P.S. Forgot to write - I'd like to find smth under 1k CHF if this is even possible :-D

You can see a good collection of rings of all prices on popular Swiss advertising and petites announces sites like: alibis, petitesannounces, WRS, Ricardo.    My tip is to look for second hand rings as you will get more for your money, and then have it polished up to look new.  

For example, if you check this link below you will find hundreds of new and used rings.   There are several second hand used pure gold and genuine diamond rings well below 1000 francs.   Just be very careful to check the ring size.  It is not possible to alter the size if the ring has a pattern on it, or if it is surrounded ( encrusted) with many small diamonds.

Ricardo link: http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A//www.ricardo.ch/search/index/%3FCategoryNr%3D42314%26SearchSentence%3DRinge%26UseDescription%3DTrue%26IsNavbarSearch%3DTrue

Two photos here of rings on sale at Ricardo.ch.  One is plated with a fake stone and new at 18 francs, the other is second hand and is genuine gold and diamonds priced at 650 francs.  The description is 

GIORGIO VISCONTI RED RING WHITE GOLD DIAMONDS

DIAMONDS 0.70 CT. CAD HIGH QUALITY

MARKED 750

WEIGHT 3.7 GR.

MEASURE 17/57

good luck in your hunt!

Best is if you can go to Hatton Garden in London and deal direct with a wholesaler.

This way you wont have to pay the exorbitant sales tax, but you would have to have the stone set. However, the dealers know where to have this done so that it is not too expensive. Good luck!

Hello George

Yes I think it should be possible. I mean 1000 CHF is not really A LOT for an engagement diamond ring, for this price you can only have a ring with an average quality stone. But is this soooo important? Does the ring have to have a Top Wesselton diamond? Here in Zurich we have "Goldhaus" at the Bahnhofstrasse, they don't look like Bulgari, Cartier, or Tiffanys & Co. from the outside, but they have MUCH better prices than all the branded stuff   And many times they had nice things in their show window which made me nearly buy something, that I don't need – but it looked so adorable  

Maybe you can combine a Zurich visit with a little side trip to Goldhaus, its very very close to the train station. Possible that it also exist in Geneva, err … no I don't work there =)

hi George,

I agree with Sheila C, go to London at Hatton Garden.
They have all kinds of price range there and you will be able to get your item even for installment but of course you will not get the ring yet until you are fully paid.

Good luck and Congratulations.

Ok..... Will probably get a tone of haters emailing me after my comments. But..... I can't help myself so here goes: I think 1k is simply not enough. I'm think AT LEAST 5k??? And please, by no means give her a fake diamond AND NO.....I'm not a materialistic so-and-so....but I just think asking someone to be your wife is such as beautiful memorable special occasion that you want to push the envelope a bit? So.....I'm thinking.....why don't you propose to her with let's say a fake ring from a

Cracker Jack box with a promise to take her shopping for the real ring? This way, for sure she will get what she wants? If she wants the 500 franc ring - then good for her - and you! 

Ok ok all you haters, I, blocking all of you :-)

Well, Maddy V,

It's actually true, she deserves the best! But that way the proposal will get postponed until I manage to save that much money :-D I hope I will manage though!

Hopefully Maddy V, the majority of the peopole on THIS forum are able to take the rough comments with the smooth and not victimise you because your views may not be those of the majority.

However, we lived in Antwerp [Belgium] for 15 years where my husband was employed in the diamond industry. Unless a diamond is really exceptional, 5000 is way too much to pay because the taxes and mark-up on jewellery in general, and diamonds in particular. is nothing short of horrendous. N.B. the saying within the above industry that "diamonds are based on man's greed and women's vanity".

Ergo, my answer to go to Hatton Garden [we can give the OP the name and address of a very reputable dealer from whom our son bought our daughter-in-law's engagement ring] where one can obtain an exquisite stone for a fraction of the price of a retail outlet.

No no no....don't postpone. If she is really the right woman for you, she will understand. Try her with a 'temporary' ring as I said...then buy her a real ring when you can. Awwww...sweet love. What else does one need?

