Engagement rings and diamonds in Antwerp

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Hi RMcG & Mouldy

I've posted this before in similar threads but myself and my (now) husband bought my engagment ring in Antwerp - well, he bought it but we were together when he did. Antwerp is a brilliant place for a weekend away, we really enjoyed it. Like previous posters say we didn't go into the shops directly around the train station - they're pretty tacky looking. We found an area with loads of nicer looking jewellery shops in it - seriously, it's shop after shop of jewellery - and I waited until I saw a ring I liked in the window of one of the shops before going in to try on. There were loads of square cut rings but I wanted three round cut diamonds in a row (1.12 carats, white gold band). The guy was very nice and worked hard for the sale, although he didn't really need to. The minute I tried on the ring, not only did it fit perfectly but it was exactly what I wanted and I love it. The guy then did a quick calculation on his calculator and swung it around for us to see. We had to bite our tongues not to smile very broadly. It was incredibly affordable.
We got it valued this year and turns out it's worth more than twice what we paid for it (which was under €2k).

HTH

M
 
RMcG said:
Yes I have a very good idea what she would like, white gold/platinum single stone, square cut []

Just to let you know, white gold becomes tarnished over time, and goes dull with a yellow tinge. Supposedly this is an issue with white gold, and you'd need to get the ring treated every few years.

In the shop, white gold will seem much more sparkly than platinum (which has a duller greyer colour), but from my experience, for a ring she will be weaaring every day, I'd recommend platinum over white gold (even though it is more expensive).

The square shape is Princess cut, by the way!
Click to expand...
 
Thanks Ragazza and Muffin!

Muffin you didn't buy on a Saturday by any chance?

Also does anyone know what the story is with getting a ring resized, how long would it take to change if the ring I picked out wasn't the right size?
 
John Breretons on Chatam Str resized mine in about 45 mins on a busy Saturday afternoon same day we bought it. We will definitely be getting our wedding bands there too.
 
Hi RMcG

No sorry we went over on a Tuesday and came back on a Thursday. I assume the shops would be open on Saturdays but couldn't tell you for definite.

Just re Breretons - not the same thing as getting ring resized but we went in to ask them for an insurance valuation for the ring and basically the guy told me they don't do valuations and why didn't I just go with the value the ring cost? I pointed out because we'd bought it abroad we thought it might be worth more than we paid for it but I think it's just not worth their while doing valuations on rings not bought in their shop and he wasn't interested, which is fair enough. I did get the ring valued is ESL Jewellery in Powerscourt Townhouse and was very happy with the service and the valuation! They could probably also do the resizing for you but not sure how long it'd take.

M
 
Hello, I am just deciding whether or not to buy a diamond ring and hoping some of the experts can advise me..
The ring I am looking at is 3 (fully certified G) Diamonds total 1.15 carot ,set into a straight line , the metal is platinum , the cost is 4k.
 
muffin1973 said:
Hi RMcG

No sorry we went over on a Tuesday and came back on a Thursday. I assume the shops would be open on Saturdays but couldn't tell you for definite.

Just re Breretons - not the same thing as getting ring resized but we went in to ask them for an insurance valuation for the ring and basically the guy told me they don't do valuations and why didn't I just go with the value the ring cost? I pointed out because we'd bought it abroad we thought it might be worth more than we paid for it but I think it's just not worth their while doing valuations on rings not bought in their shop and he wasn't interested, which is fair enough. I did get the ring valued is ESL Jewellery in Powerscourt Townhouse and was very happy with the service and the valuation! They could probably also do the resizing for you but not sure how long it'd take.

M
Click to expand...

I had just bought my ring in Breretons which was probably why he was happy to re size it :)
 
RMcG said:
Thanks Ragazza and Muffin!

Muffin you didn't buy on a Saturday by any chance?

Also does anyone know what the story is with getting a ring resized, how long would it take to change if the ring I picked out wasn't the right size?
Click to expand...


We picked out an engagement ring in Diamond Land in Antwerp. They resized it in less than an hour for us.
 
Thanks Mourinho and Protocol ,
I showed them the page from www.365-diamond.com and with a bit of hard haggling got the ring at a better price , so thanks for the advice ,I feel i've got a good deal !
 
Anybody have any experience of buying diamonds in New York,reading very dodgy comments online about the diamond district,anyone know or have experience of a good reputable jeweler.
 
Re: Engagement rings

I have very little knowledge of engagement rings/diamonds etc. I've read most of the threads/advice on engagement rings and I've learned a lot. I want to surprise herself with an engagement ring and I was hoping to get some ideas on possible rings. She doesn't like rings/jewellery in general, so I have been thinking of getting something made up e.g. celtic theme engagement ring. Is it common to have designed type engagement rings (budget 2-3k) and could someone recommend a good jeweller in Dublin who can help me with advice on ideas etc? Any advice would be most appreciated.
 
How do people go about paying for rings abroad? Do you bring a big wad of cash with you to haggle with?
 
Hey all ,

Just from reading all above posts, particularly about Antwerp, I'm wondering if my intended budget of €3K is accurate or should I be looking for more?
Herself has dropped serious hints at square diamond on a platinum band that narrows at the diamond.
Now, from reading all the previous posts, I think that means a Princess cut with platinum solitaire? am I correct with this one.
Bottom line... help!
 
On a slight aside how does Antwerp compare to NY. I have heard of a number of people going to NY for engagement rings.
 
Princess cut is the name of the square shape. (Brilliant cut is circular)

Solitaire - means one diamond.

Band - can be platinum, white or yellow gold. Platinum is the most expensive.



I have been looking on this website [broken link removed]

I tapped in the following details based on what you said below and this is what the website came back with..
Shape: Princess shape
Color: G
Carat: 0.70
Clarity: VS1
Price: 4,186.00 USD/Carat for delivery in Antwerp and for export outside the European Union (without local Belgian taxes).

That is about 3,245e for the diamond only. You'll have to factor in flights and a band for the ring as well.
 
Eoinsy - €3k in Antwerp should be enough - that was my husband's top price (well I'm sure he would have gone a little higher!) but my ring was way under that. Having said that, it is white gold, not platinum but given the price we paid, your €3k should be fine.

Decembersal - my husband paid for the ring on his credit card...

HTH

M
 
I bought my beloved’s ring in Antwerp. A platinum band was around E700 whereas a White gold band was E250 – Big saving given that they look identical. Also WG is better for setting stones in.

The price of the diamond will be given in dollars, then converted to euros. In Antwerp, a 21% tax applied to the total price. You need to ask the jeweller if this tax is included in the prices he is giving you over the counter when you enquire. More than likely they will not be.

If you pay in cash then they can give you a 21% discount. Follow the logic. Even if you pay part cash, part CC, you will still get the discount on the cash part. I can’t say for sure if all Jewellers in Antwerp do this but it is widespread.

Eoinsy, E3000 is a decent budget for an Antwerp ring, I’d be surprised if your girlfriend can’t find a good stone and band within this budget, especially if she chooses White gold over platinum.
 
Thanks for all the help peoples!
Platinum is a must with her, so I reckon I might have to extend the budget just a little bit.
Have time to cover it though so all good.
Thanks again.
 
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