Should I trust engagement ring prices on the internet?
Posted by RingBearRoar@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 28 comments
I'm planning to propose later this year and have been looking for rings based on some guidelines that my partner gave me. She sent me a picture of something I'm pretty sure is from the DeBeers website where it costs about £8k.
I can build something virtually identical on a website called Diamond Heaven, taking into account the 4 Cs, stone shape, ring design and anything else I can think of. It comes out to less than half the DeBeers one.
I'm thinking it's a win for both of us if I can get what she's thinking of for less money, and I don't feel like I'm cheaping out particularly, still spending £3k-£4k, but it just seems too good to be true!
I've heard of DeBeers before and not Diamond Heaven, so is it just a case of brand name markup?
Any advice?
Milam1996@reddit
Debeers are the reason diamonds are expensive. Diamonds are not even remotely rare. There’s lots of lab diamond websites that will produce you the same size diamond with better cut, clarity and brilliance for less than debeers. One of the most important things is to make sure the diamond is actually secure in the ring. No your ultra skinny 0.1mm fine 24ct gold ring is not going to keep a 5ct diamond in place. You need STRUCTURE. If she wants white gold then ignore her and get platinum. It has the white gold look without losing the white appearance (while gold is just gold plated in another metal, it will wear off and then it’s a muggy white silver)
Necessary_Top_9266@reddit
De Beers isn’t the only company involved in diamond production and supply, so it doesn't make sense to pin everything on them alone.
Also, “diamonds aren’t rare” is an oversimplification. Industrial diamonds are common, yes, but high quality natural diamonds, especially larger stones or fancy colors, are much rarer, which is why they’re valued differently.
Overall, the industry is a lot more complex than you're making it out to be.
notanadultyadult@reddit
Agree about the white gold. I regret getting it now tbh. Wish I had platinum instead. My engagement and wedding bands need to be redipped and that’s an extra hassle I wish I’d avoided.
Milam1996@reddit
Go to a goldsmith and they’ll make you your exact ring just in platinum. Cost a few hundred quid and save you a lifetime of dipping.
onionsareawful@reddit
I assume this is the one you're on about: https://www.diamond-heaven.co.uk/
For what it's worth it's a real store, they have quite a large shop in Birmingham in the Jewellery Quarter.
onionsareawful@reddit
Also worth keeping in mind whether the diamonds you're getting are lab-made or mined.
The former is far cheaper, and I assume DeBeers only sell the latter given they are one of the heavyweights in the mining industry. Obviously there is no indistinguishable difference (beyond lab-made diamonds having fewer impurities) but there is a large price difference.
Tuarangi@reddit
Large price difference due to DeBeers artificially restricted supply and pushing the idea a lab diamond is not as good as theirs (just don't ask questions about the mining).
Complex-Bad-3250@reddit
fyi, the monopoly has been over for decades so they dont control the supply today, and there are a tonnn of regulations and changes that have been made to ensure ethical and conflict free natural diamonds. doing research is ofc important to make sure they are coming from a regulated mine! its super nice to see these changes happen for those that prefer naturals.
Tuarangi@reddit
De Beers still hoard stock to keep prices high, due to reduced demand since 2024 they've held about $2 billion in diamonds to keep prices from dropping and still push the argument against lab grown diamonds as not being as good as mines. They've sort of cleaned up their act but they still have the huge legacy of mining like the massive pit at Kimberly or even the 7 years 2014-2021 they were leaking mercury into the river near the Victor mine in Canada
Complex-Bad-3250@reddit
its interesting because they cant control the prices as much because of so many other players being involved and regulations that ensure 3rd parties are setting market prices! its super cool to see the ins and outs changing over the years
jollygoodvelo@reddit
DeBeers are a cartel. Diamonds, if certified, are diamonds.
Would recommend going to Hatton Garden or Birmingham jewellery quarter though; the “specs” don’t necessarily tell the whole story of the sparkliness of a stone. My wife’s VS2 is considerably brighter to the naked eye than many VVS stones.
Complex-Bad-3250@reddit
just a tid bit for this convo-- de beers monopoly has been broken for decades now, so they dont have as much control as people think!
and I agree, anything above an SI grade is usually pretty eye clean!
onionsareawful@reddit
Diamond Heaven are a shop in the JQ in Birmingham.
smiley6125@reddit
Madisons in Hatton Garden is great and they have their own onsite workshop. They made exactly what my wife wanted in platinum and I got the choice of several diamonds that I picked and they set. They polished it for free too when we went back and bought wedding rings there.
trevhcs@reddit
DeBeers have been conning the world with "diamonds are rare" since the 1950s and incredibly get away with it. They aren't remotely. You might as well go to bond street and be ripped off there.
There are plenty of places you can buy really nice diamond rings for less than £1000 even for certified with high end gold (eg: 18ct) never mind £4000. If you get something custom made then that price might be a little more realistic, but seriously, why spend this onnan engagement ring?
Is she really going to be able to wear it afterwards without worrying about losing it or damaging it? How much is the wedding ring gonna be!? Will she be wearing both after the wedding?
My honest opinion on this would just get a liad of down votes from people with heads in the clouds and no realistic idea of life.
Complex-Bad-3250@reddit
technically speaking, the clear large gem grade diamonds are more rare than all others. the idea that diamonds aren't rare includes industrial grade baby diamonds! natural diamonds now have labor and supply and demand wrapped into the prices, so I don't really know how cheap they can realistically get given these aspects!
PabloMarmite@reddit
DeBeers is like one of the most premium diamond brands in the world. I’d imagine literally everywhere else is cheaper.
LittleSadRufus@reddit
Indeed, they literally invented the concept "diamonds should cost more than their natural market value" which was certainly a good policy for them
Mysterious_Beach_673@reddit
Why is your fiancée to be sending you pics of the rings she likes. Just buy her a ring of your choice from wherever you want. It sounds like she’s very materialistic
Far_Call2993@reddit
I got my engagement ring online from Lily Arkwright, high quality and reasonable price, would %100 recommend. They have both natural and lab diamonds (mine was lab for ethical reasons). Just make sure you get the right size. I bought a ring sizer to figure out my exact size before we ordered my ring.
notanadultyadult@reddit
Im curious why you chose to write “%100”?
Far_Call2993@reddit
Just a mistake, probably because my native language is written right to left.
notanadultyadult@reddit
Fair. How did you find learning English? Difficult or fairly easy?
Far_Call2993@reddit
Pretty easy
Cap2017@reddit
Just get a lab diamond and save yourself a bucket load of money for EXACTLY the same thing. I’d recommend 77Diamonds in London based on personal experience
McLeod3577@reddit
Make sure she's definitely the one before dropping 4-8k on an engagement ring. Don't forget to budget for the wedding ring too lol. Me and my partner just got married and we spent under 2k for absolutely everything - rings, clothes, food after the ceremony etc.
Nice_Back_9977@reddit
This all seems a bit silly, you have clearly both already agreed that you want to marry each other, that means that in reality you are already engaged so why are you planning a proposal months away like its a big event and a surprise?
Just announce your engagement and if you both feel that a ring is something that matters go shopping together!
looooopedin@reddit
Maybe because he knows his girlfriend will enjoy the proposal experience? To make her happy? Or isn't that (at least part of) the reason any of us are in relationships - to make the other person happy.