Proposal Ring - Part 2

[teqrise]

Dear brothers and sisters.

Following up on my earlier post and including the image.

Would be great if I could humbly seek your advice on the rock below that I am looking at.

Thanks for your help! Appreciate it.

==================
Details
==================
Cost
$5.1k

HCA Score
1.2

ROUND BRILLIANT
Measurements: 5.51 - 5.55 x 3.39 mm
Carat Weight: 0.63 carat
Color Grade: E
Clarity Grade: VS1
Cut Grade: Excellent

PROPORTIONS
Depth: 61.2%
Table: 58%
Crown Angle: 34.0°
Crown Height: 14.5%
Pavilion Angle: 40.8°
Pavilion Depth: 43.0%
Star Length: 55%
Lower Half: 80%
Girdle: Medium to Slightly Thick, Faceted (3.5%)
Culet: None

FINISH
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Excellent
Fluorescence: None


CLARITY CHARACTERISTICS
Crystal, Needle

==================
Scopes
==================

Hi there,

Ref my post below, would really appreciate if I could seek more advice and thoughts from our fellow bros and sisters here.

Thanks for your help.

The diamond and scope images is fine. You can't go wrong with a diamond from JannPaul.
0.63 carat is a nice premium size.. Saves you money before the jump at 0.7 carat.

 

[wall_beal]

It's good that you're planning early and not splurging all your savings on the engagement ring. I budget 20-40% of savings for my engagement ring and restart my savings for the wedding banquet which costs a bomb.

I'm not keen on the huge discount sales. It's just a psychological factor that makes people buy on impulse. They mark up the diamond price by like 2-3 times and then give you a "huge" 50% discount and make you think that you're buying it at half the price, when in reality, you're paying more.

Since your wedding is more than a year later, you still have lots of time to look around and do your research. You can start by learning more about the HCA calculator then move on to the ideal/aset/heartsnarrows scopes.

Thanks for the response mate! I really appreciate it. Can you at least recommend a shop where I can buy a diamond ring for $1.5K max? We're already preparing for our wedding and to tell you the truth it's quite extravagant so my budget for the proposal ring is only $1.5K.

As I mentioned, the ring isn't really needed anymore but I just feel like that this ring will symbolize something for my partner.

 

[hollander]

Thanks for the response mate! I really appreciate it. Can you at least recommend a shop where I can buy a diamond ring for $1.5K max? We're already preparing for our wedding and to tell you the truth it's quite extravagant so my budget for the proposal ring is only $1.5K.

As I mentioned, the ring isn't really needed anymore but I just feel like that this ring will symbolize something for my partner.

Hi,

You can go and walkin to Taka/Goldheart/Sookee and be selective as they can offer you alot on that budget.

or, if you want to consider ebay.

I do have a recommended seller, I have ordered 3 jewelry already and it never failed me so far. PM me if you want. I am not connected to this seller, it is just I found a ring thats within your budget, PM me if you are interested and for the details.

 

[firewalker85]

Hi guys, wedding band question.. Which finger are you suppose to wear it on for the male and female? I thought it was just the 4th finger on left hand for both..

But my friend told me of this saying "男左女右", male wear on the left, and female wear on the right.. which one is correct?

 

[hollander]

Hi guys, wedding band question.. Which finger are you suppose to wear it on for the male and female? I thought it was just the 4th finger on left hand for both..

