HELP! Engagement ring issue!

[Mickey D]

When it's time for a child, are you going for artificial insemination?

 

[Smitty500Mag]

Might as well buy two rings now before the prices get any higher. One for this wedding and one for the girl you'll eventually marry later on and spend the rest of your life with. First marriages are just starters. You'll want to upgrade in a few years.

Smitty

 

[ken158]

You can get a high quality used diamond for a song and have it put in a new ring. Afterall, all diamonds are use... used to belong to some sea urchin.

 

[USAF385]

I managed to bring up the topic again, and again she was talking about how she'd rather a man made than a real one. She even brought up a story of a teacher she had who's husband MADE her engagement ring.. and after 10 years the teacher still wore the home made ring.

I failed to mention this in my original post:

By man made, I'm NOT talking about Cubic Zirconia or other glass "diamonds". I'm talking about the lab grown diamonds that are actual diamonds. We're not talking about a $100 ring here.... these are still pretty expensive... for example: two earrings totaling .50 carats run $1000

 

[Mickey D]

But she carries a .380 and actually asks if we can go shoot my .357! Is she FAKING?!

You've heard about the effects of wedding cake haven't you?

 

[Mickey D]

You can get a high quality used diamond for a song and have it put in a new ring. Afterall, all diamonds are use... used to belong to some sea urchin.

You talking about pearls?

 

[Gun-runner]

Well I skipped all the replies to give you an honest reply. If you are under 30 yrs. old and still have a wandering eye. RUN!
If you are 30 plus and have been through a few battles I say think about the past battles.
Learn from your past but also learn from the mistakes of your friends. I'm not that old but I've learned that it's a lot easier to learn from others mistakes than it is to learn from my own.
Now after all your thinking you can't find I problem with marrying this girl, I say don't be a cheap ass no matter what she likes and buy her a ring deserving the mother of your future children.
It will become a family hierloom over the years and hopefully be passed on. It doesn't have to be that expensive to make her happy.
Good Luck!

 

[BarbC]

I managed to bring up the topic again, and again she was talking about how she'd rather a man made than a real one. She even brought up a story of a teacher she had who's husband MADE her engagement ring.. and after 10 years the teacher still wore the home made ring.

Your dilemma is resolved.

Silver 9mm Bullet Ring with Crystal Primer

 

[Mickey D]

Bling bling Barb!

 

[Pasifikawv]

When making the manmade diamonds manufacturers are required to do "something" with them so that jewelers can tell the difference from man made and those soaked in the blood of limbless kids from Sierra Leon. Without the manufacturer adding the "something" there is no way to tell the difference...

If you go the route of a man-made, rent Blood Diamond a few nights before presentation... Might help... Or rent now to see if it could get the conversation flowing re: manmade vs. natural.

When I was in grad school, one of my classmates was from Sierra Leon and the horror stories of the bloody conflicts over diamonds were eye opening. His cousin was dismembered by the gangs running the diamonds and forced to work and fight for them. His sister was raped and killed by the same gangs.

I was lucky. My wife didn't want a diamond for her engagement ring... She didn't think a symbol of never-end devotion should be at the bloody expense of starving kids getting chopped up by violent gangs in African diamond mines...

In the US and EU, you can by certified "conflict-free" diamonds, but the profits flow to the same companies that sell the non-certified blood diamonds elsewhere around the globe.

 

[Denver Dick]

She doesn't know I'm in the market or anything.

Maybe I'm too old and married too long (32 years), but it sounds like she's just trying to get you off the couch to buy a ring, any ring, so long as it's an engagement type. Women are funny about this stuff. It may be that she's not sure what's holding up the train and is sending signals about how easy and inexpensive it can be to get a ring and make the commitment. And, she might be figuring that once she's got the commitment, she can upgrade the ring later.

Some may think I'm being a conspiracy nut on this one, but I'm telling you women are funny about this engagement/commitment thing. FWIW

 

[BarbC]

I'm telling you women are funny about this engagement/commitment thing.

The first time around. Fool me once...

 

[PALADIN85020]

Boy, you are a newbie with women, aren't you? <G> Women will more often than not say one thing and MEAN another.

Let's say you are at a gun show and your significant other sees a little RGB cheapo .22 revolver. And let's say that she says "I could really use a little revolver like that for concealed carry." My man, the operative word here is "like." She's dropping a hint, not specifying a preference.

Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to get her the finest genuine Smith & Wesson revolver you can afford that will be suitable for self-defense. Your mission is NOT to get that excreble RGB POS junk revolver.

Now then. If I have not made my point, here's a more direct suggestion:

Get a real diamond!

 

[Denver Dick]

Okay, I guess I better add this, too. Not only are women funny about the engagement/commitment thing, but they talk amongst themselves, a lot. And you can bet that if you get something other than a real diamond, even though you will have made the commitment, you will also be in the dog house. You just ruminade on that for awhile . . . FWIW

 

[TRanger]

A word to the wise. First, make sure you know the lady very well. Second, BUY A REAL DIAMOND. It should cost the equivalent of a month of your income, so you may need to finance it. This may sound preposterous to you, but I assure you it is sound advice.

 

[gr8AmericanBash]

But back to the matter at hand... Engagement rings are best given at Christmas or for a birthday. That saves you also having to buy a real gift. They will usually buy you a year to 18 months before you have to get pinned down to a date for a wedding too.

I respectfully disagree. If, God forbid, something goes wrong, and the wedding is called off, then you are screwed out of the ring and the money. It was given as a gift, and as such, you are not entitled to get it back.
But if you give on any other random day (no holiday, no b-day, etc.) then you can get it back b/c it was given on the condition that the wedding would happen.
I'd wait until some appropriate time. You'll know when.

 

[gr8AmericanBash]

You talking about pearls?

Somebody say pearl necklace?

 

[Phillips7609]

That's a tricky one. You say she's a vegan, is she also into saving the planet and the environment? If she is I would lean toward the fake.
BTW...they've got a process of making "real" diamonds out of hair now. Sounds like she might get into that; that way it would be a part of her.
Has she seen the movie BLOOD DIAMOND with Leonardo Decaprio? If so, definetely go with the fake!
Or just take TNDixieGirls advice and let her pick out her own.
Heck I don't know! Just buy her a gun!! LOL
Whatever you decide to do, good luck and congrats!