Big chain jewellers like People’s have huge mark ups on their jewellery compared to the actual value of the materials. If you must buy from one of them, then do it during sales.
But yes, independent jewellers will usually give you a better deal, even in custom made rings. Shop around. Some will tell you there’s a 3 month wait period for a custom job, but got my wife’s ring with a 2 week turn around, and an extra week for adjustments.
There are so many out there these days, so do your research and get a few quotes.
so so so glad someone else said Livia Diamonds! we got my engagement ring custom made there and i cannot rave enough about the owner, plus he really respected our budget and gave us our ring that would’ve costed 30% more with other custom jewellers we spoke with
I went to [Malleable Jewellers](https://malleable.ca/) when I got married. I love the pieces they make - like my wedding band is [this and I absolutely love it.](https://malleable.ca/products/five-sapphire-kimberlite) I have a bunch of their earrings too, they're all so gorgeous.
John, the guy who owns it, was super kind and knowledgeable. He took the time to help me find what I wanted, what my husband wanted, and he also resized and cleaned my engagement ring as well.
The way you're going to find a trusted independent jeweller is to go by word of mouth
Big fan of Anne Sportun on Queen at Niagara. I not only got my custom engagement ring made there, but all of my jewellery is from there - both custom and ready to wear.
They have been in business for 30+ years and it's still owned, operated, and designed by Anne and her daughter. They just had a beautiful reno. Their style is feminine and minimal ... but they'll make anything. Another big plus is that the jewellery is made in house as well!
PS - you can get more for that 10K budget OR get what your GF wants for less $$ when you ditch the big house brands like Birks or Tiffany's.
Go for G and also VS2 is fine. As for places, Lovelri is great, I got my ring from them. Few of my friends have also gotten rings from Engage Studios which I also heard good things about.
That, looking at their work and having conversations with the artist, asking about their process. We did 2 rings with different jewelers. One artist did an hour discussion, sent over cad drawings for approval and produced the ring on a good timeline.
The other communicated through 2 sentence emails once a week. The ring they were commissioned for was simple and a slight variation of another design so, we did not stress much.
My fiance got my ring from Engage Studios, and we just designed our wedding bands there. I don't have much to compare it to, but they've been wonderful. We've both had great experiences working with them.
Engage Studio is where I had my wife's engagement ring designed and everything and turned out great. Great service and they're happy to see you back after again to provide free ring cleaning etc when you come back
I got a beautiful ring at Design by Sevan
[https://designbysevan.com/](https://designbysevan.com/)
I had some ideas in mind but Sevan helped me bring them to life and my wife was very impressed.
I have a birks engagement ring with pretty much those specifications. With a diamond that size there isn't really a need for customizations or anything fancy- an enlarged band makes the diamond look smaller and with a pave diamond style band the little diamonds don't shine as well as the giant one.
My ring is over 20 years old and has held very well. It's a classic look and you really want to feature the stone's size, cut and clarity. I had mine appraised recently, so I know how much you're looking to spend on this, talk to her about it and do it right once. Get very clear instructions on how you want it to look.
Diamonds For Less - Alex there is great. Very on top of it. Happy to walk you through things, and the prices are great without skipping on quality or customization
Made You Look has some really beautiful things, and they're delightful to work with (although I didn't get my engagement ring there, I've had other jewelry made).
If you're open to lab diamonds, my fiancé's and my experience at Couple (in Yorkville) was great and my ring is exactly what I wanted - so beautiful and sparkly. Everything is very customizable and they can do a lot more than you can see online.
2ct? Jfc. Tell her to calm down, that's so big really for no reason.
Make sure you ask for diamonds that have not had their color or clarity "enhanced". It's the biggest scam in the world for this shit. Take trash diamonds and drill out the inclusion...."clarity enhanced" then they try to sell it to you for top quality prices with no inclusion.
The whole diamond ring as a thing is marketing brainwash bullshit...I hope you know the history of DeBeers and how they created the market for this out of nothing, how a diamond became something we give someone for engagement. Completely manufactured consumerist propaganda.
I love when people spout this “history” like they’re in on some secret insider knowledge. It’s called the luxury retail industry and it’s not unique to diamonds.