But my friend told me of this saying "男左女右", male wear on the left, and female wear on the right.. which one is correct?

from Wiki: "This custom may have its origins in an ancient Egyptian myth that the finger contained a vein leading directly to the heart, or it may simply be because the heart lies slightly to the left side of the body"

 

[larcano]

It's been a long time since I've read this thread. To thank all those who have contributed to this thread, here's a little appreciation tip on maximising credit card usage for those whom have not bought your proposal ring (not sure if it's been mentioned before):

Use a combination of Manhattan (which everyone knows) and UOB One card.

e.g.
My ring costs $9.3K. Payment schedule is broken down as follow:
Deposit $500 (can be paid any mode you prefer)
$4K charged to Manhattan to optimise max cashback of $200.
Remaining $4.8K charged to UOB One card by 6 mth installment free plan offered by UOB merchants (e.g. JP)

By utilising the 6mths installment, you will be billed $800 a mth for 6 mths which will ensure that you get their 3.3% cashback over 2 quarters. This works out to $160. Do note that you'll need to have a min of 3 transactions on the card per mth throughout this period. On top of that, you'll enjoy the benefit of avoiding a sudden dip in your liquidity by spreading out your payment.

So if you're not thinking of borrowing extra Manhattan cards from your friends, or paying purely in hard cash (JP offers 2% discount), this seems like the next plausible option. This was what I did, feel free to try out other card combos!

btw, Stanchart offers $80 credit when you sign up to a max of 2 cards, and there was (not sure about now) a $100 credit when you sign up for their bonussaver account. So in total, I've "earned" or given myself a discount of $620 off my proposal ring.

Good luck in your ring hunt!

 

[bedposthalo]

It's been a long time since I've read this thread. To thank all those who have contributed to this thread, here's a little appreciation tip on maximising credit card usage for those whom have not bought your proposal ring (not sure if it's been mentioned before):

Use a combination of Manhattan (which everyone knows) and UOB One card.

e.g.
My ring costs $9.3K. Payment schedule is broken down as follow:
Deposit $500 (can be paid any mode you prefer)
$4K charged to Manhattan to optimise max cashback of $200.
Remaining $4.8K charged to UOB One card by 6 mth installment free plan offered by UOB merchants (e.g. JP)

By utilising the 6mths installment, you will be billed $800 a mth for 6 mths which will ensure that you get their 3.3% cashback over 2 quarters. This works out to $160. Do note that you'll need to have a min of 3 transactions on the card per mth throughout this period. On top of that, you'll enjoy the benefit of avoiding a sudden dip in your liquidity by spreading out your payment.

So if you're not thinking of borrowing extra Manhattan cards from your friends, or paying purely in hard cash (JP offers 2% discount), this seems like the next plausible option. This was what I did, feel free to try out other card combos!

btw, Stanchart offers $80 credit when you sign up to a max of 2 cards, and there was (not sure about now) a $100 credit when you sign up for their bonussaver account. So in total, I've "earned" or given myself a discount of $620 off my proposal ring.

Good luck in your ring hunt!

Haha.. finally somebody did a computation of credit card help here!
Didn't know UOB got 3.3% rebate.

To add on... if you're proposal is not that soon, you can split the payment in different timeline too. The Manhatten card refreshes every quarter. I know JannPaul allows to split the payment to maximize the card.

Example:
If your ring costs $10k and your Manhatten card next cycle is in DEC. In Nov, you charge $4k on your Manhatten card (cashback $200). When the next cycle kicks in, you charge another $4k on your Manhatten card (get another $200 cashback). The remainder $2k can pay by cash to save $40 (2%).

The total saving = $440.

 

[kiosai]

It feels more and more like this thread is transforming into a lucrative marketing channel for a certain jeweller.

I have no doubt that JP diamonds are of very high quality, but this level of quality comes with heaven-high prices. Do not be coerced into "wanting only the best", "afford what you can" is a much better advice.

Nice photos of your diamond and ring shouldn't cost you so much..

I had visited Diamondworks (very near Tai Seng MRT) to custom-make my engagement ring, surprising at affordable prices.

*Note I am not related to Diamondworks in any way other than a satisfied customer sharing his experience

**Note also that I did not purchase my stone from Diamondworks. They provided me with excellent service in fabricating 95% platinum (PT950) ring casing at a very reasonable price.

​

Pros:
Excellent and responsive service.
Very reasonable price for PT950 compared to 4 other custom jewellers.
Large range of designs for both engagement rings and wedding bands.

