Off Topic: Helping friend buy ring

[SpringCrane]

Hi ladies. I know this is off topic, but this is the only venue I could think of to get access to so many female opinions! Hope you don't mind.

My friend is getting ready to propose to his girlfriend. He and I are very close, and while she and I are friendly, we don't really hang out outside of gatherings. He wants my help picking out an engagement ring... and I have no idea how best to help! My only useful advice so far was about sizing. For style... ??? How I can be the best help to him? (Without suddenly becoming very friendly with her out of the blue and asking about her jewelry preferences!) She's much more of a tomboy than I am (and I'm not super girly). I don't know any of you have advice, but I will certainly take it.

Thanks!!

 

[TryinFor1]

Well if she is a tomboy, she probably doesn't want some huge blingy ring, so I would look for something more simple. Maybe with a single diamond.

https://www.myjewelrybox.com/?section=item&itemID=8486 Something like that. This is actually my ring. Lol. But it is simple and not too blingy.

https://www.myjewelrybox.com/?section=item&itemID=16155 This is my wedding band-- or not exactly but looks very similar. Again, simple and not too blingy.

I am much more girly than tomboy but I would imagine a tomboy wouldn't want something like this

https://www.myjewelrybox.com/?section=item&itemID=16435

Here is another pretty one, simple and a little more blingy--if you wanted to get her some bling but definitely not over the top..

https://www.myjewelrybox.com/?section=item&itemID=11954

That is all I really have as far as advice. I obviously have no idea who she is but if she doesn't wear a lot of jewelry and bling, she probably wont want some huge rock.

 

[erinprime]

I am very much a tomboy and my ring looks like the last one posted by the previous poster but with only the bigger 3 center stones. I love it. I would stay away from princess cut!

 

[SpringCrane]

Your ring is very similar to mine! I like the simple solitaire... and she probably would too... I just wanted to make sure I don't suggest something similar to what I have because I happen to like it myself!

I was thinking she might also like a non-diamond stone, too. She's pretty environmentally conscious and hippie-like, so she might be a bit bugged by the diamond reality. I actually told my husband all I cared about in rings was making sure it was a conflict-free diamond. Pretty sure it isn't... sigh. But it's beautiful and he picked it out, so I love it.

 

[Jes.shortcake]

I'm not overly girly..and not a big fan of jewelry and OH got me this ring. I told him I wanted a princess cut solitaire.

https://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j466/jess_shortcake/Pics/imagejpg2-2.jpg

 

[Kanichen34]

Why not suggest he takes her to pick one? My hubby proposed by tying a napkin around my finger and we went ring shopping a week or so later. It was an independent jeweller who taught us all about cut, clarity, colour etc. I'm not a girly girl but I loved it and I'm so pleased I got to choose what I'll wear for the rest of my life.

If he does decide to choose for her - buy a straight band. Not one of those curvy ones, otherwise you enter the territory of custom made wedding bands to fit round it.

Also if going non-diamond make sure you still pick a hard wearing stone. Some are too soft and won't cope with. 60+ years of daily wear.

 

[SpringCrane]

Thanks for all the great advice!

 

[lilyd]

I would tell him to buy a cheap ring just for the sake of the proposal and then take her to pick her own.

She may elect not to have an engagement ring and just wear a wedding band instead if she's not mad keen on jewellery. I did this (but for different reasons) and have a wedding band with diamonds incorporated into it.

 

[seoj]

As already suggested- he should go with simple. A solitair. Then they can always pick out the "wedding" band together- or upgrade the solitair into another setting. It just keeps it all easy that way

Personally, I showed my hubby what I wanted. LOL. Then left it up to him to make the final decision and purchase it and plan the proposal. But, he knows how picky I am. LOL. Since we didn't want to spend too much at first- we got simple rings- then later one, we both upgraded to better quality. I even had mine sorta customized and LOVE it

 

[misspriss]

DH and I picked out a Princess cut solitaire for my engagement ring, white gold with a moderately small princess cut diamond in a platinum setting.

This is my engagement Ring

And I was planning to go with a simple white gold band or a simple band with some small diamonds for the wedding ring, but I went with this instead and I love it:

My wedding ring

TBH, I am not sure how I would have felt if DH had gone off and bought an engagement ring without me looking. I'm very particular about it (it's like a white gold version of my late mother's). That being said, it's hard to go wrong with a solitaire engagement ring.

 

[GingerPanda]

I was thinking she might also like a non-diamond stone, too. She's pretty environmentally conscious and hippie-like, so she might be a bit bugged by the diamond reality. I actually told my husband all I cared about in rings was making sure it was a conflict-free diamond. Pretty sure it isn't... sigh. But it's beautiful and he picked it out, so I love it.

I am a pretty big tomboy, and I picked out all my rings. I liked the thought of conflict-free stones as well, but those rings were SO EXPENSIVE! I wanted a nice "traditional-looking" (read: "blingy" lol) set, but I knew I wouldn't wear them all the time. Because, hello, tomboy. I didn't see any point in spending a ton of money on rings I wasn't going to wear every day.

I went to JCPenney's jewelry counter. They had bridal sets with lab-created stones. I got a set (attached) for $130. I get compliments on them ALL THE TIME. Usually it'll be a waitress at a nice restaurant. They always say, "Wow! What a ROCK!" and then they tell hubby he did a good job. I never tell them it's not a real diamond, and it's silver instead of white gold or platinum.

I ordered a simple silver celtic knot ring with no stone (very similar to this) for $50 that I wear more regularly.

 

[Jes.shortcake]

If he doesn't want to spend a lot, white sapphire is a good alternative to a diamond and waaaaay cheaper! My sister got it for her wife's ring (bc she doesn't like diamonds) and you can't tell at all!!!