our first house so I had like NOTHING saved up because I spent everything on the house.

Checkout www.bluenile.com They have a really great selection of loose stones. As far as color and clarity go....its not as important as a good cut. A good cut can make a flawed diamond look great since the "light properties" of the stone are good. I ended up dropping about 650 on a solitaire setting. As for the diamond...my grandmother had a "crap" diamond that she didnt think was even real. She gave me the ring and I went to a GIA gemologist for testing...turns out it was real and is a 1.50 ct old mine cut (circa 1930 this is how they were cutting) vs2 J color diamond.....and get this...appraised for $10 grand lol.

My grandma thought it was worth maybe 1000 dollars at the most. So that is my diamond story for anyone who cares.

But checkout blue nile...pretty reasonable prices.
Click to expand...

Sweet story, Will! 🙂 I also just looked up old mine cut. Pretty!

Along with BlueNile, JamesAllen is very similar and will actually show magnified images of the actual diamond and you can view it even closer with their "virtual loupe".
 
chidoman said:
👍👍👍👍👍 for real, if she doesnt like you cause you're a poor med student dump her, cause you're a poor med student!

I financed the ring i bought my wife, even then it was super cheap cause I was poor as crap. But It looked nice, so instead of looking Big look for something "pretty". Suprisingly my wife still gets comments on how pretty her ring is and we've been married for almost 4 years.
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I never really got the whole surprise part either. My fiance and I really discussed it for months before we finally decided to do it...and she and I went shopping for the ring (well setting) together.

But honestly kcin....I realize you dont know what its like to be in med school yet...but its just as hard on your spouse as it is on you. Its almost like they are in school with you..but without the degree and pay at the end. Granted I didnt need to buy the diamond...but if thats something she wanted, I would have given it to her...within my means clearly. I see it as one more way to show her that I appreciate what shes putting up with while I build my career.
 
The color of Moissanite is comparable to diamonds of categories I-J-K, which means they (and diamonds of this category) can all have a slight yellowish tinge to them under certain types of light. I've seen them and could hardly tell.

My former roommate bought one for his fiance, and told me that he got a treatment that also makes it clear under those lighting circumstances (making it closer to the "flawless" diamonds. The stone was amazing to look at. Far more fire and brillance than a normal diamond. And way, way cheaper. A 1.0 carrot diamond stone like that would have cost him far, far more money, which he turned around and spent on an awesome wedding.

Moissanite is in a far higher category than CZ. In many ways preferable over diamonds, and you are not propping up the artifically high prices of diamonds perpetuated by the De Beers diamond cartel. (diamonds really don't have as much inherent value as we pay for them at jewelry stores).

However, don't try and sneak it to your fiance/wife. Let her know beforehand. It is a time to practice good communication skills, which will be vitally important.

By the way, this same roommate got a tungston wedding band. (I think he stole my idea). There is nothing wrong with the wife also having a simple wedding band without a stone. Modesty and humility are great qualities.
 
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Most jewelers can't even tell the difference between moissanite and a diamond. I was talking to a guy recently who said his lab guy was having to order new machines for people who come in to get stuff appraised.

Personally I will never buy a diamond because I think it's a stupid advertising scam. Before I found out about moissanite I would have tried to get a ring made with other gemstones like sapphire, ruby, emerald alexandrite etc. As an ex-scientist I find lab grown gems to be awesome anyway. Price is just a bonus. If a girl was getting crazy bent out of shape about having a diamond ring then I would start to seriously wonder if she was more interested in the ring or in me. If not having a diamond ring can be a dealbreaker for a girl, that street goes both ways.
 
I did a lot of research about moissanite before giving my now-husband the ok to buy it. I read about its properties, how similar it is to diamonds, the shine, etc. I also read about the yellow tint--but I can't see it. My ring does not look "off" to me. It looks white. It shines and looks beautiful. I could easily pass it off as a diamond if I wanted to (I do not). Despite my clumsiness (hitting it against everything), the stone has not scratched or broken.

I have a 1ct equivalent solitaire with a plain wedding band. It does not look like "it must be fake because it's too big."

Like someone else said though, you can't buy moissanite and pass it off as diamond to your fiance. She'll find out when the jeweler tests it to see if it's a diamond and ends up scratching the stone. The benefit of diamond, imo, is the stone is so tough it can withstand everyday wear--but moissanite can as well, which makes it a viable alternative if she (or you) is not dead set on diamond.
 
Like I was saying, even jewelers have trouble telling the difference unless someone laser etched something on the stone. Moissanite is a 9.5 (2,200 kg/mm2) on the Mohs scale, making it harder than any other gem other than diamonds, 10 (2,350 kg/mm2). That's about 100-1000 times harder than steel, and it's still harder than most titanium compounds. What is the jeweler going to use to scratch it? A diamond? Diamonds already scratch other diamonds, so that's not helpful.