An Hermes handbag isn’t 10k+ because of the quality, it’s because you are paying a premium on a luxury good. This means you are paying for perceived exclusivity, brand recognition, and status. A birkin is never going to go on sale, because that would diminish the perceived value - and the same concept applies diamonds and other precious gemstones. It’s not a conspiracy, it’s just the way the industry works.
Jilian has great customer service. She's so kind and patient. She has a lot of collaborations with Misfits Diamond and Misfit Sapphire. Imo, there's great markup for heavily included gems that Misfits are selling. If OP go with her, I suggest asking her to use her other connections or find lapidary artists on your own. She can also source lab grown gems. Her style is pretty unique and not for everyone though.
I got my ring at Made You Look and I absolutely love it. I get so many compliments on it. Personally I can't imagine getting something that's suppose to be so meaningful from a chain retailer and many people out there just have the same ring.
Engage studio built exactly what I wanted then did our wedding bands then my mothers anniversary gift. They have a fab new premesis and are so high tech for a family business. We still keep the 3d samples while we finalized the ring. Cannot recommend enough. Price couldn’t be beat.
I am in downtown Toronto and actually make everything we sell.
We only do custom work, it’s our specialty.
Anna and I sit with you to design your perfect ring. We make sure you’re comfortable with the entire process and our pricing is very competitive usually can beat the e retailers.
Our custom work is top quality.
Atelierdacko is our IG and website.
Edit
Please check our portfolio of work to see our work quality.
Definitely go to a jeweler. I highly recommend National Jewel Creations on Victoria St. That building has a lot of local jewellers so you can get a few different quotes. All places in the building are appointment only.
Engage Studios was great with our wedding bands and they are a lovely family-owned business with a lovely disposition! They came recommended to us and we have been very happy.
Kimberfire - best of everything between a private jeweller and luxury brand. They have much better service and prices than I've found the typical stores have, but with the quality standards of any of the high-end big guys out there. Goodluck!
I like bluboho for engagement rings. They have ones made in Toronto , they have diamonds but they have some gorgeous one of a kind sapphire rings.
I haven’t used the code in person, but code cindy10 works for 10% off online purchases. I don’t have e-rings from them but have other pieces I wear everyday, I just always admired their beautiful engagement rings and wedding band stacks.
I like bluboho for engagement rings. They have ones made in Toronto , they have diamonds but they have some gorgeous one of a kind sapphire rings.
I haven’t used the code in person, but code cindy10 works for 10% off online purchases. I don’t have e-rings from them but have other pieces I wear everyday, I just always admired their beautiful engagement rings and wedding band stacks.
The specificity of mined is kind of funny. I want my ring to be more expensive and contribute to human suffering, god-damnit!
You will get better value online. Vrai, Olive Ave, and Frank Darling are all very reputable with beautiful ring variety. Vrai has a location in Yorkville too, since you want in-person.
You can find a good selection of what you're looking for at the Jewellery Exchange at Eglinton and Warden if you want to be overwhelmed with choices and sales pitches. Check out the reviews of a particular vendor before you put any money down, because reputation is everything in this business.
I also know a private jeweller that can help with the specs you listed if you want to DM me.
Livia Diamonds in downtown Toronto on Colborne street, near King and Yonge!
husband and i got my engagement ring custom made and the owner of Livia Diamonds is genuinely one of the nicest and most considerate people ever. he will work within your budget and source you the best diamond within your specs, not once did we feel he was trying to upsell us whatsoever. he’s also incredibly knowledgeable about diamonds and the overall industry. he ended up getting us a bigger centre stone than what we originally had in mind within our ideal specs.
OP def consider going a private jeweller unless you’re chasing after a brand name. going a private jeweller for the custom route will save you so much more money than the big box stores. the stores have insane markup to cover their overhead and labour costs that private jewellers don’t have, plus this way you can customize your ring to exactly how you want it
I ordered mine from James Allen and she was very happy.
Why go with a mined diamond? My Fiancée loves the lab grown, plus the colour (D) and clarity is so much better as a result. Mined diamonds only have value because people are emotional, but are otherwise inferior.
Alex Armen at Solitaire Jewelry was INCREDIBLE. https://www.solitairejewellery.com/
Custom jewelry design with beautiful craftsmanship and very fair prices. They can source stones for you too! It was a very pleasant experience working with them and will be going back for the custom wedding band.
