HELP! Engagement ring issue!

[BrianE]

Well I would never try and discourage marriage.... but... JK

As far as rings go.... I went through all of this almost 4 years ago and I went with what I thought she would have liked... and LUCKILY I guessed right. She may not mind the "fake" one, but I could bet she would want a real one. Like paladin42 said... I would get a BIG fake one and also spring for a real one as well.... Give her the fake as you ask and then give her the real one shortly after. And being slick with your perposal is key and might take some of the focus off the rings. I did the talking build a bear and she never expected it . I wish ya luck!!

 

[Steave]

Several years ago I read an article on the entire diamond industry and deBeers absolute and total control of the market. It was a fairly lenghty article, maybe 15-20 pages and was a fascinating read whether one is in the market for a diamond or not. I'm gonna see if I can track it down, I'd love to re-read it, if so, I will post a link.

One of things I do remember reading that many of the new "artificial diamonds" are higher quality, clarity, etc than natural diamonds, but, of course, they aren't 'real' and will never be as desirable as the real thing. Apparently some of these can actually fool all but the most astute experts. Again, I know very little about this, just parroting what I read 5-6 years ago. That said, I wouldn't suggest one of these as an engagement ring, but it might be a decent option for some diamond jewelery as the diamond market is truly an artificial market.

 

[thomashoward]

When we got married we just had gold bands. A couple years later we got the diamond ring and had it welded to the engagement band. After 35 years (in August) both us and the ring are still going strong.annnnnd,.. If you split you're not out so much (snicker)
If you get fake diamonds, that will probably come back to haunt you a few years later

 

[Minnesota Fats]

Buy real and buy what you can afford. Buy it yourself and give it to her. It is a symbol of your love for her and you should pick it out, not her. You will have ample time, hopefully, to add to her diamond collection with anniversary rings. As you both get older you will be able to afford bigger and bigger diamonds. Right now, use your money to get your marriage off to a good start and not by going into debt.

And learn these four words: 'My fault, I'm sorry'. They go a long ways.........

Much good luck to you. Have kids. Enjoy each other. Grow old together. When you look back 50 years from now at that ring, you will remember a simpler time and appreciate what that ring symbolized.

 

[Palmetto Sharpshooter]

My wife is a jeweler. She says she can tell the difference. Don't go the cheap route.

 

[Walter Rego]

Watch out for jewelers who will take advantage of the situation. My first mistake was telling my ex-wife just to pick out any setting she wanted. So, in order to impress her friends and keep up with the Joneses she picks a setting that will hold a minimum of a one carat stone. Then we go to the so called "wholesale" diamond mart. The S.O.B. jeweler first shows some 1 carat stones of a lesser quality, and then right next to them the nearly flawless white diamonds. You could see the cheaper stones looked yellow in comparison. With my best man and his wife standing there looking at me too I was on the spot. Of course I had to buy the best. I emptied my checking account and maxed out a credit card to pay for it. I felt like taking a rape shower when I got home.

 

[Steave]

Thinking about that article some more and I emailed the guy that I thought initially posted it to an email list we are on, he sent me this article,
Wired 11.09: The New Diamond Age

It is not the article I was thinking of, I hope he will find it, but this one is interesting as well. These are not the el cheap CZ's most of us are familiar with, but another animal all together.

 

[peyton]

Get a real diamond, what you can afford. 30 years later you will not regret it. Just remember upgrade diamonds, that way you can upgrade firearms. My wife is in Seattle working, and she mentioned she went shopping. Now shopping is something she does all the time, so I asked "what kind of sparkly did you get". I did not ask what kind of diamond ring or how much she spent. 34 years with the same women, she deserve diamonds just for putting up with me. I now have bought 3 shiny revolvers purchased since my return to Iraq!!

 

[USAF385]

If I'm going real... It's going to have to be one of those Canadian conflict-free diamonds... not one of those African blood diamonds.

 

[Spotteddog]

I trust you know about the real ones?
They're made out of (shhhhh!)
(Carbon?) Shhhhhh?
Don't tell her and you should be fine! Just take her to a steak house to propose.
Um? Scratch that!
If she's allowed to eat fish, propose at the aquarium!

