Cheaper E-rngs in IL recs please!

elliemonster2012

Hey ladies!

I've posted over here a little bit,but have been on the nest a whole bunch more, but I'll be around these parts in the next few weeks as I plan my own wedding (yay!) In the mean time, my brother is in a bit of a debacle!

FI and I moved out of my dads house when we bought and built our new home, and now my brother wants his GF of 5 years to move in and start their lives together (There is a seperate apartment in the basement of the house and they are very serious and practially married already, this isn't like a random race to the alter haha).  Problem is, her family is very traditional and she needs to be married first before she moves in with a man. 

She is a simple girl and just wants to be married but he obviously wants to get her a ring but his budget is around 2-3k.  Where are some places I could help him look?

My FI and I are a bit different...we went the jewelers route and had a much bigger budget, so neither of us know how to help.  Are places like Jared/Kay/Michael Hill the way to go?  Can you go into a jeweler with a 2k budget and not get laughed at?

I appriciate anybodys input...I just want her to have a pretty and good quality ring without my brother feeling bad about it.  HELP!

TIA!!

hz80408

I don't have experience with Jared's/Kays etc...other than that I do know some girls with rings from there and they're really pretty.  Knowing them and their fiance, I don't think any of the rings were on a "crazy" budget.  Maybe you/bro could look online for pricing at those stores?

elliemonster2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_illinois-chicago_cheaper-e-rngs-il-recs-please?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:72Discussion:236a305f-c543-4639-88b0-498f2aa9ecb7Post:57c89b04-e0ab-44c3-ba56-847ab8110805">Re: Cheaper E-rngs in IL recs please!</a>:
[QUOTE]I don't have experience with Jared's/Kays etc...other than that I do know some girls with rings from there and they're really pretty.  Knowing them and their fiance, I don't think any of the rings were on a "crazy" budget.  Maybe you/bro could look online for pricing at those stores?
Posted by hz80408[/QUOTE]

Yeah I'm gonna start looking online for him just to help him get an idea...poor boy is clueless lol (not that I'm much better!)

Thanks!!

foopygirl

There's a couple websites online that were a great help to FI and I when we started ring shopping and they were a great resource so that we (well, he) could get educated on the different aspects of buying a diamond.  It would be a great place for him to start so that he can get a great stone/ring for his money.

www.pricescope.com
--There's a rocky talk forum where people can ask questions and I've even see a few posts where regular members have helped somebody find a great stone, at a great price within their budget. 

www.jamesallen.com
--Online vendor, great diamond selection and great ring selection.  My ring/diamond would have come from here had FI not found the stone that's in my engagement ring!

Good luck to them! 

MrsLibrarian

My H and I spent less than 2000 on our ring as well.  I would also recommend looking at some smaller, independent jewelers.  My H worked with Cottage Hill Jewelers in Elmhurst, IL and they did not pressure him in any way, and gave him exactly what he wanted for the price he wanted.  I love my ring.

LawyerLover810

My e-ring is from Helzberg and I know from looking on their website that they have "smart value" rings. They have beautiful rings that are all different budgets. I would suggest looking there or at least at the website. The stores like Jareds/Kays/Helzberg can still be pricey, it all depends on what you are looking for. Since they have more stores and a bigger selection, they offer more in all price ranges!

hubbardstreet

We went to Smart Jewelers in Lincolnwood. They're having an unbelievable sale right now because of moving locations later in the fall. Service was excellent, not at all any pressure. We were able to get our rings for close to half-off original retail - I would highly recommend. GL!

mspetitebride

Jewelers Row on Wabash in downtown I recommend Donnas Diamonds....it is right by wabash & washington.

jsquared62009

My e-ring is from Jareds. They're bands are really reasonable and then you can choose the center stone. That allows you to control the price more since you can pick the size, cut, etc. Also getting a center stone that is just under a "common size" (like 1/2 or 1 carat) can help save some money too. GL!

fashionx

My fiance went to the Jewelry Exchange in Villa Park, and had a good experience. His ring budget was the same, about $2,000, and my solitaire ring is just over 1 carat, and I love it. I got my wedding band at Zales during a sale and paid around $500 for it, and that was a diamond band so I'm sure they would have e-rings in his price range as well. I don't think $2-3000 is "cheap" or something anyone would laugh at though.

Scarlet Starlet 31

I always go to Busch jewelers in Rockford IL-ask for Mitch, he's the owner and he's awesome.  The prices are really good there.  We paid $1000 for my e-ring and it appraised for over $3,000.

I have always had bad experiences at big chain jewelery stores like Kay, Jared, Rogers & Hollands, etc.
I would try to find an independently owned store, and stay away from the downtown area.  Hit the burbs.  Try to find a small store that's independently owned-you'll get people who actually care about finding you something you like.

jenniferandstephen

Tell him to try attending the Jewelry and Fashion Show in Rosemont. There is a certified gemologist (is that the right word?) on hand to evaluate rings and we got such a great deal on my wedding band. There were a ton of vendors for diamond/stone rings and we were able to negotiate a bit by going back and forth between two stalls. The website is jfashow.com and there are a few shows a year. Like pps mentioned, have him try to become a little more educated about what he is looking for, since the JFA show can be a bit overwhelming since its so large.

Also, our friends loved their experience with bluenile.com for her ring and I'm a teensy bit jealous everytime I see it-gorgeous and a good value.

roxiems75

We got my E-Ring at Zales outlet in Aurora.  Great prices.  We looked for the best value and quality. Our budget was $2000 or under.  When going into these jewelers in the malls and so on we found that most rings ran about $3500 to $5000 to much for us.  We went to the outlet mall in Aurora and decided to take a look we got 1 cart 14k gold ring for $1699.00 have your brother take a look.  their wedding bands have good prices too.  hope this helps.

elliemonster2012

Thank you all so much, ladies!  I showed him this and we have a long weekend ahead of us haha.

FI got ring/diamond education OBSESSED so he can teach him that stuff...I'll just make sure it is pretty and she'll love it after they do that stuff

Thanks again!

tahill2

Not sure if your brother is still looking for a ring, but I recommed Blue Nile (http://www.bluenile.com). It's a wholesale retailer online where you can spend less for a stunning ring. My FI bought my ring from there and I absolutely love it! 

They have a wide variety of e-rings to select from and I saw quite a few in the $2-$3K range tonight while looking for wedding rings. They also warrant that their diamonds are conflict free which is great. 

Hope that helps! 

heathermaria84

I also recommend The Jewelry Exchange in Villa Park. I'm not engaged *yet* but my soon-to-be fiance and I went there to look at rings, and they have an awesome selection. Plus they have so many options for customization, which means that any budget can be accommodated. They also guarantee that any jewelry up to $4,000 will appraise for double the purchase price (it may be up to 6K, but that's not the point) so you know that you are getting a good deal. I want to be surprised so I don't know what my man spent on my ring, but I do know that they have lay-a-way plans and good financing options so your brother won't feel pressured to put something on a credit card or have to cough up the cold hard cash all on the spot. Another great thing about them vs. big chain stores and even some of your smaller "mom-n-pop" places is that none of their staff is on commission, so they don't try to pressure you into anything. They really do want to help you find something that you like, and you don't feel awkward at all. Good luck!

Bimbi284

Considering that my e-ring and wedding band are less than that together, I think you have a great budget.

Check out CA Jewelers on Jeweler's Row on Wabash. Great service, great selection!