Engagement Ring in Antwerp - Cash or Credit Card?

Sausie

Hi All,

I am planning on going to Antwerp with my other half to buy and engagement ring and I was wondering if anyone has bought a ring in Antwerp since they introduced their new anti-money laundering/cash laws in 2014.

I can see plenty of threads saying that it's worth bringing cash as they knock the 21% off the price, but these are all before 2014. Has anyone been over recently and had any trouble buying with cash?

Any help or advice would be much appreciated!

drunkmonkey

I wouldn't get caught up on it just have some of your budget as cash and be able go access the rest from a bank if needs be.
I'd be very careful where you buy, you could easily get diddled and for god sake never let the stone out of your sight when you decide on it, insist to follow it everywhere even when there crafting the ring.
My recommendation is Hearts & Arrows https://www.tripadvisor.ie/Attraction_Review-g188636-d3188556-Reviews-Hearts_And_Arrows_Jewellery-Antwerp_Antwerp_Province.html we've used them and plenty of friends. All our rings were inspected and valued for insurance when we got home.
It's not as big and shiny as the rest of the shops but they guys there are 100%

Sausie

Hi drunkmonkey,

Many thanks for the reply and the advice.

Yeah I've heard to stay away from the shops beside the central train station!

I have 4 jewellers that I've researched and plan to contact and hearts and arrows is one of them, based on their TripAdvisor reviews.

Do you mind me asking did you pay using cash and when did you buy your ring? Was it recently?

kuro2k

I purchased from Philippe Harold last May, highly recommended
Send me a pm if you have any question

Sausie

Thanks Kuro2k, pm sent!

drunkmonkey

Sausie it was 6 years ago and we paid cash, we have good Irish friends in Antwerp so they gave us the run of the place.

Sausie

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Sausie it was 6 years ago and we paid cash, we have good Irish friends in Antwerp so they gave us the run of the place.

Thanks for your help drunkmonkey.

Marklark

I done this trip last year and would advise bringing cash

Sausie

Marklark wrote: »

I done this trip last year and would advise bringing cash

Thanks Marklark, that's exactly what I want to hear!

Gavlor

This guy http://www.jkatz.be/
is located in the diamond bank sector, can't recommend him highly enough. We also met with a couple of other dealers including Phillipe Harold, also very professional but we got a better quality diamond (the ring is secondary) from Josef Katz.

Rule 1: keep away from the glitzy train station stores.

Rule 2: see rule 1

hada

Gavlor wrote: »

This guy http://www.jkatz.be/
is located in the diamond bank sector, can't recommend him highly enough. We also met with a couple of other dealers including Phillipe Harold, also very professional but we got a better quality diamond (the ring is secondary) from Josef Katz.

Rule 1: keep away from the glitzy train station stores.

Rule 2: see rule 1

Couldn't recommend Joe Katz more! Got ours from Joe - found him so helpful, willing to design the setting (which was very important for us). In terms of value, we had it valued after we arrived home, and it came out at more than twice what we paid.

We went with the ADJA members only by the way: http://www.adja.be/members.htm members

Sausie

hada wrote: »

Couldn't recommend Joe Katz more! Got ours from Joe - found him so helpful, willing to design the setting (which was very important for us). In terms of value, we had it valued after we arrived home, and it came out at more than twice what we paid.

We went with the ADJA members only by the way: http://www.adja.be/members.htm members

Many thanks for your replies Gavlor and Hada... I have heard good things about Joe Katz and Phillippe Harold. Also to stay well away from the jewellery shops across from the train station.

How long ago did you have your ring made? If it was in the last few years did you have any trouble with paying with cash?

Gavlor

Sausie wrote: »

Many thanks for your replies Gavlor and Hada... I have heard good things about Joe Katz and Phillippe Harold. Also to stay well away from the jewellery shops across from the train station.

How long ago did you have your ring made? If it was in the last few years did you have any trouble with paying with cash?

2014 and like everywhere else, cash is king.

liam7831

Just get both people to bring the cash, half each would be grand it's not like it's gonna be 20k or anything. We done it in 2012 Antwerp too

Sausie

liam7831 wrote: »

Just get both people to bring the cash, half each would be grand it's not like it's gonna be 20k or anything. We done it in 2012 Antwerp too

Thanks Liam, the other half won't know until she's over there. I've no problem bringing over cash, was just trying to find out if it's still accepted over there since the introduction of the new laws in 2014, which it seems like it is so I should be fine.

kevinr7213

Sausie wrote: »

Thanks Liam, the other half won't know until she's over there. I've no problem bringing over cash, was just trying to find out if it's still accepted over there since the introduction of the new laws in 2014, which it seems like it is so I should be fine.

HI Sausie, do you mind if I ask how you got on with your trip to Antwerp? I recently got engaged and I am planing our trip for August. Was also wondering about the cash situation. Thanks.

Sausie

kevinr7213 wrote: »

HI Sausie, do you mind if I ask how you got on with your trip to Antwerp? I recently got engaged and I am planing our trip for August. Was also wondering about the cash situation. Thanks.

Hi Kevin,

We got on very well. It's a lovely city, didn't have any problems finding the diamond district and I paid cash. No problems.

If you want any more info on the paying cash or any recommendations of Jewellers or Antwerp in general send me a pm.

kevinr7213

Sausie wrote: »

Hi Kevin,

We got on very well. It's a lovely city, didn't have any problems finding the diamond district and I paid cash. No problems.

If you want any more info on the paying cash or any recommendations of Jewellers or Antwerp in general send me a pm.

Thank you very much for your reply appreciate it. I might pm you a couple of questions, (short one's). Thanks again.

badboyblast

drunkmonkey wrote: »

I wouldn't get caught up on it just have some of your budget as cash and be able go access the rest from a bank if needs be.
I'd be very careful where you buy, you could easily get diddled and for god sake never let the stone out of your sight when you decide on it, insist to follow it everywhere even when there crafting the ring.
My recommendation is Hearts & Arrows https://www.tripadvisor.ie/Attraction_Review-g188636-d3188556-Reviews-Hearts_And_Arrows_Jewellery-Antwerp_Antwerp_Province.html we've used them and plenty of friends. All our rings were inspected and valued for insurance when we got home.
It's not as big and shiny as the rest of the shops but they guys there are 100%

Letting the stone out of your sight !?????

How in god's name are you ever meant to get a ring cleaned and how would you get the ring made in Antwerp if that was the case , never heard such crazy comments , most places in Antwerp will have to carry out work on sitting the diamond on the band you choose.

You have to trust accredited jewellers over there if they are part of adja