Cons:
Culture shock to visit an industrial estate to buy engagement ring (Comparitively, Yuen Tung is more shockingly factory-like)
Slightly long waiting time (mine took 3 weeks).
I had to come home to take photos of the ring using my Galaxy SIII all by myself

Some comments on diamonds:
A diamond may be a (lonely) girl best friend, but I assure you that your wife would not bring out a loupe with her 24/7 to check on the hyper-symmertry of the diamond. My obsessive compulsion as a precision engineer insisted on mine being a beautiful Hearts&Arrow cut (unfortunately the SIII and my limited lighting equipment could not take a proper photo of the arrows in high contrast) but I'm sure my wife is very likely to do an instant comparision on the size and colour with her "competition" instead. So do remember to prioritise your 4Cs eh?

 

[Carnage]

Interesting that there are cheaper jewellers than JP. I don't find their prices to be "heaven-high" compared to retailers.

Maybe you could share your H&A shots before commenting on price. If the symmetry is off, it could affect the pricing.

Maybe you can tell us your diamond specifications and price before declaring it as cheaper than JP's diamonds. That would be a fairer comparison no?

 

[Carnage]

We started since Jan this year which is more than enough time (close to 1 year..??!). The sep/oct was to go into production according to JannPaul's timing since we are not the experts and will not know how much time is required for enamel production right? For the record, I'm the super kiasu kind and so far everything we have prepared, I've done it way in advance. If I knew this enamel material will give so much problems, I would not have left it til so late. But hind sight is alway twenty twenty.

From January to September, what were you doing? Take so long to finalise your wedding band designs?

 

[nexer8]

Urgent

You can find them on ebay or gmarket.

New LED Light Deluxe Leatherette Ring Box Jewelry Gift Packaging Box Black Red | eBay

Very affordable and quality is not bad, and shipping takes about 1 week.

Hi guys

I need a led or lighted ring box urgently. The selling online are unable to deliver it to me by next Thursday.

Anyone know if I can get it locally?

Thanks thanks for all help!

 

[Grizz.P]

It feels more and more like this thread is transforming into a lucrative marketing channel for a certain jeweller.

I have no doubt that JP diamonds are of very high quality, but this level of quality comes with heaven-high prices. Do not be coerced into "wanting only the best", "afford what you can" is a much better advice.

Nice photos of your diamond and ring shouldn't cost you so much..

I had visited Diamondworks (very near Tai Seng MRT) to custom-make my engagement ring, surprising at affordable prices.

*Note I am not related to Diamondworks in any way other than a satisfied customer sharing his experience

**Note also that I did not purchase my stone from Diamondworks. They provided me with excellent service in fabricating 95% platinum (PT950) ring casing at a very reasonable price.

​

Pros:
Excellent and responsive service.
Very reasonable price for PT950 compared to 4 other custom jewellers.
Large range of designs for both engagement rings and wedding bands.

Cons:
Culture shock to visit an industrial estate to buy engagement ring (Comparitively, Yuen Tung is more shockingly factory-like)
Slightly long waiting time (mine took 3 weeks).
I had to come home to take photos of the ring using my Galaxy SIII all by myself

Some comments on diamonds:
A diamond may be a (lonely) girl best friend, but I assure you that your wife would not bring out a loupe with her 24/7 to check on the hyper-symmertry of the diamond. My obsessive compulsion as a precision engineer insisted on mine being a beautiful Hearts&Arrow cut (unfortunately the SIII and my limited lighting equipment could not take a proper photo of the arrows in high contrast) but I'm sure my wife is very likely to do an instant comparision on the size and colour with her "competition" instead. So do remember to prioritise your 4Cs eh?

I think you need to compare apples with apples. There are many factors that affect the price of the diamond and the Cut quality is one of them. The diamond scopes is to see the symmetry and light performance of the diamond. So if you see light leakages in the Ideal/ASET scope, it means that part of the diamond won't sparkle. It's more of a tool to use so that you know what you're buying or rather what you're paying for.

