Women: would you marry a guy without a diamond ring?

[Forge]

Diamonds are such a scam. They have no inherent value, are not traded as a commodity, etc.

The prices are kept high by a cartel, and are made profitable by using African kids to mine them for a dollar a week or something.

Russia has an assload of diamonds, but the cartel pays off the Russian government to limit the supply. They even paid off the USSR government.

A diamond is forever.

So is knowing that the ring you gave your girl was probably pulled from the Earth by a one armed African kid who had his other arm sliced off in a territorial war involving Ivory Coast and Liberian guerillas.

So is the fact that a handful of people have become insanely rich off of trading these things around the dead and malformed kids who mine them.

And on top of that, one or two technologicqal breakthroughs will drop the price of your $10K ring to about $11.79, when diamonds become the market equivalent of graphite.

But it's special. You love her.

Buy her a car instead.

Sigh.

While I agree with your investment analysis of the value of diamonds, you are missing the whole point of why you buy the ring in the first place Matt. It's not about future values, or long term investments. It's not something you will want to take a look at years later and get upset because it lost value, because it loses value the moment you buy it.

A wedding ring is a symbol of your love for a woman, it's tradition, and the fact is that most women today are groomed to expect the diamond engagement ring and they want that ring. Sure a car might be a better monetary investment, but you have to give the woman what she wants, not what you think is best for her. Fact is most women enjoy showing off their diamond engagement ring, it's bragging rights. My ex hardly ever wore jewelry, but when I bought her an expensive beautiful engagement ring she wore it every chance she got, she showed it proudly to everyone she could. She didn't do that because she liked wearing rings, she didn't do it because it was worth alot, she did it because it was a beautiful symbol of how I felt about her. A car wouldn't have gotten the same reaction.

If I ever get married again and if she wants a diamond ring you can be damn sure she's getting a ring she can be proud of. Because if I'm marrying her then she's worth it.

 

[fireflyer]

I'm no expert but my ex was really impressed by the ring I got for her. She is Irish so I went to a Celtic jeweler and commissioned a Claddagh ring that has a small heart shaped diamond at the center and rubies in the crown. It's done on platinum. The rings interlock - the band is the hands and the crown and the wedding ring is a band with the heart. It only cost me $1700 five years ago.

Anyway, I'm saying be thoughtful and creative - it'll go further then just throwing a lot of cash at an ugly ring.

 

[The Shadow]

Diamonds are a little cliche'

...think Tanzanite

 

[BUBBLES]

a brown ring?

yes, a diamond ring for a brown ring ...lol
(although i do believe brown rings are for brownies only.. )

 

[Lumberg]

Another thing I heard is that the US is the only country that has this tradition. Any internationsl bors know what they do in other countries?

 

[BUBBLES]

Re: Women: would you marry a guy with a diamond ring?

Another thing I heard is that the US is the only country that has this tradition. Any internationsl bors know what they do in other countries?

are you kidding me?
many countries have this tradition, i think it started in Eastern Europe by a Princess - might have been former Yugoslavia (i stand to be corrected)

 

[Lumberg]

Actually I work with an Italian guy, I'm gonna ask him right now. I also work with an Irish guy and at least one Chinese person and one Turkish person. I'm going to ask around.

 

[RottenWillow]

I would, definitely.

today is my two year anniversary with my boyfriend and we're talking about engagement. I want a ruby ring, not diamond.

 

[Smurfy]

http://www.ourmarriage.com/html/why_an_engagement_ring_.html

 

[flexygrl]

When my ex proposed I had a 2 carat rock. It was gorgeous. Woman would stop me on the street to comment about it. And you know what?!?

It meant absolutely nothing. I don't even need a ring next time. The money is better served for a down payment on a house. I still want a nice wedding but jewlery, imo is stupid. My new thing is besides my wedding band, all of my jewlery is either bought by me or my family. I didn't keep my engagement ring or wedding band. I didn't want it anymore.

So, that's my opinnion. Before my divorce, yes it was important to me. Now, well I know better...