I can also vouch for Vi’s
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I can’t recommend Knox Jewelers enough. I worked with Brent in Minneapolis.
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If you have an idea what you want, I would suggest taking a look online at loose diamonds from a place like Blue Nile or James Allen. You can get pretty great value there compared to buying the diamond and setting together from a brick and mortar shop. I did that and then had it set at a small local jeweler because I knew that was the setting my now wife had not so subtly shown me. Check with the store though to make sure they will let you bring in your own diamond, some places wont. One drawback is you will have to get more comprehensive insurance as, depending on the setting, the stores usually will not replace the smaller diamonds or fix any issues going forward if anything shifts or bends.
Those two online places have all their diamonds GIA rated (and provide the GIA report), which has a laser engraving on the diamond so you know its legit, and you are getting the correct diamond. They also have a solid return policy window so you have time to get it independently appraised and evaluated for peace of mind.
Just some food for thought, congrats on the upcoming engagement!
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I don’t have any recommendations as I didn’t get mine in Minneapolis, however, congrats on the upcoming engagement! It’s so much fun, just got engaged this week and it’s been one of the best weeks of my life. Hope it is for you as well! Now I’m off to golf 5 days in a row.
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I wish I could convince EVERYONE not to buy diamonds. Once they’re bought, no one gives a shit, and it’s a house down payment.
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Lab grown was the way to go for a broke ass college kid. Look exactly the same as the regular ones and she loved being ethical about it.
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Congrats on the engagement!
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This. Buy her a nice watch - much better chance that actually increases in value.
(This said from a guy who bought his wife a diamond ring like every other dude…then bought her the watch 7 years later)
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I just bought her an iWatch for her Residency graduation and if I don’t get her a diamond, doubt she’d be happy but really appreciate everyone’s input! Hoping to go up to the twin cities next weekend to start looking at rings (and get out and play at least once too while I’m out there).
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Congrats on the upcoming engagement! I just popped the question a little over a month ago.
I went with James Allen. Their site is super easy to use and you can find something that fits your budget. It’s pretty cool to look at all the different stones in super high quality from all angles. I will say, don’t get super hung up on the “SI1-SI2-VSI1…” When you zoom in like that, sure you can see some stuff, but to a naked eye, it’s almost indistinguishable. Also, a tip I got from a family jeweler friend was to make sure there’s no fluorescence. I think you adjust that in the advanced settings thing. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions or anything!
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This, and when you have that down payment ready please give me a call and I’ll walk you through buying a house (and you’ll help me continue to afford this golfing habit).
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I can’t comment on MN sellers but I will just add to that to make sure the imperfections aren’t on the center of the stone, if that is something that will matter to her. A good jeweler will be able to hide ones on the side with the prongs or whatever is holding it in place. There were definitely some stones we looked at (in person) that, while not super noticeable initially, when the jeweler showed it to us we were unable to not see it every time we looked at it.
We ended up with a lab diamond so I was able to get her something nicer than I would have been comfortable paying for a natural stone of similar size, quality, etc. (that and the first stimulus check hitting my account the week after I paid for it softened the blow a little). Plus, our wedding rings were 65% off when we went back so that made me feel better about it too.
All this ring talk is giving me flashbacks to the years working in the (now closed) family jewelry store. To echo @GRWhitehead, rings kind of suck. But if you’re going to get one, realize that most people can’t see with the naked eye (especially when being worn on a hand) the different grades and certainly if you need a microscope to see an imperfection, you can probably still use the stone in a creative mounting. GIA certification is a small scale racket. And it’s ok to have some ground rules for wearing an engagement ring. If you feel like your Belle is going to shower, wash hands, use the bathroom, cook, garden, or dress a deer wearing a diamond ring, maybe save a few bucks and buy down a few grades.
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I’m not really bashing rings per se, but the diamond market is manufactured. Nothing in there deserves that value. At least a 10,000 watch has all that tech and mechanics to it. If you really want diamonds, there’s nothing I can do, but like wedding photos, diamonds are a scam and waste of money.
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My dad would always tell the story of the DeBeers meeting where an executive held a bottle of Evian and said “if they can brand water, we can brand diamonds.”
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Unfortunately…that’s a William Murray shirt.
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Seriously!! That totally looks like the NLU logo 
Does anyone know of a good local golf shop/store in the Twin Cities area? Seems like there are only super commercial stores like Dicks and Golf Galaxy in town.
When I was in Ames, Iowa for a while, there was this small local shop that sold higher quality stuff and even though it was a little pricer, the environment, staff and goods were worth the extra price. Is there even a place like that in the cities?
(Note: I am not looking for new sticks… looking at apparel, head covers, soft goods, etc.)
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2nd Swing, PGA Tour Superstore
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