Jeth 0 #76 March 2, 2005 QuoteQuoteYep. Good Article. For those who care here are a Few Highlights: 1. Diamonds are NOT rare stones. 2. The "Diamond" Engagement Ring was a Marketing Scheme from De Beers started in the early 1930`s to help them dump their over abundance of these otherwise worthless stones. By your Fiance a House (What most people spend on an engagement ring would make a good start on the down payment). A Much Better Investment in the future. And something else to think about is that in the past year, two different companies have developed two different processes to manufacture real diamonds. I have seen articles about this in Wired Magazine, as well as TV news shows. This has DeBeers running scared. The only way to distinguish the man-made ones from natural ones: The man-made ones are perfect, while the natural ones have tiny flaws. Hey, cut it out! U guys are making me feel bad about my husband buying me the ring I love! BTW, I'm sure there are many other things in life that one person buys that another thinks is a total ripoff. (ex. a new car)"At 13,000 feet nothing else matters." PFRX!!!!! Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109 My Jump Site Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GTAVercetti 0 #77 March 2, 2005 Perhaps so, but a car actually has a use in life...other than looking pretty. diamonds schimonds...as I said in my last post, cubic zurconia is the way to go. Unless you are a jeweler, you won't be telling the difference.Why yes, my license number is a palindrome. Thank you for noticing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ACMESkydiver 0 #78 March 2, 2005 QuoteQuote I don't like shopping either...EXCEPT for bright, shiny things... like knives?!? Mwahahahahahahaaaaa....~Jaye Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gravityizsexy 0 #79 March 2, 2005 I don't see the attraction, wedding rings are cool though. A guy with a engagement ring though.... naaaaaahhh... they can keep that fad. I don't want none of it. "'Someday is not a day in my week'" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jeth 0 #80 March 2, 2005 QuotePerhaps so, but a car actually has a use in life...other than looking pretty. diamonds schimonds...as I said in my last post, cubic zurconia is the way to go. Unless you are a jeweler, you won't be telling the difference. Hey, don't knock lookin pretty! Thats all some people have in life! (And it can get them amazingly far...)"At 13,000 feet nothing else matters." PFRX!!!!! Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109 My Jump Site Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #81 March 2, 2005 hmmm... I have never been able to get excited about any type of jewelry. I understand the symbolism, but that's only because I was born into a world where it was already a custom to expres that symbolism with a very expensive, yet useless, piece of hardware. I tell you, when I see people oohing and ahing over jewelry I just don't get it at all. . Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FallinWoman 1 #82 March 3, 2005 Skymedic would wear a ring right now (we are engaged) if I got him one. The one he wants, though, is what he wants as his wedding band. The wedding band is more important to me than that he show the world he is taken. I told him I would kick his ass if he spent more than $1000 on my engagement ring. We already had a house, and thus a mortgage payment, as well as a kid, and a custody lawyer..... The ring he will get as his wedding band will cost more than my engagement ring, and I am thrilled about that. I love my ring. It has just over one carat total in three stones...I get a lot of compliments because it is a little different than the traditional solataire engagement ring. And he loves the ring that will be his wedding band...all is good. In the end I would have said yes with no ring. I would have insisted on a wedding band. That is it. ~Anne I'm a Doll!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
happythoughts 0 #83 March 3, 2005 I think guys should get an engagement ring. It would serve a valuable purpose. He wears it through his nose and gets him used to the idea. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
antifnsocial 0 #84 March 3, 2005 QuoteI think guys should get an engagement ring. It would serve a valuable purpose. He wears it through his nose and gets him used to the idea. Who trained you?Please feel free to reply to my posts and pm's, but only if you're smart enough to understand what they really mean. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
happythoughts 0 #85 March 3, 2005 QuoteWho trained you? Years of watching Underdog cartoons defined my character at an early age. That is why I am so humble and lovable. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Remster 30 #86 March 3, 2005 QuoteThoughts? Are you going shopping soon Andrea?Remster Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 37 #87 March 3, 2005 QuoteAre you going shopping soon Andrea? You must not have read the whole thread. I think it's silly! She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Remster 30 #88 March 3, 2005 QuoteI do see it as an investment. We bought my ring 6 years ago and recently it was appraised for almost $1000 more than we paid There is a huge difference between what an appraiser will put on a ring for (I guess) insurance purpose, and what you could sell it for.Remster Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyMan 7 #89 March 3, 2005 QuoteI do see it as an investment. We bought my ring 6 years ago and recently it was appraised for almost $1000 more than we paid. Stones do not appreciate in value. After adjusting for inflation, they lose value. Stones sell on the street for usually about half of what they are "appraised" for. _Am__ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MarkM 0 #90 March 3, 2005 QuoteAccording to one poll Spondered by DeBeers? Women today have as much buying power as men. Companies have had to realize that over the last 30 years and change their marketing focus. I'm really suprised the engagement ring racket hasn't tried to tap into that market before now. I mean, they could be selling twice the stock if women had to buy them too. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 37 #91 March 3, 2005 QuoteSpondered by DeBeers? No, it was from Love magazine, or something like that. I've never heard of it before.She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
happythoughts 0 #92 March 3, 2005 Diamonds have no actual value but the one created by the marketing industry. Occasions - engagement purchases led to a lot of large stone purchases and a glut of smaller stones. The result was the 3-stone "anniversary ring". The target audience was male purchasers. "Celebrating Women" This campaign has been aimed at both men and women. First, the "Celebrate Her" campaign has focused on men (again) buying jewelry for their partners. Second, a campaign focused on getting women to buy themselves jewelry. The idea that a right-hand ring should be bought to celebrate a major achievement not only creates a new rationale for the purchase but also expands the target market to include single or divorced women who have traditionally not been a focus of the advertising. Placement - the placement of diamond jewelry with celebrities at high exposure events such as the Oscars or Fashion Week. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MarkM 0 #93 March 3, 2005 QuoteQuoteSpondered by DeBeers? No, it was from Love magazine, or something like that. I've never heard of it before. This sounds like it: http://www.lovemagazine.com/marry_wear_rings.html I'm really biased against stuff like the above though. I think it's criminal how society today expects a new couple to spend 15-20k on a wedding when that money should be spent to start a family. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nightingale 0 #94 March 3, 2005 I hadn't heard of an engagement ring for men, outside of the irish-american community (I specify irish american, because I have no idea if the same custom exists in ireland) Some of the ladies I've met through Irish dance have given their fiances a claddagh ring, and it seems to be a fairly common custom among people here who are very in touch with their irish roots. The claddagh, with the point of the heart outwards worn on the left hand symbolizes engagement, and with the point of the heart facing outwards towards the fingertip, and as a wedding ring, it is worn with the heart pointing inwards toward the wrist. I've heard of some couples getting a different ring as a wedding ring, and others just turning the claddagh over. There are four ways to wear a claddagh ring: 1--On the right hand, crown in heart out, the wearer is unattached 2--On the right hand, crown out heart in, the wearer is spoken for, though not engaged or married. 3--On the left hand, crown in heart out, the wearer is engaged but not married 4--On the left hand, heart in crown out, the wearer is married. Claddagh rings can also be given as friendship rings, or gifts from family. They're not just a "love" ring, but have a whole list of meanings. The claddagh is two hands holding a heart, with a crown on the heart. The hands are for friendship, the crown is for loyalty, and the heart is for love. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nightingale 0 #95 March 3, 2005 Quote Chicks pressuring guys into spending past what they can, well past what they can should be a warning sign to the guy about whats expected in the relationship and will be expected in marriage. I totally agree. It's the meaning of the ring that's important, not the ring itself. Two of my friends got their wedding/engagement ring set at wal-mart, had more money to spend on the wedding and honeymoon, and are quite happy. The rings are pretty and they both like them. Spending more money wouldn't have made sense, would've put them into debt, and probably caused stress, because owing a lot of money usually does. I think they've got the right perspective on things Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RoadRash 0 #96 March 3, 2005 QuoteQuoteWho trained you? Years of watching Underdog cartoons defined my character at an early age. That is why I am so humble and lovable. OMG, hold on...I'm dying laughing......::breathe, breathe::... ~R+R...~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Fly the friendly skies...^_^...})ii({...^_~... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MarkM 0 #97 March 3, 2005 QuoteThe claddagh is two hands holding a heart, with a crown on the heart. The hands are for friendship, the crown is for loyalty, and the heart is for love. Now that seems a lot cooler than band with a rock on it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nightingale 0 #98 March 4, 2005 I think so too. for people set on rocks, though, they make claddaghs with a precious stone, usually diamond or emerald, set in the heart. The emerald ones in white gold are really pretty. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MC208B 0 #99 March 4, 2005 sounds like a dumb idea to me Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
