Engagement Rings

[warpig1]

Sorry, couldn't find an appropriate section under shopping. What are men expected to pay for engagement rings, I remember something about 3 weeks salary or 3 months salary, can anyone confirm this? Obvoiusly I realise its not about cost but about commitment and love.

[BagPussAA]

Surely the cost does not matter.. the important thing is that he gives it to you and wantes to be with you forever. My engagement ring cost my husband �1.50 and I would not be without it.. I am allergic to metals so couldnt have a gold/silver or even platinum one. The one I have is made out of Hematite and it is gorgeous and very unusual..

[warpig1]

Jake-the -peg, thank you so much of that second article on De Beers. I knew there was something dodgy about the market but didn't realise just how much they minipulated the consumers. Am only three quarters of the way through but I can see what is clearly being said. Think I will have to rethink which gem, if any, I consider!

Thanks again, excellent information.

warpig1

[jake-the-peg]

A slight disclaimer - you'll notice the artical is from a long time ago - De Beers have threatened and bullied their way through their history and guess where Nazi Germany got industrial diamonds from to keep their war machine going.

In fact they were so bad that US anti-trust legislaton meant that they could not operate in the US and all of New Yorks diamond merchants used to have to fly over monthly to London to see what stock they'd been allocated - and heaven help them if they complained about what they got.

Then 2 years ago they made peace with the US government, paid a $10 million fine and were allowed to operate there again.

At the moment the big threat to them is artificially made diamonds so good you need special equipment to distinguish them. People like this:

http://www.diamondnexuslabs.com/?utm_id=11&gcl id=CM_3nNqZmYgCFTZREgod03lSXA

They are real diamonds just made in a lab - De Beers' response has been 2 pronged - on one hand to sneer at them with a kind of "would you honestly give your fiance a "fake" diamond kind of message whilst on the other hand setting their larger stones with trademarks and serial numbers so that they can always distinguish them.

Whether they continue to play above board or revert to type we'll see.

Incidently a 2 carat man made diamond ring from Nexus is $431as opposed to $9,000

It might be a really interesting alternative

[warpig1]

Thanks Jake, had a look at the Nexus website and some of the rings are beautiful. From what I have read so far about De Beers I am pretty positive I dont want a diamond (well from them anyway!). It just doesn't seem right and what a con. Sadly they have got away with it as the public are as gullible as De Beers and Ayers thought they were, especially the bit about the eternity rings being created to use up the small Soviet diamonds, unbelievable. It just makes me think ' what other ways have the public been conned' maybe its better if I don't know!!!

Would it be inappropriate for me to ask for a car instead, ha, ha????? Think I know his answer to that one would be.

Many thanks
warpig1

[AndrewPurnell]

Hi there,

I realize this post is a bit old, but for anyone else reading this, I think a person should spend what they can afford. Getting married isn’t about the ring and the expensive stuff anyway, it’s about love and lot more than that (it should be). When my husband and I got married, I couldn’t afford a lot in general due to the major transition in my life. I spent less than $100.00 on his ring and would like to get him a more expensive one at some point, but his ring is pure silver and is exactly what he wanted. It all worked out and we’re so in love with each other, and not with our rings. Although, he did get me a more expensive ring that is just beautiful and simple (exactly what I wanted), I’m happy with how everything turned out.

Just a thought really. I wouldn’t worry about what others say you should spend on a ring. You can find the perfect one for the price you can afford. Found mine here: http://www.engagediamonds.com/