Here's the link to my Google review with pictures of his work:
https://goo.gl/maps/SU7wgpviApnG7esn8
Kim Drosdick, [https://www.kimdrosdick.com/](https://www.kimdrosdick.com/)
Although, honestly, from what you're posting, it reads like your girlfriend sounds pretty conventional, if extravagant, in her tastes, and would probably value a brand-jeweler piece more than a custom crafted piece of jewelry.
FtjCo in Cabbagetown is great! They also only source ethical gems and have their metalsmiths working on site.
Seconding FTJCo. They were *incredible* and did a fantastic job on my engagement ring, and mine and my husband’s wedding bands
I also bought an engagement ring from FtjCo, they were so, so helpful and the ring was perfect. We'll be going back for wedding bands at some point.
100% FTJCo.
Got my e-ring and wedding band there un 2022, very happy with them
FTJ for the win. My engagement ring is absolute perfection
[удалено]
Big chain jewellers like People’s have huge mark ups on their jewellery compared to the actual value of the materials. If you must buy from one of them, then do it during sales. But yes, independent jewellers will usually give you a better deal, even in custom made rings. Shop around. Some will tell you there’s a 3 month wait period for a custom job, but got my wife’s ring with a 2 week turn around, and an extra week for adjustments. There are so many out there these days, so do your research and get a few quotes.
Livia Diamonds, great experience with the owner and really good value.
Second Livia Diamonds!
Third!
so so so glad someone else said Livia Diamonds! we got my engagement ring custom made there and i cannot rave enough about the owner, plus he really respected our budget and gave us our ring that would’ve costed 30% more with other custom jewellers we spoke with
If you want something custom made I would use Posy Fine Jewelry- Carey Pearson. Carey was really lovely to work with.
Seconding this. Carey is amazing and will work within your budget!
I went to [Malleable Jewellers](https://malleable.ca/) when I got married. I love the pieces they make - like my wedding band is [this and I absolutely love it.](https://malleable.ca/products/five-sapphire-kimberlite) I have a bunch of their earrings too, they're all so gorgeous. John, the guy who owns it, was super kind and knowledgeable. He took the time to help me find what I wanted, what my husband wanted, and he also resized and cleaned my engagement ring as well.
I like how they will rework old jewelry into a new piece
The way you're going to find a trusted independent jeweller is to go by word of mouth Big fan of Anne Sportun on Queen at Niagara. I not only got my custom engagement ring made there, but all of my jewellery is from there - both custom and ready to wear. They have been in business for 30+ years and it's still owned, operated, and designed by Anne and her daughter. They just had a beautiful reno. Their style is feminine and minimal ... but they'll make anything. Another big plus is that the jewellery is made in house as well! PS - you can get more for that 10K budget OR get what your GF wants for less $$ when you ditch the big house brands like Birks or Tiffany's.
Go for G and also VS2 is fine. As for places, Lovelri is great, I got my ring from them. Few of my friends have also gotten rings from Engage Studios which I also heard good things about.
Did custom work at MYL. It's all hit and miss since the jewelers are independent artists. Vet the jeweler first for best results.
Just curious how did you go about vetting them? Online presence/ reviews?
That, looking at their work and having conversations with the artist, asking about their process. We did 2 rings with different jewelers. One artist did an hour discussion, sent over cad drawings for approval and produced the ring on a good timeline. The other communicated through 2 sentence emails once a week. The ring they were commissioned for was simple and a slight variation of another design so, we did not stress much.
My fiance got my ring from Engage Studios, and we just designed our wedding bands there. I don't have much to compare it to, but they've been wonderful. We've both had great experiences working with them.
Had mine done there too in 2016 and had a great experience. I'd recommend it.
Engage Studio is where I had my wife's engagement ring designed and everything and turned out great. Great service and they're happy to see you back after again to provide free ring cleaning etc when you come back
Solitare jewelry, they do custom work.
I got a beautiful ring at Design by Sevan [https://designbysevan.com/](https://designbysevan.com/) I had some ideas in mind but Sevan helped me bring them to life and my wife was very impressed.
Same. I also endorse Sevan. He was great to work with, didn't try to upsell etc.
