# Conversation and Fun > Just Conversation >  Engagement ring - custom design

## opticianbart

So, if I have to ask how much it will cost, does that mean it's probably out of my price range?  Thoughts? Suggestions? My cousin/brother/aunt/whatever is a jeweller and will totally hook you up with a deal?

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## chip anderson

"If you have to ask the price, you cannot afford."   J.P. Morgan

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## Jacqui

Ditto what Chip said. Go to Walfart and get one.

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## tdj

Talk to Tina!! Ask her what she wants. Get her sized, or buy a ring sizer (50 cents)

then LOOK ON AMAZON. I'm not kidding. Things I've seen for three times the price at a mall jeweler and better quality. Be prepared to pay for any re-sizing or cleanings, etc., .. but if you are strapped, and engagement rings aren't cheap to begin with, online (NOT EBAY) is the way to go.

Also, if she's an unusual size -- under 6 or over 9 -- that can save you money as well. I wear a 4.5 and I find rings in my size identical to size 7 rings for half the cost.

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## uncut

:hammer:........does this mean that Opticianbart is going to make a *commitment*!:drop:
He must love more than pies!    

So, when ya gonna spring the big question????

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## opticianbart

> He must love more than pies! 
> So, when ya gonna spring the big question????


Well pies _are_ delicious, but yes this is true.
Sometime later this year, I'll be officially asking, but I already know the answer.  Not to mention I've already been informed that I'm not to ask her while out at a fancy dinner or anything like that.  A big part of how long it takes will be the cost of the ring I want to do - which will determine how long I have to save up :/ I'm planning on meeting with a local Baltimore jeweller in the week or so after my family's annual vacation to Rehoboth.

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## chip anderson

Now bare in mind  that this bit of _wisdom_ comes from the DeBeers company, but thier infinite knowlede in this subject is that the engagement ring should equal 3 months sallery.

And then there are wife's and wife-to-be's that can manage to loose these things.  Think about how often she can't find her keys or phone.   Why not just a  tattoo on the ring finger, will show possession and not be lost or taken off for temporary situations?

Chip

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## DragonLensmanWV

Are you gonna have them make you a Cleric Druid twist ring?

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## Striderswife

> Now bare in mind that this bit of _wisdom_ comes from the DeBeers company, but thier infinite knowlede in this subject is that the engagement ring should equal 3 months sallery.


Hmmm. It's gone up. I remember the "rule" being 2 months' salary.

Or, as Michael Scott (The Office) misunderstood, two *years'* salary!!! Three months doesn't sound so bad! X^D

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## opticianbart

> Are you gonna have them make you a Cleric Druid twist ring?


nope, my plan is to have a ring with a wave going counter-clockwise around the inside and cresting where the stone at the top is, and an identical wave going clockwise on the outside. so that 2 cresting waves are holding in a diamond with two blue gemstones (to be decided) on either side.

My better half is a marine biologist, so it seemed fitting.

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## optilady1

My advice: if you're going to spend a lot of money make sure the girl likes it.  I watch patients come in who have beautiful rings who all upgraded years later from the tin and glass they received when they were first married.  I was a witch and told my husband on our 3rd date the exact ring I wanted.  Then I picked out my wedding band with him, and years later, picked out my own right hand ring.  They were all way more than our peers where buying, but I will never upgrade because they are exactly what I wanted.  

Oh yeah, you should probably like the girl too! :)

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## chip anderson

Of course you could just try a bottle or two of champaigne and a box of chocolates.

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## opticianbart

> Of course you could just try a bottle or two of champaigne and a box of chocolates.


Ha! you're just trying to get me into trouble!

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## Jubilee

We opted not to have an engagement ring...
At the time we decided to get married, several others in our social circle were as well. They were showing off these big fancy rings.. and talking about huge ceremonies..

We bought a house.

Hard to lose one of those now, isn't it Chip? ;P

Then had a nice simple ceremony in the mountains of Tennessee allowing us to focus on a life together, and not just one day of total chaos. 

For our wedding, I got a nice ring with Sapphire as the main stone, and received tons of compliments on it. Sapphire symbolizes sincerity and faithfulness.  Its also the stone for the month of September, the month we were married in.

Now I do have some diamond accents, to help it sparkle.. but its a nice simple ring.. for a very practical gal. 

Besides speaking with jeweler, look at some of the artisians out there as well. There are many folks who do beautiful work outside of the mainstream jewelry business. One of my favorite patients was a lady would did custom mountings and rings for folks as a side business.. beautiful work.

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## HarryChiling

> So, if I have to ask how much it will cost, does that mean it's probably out of my price range?  Thoughts? Suggestions? My cousin/brother/aunt/whatever is a jeweller and will totally hook you up with a deal?


Check with Simonian Jewelers in Bethesda, MD.  Jack makes custom pieces and often times buys heirloom pieces from the folks in potomac and surrounding areas then sells them for a great price, just mention Harry sent you.  I purchased a 1.6ct VVS G European cut from him for less than $3K, it was mounted in platinum and had a few flawless stones as accents total weight came out to 2 and some change with the accents.

Don't go to the mall, most of the mall stores sell at rediculous markups and then offer poor quality stones with Kay having nothing but SI's, their focus is on size not quality and trust me a smaller quality stone beats a larger dirty stone anyday.

Their is also a guy in White Marsh on the Avenue that makes custom pieces his prices are decent I had him duplicate a ring once, check him out.

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## Optixx

Honestly, check out ICE.com.  Very Nice jewelry, have ordered many pieces from there.  Great quality.  If you have your heart set on custom then shop for the stone first, (Priorities!) and get it appraised/insured in case you have a different jeweler make the setting for you.

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## Diopterman

> Honestly, check out ICE.com.  Very Nice jewelry, have ordered many pieces from there.  Great quality.  If you have your heart set on custom then shop for the stone first, (Priorities!) and get it appraised/insured in case you have a different jeweler make the setting for you.



Just as easy as purchasing custom made spectacles online!

Sweet!

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## HarryChiling

Bart,  Check out: Keith Nusinov Jewelers 10701 York Rd Cockeysville, MD 21030 410-628-2888  Ask for Keith and tell him Harry from Shrewsbury sent you.  He will show you his invoice on the stone and prices it with very little mark up.  He also will use CAD to design a ring to your specs and you get to approve it forst before he casts it in precious metal.  Great guy and its a family business.

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## PJV5

What about some salad? :Tongue: [IMG]chrome://livemargins/skin/monitor-background-horizontal.png[/IMG]	[IMG]chrome://livemargins/skin/monitor-background-vertical.png[/IMG]	[IMG]chrome://livemargins/skin/monitor-play-button.png[/IMG]

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## opticianbart

I'm feverishly hitting *refresh* on my e-mail waiting for the pictures to hit my inbox!!!!!!

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## uncut

Chill, dude..........you're gonna get a sore finger!

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## richez

bluenile.com

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## opticianbart

So I guess I shouldn't leave you all in the dark as to what I had made.

ring.jpg

So the top two are the Engagement ring.
The bottom right is the side profile.
The bottom left is the two rings combined.

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## optilady1

Wow, those are absolutely beautiful, nice job.  I'm sure she will love them (if she doesn't already know what they look like).  Love the light blue to dark.  Very original.

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