engagement rings a scam

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are engagement rings a scam?

 

Oh boy. Here we go. I know exactly who's going to comment what. No one says an engagement ring has to be a large expensive diamond. It doesn't even have to a diamond. No man who's financially struggling should have to spend a fortune. But giving a symbol of one's commitment is beautiful. I did not expect nor did i receive a $15,000 ring, but I was so proud and excited to receive my ring at the time. My fiance was just as excited to give it to me. BTW, I bought him a beautiful gold bracelet as my gift to him. I'm sure a couple of men are going to say I'm a gold digger. Oh well. Not everything is about $$$.

 

I agree with your first few sentences. I look at the engagement ring as a symbol of his love for me, and of his desire to make me his wife. (I don't care where the idea came from.) I'd wear it proudly. It doesn't have to cost thousands of dollars (would prefer that it didn't), and it doesn't have to be a diamond. I'd just like it to be a ring I love and that shows he put some thought into what he's giving me. I'll be wearing that ring the rest of my life (presumably).

My nephew, who is in his 20's and a college student, recently got engaged. I fell over when I learned how much he spent on her ring (5 figures). Insane. But, the sentiment behind it is touching. This young lady means the world to him and he wanted her to have the best ring he could afford to show her that. I don't know if she knows what it cost (and he doesn't know that I know). He saved a long time for that ring and she's worth every penny of it to him. He's very careful with his money and buys quality. I have a lot of respect for that.

 

There's my cue... :smt003

"You love me? Okay, go over to that stranger & prove it!"

Sounds like something a pimp might say to a ho, but it's a deal that guys who are ready to get married accept all the time...

Go pay a merchant thousands of $$ to demonstrate your love for me! :smt003

Articles all over the web run through what a scam the diamond industry is. Diamonds aren't precious (they can even be manufactured). They aren't tradition (it's all a marketing scheme hatched in fairly modern times).

What's really spooky is people don't seem to have the capacity to "snap out of it", nor the sense of dignity to rebel against being scammed so thoroughly by stuff like this.

I simply would not want a life partner who would be disappointed that I didn't get her a diamond.

Hate to say it, but this "diamond" stuff is all in the minds of women & how they'll feel when they announce their engagement to their friends & family & everyone asks to see the ring & there's no rock! It's peer pressure!

...Now the industry is even selling flawed (er... "chocolate" :smt003) diamonds that could once only be sold for industrial purposes. Rocks so numerous no one really knew what to do with them -- until now... :smt003

Check it out: The Truth About Chocolate Diamonds
http://jezebel.com/the-truth-about-chocolate-diamonds-5887100

Talk to your sons about this stuff, guys... :!:

 

Cosign
It's an outdated tradition similar to a dowry. And one thing to consider is that a lot of these diamonds are still blood diamonds. People are literally losing life and limb so some insecure asshole can feel good themselves (not just women men are complicit as well)
I told my ex I would much rather write a check paying off her student loans than buy a ring. It's immature and ridiculous.

 

Reading some of these responses, I'm glad I'm of the generation I'm from.

 

Good idea. Maybe not romantic though. lol. Personally I would rather give her a wedding present like a motorcycle (if she likes to ride) or something like that. Then again if I think she really wants a ring then I'll go with that but I don't think it would have to be expense, women tend to like jewelry that's why I'd do it. After all love isn't the most logical concept. It's more important that she doesn't waste money after we get married.

 

Even though I bought my wife not just one but two rings I do think the video below makes very valid points. Lol

http://youtu.be/CTneDwc9qX4

 

As I said, it doesn't need to be a diamond. Why wear a wedding ring? Just symbols. No need to be expensive. It's just a gift to someone you would like to marry. All how you choose to look at it.

 

Why did you buy her two rings, Loki. Explain the reasoning behind it.

 

The first ring is a large solitaire diamond, she found that she just kept banging it on stuff, saddle racks, girth buckles, bridles, ect. (horse stuff) while she is in the barn, which she is every day, not to mention never fitting comfortably under her riding gloves. After an accident where she cracked the base of the ring, that was the final straw and I bought her a smaller ring with the gems around the ring itself, no solitaire, for daily wear when she is with the horses, and she only wears the big one when we are going out.

 

Why did you buy her the solitaire? Why such a big ring?

 

Honestly I did not ever think it would be a problem when it came to the horses, looking back it should have been obvious, she actually prefers the smaller ring in all ways, live and learn, a mistake of youth.

 

I'm not getting the answer I want. Lol. Why buy her a ring and such a large one? What was in your heart and mind when you gave her the ring? So many guys think a ring is a waste of money, especially a large (expensive) one.

 

Ah, I see what you are asking now, at the time, it was more me than her wanting to buy the ring, my wife is Scottish in heritage and will be the first to tell you first and foremost she is frugal with money. Fancy jewelry has never been her thing, although she very much appreciated the sentiment behind it. My position on the matter has changed somewhat over the years, especially once I learned of blood diamonds, and the sheer marketing scam that DeBeers created out of thin air to sell more diamonds.

If I had a time machine I think we would have both been happy with simple gold bands for both of us and saved the $ I spent on the first ring. That being said, I do like the fact that the ring tells everyone she is married and I do think it is a symbol/reminder of our commitment to our vows and our legacy together.

 

The diamond industry is truly a scam these days. Those "chocolate" diamonds are bullshit and couldnt be sold before until the industry made everybody forget that they are flawed. Besides, the things that go on in the industry is absolutely horrifying. I want no part of it and that video Loki mentioned is exactly how i feel about it anyways, even IF diamonds werent sucha horrifying corrupt business.

 

I just found this interesting article from Readers Digest on the history of engagement rings. Seems like this wasn't a new idea with DeBeers.

http://www.rd.com/advice/relationships/the-history-of-engagement-rings/

And another article:

http://www.abazias.com/diamondblog/diamond-education/history-of-the-diamond-engagement-ring/

 

I spoke to my son about it. My advice was:

Don't get married. Ever.

Issue avoided

 

Of course it wasnt DeBeers that came up with it. Not sure why people think that. They are however one of the companies that now are selling "chocolate" diamonds which really is a scam in my opinion. The whole idea that an egagement ring should cost X is very driven by the industry. The whole thing kinda aggravates me. Dont get me wrong, im not against engagemnt, or wedding rings just the enormous and insanely expensive precious stones

 

That aren't even precious lol