CZ or Rock???

MoAnamCara

I need some opinions girls.  I am in love with a Tacori engagement ring that is way out of my bf's budget.  He suggested getting the ring with a cubic zirconia in it now (it will have the real diamonds that come along the band) and then getting a real diamond for it a few years down the road as an anniversary gift.The plus side to this is that I'll get my dream ring a lot sooner if I go with the CZ.The down side is I worry that if we do this I'll never get the real diamond because little things will always arise that we may feel the money should go to.What is your opinion?

skichica622

Look into moissanite! It's the 2nd hardest gem (after diamonds) and are super sparkly and you never need to get the ridiculously expensive diamond after all!

littlemoments324

maybe you should be looking at things in your BF's budget instead of looking at things that are not...You may be able to find something similar at a different jeweler that is in a more affordable price range for your BF.However, it would be a good anniversary gift, like you said, if you are able to afford it down the road and if there aren't any road blocks...

noelle24

My opinion? Look for a style that is similar that isn't Tacori.  You're paying more for the brand name than anything else.  Work within your BF's budget if it's so important that you have a diamond.

Goldlie11

There is nothing wrong with going with a stone other than a diamond. There are some higher quality CZs out there. Some people with very expensive diamonds have replicas made out of CZ that they wear instead of the real stone. It's all about what you are comfortable wearing. CZ scratches easier than diamonds and sapphires, so be careful. I agree with Noelle. I'd rather not pay the premium just to have the name tacori. I'm sure you can find something similar for less. If I were in your situation, I would go with a basic solitaire with a stone that my BF could afford. Later when you upgrade, get what you want.

blackfire5th

My Aunt and Uncle did this. They replaced the center stone after their first child was born.

atlcatlover

Your post makes it sound like the ring is more important to you than the proposal.Why not get a solitaire in a very simple setting and upgrade the setting later on?  I personally would never want to upgrade my diamond, because it's very sentimental to me to have the diamond that he proposed with, but that is a personal decision.  If you got a simple setting now perhaps you could have the diamond to begin with.

redheadfsu

try bluenile, pricescope, whiteflash if you want a diamond. But how about a different type of stone like other pp said? Always look within budget & cut matters most not size. "The down side is I worry that if we do this I'll never get the real diamond because little things will always arise that we may feel the money should go to"--- well if you doubt you will ever have the money I personally would look at something we could afford in the near future. Remember it is about the relationship not the rock.

MoAnamCara

Thanks for the advice girls.   My personal feeling is that I will always want to keep the ring he proposed with.  So I'm not game with getting just a solataire right now.  I was also married before and that is what I had for a ring then.  I also came away from that wedding feeling that the only thing you have the day after is the ring, the photos, and the marriage.  I also ended up not liking what he picked out so I want to have a ring I'll love forever. I've looked at rings in EVERY store since we started talking about this and have found nothing that compares to the beautiful ring I love.  I just think it is the most beautiful ring I've ever seen (not because it is a Tacori).  Its the ring I like not the brand name. I think what I'll do is talk to him about seeing if a jeweler can creat something similar to this ring.

noelle24

I also came away from that wedding feeling that the only thing you have the day after is the ring, the photos, and the marriage.The only thing that really matters out of that list is the marriage.  You can have your dream ring, and the most beautiful wedding photos ever, but if your marriage is shitty you aren't going to be wearing that ring forever anyway.  Are you honestly saying that there are NO other rings out there that you'd be happy with? None at all? It HAS to be the Tacori?Sounds like someone never learned how to manage realistic expectations....

ndzenowski

Haha, I am the girl who was always "atleast 1 carat centerstone,  like rare cuts, diamonds on the split shank band please and surrounding my 1 carat stone. 2.5 carats total? sounds good"   then my FI shows up with a .45 carat princess cut solitare that i CANNOT stop looking at. thinking about it is making me teary eyed b/c i love him so much and HE bought it for me. Its not at all what I pictured or wanted but its the best. hands down

littlemoments324

I completely agree with Noelle and ndzenowski among a few others...The ring doesn't matter...its the marriage that matters...it sucks if you think you have to have that ring to make your marriage matter to you and have it make the marriage...

alliejo725

The ring is just an item and your boyfriend can't afford it. I understand that in your first marriage you received a ring you didn't like and probably don't want to settle for less this time around. But it's just a ring. It's not the foundation of your relationship. Go with something he can afford. There's no need to put strain on his (and your future) finances and the relationship over something that could get lost, stolen, or sold--and will eventually belong somebody else, anyway.

periippa

On a side note, I've heard from several jewelers (our jeweler and the salesperson at Tiffany who complimented me on my ring) that Tacori rings are not good quality. I have a Coast Diamond setting, which is better quality, and a little less expensive (because it's not the Tacori name). With Tacori, it's not uncommon for smaller side diamonds to fall out -- whereas that's very rare for Coast settings.  But bottom line -- work with your bf's budget. Don't try to force him to buy something he can't afford.

Goldlie11

To add what others have said, it is super important to stay within your bf's budget. If he doesn't want to share his exact budget, then pick a few things in different price ranges and let him pick from there. To be honest, I'd rather not have a CZ. I would go with a sapphire, ruby, or moissanite rather than a CZ.

I <3 Seabass

You should look into having a ring custom made. If you buy a Tocari you're really paying for the name. So unless you really need your ring to say Tocari it will be cheaper and look just as nice to get a custom ring made. FI had my ring custom made based off of a design that I had said I liked. It actually looks better, IMO because he was able to have the jeweler tweak tiny things about the ring that I didn't like and really made it my own.

viola5618

do you still have the solitare? have that stone set in the new ring, no need to waste a perfectly good diamond.

MoAnamCara

No I do not have my old engagement ring.  My ex husband took it while I was in the shower one day (just before I moved out).  I was just so glad to be getting out of that situation that I didn't care to fight over a ring.I'm sorry to those of you who got the impression that I'm materialistic and think my marriage will only work if I have a 13 thousand dollar ring.  Not the case at all.To those of you who gave me ring related advice.... we are going to go to a jeweler and see what they can design and will probably go with a moissonite (sp?) center stone for now.

yzzil2004

A Tacori ring was also my dream ring until I saw how much it cost. They are so expensive because they only come in platnium you have to get one made to get it in white gold. I just looked at other designers that had styles similar to Tacori. I ended up getting a beautiful Simon G that was perfect for me and was similar to the Tacori. I also got a bigger diamond because the setting was more affordable. If you like the Tacori ring see if the jeweler can make it for you in white gold that will cut the cost if the ring down by half. That way you can get your ring with your diamond and your FI will be happy! Get your diamond the first go round girl!

jbwed1

As soon as my now fiance and I started looking at rings, I quickly realized that a real diamond was out of our/his budget. I started researching what other stones/styles could work - even though he was dead set on getting a diamond..b/c he thought's that what he was 'supposed' to do. I ended up choosing a 1ct moissanite pear shaped ring that I LOVE. I couldn't have imagined anything more perfect. It's so important to stick to the budget - HIS budget..unless you plan on chipping in. You would not want to start off an engagement in debt..much less a marriage!Moissanite is a good option - but also, this may seem far fetched..but if you go to qvc, there are some beautiful cz's that look AMAZING - and Tacori designs for them. Just go on their sight and search 'tacori diamonique' and you'll come up with some beautiful things. Then you'd have the Tacori name and a beautiful stone, that you can replace later if you want to. Just an option..