Would agree as that's what I did. Also you can detax it when it's sent to you! (and who says romance is dead!)  

Try this place in Hatton Garden. Hopefully you'll find something in your price range although to be honest SFr 1,000 might be cutting it close to the mark.

http://www.77diamonds.com

All the best.

Before working in the industry, long long ago, we drove from CH into Italy and bought a ring in Domodossola [for me] as this was so much less expensive than a ring in Swizzle. We put the money we saved into buying a house - money much better spent we thought

So sorry... Domodowhaaat?.. Am quite illegeimeterate. must be the drugs. Else,  my mum dropped me on me head. Sorry bout that. 

For Maddy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domodossola

I hate setrotypes but you seem to be comforming

Funny. So are you. Ciao.

I know a Diamond trader here in Geneva- he speaks English, and would be able to guide you.

For CHF 1000 he can probably find you a diamond, which you then can have set in a ring specially for your g/f.

PM me for details.

cheers 

Ch.

George,

This is stating the obvious but I really hope your girlfriend is not on Glocals or you've kind of gone and spoilt the surprise! 

Best wishes,

Armorel

Please dont get her a second hand ring from Ricardo or whoever. Get her something new then it will belong to her. Try Christ, its a good shop.

jep Christ can be found here

Bader

My boyfriend (..... now fiancée!!) proposed at the weekend with a ring from 77diamonds as Rich suggested.   He said they were fantastic and gave really good advice (he did go in person though).  They have diamonds/rings for every budget and you can choose every aspect - cut, clarity etc which all impacts the cost.  They are one of the big European diamond houses and he found them at least half the price of any high street store.   You also get 30 day money back guarantee so if it doesn't fit or your girlfriend doesn't like it you can return it!!! 

Take it it from someone who waited 8 years for the proposal - there is no better time than now!! I'm sure she will love and appreciate whatever ring you buy for her as the size of the rock doesnt change the most important fact - that it's a symbol of your love for her.

Good luck!!!!

Congratulation and all the best, I suggest you that you don’t need to go anywhere. Do Shopping online with the trustworthy Jewelers. Mostly I purchase diamond ring from the Djewels. Truly saying- “I got satisfied outcomes along with certified and hallmarked diamond jewelry and now I like to shop only with Djewels- http://www.djewels.org/

good luck with it!!

not to forget the misery that comes with the whole worldwide diamond trade.. e.g. remember the movie Blood Diamond... Maybe it is time to change our attitude towards diamonds and forget this diamond-BS... but that is just my humble opinion...

I agree! As if love has anything to do with how much money you spend on a ring or how fancy a ring you get put on your finger, then truly we are lost... Opps, I forgot this is Switzerland. ;-0 Ladies, tell us why a diamond really makes you feel loved...  And don't ressort to using the cliche phase either!

PS: My friend just tells me there are rings done with meteorites! Now that sounds cool! 

Hi George - congrats on taking the plunge, I hope it goes really well!

Just wanted to adda couple of comments.

1. If you are going for a diamond, please look for conflict-free (ie, non "blood") diamonds, accompanied by a "Kimberley Process" certificate that says they haven't funded a bloody conflict. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_diamond http://www.kimberleyprocess.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimberley_Process_Certification_Scheme 

Some people also prefer a diamond originating from, for example, Canada or Australia to ensure that it has not funded conflicts.

2. In my opinion, a diamond is not a necessary precondition for a happy marriage; nor is the amount you pay for any piece of jewellery, such as an expensive diamond ring, a direct reflection of your esteem for your loved one. I myself would hate to think that paying a huge amount for an engagement ring would prevent you as a couple from achieving other more practical goals such as a house deposit or even getting engaged in the first place, to echo Julie S! 

