Gemstone Rings on a Budget

Anyone know of any places (online or off) to get nice white gold gemstone rings that don't cost a lot of money?  I'm looking for UK-based retailers/jewellers specifically.

I'm definitely not interested in diamonds, btw.

Any help appreciated!

Me too!!  I know what I want, I think, we just can't find it anywhere.

How budget do you mean? Bargain designer or bargain basement? We had our rings made by a jeweller in Hatton Garden called Alick Fine Jewels. He wasn't a rip off but he wasn't cheap either.  If you're talking rock bottom, I think Argos has some white gold jewellery but I'm not sure about gemstone rings. You can also find rings at good prices online, if you do some google searching you should find something. Good luck!

well, not rock bottom, but probably not custom-designed either.

Anywhere up to about £200 (ideally something between say £80-150.)

Basically, something my boyfriend can afford on a student budget

Have you looked around for independent jewellery shops where you live? I know in a town near me there's a cool little place that does all relatively inexpensive gemstone stuff, though mostly silver rather than white gold. Everything I've bought is within your price range. I wouldn't know where to look online or for a chain store, though.

My DH & I got our brand new matching wedding bands 5 small inset diamond's 14kt gold off Ebay. I think we paid around £200 pounds if im not mistaken. so for 1 ring maybe you can get a good deal off Ebay. my Dh & I are always getting complaiments on how nice our matching rings are. the people we bought our rings off of had 100% rating. that was the 1 thing I asked of my Dh he said that was fine. since we couldnt find any matching wedding bands that I liked at any of the jewlery stores we looked at in England. now the engagement ring is a whole different ball game though.      

Basically, something my boyfriend can afford on a student budget

    HE should be researching this, not you! 

   HE should be researching this, not you! 

LOL...I'm just more interested in the topic and I love research so this doesn't bother me- I'm just collecting info for when we're ready to buy (he's getting a ring, too, although not a gemstone one.)

Andrea - are you based in London?
There is a really great jewelry store near Moorgate Tube station called Wintons.  It has a really  nice range of jewelry from sterling silver earrings to semi-precious to diamond engagement rings.  The prices are very reasonable for some of the less expensive gemstones, Topaz, Amethyst, Garnet etc.

The address is:
69, Moorgate, London, EC2R 6BH
Tel: 020 7588 6004   

and here is the street map link.
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=532575&y=181852&z=0&sv=ec2&st=2&pc=ec2&ar=N&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf&sq=3

Thanks Karin!  I'm not in London, although I'll be making a trip down there in a couple of months, so I'll check it out

http://www.hkjewellery.co.uk/

sounds like we may have similiar taste... i have a "rings" docunment... anytime i find something i like i add it to the list.  my boyfriend does better with pictures rather than descriptions. too bad i can't upload a word doc.

http://www.hkjewellery.co.uk/

sounds like we may have similiar taste... i have a "rings" docunment... anytime i find something i like i add it to the list.  my boyfriend does better with pictures rather than descriptions. too bad i can't upload a word doc.

My bf and I went there to get my ring designed.  They were very nice and my ring should be cool, when it is ready. 

It was way way more then I had ever planned on spending, but he said that this is the one piece of jewelry I get to pick.  I almost had a heart attack, but they totally worked with in his budget. 

This may be a little bit late in responding, but the Gem and Rock shop in York is where my engagement ring came from.  Cost the grand total of £21!

http://www.citikey.com/business/10055014

They have various gemstones in there.  Mine was a square peridot in a silver zigzag, and although it is no longer on my engagement finger (it doesn't sit well with the wedding ring!) It still looks cool!

There's at least one designer in the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham who can design you a silver gemstone ring for about £75, but I've forgotten the name of the place (read about it in the newspaper a few months ago.  So, you didn't say silver, but the Jewellery Quarter may be another place you'll want to look.

My fianceé paid a little more than you're looking at, but mine's a diamond, but...still reasonably priced, and we had a good time shopping for it together...

Just as an update to this thread....we ended up finding an absolutely gorgeous ring that fit the under £200 budget criteria at http://www.brooksandbentley.com.  It's a white gold/blue topaz/diamond ring, and I couldn't be happier!

I got him a ring too...which came straight off of eBay