1 ct engagement rings?

Laffeytaffey · January 2012

I know my boyfriend is dying to propose to me properly with a ring. It's just, he can't seem to find any 1 ct diamond rings that are cheap. Any suggestions for him???

kdevlin9 · January 2012

First, define cheap. That could mean so many different things. Next, here's a tip my FI learned with my ring. That if you do EXACTLY one carat, it will raise the price substantially. if you do .95 carats it takes the price way down and you will never ever ever notice the difference. Literally I've tried measuring down to the millimeter. You can't notice. Also, the more inclusions, the cheaper the stone.

When I say cheaper, I don't mean a bad stone, just less expensive. So maybe an SI1 or SI2 might work. Or if they have good deals going, bump it up to VS2 or VS1. Once you hit VVS or higher, that brings your price up a lot more too. As far as color, this is one area that you don't want to skimp on too much, because then your stone starts to look more dull. I would say G-I still look good to your eye but will cost you less than a D-F.

It just depends on your style and what YOU like. I'm just throwing tips out there. Oh, last but not least. A halo will always make your stone look bigger.

Just know that he'll hunt really hard to find something he thinks is perfect for you. I hope you love your ring and good luck with your engagement!!

jagore08 · January 2012

Go slightly under 1 carat like a 0.90 carat ring. Go with a different stone like a moissanite or a lab created diamond.

What is his budget? If you're looking for a diamond of that size it's not going to be cheap because diamonds are not a cheap stone.

Laffeytaffey · January 2012

These are great suggestions thank you! I know he'd love to get me a ring that's a thousand or so dollars, but unless we get help from my parents to pay towards the wedding a little, he'll probably be stuck with a $500 budget.

I like the idea of having a sapphire ring or lab created diamond is fine. Also, I DO love the halo look so maybe I can drop heavy hints about that. Lol

naomikb · January 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_just-engaged-proposals_1-ct-engagement-rings?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:683Discussion:7a782342-370a-4d38-bbcb-02990ecc804ePost:1f80ead5-8b33-4541-af94-24b3107c68dd">Re: 1 ct engagement rings?</a>:
[QUOTE]These are great suggestions thank you! I know he'd love to get me a ring that's a thousand or so dollars, but unless we get help from my parents to pay towards the wedding a little, he'll probably be stuck with a $500 budget. :/ I like the idea of having a sapphire ring or lab created diamond is fine. Also, I DO love the halo look so maybe I can drop heavy hints about that. Lol
Posted by Laffeytaffey[/QUOTE]

You will not get a 1 ct. solitaire for $500. With $500 you are looking at an alternative stone, and possibly a setting that isn't gold or platinum. My setting itself was />$1000 in white gold without any diamonds.

I think you two need to go visit some jewellery stores together and get on the same page in terms of what the budget is and what you can get.

Ditto that moissanite is a cheaper alternative to diamonds, but still not cheap.

To get an idea of diamond prices, quality, different settings, etc. you can check out <a href="http://www.bluenile.com/" rel="nofollow">www.bluenile.com</a> - their pricing is really open and informative.

mymissingpuzzlepiece · January 2012

Like yaga said, e-rings don't have to be 1 ct. Mine is .78 cts and I'm in love with it. There is no way that you will get a 1 ct. diamond with a $500 budget. You either have to be fine with the idea of getting a smaller stone, or wait until you can afford the ring the want.

The size of the stone shouldn't be the most important aspect of the ring. Maybe consider another center stone.

naomikb · January 2012

For some context, on BlueNile the cheapest round 1 ct. diamond is $3500 - fair cut, J colour, SI1 colour. That is just the diamond with no setting.

The cheapest white gold setting I see on BlueNile is ~$250.

Laffeytaffey · January 2012

Thanks again!!

MSUMands · January 2012

$500 won't even get you a 0.25 diamond on it's own, I'm sorry to tell you. Do a lot of shopping around and take notes on what you like. In my experience, smaller jewelry stores are more expensive, but they give you a more personalized ring. One benefit of going to a "mall jewelry store" is that you can get rings cheaper by working out more deals, and there are more stores to service your ring. Check online and look for deals. If you can walk into a store and say, "I like this ring, but X store is selling it for $100 cheaper than you guys..." they will usually give you a deal (that's how my hubby saved $2500 on my ring!)

