i'll be covering the bulk of europe basically everything from london to spain to greece and everything in between. i'm also considering getting an engagement ring sometime in the future. is there any particular place in europe where i would find a quality ring at a lower price than what i would find here in the states?
thanks
... the Balkans or rural Russia, maybe. Generally speaking, there are very few things that are cheaper in Europe, and jewelry most certainly is not one. The only advantage might be if you get the full VAT refund, but even with that, I still doubt you'll find anything cheaper. The only thing I can think of specifically is that there is a large flee market in Sofia, Bulgaria that seems to sell almost everything at knock-down prices... or I should say, there was 9 years ago when I was last there.
Hey, I just noticed your profile. Are you my doppleganger or something?
you must be my alter ego!
i'm a little hesitant about flea markets. definately wouldn't want to buy a worthless "diamond" fake or something.
Wow, two Toms from somewhere! I have to admit, I was sort of taken aback to see that Tom was planning on buying an engagement ring, since Tom (the other one) is married. Tom's wife might have been surprised about that, too. :)
Istanbul used to have some pretty good deals, which ain't that far from Greece.
Suggest the diamond district in Antwerp. I can say I did get a terrific deal, after I got the VAT. You can "negotiate."
My husband surprised me in Florence in '07 by having me stroll along the Ponte Vecchio and look to my heart's content until I found a new wedding ring for a 40th anniversary gift. I had not seen anything quite like it in the states, and I recall our wonderful trip every time I look at it. I took the ring to a local jeweler when we returned home to have it sized down a little bit, and when he weighed it and told me what his price would be, there was less than $20 difference. I did buy only a heavy gold graduated band and my husband added a diamond for Christmas after we got home. Yes, he's a keeper!
Will your fiancee be with you on the trip? If so, I'd recommend letting her pick out her ring (after letting her know your price range) UNLESS you are very good at knowing her style preferences.
I agree with Cary: unless you are positive you know your future fiancee's preference, she should choose the ring. For example, my bf of 10 years knows not to buy me jewelry, because I can be quirky about it (he was warned early on). I prefer certain cuts with certain stones with certain combinations of side stones in certain sizes in certain styles with certain colors of gold. My engagement ring will not have a diamond as it's centerpiece. In France, I found reasonable prices, but that was many years ago. England's prices seemed reasonable to high at the time, but I discovered that the gold was 9 or 10 karat. Whatever you decide, good luck to you!
Well, my sister got hers on Amazon and swears it was the best deal ever but I reckon that's not for everyone! I'm not much of a jewelry person but my friends did enjoy shopping for jewelry on the Ponte Vecchio, Florence - lots of nice designs - and also in Venice where we found plenty of selections featuring garnets. Apparently Vicenza, near Venice, is the 'home' of the garnet. My friends are very patient at negotiating prices and willing to spend hours at it! A diamond factory in Belgium is a good idea, especially if you know your cuts.