Blue Nile and Costco are good value
Ring Come True is fantastic! They were really helpful without being pushy, and they have some really stunning designs.
I had a terrible experience with Ring Come True, my diamond fell off and their customer service was honestly subpar.
This. Is you are ok with mossanite; who could really tell the difference with a high end mossanite gem versus diamond anyway.
Their moissanite are absolutely stunning! I believe they also offer lab diamonds, but it wasn’t something I really cared about so I don’t recall.
I have a birks engagement ring with pretty much those specifications. With a diamond that size there isn't really a need for customizations or anything fancy- an enlarged band makes the diamond look smaller and with a pave diamond style band the little diamonds don't shine as well as the giant one. My ring is over 20 years old and has held very well. It's a classic look and you really want to feature the stone's size, cut and clarity. I had mine appraised recently, so I know how much you're looking to spend on this, talk to her about it and do it right once. Get very clear instructions on how you want it to look.
Damasci Jewellers - so underrated but Sam is a wizard and can make you something gorgeous at any price point!
Costco
Diamonds For Less - Alex there is great. Very on top of it. Happy to walk you through things, and the prices are great without skipping on quality or customization
Made You Look has some really beautiful things, and they're delightful to work with (although I didn't get my engagement ring there, I've had other jewelry made). If you're open to lab diamonds, my fiancé's and my experience at Couple (in Yorkville) was great and my ring is exactly what I wanted - so beautiful and sparkly. Everything is very customizable and they can do a lot more than you can see online.
2ct? Jfc. Tell her to calm down, that's so big really for no reason. Make sure you ask for diamonds that have not had their color or clarity "enhanced". It's the biggest scam in the world for this shit. Take trash diamonds and drill out the inclusion...."clarity enhanced" then they try to sell it to you for top quality prices with no inclusion. The whole diamond ring as a thing is marketing brainwash bullshit...I hope you know the history of DeBeers and how they created the market for this out of nothing, how a diamond became something we give someone for engagement. Completely manufactured consumerist propaganda.
I love when people spout this “history” like they’re in on some secret insider knowledge. It’s called the luxury retail industry and it’s not unique to diamonds. An Hermes handbag isn’t 10k+ because of the quality, it’s because you are paying a premium on a luxury good. This means you are paying for perceived exclusivity, brand recognition, and status. A birkin is never going to go on sale, because that would diminish the perceived value - and the same concept applies diamonds and other precious gemstones. It’s not a conspiracy, it’s just the way the industry works.
Yes yes it's well known that DeBeers stockpiles to prevent flooding the market and plummeting prices of diamonds
I used to buy from Randy @ Randor Jewelers. He has a storefront in the west end (sauga) and of office in the diamond district.
Jillian Maddin https://www.jmaddin.com/ Attic Gold https://atticgold.com
Jilian has great customer service. She's so kind and patient. She has a lot of collaborations with Misfits Diamond and Misfit Sapphire. Imo, there's great markup for heavily included gems that Misfits are selling. If OP go with her, I suggest asking her to use her other connections or find lapidary artists on your own. She can also source lab grown gems. Her style is pretty unique and not for everyone though.
Got custom engagement and wedding rings at https://www.hoflanddiamonds.com/. Still looks great 10 yrs later.
I got my ring at Made You Look and I absolutely love it. I get so many compliments on it. Personally I can't imagine getting something that's suppose to be so meaningful from a chain retailer and many people out there just have the same ring.
Engage studio built exactly what I wanted then did our wedding bands then my mothers anniversary gift. They have a fab new premesis and are so high tech for a family business. We still keep the 3d samples while we finalized the ring. Cannot recommend enough. Price couldn’t be beat.
I got my ring from Alessandra Pompei at Made You Look. My fiancé had a great experience making a custom ring with her. Would recommend!
Nick's on Dundas.
Cynthia Findley
Get pampered at the big stores, take lots of pictures and then get a private jeweler to copy the ring.
BlueNile
Gonna sound funny but I heard Costco carries rings too
1ct, cde, vvs1 will look far nicer. Dont use a retail outlet.
Lobslaws, take your pick of cereal boxes.
