Korean Job Discussion Forums

[SeoulnPepe]

Where in Seoul can you find decent, quality engagement rings?

Cheers,
Seoulnpepe

[normalcyispasse]

It depends on what you want. When I proposed to my then-girlfriend (wife now) I could not find what I wanted ANYWHERE -- and I looked long and hard. I ended up buying the ring online (mondera.com) and shipping it.

[MikeJ123]

Most of my friends did it this way. Buy the stone and the ring seperately. They told me they saved pretty decent amount buying them seperately. There was a post while back asking the same question. why don't you do a search

[gsxr750r]

There is a HUGE import fee on diamonds, if you ship them using FEDEX, etc.

Be careful.

[sistersarah]

the jewelry district in jongno. but you gotta shop around. some vendors have super cheap (quality wise) stuff, like the couple rings. we got our wedding rings in jongno after talking to a lot of vendors. we finally found a guy who didn't want to push stuff on us and was willing to listen to what we wanted. we ended up ordering a style from a catologue he had, with a choice of stone and metal. one great thing about korea is that you can have pretty much anything you want custom made for very little money. i've had several pieces custom made since.

[SeoulnPepe]

Thanks for the replies, so far.

Four questions for you guys: are ring sizes universal? In other words, is a size 7 here the same size 7 back in North America?

Second question: is the Jongno shopping area that place near Samsung/Jongno tower?

Third question: if I order from abroad, how much am I looking at in taxes? Price range is in the $1000-1200US.

Fourth question: What about the jewelry stores in the department stores? Anyone try one of those?

[SeoulShakin]

It depends what system they use to size rings. To my knowledge there are two systems; one used in North America, and one used in Europe. I'm not sure which one Korea uses. If it's a 7, and they use that system here, then she'll still be a 7, as they are measured in the same way. But the European system (I believe) uses a different number system... so a 7 would equate to some other number. Does that make sense? People with more knowledge can feel free to correct me.

[ttompatz]

[kat2]

http://www.onlineconversion.com/ring_size.htm

Looks like a US 7 is a Japanese 14. I would bet that Koreans use the Japanese system, but i'm not sure about that.

[Litlbul]

Korea uses the mm system. For example, my ring size in the states is about 13-14, but in Korea it's about 23. My wife was a size 11, but in the states she's about 6-7. Also, different settings will fit differently so keep that in mind too.

If you want to shop around, then the best place to go is the Jongno Diamond district. Remember that the prices are pretty comparable with all the shops, but they all have different settings. You have a choice of three different types or quality of diamonds and the prices are a lot different as well. If you don't know about diamonds, then do some research before heading out there. Familarize yourself with the 4 C's.

Jewelry stores in department stores are A LOT more expensive, but you won't get ripped off there. But if you find a good jeweler in Jogno, then you will be fine. Also, your local jewelry store is good too. Local jewelry stores are less likely to rip you off than Jongno, since they deal with people that live in the area.

[gsxr750r]

I can't remember the exact figures they quoted me for tax, but FEDEX told me over the phone when I couldn't figure out their online calculator. It ended up being over 40% in tax, and I decided I'd just bring one with me if I bought back home.

[lotuseater]

My Girlfriend who is living in Korea is a jewellery designer. She is very professional and works for a design house in the UK. She has been doing some wedding jewellery lately, mostly custom jobs. If you are interested in a custom ring, please contact her at her email. It can be found on her web site.
www.sirilaksamanasak.com
You can talk to her about what you want and about how much you are are looking to pay and I am sure she can help you find something.
Cheers.

[gsxr750r]

[ella]

Is it safe to send rings via FedEx?

[archer904]