Hatton gardens,some jewellers do good deals,i went in one when my mate got engaged three years back,they knocked £3,000 of the price of the ring when they saw the stack of readies always good to haggle.
Better go to a "fixed price" shop, I never like haggling, always feel I am being ripped off. Perhaps your mate should have started at fifty quid, too late, he will never know.
We bought ours in Cayman and got filipino mates rates, filipino gay mates rates in fact which are even better. Never underestimate the secret brotherhood... We bought our wedding rings from Beaverbrooks, they have gone back already for being crap quality.
Always remember the phrases " This is only your first engagement ring" "We dont want it to overwhelm the wedding ring" "It'll look bigger on your little finger" Tradition was that it should cost a month's salary if I remember correctly.
Whatever you can afford as long as its from the heart,if you can afford 500 quid that's fine if your wallet is a little larger jennifer lopez 15 carat stone was rumoured to have cost a million dollars,its all relative.
My wife wears my Great-Grandmother's wedding ring. Historical interest. Free of charge. Win win! We were never officially engaged, but bought each other a necklace/wristband from a Filipino market which became "engagement" items for the purpose of the visa application. The only thing we paid for is my own wedding ring - which she bought with some money I gave her. Dead stingy we are.
For my 2nd wife i got her a lovely 3 stone diamond ring..stones looked lovely. In fact they were only cz but she never knew that.
That's for sure...I move to own place 1st may ...then need get ring...then gojng phillipinnes 13th may to 31st...lol all go at minute ...been lookin at few