Laffeytaffey · January 2012

MSUMands, that's a fantastic idea! Your man is one smart guy!

TheDoctor10 · January 2012

It sounds to me (and I mean this honestly and politely) like you both need to educate yourselves a bit regarding diamonds.

Here's the website I visited religiously for the 6 months or so prior to buying my FI's engagement ring: http://www.pricescope.com/

There's a bit more to buying a diamond than the "4 C's," so I suggest taking a good look around Pricescope's knowledge articles.

Ebarr018 · January 2012

By fiance got a 1.65 ct ring for $1350 in the downtown miami seybold jewelry district.

WalkersFurMama · January 2012

Buying estate diamonds will help you get a larger/higher quality diamond for quite a but less than a "new" diamond. My fiance worked with a local jeweler to find me a PERFECT pear cut diamond that was MUCH larger and better c/c/c than the ever expected he would be able to buy with his budget. I am tickled with my ring, he gets to " show off" what he bought and avoided supporting the blood diamond market by not purchasing a "new" diamond.

mfeo24 · January 2012

Check eBay and such for estate jewelry. Buyer-beware and all of that, but I have a $7k set with a .8 carat princess cut that I'm asking about $1k for. No, it's not a plug or a sale, it's just an idea. It's really hard to resell diamonds, so there are some good deals to be had. Your local small-independent store will have a selection also.

Ditto everyone else about educating yourself, you'll end up with a better jewerly for a better price if you're well informed.

teachergurl2002 · January 2012

Don't get fooled by the "Blood Diamond" ploy....while it is a SERIOUS problem many chain jewelry stores tend to use this to mark up their diamonds astronomically. My fiance was subject to this and we almost went into a lawsuit with the store. There are a lot of misconceptions regarding blood diamonds and chains have latched onto the phrase and have used it their benefit. Do your research if you go to a chain. You can save money but educate yourself on their return policy and their appraisal policies should your ring not appraise properly. Do a lot of comparison shopping as well.

freebread03 · January 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_just-engaged-proposals_1-ct-engagement-rings?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:683Discussion:7a782342-370a-4d38-bbcb-02990ecc804ePost:7bf8ca26-282c-46eb-9ded-4eda7f3210dc">Re: 1 ct engagement rings?</a>:
[QUOTE]By fiance got a 1.65 ct ring for $1350 in the downtown miami seybold jewelry district.
Posted by Ebarr018[/QUOTE]

What kind of stone is your ring?

DiLynn83 · January 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_just-engaged-proposals_1-ct-engagement-rings?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:683Discussion:7a782342-370a-4d38-bbcb-02990ecc804ePost:8a18e290-eb9c-46ba-a483-3a949d9a17ea">Re: 1 ct engagement rings?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: 1 ct engagement rings? : ...cz? Even Moissanite costs more than that...
Posted by MyUserName1[/QUOTE]

Could have been 1.65 TOTAL... like a cluster of little diamonds, but no way is even one of those stones bigger than .50ct.

Juris11 · January 2012

I would second pawn shops and estate sales for a small budget. However, for $500 I really doubt that you are going to get anywhere close to 1 ct.

I would check out lab created white sapphires. Those may be in your price range, although I'm not sure about 1 ct.

Here is an example I found:

http://www.zales.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2569032

AnAWedding2012 · January 2012

My 2 cents.

I wouldn't buy a diamond without an AGS or GIA certification. ever. They are the only ones that I personally trust. The others do "soft" grading and will grade diamonds even if it's already set.

I got my diamond via Good Old Gold and I LOVE their service.

Most importantly educate yourself. you can get a nicer .80 or .90 diamond if you get a GOOD diamond. A stone that's a little bit smaller but cut well it will outshine/sparkle and look better than a larger diamond that is not cut as well.

educate yourself on www.pricescope.com and ask the girls there to help you find your rock. they know how to dig up deals.

