Engagement rings

[Schildog]

Women are unreasonable. I know that is said for a lot things. But it's especially true here. 

[Don]

My first thought before opening the thread: "No. Just no."

That said, I'm not a big fan of the idea of engagement/wedding rings on multiple levels.

1. It's really just succumbing to the best advertising campaign in the history of advertising. Really. A couple guys (in I think the 40s or 50s) managed to just create an obligatory market for diamond rings out of thin freaking air. I mean kudos to those guys for just crushing it at work, but still.

2. Diamonds are a bit of an ethical clusterf*ck. "Conflict-free diamonds" is a bit of a loaded term. My understanding is that the term only means the stones weren't bought from an active rebel group.

3. Why not spend the money on something way more useful? Put a down payment on a car. Improve the value of your home. Start an education fund for your kids. Something. Pissing away 5-10k (or however much) on a symbolic rock that some (frankly kick-ass) advertisers from 60-ish years ago told you that you must get in order to marry someone is way less practical than any of those other things. I mean even spending the extra cash on an awesome(r) honeymoon makes more sense to me.

Last thing... When the time comes, I'll probably end up getting one for somebody. Because like tradition and stuff? But I won't like it.

 

[Sully151]

I sold a vehicle to pay for my wife's engagement ring (I also paid off a credit card) and the vehicle has gone up in value. What has the ring done for me? 

[arch stanton]

The first time I got married I was young and debt-free so I splurged the ring. It now sits in my daughter's jewelry box collecting dust.

The second one got a half carat diamond and a rice and banana plantation in central Luzon. She's much more satisfied with her deal.

[Tank]

In my religious upbringing we didn't believe in blowing excessive amounts of money on things like jewelry, so the guys would often buy a nice watch for their girl. I bought a nice watch with some diamond chips in it and gave that to my wife when I proposed. 

Im not sure where the watch us now but I know she still has it somewhere. She ended up buying her own ring from qvc. We went to a jewelry mart to purchase our wedding bands for way, way less than the engagement ring commercials want you to spend. No reason to go broke over this.

that being said, one of my coworkers treated her engagement ring like it was the Stanley cup.

[Amazing Larry]

I bought my wife her ring from a family friend on Hill Street in downtown. Saved a boatload of cash.

[Adam]

$1600 (paid for by degenerate asians at Hawaiian Gardens)

 

[Jay]

No rings, engagement or wedding. We didn't have the money when we were young, bought furniture instead.

20 years later we could afford it I bought my wife an anniversary ring. She was worried we would jinx our successful marriage if we were to buy rings.

Still married today after 36 years, and I still don't have a wedding ring.

 

[Catwhoshatinthehat]

I paid cash going through a jeweler who was recommended to me by a friend who used him after having him recommended by a family member who did their research before choosing him.  My better half didn't expect anything crazy but she definitely had a preference.  Personally I don't really give a crap and can think of better things that money could have gone towards.  As we are getting closer to actually getting married I continue to feel the same way about what we'll spend on our modest wedding.

[Amazing Larry]

What I can't believe is how much these girls spend on flowers for their wedding. What a ****ing racket.

[Make Angels Great Again]

Zales. $1200 for wedding band and engagement ring on a credit card interest free for a year. Thought it was decent.

[Jay]

I would never, ever finance a piece of jewelry.

 

[Stradling]

First marriage, I was making about $8.25 an hour and bought a $600 ring.  This marriage, I splurged, still spent cash, but much more than I ever thought I would spend.  It wasn't really an engagement ring, but it was the wedding ring and then later bought the wedding band.  

[Ordos]

My wife does not like diamonds (preferring sapphires), so I got lucky there.

And for anyone interested in reading on the market mastery of De Beers and N. W. Ayer, here is a good write-up:

https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/diamond-de-beers-marketing-campaign#sm.001puhezmpp1dmw114w1sruy6pvfc

[m0nkey]

My grandma bought my brother (future doctor) a ring 20 g's for his fiancee (future doctor)

[Tank]

3 hours ago, Serge said:

What I can't believe is how much these girls spend on flowers for their wedding. What a ****ing racket.

have a friend who whose wife spent $20k just on flowers for their wedding.

[arch stanton]

I'm proud to say that the most expensive things at my wedding were the 2 roasted pigs and the bar tab

[Stradling]

Most expensive thing about my wedding is a remodeled back yard.  I knew for a few years that that is where I would want to get married.  So I put a ton of money into my yard, 400 ft of block walls, about 4500 sq ft of concrete, built in BBQ, fire pit, ton of brick work, nice planters and about 2000 sq ft of artificial turf.  

On a side note I am selling this house right after my son gets married if anyone is looking for a nice house with a kick ass back yard.  

[red321]

Wife picked out her own engagement ring. Went to old town Orange and she found some ring from a dead chick made back in the thirties at one of those antique stores...about $1000 and she loves it.

[Adam]

I'm glad I'm not the only cheapass around these parts.

My wife picked hers out too. She's also a cheapass. 

[mtangelsfan]

Got the engagement/wedding ring at Costco for $1200.  Wife's roommate help me pick it out.

Pretty cheap for a nice ring.

[OCAngelsNotLAA]

My wife isn't very "traditional" in anyway so I went with a black diamond engagement ring.  The center stone is almost 2 carats with regular white diamonds surrounding it and I paid just under $1200.  When you don't have to worry about clarity you can get a pretty big diamond for a lot less.  I looked into having the same ring made with a tigers eye stone as the center stone and the jeweler wanted something like $1,700... Thought that was weird since you can buy a tigers eye stone the size of a quarter for less than $10.

[red321]

26 minutes ago, Adam said:

I'm glad I'm not the only cheapass around these parts.

My wife picked hers out too. She's also a cheapass. 

My ring is something like $50. Bought a few of them so if/when I lose one, bam.

[AngelsLongBall]

48 minutes ago, red321 said:

My ring is something like $50. Bought a few of them so if/when I lose one, bam.

Ditto. 

[Sully151]

My wedding ring cost $150ish cuz it's titanium. My wife made sure the hospital near us has the blade capable of cutting titanium in case I crash on the bike and break my finger.

I always take my ring off when riding, climbing or doing shows. It is a wonder I still have it.