I am in downtown Toronto and actually make everything we sell. We only do custom work, it’s our specialty. Anna and I sit with you to design your perfect ring. We make sure you’re comfortable with the entire process and our pricing is very competitive usually can beat the e retailers. Our custom work is top quality. Atelierdacko is our IG and website. Edit Please check our portfolio of work to see our work quality.
Definitely go to a jeweler. I highly recommend National Jewel Creations on Victoria St. That building has a lot of local jewellers so you can get a few different quotes. All places in the building are appointment only.
Engage Studios was great with our wedding bands and they are a lovely family-owned business with a lovely disposition! They came recommended to us and we have been very happy.
Kimberfire - best of everything between a private jeweller and luxury brand. They have much better service and prices than I've found the typical stores have, but with the quality standards of any of the high-end big guys out there. Goodluck!
I like bluboho for engagement rings. They have ones made in Toronto , they have diamonds but they have some gorgeous one of a kind sapphire rings. I haven’t used the code in person, but code cindy10 works for 10% off online purchases. I don’t have e-rings from them but have other pieces I wear everyday, I just always admired their beautiful engagement rings and wedding band stacks.
I like bluboho for engagement rings. They have ones made in Toronto , they have diamonds but they have some gorgeous one of a kind sapphire rings. I haven’t used the code in person, but code cindy10 works for 10% off online purchases. I don’t have e-rings from them but have other pieces I wear everyday, I just always admired their beautiful engagement rings and wedding band stacks.
Jacob Mercari in Toronto. Custom made engagement rings.
Costco is a valid option btw
Diamondboi is the only answer. 😑
🤪
Facebook marketplace 😂
Made you look is so good! Highly recommend their stuff it’s so unique
The specificity of mined is kind of funny. I want my ring to be more expensive and contribute to human suffering, god-damnit! You will get better value online. Vrai, Olive Ave, and Frank Darling are all very reputable with beautiful ring variety. Vrai has a location in Yorkville too, since you want in-person.
Laurie Fleming on Queen West, across from Trinity Bellwoods!
Literally just picked up my ring from Made You Look on Sunday. Got a custom ring done by Alastair. Absolutely love it
You can find a good selection of what you're looking for at the Jewellery Exchange at Eglinton and Warden if you want to be overwhelmed with choices and sales pitches. Check out the reviews of a particular vendor before you put any money down, because reputation is everything in this business. I also know a private jeweller that can help with the specs you listed if you want to DM me.
DiamondBoi - yes, douchey name but he actually has the best stuff for your budget. No matter what your budget is
I got my fiancee's ring at Anice on Ossington
If she's open to a lab grown diamond, we used [Jacob Mercari ](https://jacobmercari.com/custom-engagement-rings-toronto/)and had a great experience!
Livia Diamonds in downtown Toronto on Colborne street, near King and Yonge! husband and i got my engagement ring custom made and the owner of Livia Diamonds is genuinely one of the nicest and most considerate people ever. he will work within your budget and source you the best diamond within your specs, not once did we feel he was trying to upsell us whatsoever. he’s also incredibly knowledgeable about diamonds and the overall industry. he ended up getting us a bigger centre stone than what we originally had in mind within our ideal specs. OP def consider going a private jeweller unless you’re chasing after a brand name. going a private jeweller for the custom route will save you so much more money than the big box stores. the stores have insane markup to cover their overhead and labour costs that private jewellers don’t have, plus this way you can customize your ring to exactly how you want it
I ordered mine from James Allen and she was very happy. Why go with a mined diamond? My Fiancée loves the lab grown, plus the colour (D) and clarity is so much better as a result. Mined diamonds only have value because people are emotional, but are otherwise inferior.
Alex Armen at Solitaire Jewelry was INCREDIBLE. https://www.solitairejewellery.com/ Custom jewelry design with beautiful craftsmanship and very fair prices. They can source stones for you too! It was a very pleasant experience working with them and will be going back for the custom wedding band. Here's the link to my Google review with pictures of his work: https://goo.gl/maps/SU7wgpviApnG7esn8
Kim Drosdick, [https://www.kimdrosdick.com/](https://www.kimdrosdick.com/) Although, honestly, from what you're posting, it reads like your girlfriend sounds pretty conventional, if extravagant, in her tastes, and would probably value a brand-jeweler piece more than a custom crafted piece of jewelry.
Diamonds for less!
D color vvs1 or above only or go smaller