 

[Beaver]

Buy the biggest ROCK you can. Bigger the Rock=More guns in the future.

 

[1toolman]

I do believe a gun forum is not the proper place for this question this is best answered from advice from the regulars at your local pub .



whatever ya do I for one wish ya best of luck ain,t allways easy but its worth it must be I know some guys who have done it 3-4 times (seems there the ones who bitch the most wonder why )

 

[n4zov]

Rule #1: Women NEVER say what they really mean.

Rule #2: If for some reason you really believe that she means exactly what she says, (like for instance that she would prefer a fake diamond instead of a real one), see rule #1.

Oh, and good luck no matter what. She likes guns, so she is way ahead of most!!!

WG840

That is excellent advice and it doesn't matter how long or how well you know your lady! If you buy the fake diamond it MAY be OK. However if you buy the real diamond, it will absolutely be OK.

 

[MrJT]

I do believe a gun forum is not the proper place for this question this is best answered from advice from the regulars at your local pub .

I disagree. I've only been an active member for a little but, but a lurker for a while. There are some top notch folks on this forum. The OP can do a lot worse then to ask the opinion of the forum members. Besides I doubt he'll fully base his decision on our advice.

The advice of some members on this forum would mean more to me than most of the folks in a pub!

To the OP, I think you might have a good idea going with the Canadian diamonds. They're non conflict which sounds like it would be a big pluss for your lady.

 

[1toolman]

I disagree. I've only been an active member for a little but, but a lurker for a while. There are some top notch folks on this forum. The OP can do a lot worse then to ask the opinion of the forum members. Besides I doubt he'll fully base his decision on our advice.

The advice of some members on this forum would mean more to me than most of the folks in a pub!

To the OP, I think you might have a good idea going with the Canadian diamonds. They're non conflict which sounds like it would be a big pluss for your lady.

MrJT I,m joking sorry forgot to ad smily my bad

 

[357_mag_mama]

The engagement ring is very symbolic and shows how much you care for her. You've got to get her the real thing, it shows her that she herself is the "real thing" to you and that you want your relationship to last! Don't go with the fake, maybe get the fake later down the road for an anniversary or something. The engagement ring must be the real thing to show her how much she means to you!

 

[Steave]

OK, I'm not sure this the article I was initially referring to, but it is a good, albeit fairly long, read about the diamond industry. Prologue - The Diamond Invention

 

[sammi357]

then boyfriend, now hubby bought a loose diamond, the real Macoy. He shopped for the stone himself, and learned about the C's (Cut, carat, etc.) and bought a smaller, but nicer quality stone. He gave it to me loose, and let me choose the rings, because he had figured out that I didn't like traditional settings. The prongs get loose, and working in a shop around power tools was not conducive to wearing bling, anyway. We ordered wedding bands with a Celtic knot design and had the stone set in a deep bezel, so that it wasn't a tall profile, and wouldn't get knocked around.

HIS wedding ring was another story: We were traveling, and saw a lady in an old Jeep beside the road with the hood up. we were in a bit of a time crunch, but we we stopped. We couldn't get the car started, but we have a friend in the vicinity with a repair shop, so we gave her a lift into town, and the friend said he'd take care of her. Before we could leave, she thanked us for stopping to help her, and told me to hold out my hand. She fished in her coat pocket and pulled out a tiny plastic zip-lock bag, and fished in it with a finger, then placed a loose Montana Yogo sapphire in my hand!! She said she had a small mine on her property, and this stone was from her mine. We had that stone set in my hubby's wedding band. To be perfectly honest, HIS is prettier than mine! The blue and gold is really pretty together.

Course, this was before we started hearing about bloody diamonds. I would offer that there are a lot of alternatives to diamonds, stones that are mined locally, and don't have the political and human issues associated. It would have been just as cool to have matching yogos in our rings as the diamond.

the tungsten is a really neat concept, and so is titanium...IF we could find it in the really cool colors like on our model 239Sig! lol!

 

[tony357]

well you neeed to pop the question first, Either way your screwed.

give her a gift card for 1 engagment ring and pick it out together..

 

[CTPete]

Near as I can tell, each of the ladies who have responded think that the real thing in the way to go. My advice is to LISTEN TO THE LADIES on this one!