From my own experience, watch out for places that do specific advertising aimed at members of the military since many of them are predators and have predatory pricing and financing. The large jewelry chains are generally honest although you will not get the quality that you would if you purchased the stone and setting separately. Above all, congratulations and good luck!
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Congratulations, brother!!! :-)

I used my hometown jeweler who's been there forever. I knew what I wanted because I knew what Lisa would like. I found the ring and matching wedding band and then ultimately bought her the matching band for the other side because we both thought it would look better. I never told her I was getting that second band, I just did it out of the blue. She had to stop there to have her ring soldered together and I made arrangements for them to add the other band. She was shocked and thrilled.
I like the idea of the man picking the ring. I think it's his job, not so much a group effort like a lot of couples do. Whatever makes a couple happy is fine of course, but I knew that's what Lisa would expect and she adores what I picked.
Another reason I used my hometown jeweler is because I knew what I should be paying for what I was buying and I knew I could beat him down to the best possible price, comparatively.
I'd bought jewelry there for years, so that made a difference, I suppose.

Whatever you do, good luck, and may you have a long and happy marriage!!! :-)
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Find yourself a good wholesaler to buy your stone/stones from.
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Find the Rapaport online, it will give you the best idea of what a diamond should cost. It is the industry standard for pricing and updates quarterly I believe. It isn't meant to be public, but there are certain sites out there who will have a copy, even if it is an old one.

Personally, I buy diamonds from a distributor, above a 'wholesaler', 'dealer' or individual store. Diamonds, like any item go up in price the further they travel. The best bet is finding a distributor who gets the diamonds straight from New York (point of entry for all diamonds). You will likely have to pay in cash or in full before you can take the finished product.

Avoid online jewelers like Blue Nile. They loosely group their diamonds into far more broad ranges than a jeweler would. They buy diamonds in bulk that are all 'similar' to the type that they are selling, they could be anywhere from 2-4 steps off of what you think you are buying. You could end up paying $1000 for a diamond that was supposed to be a certain weight, color and clarity but they send you a diamond that was close enough to the untrainned eye but ends up being worth $800 when appraised.

Know what you are looking at, learn the 4 C's before you go, this will also help with the Rapaport. Personally, buying a loose diamond and having it set is far more personal than buying a completed ring that anyone can buy. Always ask to use the jewelers magnifier to examine the diamond yourself. A good jeweler will point out the flaws in the diamond under the glass for you, this is so you can realize why the diamond was rated the way it was.

For metals, if you are going with a white/silver colored metal, I would recomend paladium over platinum and white gold. Paladium is a precious metal that is slightly more expensive than white gold but far less than platinum. White gold is essentially bleached gold and will yellow over time and need to be redone to return to its 'white' color. Platinum is far more expensive but also far more labor intensive, it scratches far too easy and muct be buffed out periodically. Paladium is brighter, more scratch reistant and whiter than both the other two. For the price, I don't think you can beat the look.

Have an idea what type of ring she would like: solitare vs. three stone, plain band vs. design, square cut vs. round cut, etc. If you have a basic idea, you should be able to customize a ring that she will love.

Best of luck with the search. :-)
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brilliantearth.com .... just got my fiance one from there this past January.
I got a 0.44 Carat, Round Shape, Super Ideal Cut, E Color, SI1 Clarity for $10xx I believe. Awesome service, a tonload of settings to choose from and conflict free diamonds to boot.
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All I know is if you buy yellow gold it will make your teeth look whiter!
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Bluenile is where I've spent a lot of time. I don't know if I'll actually buy a ring from there, but it's definitely a great resource for research!

I want to buy her the ring without her knowing too! Not necessarily because I believe it to be my job as a man (I guess the fact that I'm buying her one period is still buying into patriarchal tradition lol, I'm a sociology major after all) but because I believe that's how gifts should be given. Thanks for the wishes!

looking online quickly yielded no downloadable reports. link? thanks for the help
Did you feel comfortable buying such an intimate item online, and not even seeing it before you purchased it!?

bahahaha
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Most women seem to prefer a small ring. Might I suggest, say, a 46/6 corona? :-)

Congrats no matter what ring you decide on! No matter what, she'll love it!
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Actually I did. The people at brilliantearth are amazing. Plus, they cover shipping there and back so if you dont like it you can just send it back. The pictures online are amazing and my diamond, and im pretty sure all of theres, are GIA certified so you know youre getting good stuff.

AND, if later on you want to swap out the stone, theyll do it and pay you exactly what you payed for the diamond at time of purchase.
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Thanks brother haha

That sounds enticing, I'll look them up for sure!
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I had it easy, I married the jeweler's daughter. She knew what she wanted and her dad got in some loose stones from NY to pick from. She wanted an oval which I would never have thought of. :-)
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I was fornutate to have a family heirloom diamond donated. I had to pay for the gold and the other small rocks, but it saved my arse. Not saying you have that option, but there are quality diamonds for affordable prices. Shane Co. is one place to look. They actually teach you about what you are buying and why some rocks are of higher quality than others. I know I didn't know much about that stuff before I had to. Congrats from a fellow GA native.
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It appears that former sources of the list have all but dried up. Less than a year ago it was fairly available. The list is copywritten, so it is tough to come by regardless, but they muct be cracking down on it more recently. :-)

A reputable jewelry shop will have a copy, they will most certainly not allow you to take one, but you may be able to take a look. It is a little confusing to look at, so you may want to find someone who is friendly enough to explain the report. Then you can discuss how much off the Rapaport (industry standard) they discount their diamonds. Keep in mind the loose diamond price still needs metal and setting/labor added to it for the final price. :-)
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So this is like the Kelly Blue Book for Diamonds huh? Gotta love that it isn't available to everyone, what a crock.
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Maybe It's Just Me, But My Wife & I Have Always Picked Out Rings, Jewelry, & Expensive Purchases Together. You're Starting Off A Beautiful Relationship As A Couple, Why Not Pick The Ring Together? :-) :-)
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You know brother honestly I've thought about it. Me and Lauren do EVERYTHING together. Just because of my style though, this is going to be something I do without her knowing
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:-) Best Of Luck To You In Your Quest! :-)
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DON'T go to Zales. i bought my wife's engagement ring there in 1985 and paid over 400 bucks for it. It was 1/4 carat diamond with 14K gold. I had it appraised for insurane purposes 15 years later and was told the diamond was of such poor quality, it was essentially worthless. His appraisal? $80.

Buy only what you can afford. If she knows you love her, that is all that matters. I'm not advocating going cheap here. But buying what you cannot afford starts off your life together on the wrong foot. Congratulations!
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Its essentially for retailers and people who deal in diamonds, the general public was not intended to have access to it. Thats why it was difficult to find it online prior to this, and now seemingly impossible. The only person whom I have had explain the list and let me look at it was the wholesaler I used for my wife's ring and subsequent diamond purchases. :-)
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Good move. :-)
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