DO NOT GO TO THE MAJOR CHAINS because you will get ripped off.

AnAWedding2012 · January 2012

oh I just read the rest of your comments. The companies who make lab created diamonds are unable to make colorless diamonds, unless you go w/ a stone that's smaller than .40 ct - and even at that point it's only a few hundred dollars less than an actual diamond.

look into getting a color stone like sapphires (hey if it's good enough for Princess Diana and Kate Middleton, it's good enough for you!!) OR just have him purchase a small diamond under .30 ct for what he can afford and upgrade later. It's the sweetness that counts, honestly you don't want to go into debt just to wear a ring, do you really want to start out your life together that way? buy only what you can for in cash.

pricescope has a great section of color stones used in engagment rights, check it out and get inspired. Ask the girls there for help and they will literally do all the leg work for you

check this out: http://www.pricescope.com/forum/colored-stones/colored-stone-e-rings-eyecandy-t29435.html

loves2shop4shoes · January 2012

You have champagne tastes and a domestic beer budget. A 1ct diamond of decent quality should run you at least $3500-$4000...without setting. You and your BF need to decide what you both like in your budget.

But I do have one question...if you can't afford to spend more than $500 on a ring, how can you afford a wedding?

kwkinzel · January 2012

I have a three stone engagement ring where the center stone is a little over .5ct, which if set on its own would still look pretty good. I would compare (if you haven't already) different sizes and shapes in person, because you may find that you like stones that are not exactly 1ct.

That said, and I feel like I'm going to get a lot of grief for this...my fiance, being one that did not want to drop thousands and thousands of dollars for a ring, found my ring through an online distributor for around $900. Center diamond, two side artifical blue diamonds, platinum ring. I had it appraised at a reputable place, it's all legit (and "worth" 2.5 times more than he paid for it), and I love it. So while it might be a bit of a gamble as most things are online, that could be a good way to save money.

tldh · January 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_just-engaged-proposals_1-ct-engagement-rings?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:683Discussion:7a782342-370a-4d38-bbcb-02990ecc804ePost:1f80ead5-8b33-4541-af94-24b3107c68dd">Re: 1 ct engagement rings?</a>:
[QUOTE]These are great suggestions thank you! I know he'd love to get me a ring that's a thousand or so dollars, but unless we get help from my parents to pay towards the wedding a little, he'll probably be stuck with a $500 budget. :/<strong> I like the idea of having a sapphire ring</strong> or lab created diamond is fine. Also, I DO love the halo look so maybe I can drop heavy hints about that. Lol
Posted by Laffeytaffey[/QUOTE]

FYI - sapphires are not inexpensive. I have a three stone e-ring with a sapphire center stone and it was nowhere near $500.

HeathenSwan · January 2012

If you look hard enough, you can get beautiful rings for around $500 (believe me, I looked. That was around my price range). But a diamond anywhere near 1ct won't happen, even at $1000. If you want to be engaged and married, the ring shouldn't be the most important part of it. If he feels like he must use a 1ct diamond, he is probably putting far too much pressure on himself. Look at smaller alternatives to diamonds. Sapphires can be found for $500 or less (but it won't be a Princess Di mega-stone). Look for rings other than specifically engagement style, and in alternative stones. Do you like your birthstone? Or his? He should get what he can afford and what you love. Down the line, if he can afford a 1ct diamond for a special anniversary, it can be done at that point.

My fiance could have proposed with a twist tie and I'd have said yes. He ended up giving me his great grandmother's ring, which is about a 1/3ct yellow gold solitaire ring (which is not anywhere near what I thought my taste was, but I am in love with it). He had originally been looking at garnets, until his Mom told him about this one, and that his great grandmother wanted him to have it.

Emilyhensley18 · April 2012

Then you go ripped off, because even a wholesale 1.5 carat diamond is near $10,000. Jewelers run them $14,000++. There is no way thats a real diamond if you paid $1,350.

kaos16 · October 2012

I am not understanding why the ring needs to be 1 carat? Beautiful rings can be found in many different sizes.

1 ct engagement rings?

Re: 1 ct engagement rings?

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