Picked out a 1.75 carat princess cut solitaire engagement ring with a platinum setting on bluenile.com but haven't purchased it yet.

I will be in the Netherlands next week on vacation and was thinking it might be more memorable to purchase a ring there or in Belgium instead.

Budget is around $12-$15K USD. Advice or things I should consider (tax/duty, loose vs. set stone, jeweler hours, etc)? Any other recommendations or input?

If you are not knowledgeable about diamonds, buy in your hometown, nearby, or someplace you have easy access to get back to. Tell whomever you are buying it from, you want to have it appraised, and then ask to make sure they can't give you a bit of a better price. If you have a friend who knows his/her stuff, bring them with you. Research, research, research before you buy.

Look at yourself as a newbie here, and remember it is better to do your homework before, as you are doing. If you have a friend, who has a friend who is a jeweler, or in the business, speak to that person for their ideas and advice. Try to keep the emotion out of it - Hawaii or bust, for an example. Might be able to get to Tahiti on another airline for half the cost, but not if you bought a non-refundable ticket to Hawaii the day before. Hope that gives you an idea on strategy. Good luck and congratulations.

May I suggest CZ?

or better yet, Costco.

[QUOTE=nmmercer;11965514]Picked out a 1.75 carat princess cut solitaire engagement ring with a platinum setting on bluenile.com but haven't purchased it yet.

I will be in the Netherlands next week on vacation and was thinking it might be more memorable to purchase a ring there or in Belgium instead.

Budget is only around $12-$15K USD. Advice or things I should consider (tax/duty, loose vs. set stone, jeweler hours, etc)? Any other recommendations or input?[/QUOTE]

What's the over/under (number of posts) before you get the don't do it response?

My only advice is never use the words ONLY $12-$15k when discussing the cost of the ring. Try, holy cow 15 grand and stagger a little bit as if it just sank in!

In all seriousness, buy the nicest stone you can afford and decide on a setting later, don't get caught up in a ring because the setting looked great but he diamond is so so.

Congratulations, enjoy you trip no matter where you buy your ring.

Thanks for the responses so far - would rather have a higher quality stone than spend a bunch of money on sales tax (or a blue box for that matter) so that is why we are shopping on-line.

After reading these initial posts, still keen on the idea of shopping overseas - unless it is prohibitively expensive or there are other things I am not considering.

Thinking of contacting the hotel concierge for advice but they are never objective - was hoping to find that on flyertalk...

Keep the commentary coming and do try to be nice, please - thanks!

Seems like a total waste of money.

You can buy that ring for less than $5,000:

http://cgi.ebay.com/1-75CT-PRINCESS-...item5183a1c4eb

Keep in mind that you'll pay in euros there, not dollars, and that increases the price.

May I suggest a trip down to LA? I am from the bay also and flew down there to pick it up because it is so much cheaper than bluenile. It is probably cheaper than the sf jewelery mart. give me a pm and I can give you the number of the guy I dealt with.

If he's looking to spend $12-15k, he's also looking at higher quality than the VS1 and better color than I (assuming he's going for white) of that ebay rock.

Paying in a different currency has no effect on the price, any more than a person is taller if measured in cm than in inches or a hot day is hotter in Farenheit than in Celsius. They are just numbers, different ways to express the same thing.

Granted, a given figure in Euros represents more value than the same figure in USD does (today), but the choice to express a given value in one currency or another is irrelevant.

Over priced and over there in today's market. Economic hard times and falling markets have poured a lot of fine diamonds into consignment and "slightly used" jewelry dealers, especially in NYC, LA and SFlorida. Shop, select, post a deposit and take the ring/stone for appraisal. You don't have to go to Rodeo Dr.. Ventura Blvd seemed to have any number of "jewellers to the needy".

Remember, diamonds and diamond rings may undergo several 100% markups in the jewellers network. The price you pay at retail has "Zip.nada" to do with any real value. Those who have needed to sell diamonds under "quick sale" conditions may be quick to tell you that the results can be little better than a pawnbroker's best offer.

When buying a 1.75 carat diamond in that price range it becomes more of an investment than a piece of jewelry.
The diamond will look the same as one costing a third as much to the naked eye.
Unless you have a surplus of money to burn, or your fianc� is a jeweler, I would opt for a nice 3k � 5k ring.

Do you know what sort of ring your fiance wants? Don't buy her something she doesn't love.

At one point I was thinking of getting married. My BF took me to a jewelry store and said in front of the salesman that I could have anything I wanted. I kept asking for something smaller. Salesman couldn't believe it. I just think huge rocks are ostentatious and I don't like them. But, then I may be one of very few women in that.

I second the L.A. recommendation. My son bought a beautiful diamond at the L.A. Jewelry Mart. PM if you are interested in the name of the jeweler.