[InvestmentByker]

My local shopping centre seems to be filled with (mostly empty) jewelers. What has stopped jewellers going the way of Game, HMV etc and enabled them to continue to support these sky high rents?

my shopping centre has 4 on the same floor all opposite each other. I thought this would be a prime business to go online - try in store and then shop for the best price online.


Anyway I am in the market for a wedding ring. What do i need to look out for and how do you judge the value of a gold ring?

[happy_renting]

InvestmentByker, on 03 April 2012 - 10:38 PM, said:

My local shopping centre seems to be filled with (mostly empty) jewelers. What has stopped jewellers going the way of Game, HMV etc and enabled them to continue to support these sky high rents?

my shopping centre has 4 on the same floor all opposite each other. I thought this would be a prime business to go online - try in store and then shop for the best price online.


Anyway I am in the market for a wedding ring. What do i need to look out for and how do you judge the value of a gold ring?

I'd advise you to get the bride online first. Ask for her ring finger size before paying.

[Tiger Woods?]

InvestmentByker, on 03 April 2012 - 10:38 PM, said:

My local shopping centre seems to be filled with (mostly empty) jewelers. What has stopped jewellers going the way of Game, HMV etc and enabled them to continue to support these sky high rents?

my shopping centre has 4 on the same floor all opposite each other. I thought this would be a prime business to go online - try in store and then shop for the best price online.


Anyway I am in the market for a wedding ring. What do i need to look out for and how do you judge the value of a gold ring?

Depends how much you wish to spend...

If you are anywhere near Wantage, I can thoroughly recommend Peter Casey Jewellers in the town square. The owner's son, Steven (iirc) is keen on making bespoke rings, and at a price that puts the London jewellers to shame (i.e. half to a third of what we were quoted in London for similar work). Mrs Woods and I had an engagement ring and two wedding rings made for almost nothing above the price of the components. They also didn't charge us for bringing our own diamond to the deal - a lovely green with exceptional clarity and cut that took us the better part of 6 months to find. If you think ring buying is confusing and difficult, just try and stumble into the diamond market where there are all sorts of scams (over and above the basic scam - the price fixing oligopoly that means cheap plentiful compressed carbon costs £££).

p.s. make sure you and your wife both have small fingers - it'll save you a bomb.

This post has been edited by Tiger Woods?: 04 April 2012 - 02:58 AM

[libspero]

InvestmentByker, on 03 April 2012 - 10:38 PM, said:

My local shopping centre seems to be filled with (mostly empty) jewelers. What has stopped jewellers going the way of Game, HMV etc and enabled them to continue to support these sky high rents?

my shopping centre has 4 on the same floor all opposite each other. I thought this would be a prime business to go

I think that tells you everything you need to know about the size of their margins. For this reason I would (personally) just get something you like rather than consider it some kind of investment. Most jewelry has pretty rubbish resale value relative to the initial purchase cost.

InvestmentByker, on 03 April 2012 - 10:38 PM, said:

Anyway I am in the market for a wedding ring. What do i need to look out for and how do you judge the value of a gold ring?

Do you mean wedding (or are you thinking of engagement) ring?

For an engagement ring I'd get something a little bit special. For a wedding ring, if you are just going for a traditional gold band, Argos is probably as good as anywhere.. who's ever going to know?

[Grrrr I'm a tiger]

I guess there's quite a lot on ebay.


EDIT:

See look - there's this regular Smiegel from Lahndahn for instance...(not much description )


Guess there's a story behind every one of these. They probably won't care how much they go for - just that they can say to their friends they sold their ring on ebay.

This post has been edited by hotairmail: 04 April 2012 - 11:13 AM

[libspero]

hotairmail, on 04 April 2012 - 11:06 AM, said:

See look - there's this regular Smiegel from Lahndahn for instance...(not much description )

Guess there's a story behind every one of these. They probably won't care how much they go for - just that they can say to their friends they sold their ring on ebay.

People get very superstitious over weddings, and clearly if the last marriage failed then that ring must be cursed..

[swissy_fit]

Bought my wedding rings online, plain heavy 18ct gold classics, engraved on the inside with our names.
(I was tempted to put Sauron's engraving on hers but thought better of it)
A fraction of what jewellers were asking, they're still looking good 3 years later.
It must be said that I'm not known for being a great romantic.

[cheeznbreed]

Had a look online when I bought my ring in Jan/Feb (will be used later this month.. yikes!), but I am very glad that I went to a traditional jeweller instead (not high street). A one-man band(in Wiltshire), he was very good and his prices were comparable to high street. Not as cheap as online, obviously, but proper workmanship from a local trader. He also designed an engagement ring to suit the wedding ring too. Where are you based btw?

This post has been edited by cheeznbreed: 04 April 2012 - 02:17 PM

[sbn]

Wedding bands usually hardly have any workmanship in them at all, so you can base their worth on their weight and pm comtent.
24ct is pure gold, 22ct is 22 parts gold, and 2 parts other metals. 750 means 75% pm, 950 means 95%....So times this ratio by the weight ang the current gold price and you'VE GOT A Ggood indication of relative value. But rekember, all jewelers have costs and people will always pay over the odds if its got tiffany stamped on it or similar.

Preety much all gold wears down over a lifetime (Except 9ct cos its mistly copper). Pt is much harder wearing but ends up looking a dull grey unless you get it re plated all the time.

Never mix different metals on same finger - softer one wears away.

Work out if she intends to get fatter or thinner, -resuzing aint cheap, and usually ladies dont get thinner!

Gold is still relatively high, pt was more reasonable last time i looked

Paladium who knows what its really worth, but all the other ladies will look down on it. There is a conpany tyat makes iridium rings, now theres a talking point!.

[sbn]

Oops

This post has been edited by sbn: 05 April 2012 - 07:17 AM

[happy_renting]

sbn, on 05 April 2012 - 07:14 AM, said:

Oops

Be careful!