jewelry in NYC - any advice?

disclaimer: i am NOT an authority on this sort of thing. but:

to be perfectly honest, this might be one of those things that are harder to find in New York than in other parts of the US. it's hard to find a deal on anything in these parts. especially jewelry. especially an antique. this is doubly so if you want something that is real, valuable, an investment, etc. you could probably find a very pretty costume jewelry or semi-precious stone ring in a vintage clothing store or flea market. but you will probably not find grandma's 1 carat platinum solitaire. and even for the semi-precious stone, you will probably pay more than you could get for the same thing out in flyover country, when push comes to shove.

as an example, a friend of mine runs a vintage/antique furniture store, which he stocks by driving out to Detroit every so often to score flea market finds for pennies, which he hauls back to the city and marks up triple or quadruple what he paid for them (and his shop is relatively reasonable). i can't speak for jewelry, but i imagine that vintage and antique jewelry works similar to this.

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<hr>it's hard to find a deal on anything in these parts<hr></blockquote>

my head just exploded.

I have to ask the question (and note, I firmly believe it's the thought and not the cost behind the ring so there's no judgement here).

What is your budget?

Part of what makes the "Diamond District" so great is the mix of old, new, big and little budget availablility. Also, they don't just sell diamonds.

So I do recommend going to the block of 47th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues and wandering around the stalls. Learn a bit about the 4 C's here, and think about options that don't include diamonds. In Victorian times a pearl ring was considered THE engagement gift.

Thanks for the replies so far

hankest - sorry to hear about the unfortunate cranial combustion. care to share what it was about the quote that caused such a severe allergic reaction

websterella - yeah that's a difficult question. officially the answer is zero, as any money that i spend will inevitably end up increasing my overdraft even deeper than it already is. i've considered taking out a small loan, but debt on top of debt is never too much fun. marriage is about 'what's mine is yours' and the last thing i want to land on her is a debt!
so, i don't know really. possibly up to $500? i think diamonds are out of the question. pearl sounds cool. or some other semi-precious stone. i'll certainly check out the "Diamond District".

Everybody I know goes to 47th and 5th for jewelry. It's just where you go, and the tremendous number of shops there makes it easy to comparison shop.

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<hr> officially the answer is zero<hr></blockquote> Then don't buy one. Do not start a marriage in anymore debt than you can avoid.

If she won't take you without a ring then she's not worth the asking. OR talk to family members and see if anyone has a family heirloom they'd like to pass on or allow you to use temporarily until you can afford something more.

There's a store on Lexington at about 55th (56th) called the Wedding Ring Store or something like that that specializes in the type of ring you're looking for. Unique gold rings with tiny or no stones.

I would also think you can find some vintage things the antique stores in Chelsea (the buildings divided into different stalls) - between 6th and 7th on 25th/26th streets

I wouldnt go to the diamond district without a recommended contact there and a knowledge of what you're buying.

And, I'm sort of with Webs on this (although I believe everyone manages to come up with money for things they find important). An IOU for a ring when you can afford it will probably be acceptable to most women who understand your current circumstances.

The woman you love will be wearing that ring the rest of her life. Be kind to her and allow her to help select the style. Or have you already proposed, and she's asked for antique styling and non-gems? Pearls are not durable for daily wear and require extra care so may have been fine for Victorian ladies with servants but are not so good as a daily ring for a woman who works. Consider using your budgeted amount to buy a very fine quality diamond or other gemstone that she prefers, and have it mounted in a basic solitare setting until the two of you find a ring style she loves that you can afford.

Congratulations and best wishes for a lifetime of shared experiences.

actually, women get upgraded diamonds all the time. I know a bunch of women - whose husbands bought them more substantial rings for anniversaries as their finances improved. Usually the husband initiates this purchase - its more of a status issue for the man.

When my then (millionaire) fiance was having tax trouble, I would have been happy with a channel set band, and volunteered to wait for the real ring! He thought it would make him look bad.

I admit, a few years ago I had a boss with a much older, very successful husband - and maybe it was the finest grain of sand sized diamond in existence - but we all thought it very weird that any one of this woman's suits probably cost more than her engagement ring.