kob999

Looking a buying an engagement ring while on holidays in the US. Will be visiting New York and Boston.

Would something like that be much cheaper there compared to UK. I have bought a watch there in the past which was half that of the UK but have no idea whether the same is true if rings.

Also have no real idea about diamond rings. What could you expect to get for £2k - £3k sterling

EddyH

ALOT of 'favours'.

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EddyH

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Goochie

at 2-3 k you'll be looking at something very special. 1-2ct diamond about the size of a pea, I would think.

One thing to remember is that its not all about the size of the diamond but also the "cut". A smaller, well cut diamond if often worth more than a large skaggy one.

simon

2-3K!!!!!!

You could buy a whole mail order bride for that!!!

She's obviously worth it

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ap0gee

In the UK, you could get anything up to a carat or more of gems (depending on type and quality of the stones, and your choice of metal for the band) - and that'd be 1-3 big stones, not a 'cluster'. SWMBO's ring cost me 2k, and has 3 VVS1/D diamonds totalling about 2/3 of a carat, but the band's platinum. If she'd had gold, she could have got bigger stone(s) for the money...

You'd also be well into the realms of bespoke jewellery at that kind of price! By the looks of things, a similar ring would cost the same number of dollars in the US (but will of course be cheaper because of the exchange rate!)

HOWEVER...

Technically you would have to declare the purchase when you return through customs (allowances listed here), in which case you'd have to pay VAT on what Customs reckon the ring is worth (not what you paid for it!). This would probably cut your saving quite considerably. It's up to you if you don't want to declare the ring of course!

One thing to bear in mind is if you bought the ring abroad, you'd be shafted if a. she said 'no', b. she said 'yes' but needed a different size of ring, or c. said 'yes' but didn't like the ring you'd bought...

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mcbunny

i was listening to radio 2 a few months back and they were talking about bringing stuff back from the usa and aparantly they tend to just charge you a bit for stuff and nowhere near what they are supposed too and most of the time dont charge you anything unless ofcourse they can tell you aint just been on holiday but have been away to get things

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Hi, my name is Mike and I own a Skoda and to top it all off it’s a diesel.

EddyH

Would this apply though if he proposed in the US and then gave the ring to his partner and it was worn on her finger for the return to the UK?

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EddyH

Audi A6 Avant 2.7 TDI
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mcbunny

we yes you should declare it but if its on your hand whats to say it hasnt been there since before you went especially if the receipt isnt in your bags

its like clothes they say to just cut tags of everything you buy and crumple them up abit

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First step to recovery is admitting you have a problem

Hi, my name is Mike and I own a Skoda and to top it all off it’s a diesel.

EddyH

Just wondered how it works though as it wouldn't be on the hand of the person that bought it, nor is it being brought in as a gift as it has already been given and received.

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EddyH

Audi A6 Avant 2.7 TDI
Audi A3 2.0 TDI Sport

Goochie

Wear the ring on the way home, having posted the receipt back before

kob999

The asking bit has already happened and a date set for about a years time.

I wouldn't even attempt to buy a ring without her there. Too many previous trips to shops to exchange Christmas/Birthday gifts.

No official announcement to family/friends yet as she would like to have her ring before doing that

mcbunny

exactly they cant prove anything unless they now take photographs of everything you take lol

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First step to recovery is admitting you have a problem

Hi, my name is Mike and I own a Skoda and to top it all off it’s a diesel.

Gwilo

Is there no way you could go somewhere else other than NYC/USA?

I only ask because Dubai has furiously cheap gold. The don't charge much for the workmanship, just the gold.
Case in point is a 24Ct Chain that weighs in at almost 90 grams.
On the day, by weight, it cost about £500.
Back in blighty, valued for insurance purposes, was valued by an insurance authorised agent at £2500.
Diamond rings with big, almost flawless rocks are similarly "cheap" by comparison. You could get this obviously very special young lady something truly exceptional out there.

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Gwilo

And as for the Customs query, well, as some have pointed out, if you can wear it......it's a bit difficult, as the burden of proof would lie on them to show you had bought it out there etc.
Not that i'm suggestion you go armed with cash stuffed in every possible compartment so as to leave no paper trail.......
I have very little qualms about walking through the green channel, as i've paid tax at purchase in whatever country, and it's for my own use not resale.

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mcbunny

my problem is mine wouldnt accept gold would have to be platinum

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First step to recovery is admitting you have a problem

Hi, my name is Mike and I own a Skoda and to top it all off it’s a diesel.

ap0gee

SWMBO never wears 'yellow' jewellery, only 'white' jewellery, so it was platinum or white gold. My dad and stepmum's wedding rings are white gold, which I found out is just ordinary gold, but with a thin layer of rhodium. As a result, their rings looked awful after a year or so, and had to be sent away to be cleaned and polished. So in the end, I think SWMBO was glad she went for platinum, even though the stones are smaller than the ones she could have got if she had a gold ring (they look big enough to me!!! )

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flatfourburble

There is a big jeweller over in the states that do some sort of exchange scheme, in other words you can go back and change it for something else upto that value.

I'll look it up when I get in as I got an "X" a ring which is for sale if anyones interest.

Gold is also 14k over there if I remember rightly

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ag.morley

You could buy the entire stock of "Elizabeth Duke" for 2/3K

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pixi

It really depends on the metal the stone is set in, the cut in terms of wastage and the quality/clarity of the stone.

For an example of uk prices my engagement ring is set in quite a thick band of platinum with a third of a carat diamond (i wanted it to look real and i am small framed so a huge rock would've looked silly) cost was one thousand 6 years ago.

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FTM

Tiffanys is a most interesting place.....when we were in last month they had a ring in that cost 3 million bucks...to be honest it was very vulgar