You can still shatter a diamond though, that's an independent quality. The only reliable methods for discerning moissanite from a diamond is electrical conductivity and heating the stone to 230 C. Not exactly everyday circumstances. Like I said, it was a no brainer buy for me because I've always thought diamonds were rather plain, overhyped and overvalued stones. Dropping 5-10k on a ring is a lot more fun when you get something that's unique rather than whatever Tiffany's was promoting.
 
Just don't spend much. I think my wife's engagement ring was just under $1300, and I was still in college then. I went to an independent dealer and picked something modest. I can buy her a $10,000 ring when that's what I make in a few weeks.
 
fahimaz7 said:
I'd say drop $2000 on the diamond and the setting. Get a simple band and then a .75 or something with the best cut and clarity that you can afford.

Most place will also finance it at 0% for the first 12 months as well.
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That's exactly what we did. Except it cost 1700 and it's .72. I love it and much bigger would look tacky on my hand. I probably won't 'trade up' either due to the sentimental value.
 
CaptainSSO said:
Ray Boccino recently told me there's a shipment of diamonds coming in. Go find Niko and ya'll can ride around in garbage trucks and pick it up. We'll see if there's wedding ring in there.
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My favorite game ever. From back when I played games, anyway.
 
searun said:
Read the obituaries in your local newspaper. When an old lady dies who was a widow - she will often leave her engagement and wedding rings to her heirs. Or sometimes the heirs will just remove the rings from her dead body before she is shipped to the funeral home. Often the heirs just want to liquidate the rings to get some cash.

Figure out how to contact the heirs who are often identified in the published obituary - there is a good chance you can negotiate a really good price.

Also, check the inventory of diamond rings at your local pawn shop - although I think that you will get a better deal going the obituary route! The heirs usually don't know the fair market value of the rings unless they get an appraisal.
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i just did a mad shudder when i read this post...and i'm a dude. can't figure out if you're trolling or just legit creepy....
 
My wife asked for moissanite, so I was able to afford one the size of a 2 1/2 ct diamond, and spent the money I saved on a platinum ring with custom engraving and diamond side stones. The optical qualities are great - it looks really nice and has a lot of "fire." My mother-in-law was impressed and recently bought some moissanite jewelry of her own.

Now that I'm familiar with it, I could spot a moissanite from 3 feet away, but to the untrained eye it looks like a large diamond with good cut and a little bit of yellowish tinge (probably in the HIJ range).

The resale value is also decent (much less depreciation than a diamond), should you choose to replace it with a diamond in the future.
 
Kinda weird suggestion but depending on your soon to be fiancee, Craigslist is an option. It's kinda depressing when someone sells their unused/returned ring, but it's great for you! Also, you can tell it's legit because the seller should meet you at the jewelry store and there's some kind of certification or something involved.. again, totally depends on the girl!
 
I'm with Jolie. I have giant hands and anything less than 1 carat looks ridiculous on my finger. I also don't like the usual Tiffany setting round stone thing, which is really one of the only cuts that works on a small diamond and makes it look relatively large. I'd rather have a 1.5-2c moissanite or colored stone with some pretty little diamonds around it than a tiny diamond. If it comes to it, we could replace the stone with an actual diamond later on, but if I don't care that it isn't the real deal, then there's no reason to do that anyway.
 
All good answers except for the bluenile.com suggestion..they're over priced.

Having gone through the wedding ring shopping process, I know it's not easy. But something that might save u alot of money is getting a Clarity Enhanced Diamond. It's a real diamond that had some kind of flaw in it and that flaw was then corrected with laser treatment. Since the diamond has been slightly altered, it loses thousands of dollars in value.

I was offered a clarity enhanced 2.74 karat G color, SI2 clarity for only 8 thousand...that's a huge freaking rock close to 3 karats...so if your going for something smaller (maybe 2 karats or a little less) u can get it for very cheap.

Good luck
 
Another suggestion- Do you know if she has a family heirloom she might want to use? I have my great-grandmother's ring, which we used from the start as my engagement ring.
It's antique plat & 1.25 carat diamond, sparkly, and I love it. I also wouldn't have wanted anything else, and I'm glad my husband didn't have to drop serious cash on a new ring.
 
My fiance and I skipped the ring entirely, then again, we oh-so-romantically decided to get married one night while sitting on the couch watching TV. 😉 I'll buy myself a nice bauble when I actually have the money. We're just happy to be tying the knot.

The point of this story is that it's about expectations - if she wants a diamond, unfortunately you'll have to spring for one.

I agree with the poster who said to stay away from Blue Nile, and from my experiences helping my best friend ring shop for his fiancee, different people notice different things. I could see color in diamonds once you hit H-I, but he would notice imperfections in clarity. The little secret there is that small occlusions can be hidden behind prongs and not affect the luster of the stone. Is there some way you can find out what your girlfriend notices? It would help you concentrate your search so you're paying more for the aspects of the stone that are more important to her.
 
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