It's like tailoring a suit. One suit uses fabrics from an Italian mill, one suit uses fabrics from an Asian mill. They will be priced differently as the quality is different.

 

[Grizz.P]

Hi guys

I need a led or lighted ring box urgently. The selling online are unable to deliver it to me by next Thursday.

Anyone know if I can get it locally?

Thanks thanks for all help!

I don't think there are local sellers for LED ring boxes.. If you can't get one in time, you consider proposing under a LED light instead

 

[hollander]

Hi guys

I need a led or lighted ring box urgently. The selling online are unable to deliver it to me by next Thursday.

Anyone know if I can get it locally?

Thanks thanks for all help!

check your pm, i've sent another ebayer hopefully he can help you.

 

[Glitzger]

From January to September, what were you doing? Take so long to finalise your wedding band designs?

Because JannPaul was taking their own sweet time to revert to us on our designs? Despite having chased them but they were busy and we thought with so much time, we can allow them leeway. It took few weeks each time for them to revert. Then of course there was the proposed concept of using enamel which led to design changes etc. Anyway, Jann promised last week that he will definitely deliver our bands to a place of our choice by tomorrow but today he is saying he may only be able to pass to us on Sat. He also promised to get images of the final rings and update us on Mon/Tue but it didn't materialise in the end. I'm not sure if we were too compromising or they really had so much problems with just our bands. I'm just hoping everything will be fine when we get our rings.

 

[Carnage]

Because JannPaul was taking their own sweet time to revert to us on our designs? Despite having chased them but they were busy and we thought with so much time, we can allow them leeway. It took few weeks each time for them to revert. Then of course there was the proposed concept of using enamel which led to design changes etc. Anyway, Jann promised last week that he will definitely deliver our bands to a place of our choice by tomorrow but today he is saying he may only be able to pass to us on Sat. He also promised to get images of the final rings and update us on Mon/Tue but it didn't materialise in the end. I'm not sure if we were too compromising or they really had so much problems with just our bands. I'm just hoping everything will be fine when we get our rings.

I'm sorry to hear that, but I never took so long to get my ring done. And I haven't heard of anyone taking 9 months to get their completed as well.

 

[Glitzger]

I'm sorry to hear that, but I never took so long to get my ring done. And I haven't heard of anyone taking 9 months to get their completed as well.

We take too long at the start and probably keep thinking we have lots of time. And each time we wait to see the 3D designs, it took a few weeks again. But I guess JannPaul also didn't expect the enamel material to give problems during the finishing stage. To his credit, Jann was very apologetic. I'm just hoping the rings will turn out the way we want then it will be worth the wait and anxiety..!

 

[Draculav]

We take too long at the start and probably keep thinking we have lots of time. And each time we wait to see the 3D designs, it took a few weeks again. But I guess JannPaul also didn't expect the enamel material to give problems during the finishing stage. To his credit, Jann was very apologetic. I'm just hoping the rings will turn out the way we want then it will be worth the wait and anxiety..!

Is it enamel with gold? I don't know of any jewelers in Singapore that does enamel jewelry besides Tiffany & Co. and Hermes.

 

[Glitzger]

Is it enamel with gold? I don't know of any jewelers in Singapore that does enamel jewelry besides Tiffany & Co. and Hermes.

Yup, mine is white enamel with rose gold and a round of solasfera melees and my bf's is blue enamel with rose gold and alternate row of solasfera melees. Maybe that's why take so long but Jann just updated me that he will pass us the rings tonight so I'm happy and excited.

 

[Draculav]

Yup, mine is white enamel with rose gold and a round of solasfera melees and my bf's is blue enamel with rose gold and alternate row of solasfera melees. Maybe that's why take so long but Jann just updated me that he will pass us the rings tonight so I'm happy and excited.

Sounds exquisite. Mind sharing the your jewelry photos when its ready?