Rings

Engagement Rings

Forget name-brand department stores – the vast majority of Israelis, when it comes time to buy an engagement ring, will head to their local jewelry district or wholesale jeweler. This is assuming that they don’t have an uncle who works in the industry – as with many things in Israel, people turn to their personal connections for better deals.

One of the largest diamond trading centers in the world, the Bursa, is located in Ramat Gan, just across the border from Tel Aviv and easily accessible by train or bus. This district contains hundreds of jewelry stores that sell engagement rings and loose stones for custom designs. The Bursa area should serve as your go-to destination for buying engagement and wedding rings in Israel.

This is an arena where I highly advise you to get help from an Israeli friend, as there are no real set prices and bargaining is the name of the game.

In the Bursa district, there should be options available for every price range. For the budget conscious, you can find a simple gold ring with a small diamond starting from 1500 – 2000 shekels depending on global gold and diamond prices and exchange rates. Prices only go up from there, and depending on the quality and size of the diamond, the sky is truly the limit.

Wedding Bands

You may be surprised to learn that historically, rings were not a part of the Jewish marriage ceremony. Exchanging rings has become an integral part of a Jewish wedding, but it’s a custom that’s been absorbed from other cultures.

There are very specific requirements for the wedding bands that should be exchanged during the traditional Jewish ceremony. The wedding bands must be plain, without any gemstones or adornments, and preferably gold (though silver is also acceptable.)

Two plain gold wedding bands should cost about 1000 shekels or 500 shekels each. Silver rings should cost slightly less.