Remember that there are a number of super sparkly and really cool alternatives, such as moissanite, morganite, or a different jewel. Non-diamond gemstones are a lot less expensive than a diamond. It is perfectly traditional for an engagement ring to have a non-diamond main stone, with or without additional (sometimes diamond) accent stones. The reason that diamonds became assumed to be the main or correct choice for an engagement ring are mainly due to a successful marketing campaign by De Beers and some other houses dating from around the 1930s. The "A diamond is forever" slogan invented for De Beers by advertising agency NW Ayer & Son was a key tactic: "Young men, who purchased 90% of engagement rings, would be bombarded with the
idea that diamonds were the gift of love. The first campaign aimed at men was
launched in 1939 ... Women, too, would be
targeted with the idea that no courtship would be complete without a sparkling
diamond. Famous houses of worship were featured in follow up advertisements,
establishing a link between diamonds and the sacred tradition of a religious
wedding." (See http://www.gemnation.com/base?processor=getPage&pageName=forever_diamonds_1) I went to an industry talk in 2012 by a De Beers marketing director who was very open about this. Many modern trend-settters have a traditional non-diamond main stone. For example, Liz Hurley and Kate Middleton/Princess Diana's engagement rings are sapphires, Hallie Berry has an emerald, Jessica Simpson has a ruby and from memory one of Sienna Miller's (many and various) rings was a citrine.

Bottom line there is, don't feel you should buy into the diamond marketing or be manipulated into thinking that only a diamond will do, or that somehow she will feel less valued if she does not get a diamond or a smaller (less expensive) diamond.

As a last note, a practical reason to choose a diamond (and a sturdy type of metal for the setting, and a good solid type of setting) may be that an engagement ring (as for a wedding band/ring) is meant to last a long time. Some other precious stones may not be able to withstand the wear and tear of being worn every day over many years. You would need to check if you are getting a stone that will or won't stand up to the happy years of your future together! If she is outdoorsy and plans on wearing her ring to go windsurfing on Lac Leman, for example, be mindful of that (and get a more recessed setting for example).

3. Having said all that, diamonds are pretty. So here are some options if you do decide to go for a diamond.

(i) Synthetic. According to the same De Beers rep at the talk I went to, all the natural diamonds in the world could fit inside a double-decker bus. Not only that, but the extraction of natural diamonds seems to be slowing down as mines are exhausted and fewer natural diamond fields are being discovered. It seems that diamond companies are going to probably move further into the manufactured or synthetic diamonds market.

So if you wanted a diamond, you could think about a manufactured, rather than a natural, diamond (they have exactly the same structure and properties, and are usually more "perfect" than a natural diamond). But, again according to the De Beers rep, people prefer natural diamonds for the connotation of purity/naturalness and their scarcity.

(ii). Having it made or sourcing outside Switzerland. I would tend to agree with the other posters that anywhere outside of Switzerland may be better to get said diamond. A good friend went around Geneva looking at the designs in the big expensive jewellery stores like Tiffany's and Cartier, and once she knew the kind of design she liked, she and her future intended went together to Brussels to have someone make it specially for them. They ended up with a beautiful ring of excellent quality but for much less than they would have paid here from a shop. However, that might take a little while so might not be so interesting to you if you don't want to wait!

Next, I would say that there are a number of less expensive rings, including diamond engagement rings, with cool designs, available online, for example through the "Etsy" portal that allows small-scale jewellers to market themselves directly. For example, https://www.etsy.com/browse/jewelry/rings/handmade-engagement?h=fcb6a3c1&lid=176288428&ref=cat_subcat_title_1 Many of these people will be able to custom-make you a nice ring. 

Also, there are those cool meteorite rings available too! https://www.etsy.com/shop/jewelrybyjohan 

The last thing that I would add is that it can be difficult to tell whether a stone is a diamond, and particularly difficult to tell the difference between a natural and a synthetic diamond: http://www.wikihow.com/Tell-if-a-Diamond-is-Real. (And this makes me wonder - if it is that hard to tell it is a diamond or even a natural diamond, what is the point in buying the difference?)

And now you guys know as much about this topic as I do... I'm surprised I even knew that much!

Best of luck!

Hi George,

hope you've found your engagment ring by now, but WWW.BAUNAT.COM has a showroom in Geneva. Prices are worldwide the same, you only have to pay the Swiss VAT at 8% on top. Delivery in average in 7 or 8 working days ... reviews on www.trustpilot.com/review/www.baunat.com !

A bit late but hope this info finds you well, perhaps for a nice present to your fiancé!