What do they mean when they say 3 month's salary for a ring?

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BaliBabyDoc

Lifer
Jan 20, 2001
10,737
0
0
Yeah kind of like claiming your gas guzzling SUV (or sports car) doesn't support hate b/c YOUR gas definitely
rolleye.gif
came from Venezula (well used to), Canada, or Mexico.
 

BaliBabyDoc

Lifer
Jan 20, 2001
10,737
0
0
eek, 10k on an engagement ring. she better be the one.

She's one alright . . . my friend was sitting in his office one day lamenting about how he used to have great savings but now he has no idea how he's going to pay all of his bills (new house, all new furniture, HER jewelry . . . and a custom entertainment center) . . . OK the entertainment center is a justifiable investment:D.
 

Saltin

Platinum Member
Jul 21, 2001
2,175
0
0
DeBeer's do control almost all the diamonds in the world, there is no question about that. The key thing is to make sure they come from a country that has fair labour laws and doesnt allow companies to exploit thier workers.
Diamond mines in Canada are popping up all over the place, and if DeBeer's doesnt own them already, they have a significant amount of money invested in them. Alot of investors are making good money buying cheap early on, and then waiting for DeBeer's to make a tender for all shares. It's happened numerous times and will continue to happen as long as the prospects for the mine in question are good.

Regardless, a diamond that comes from Canada was mined by someone making a fair wage in safe working conditions. You arent funding war/terrorism/drugs/whatever if you make sure it comes from the right place.
 

BooneRebel

Platinum Member
Mar 22, 2001
2,229
0
0
Originally posted by: acidvoodoo
when you buy the ring for your wife, does she come along and choose? Dont you have to get her finger measured etc

and don't you buy a ring for yourself? i thought the idea was you both wear the same ring to show eternal love or something?
There are usually two rings. The engagement ring has the WOW! stone on it, and then a separate wedding band worn after the cermony. In many cases today, the wedding band is a 'wrap' that fits around the engagement ring.

It's easy to get a ring size by swiping another one of your sweetie's rings and taking it to the jeweler. In addition, just about any ring you choose can be 'sized' by the jeweler by stretching or shrinking the band. Worst case, they can remove the stone and put it in another setting. On a $2000 solitaire, you're looking at about $1900 for the diamond and $100 for the band itself. Most places will be more than happy to swap the stone into a different setting at no charge.

So, you can get an engagement ring and buy matching wedding bands,
or get an engagement ring/wrap combination for the missus and a different look altogether for yourself.

 

acidvoodoo

Platinum Member
Jan 6, 2002
2,972
1
0
Originally posted by: BooneRebel
Originally posted by: acidvoodoo
when you buy the ring for your wife, does she come along and choose? Dont you have to get her finger measured etc

and don't you buy a ring for yourself? i thought the idea was you both wear the same ring to show eternal love or something?
There are usually two rings. The engagement ring has the WOW! stone on it, and then a separate wedding band worn after the cermony. In many cases today, the wedding band is a 'wrap' that fits around the engagement ring.

It's easy to get a ring size by swiping another one of your sweetie's rings and taking it to the jeweler. In addition, just about any ring you choose can be 'sized' by the jeweler by stretching or shrinking the band. Worst case, they can remove the stone and put it in another setting. On a $2000 solitaire, you're looking at about $1900 for the diamond and $100 for the band itself. Most places will be more than happy to swap the stone into a different setting at no charge.

So, you can get an engagement ring and buy matching wedding bands,
or get an engagement ring/wrap combination for the missus and a different look altogether for yourself.

ok, well i won't plan on it for another 10 years

 

dullard

Elite Member
May 21, 2001
24,998
3,325
126
Originally posted by: acidvoodoo
when you buy the ring for your wife, does she come along and choose? Dont you have to get her finger measured etc

and don't you buy a ring for yourself? i thought the idea was you both wear the same ring to show eternal love or something?
I had purchased my girlfriend several rings in the past (pearl promise ring, saphire ring for Christmas, etc) so I knew the size already. But BooneRebel is correct about the sizing. Even if they charge for sizing it would be next to nothing compared to the rest of the price.

I personally wanted the exact proposal to be a surprize (after 5 years of dating she knew it was coming of course). So I never would have considered going with her to buy the engagement ring (there goes the surprize factor). Instead over time I gradually dropped hints asking what type of ring she likes. For example her sister got married, and after we saw the ring I asked what she liked about it. That way I knew exactly what to get her. I proposed, and she said yes. Then a couple of months later we went shopping together to get our wedding rings. We didn't choose to get matching wedding rings since we both agreed that would be too femine for me, and too masculine for her. But you really can do whatever you want.
 

BooneRebel

Platinum Member
Mar 22, 2001
2,229
0
0
Originally posted by: Saltin
DeBeer's do control almost all the diamonds in the world, there is no question about that. The key thing is to make sure they come from a country that has fair labour laws and doesnt allow companies to exploit thier workers.
Diamond mines in Canada are popping up all over the place, and if DeBeer's doesnt own them already, they have a significant amount of money invested in them. Alot of investors are making good money buying cheap early on, and then waiting for DeBeer's to make a tender for all shares. It's happened numerous times and will continue to happen as long as the prospects for the mine in question are good.

Regardless, a diamond that comes from Canada was mined by someone making a fair wage in safe working conditions. You arent funding war/terrorism/drugs/whatever if you make sure it comes from the right place.
Neither DeBeer's, nor your local jeweler, can tell you whether the diamond you are buying has come from a 'good' place or a 'bad' place. DeBeer's admitted to as much on the last 60 minutes show I saw regarding Sierra Leone. Unless you're the guy with the pick & hardhat, you have no guarantee where the stone is coming from.
 

BooneRebel

Platinum Member
Mar 22, 2001
2,229
0
0
Originally posted by: dullard
Originally posted by: acidvoodoo
when you buy the ring for your wife, does she come along and choose? Dont you have to get her finger measured etc

and don't you buy a ring for yourself? i thought the idea was you both wear the same ring to show eternal love or something?
I had purchased my girlfriend several rings in the past (pearl promise ring, saphire ring for Christmas, etc) so I knew the size already. But BooneRebel is correct about the sizing. Even if they charge for sizing it would be next to nothing compared to the rest of the price.

I personally wanted the exact proposal to be a surprize (after 5 years of dating she knew it was coming of course). So I never would have considered going with her to buy the engagement ring (there goes the surprize factor). Instead over time I gradually dropped hints asking what type of ring she likes. For example her sister got married, and after we saw the ring I asked what she liked about it. That way I knew exactly what to get her. I proposed, and she said yes. Then a couple of months later we went shopping together to get our wedding rings. We didn't choose to get matching wedding rings since we both agreed that would be too femine for me, and too masculine for her. But you really can do whatever you want.
Long story short, my wife started with an itty bitty engagement ring. We married pretty poor and started out with silver rings. A little while later we bought matching gold bands. On our 5th anniversary I popped a WOW! stone on her and we redid her bands. Since then the issues about blood diamonds have come up. She still wears what I bought her but does not want to buy any more. (poor me!)

 

rh71

No Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
52,853
1,048
126
Originally posted by: BooneRebel
Originally posted by: acidvoodoo
when you buy the ring for your wife, does she come along and choose? Dont you have to get her finger measured etc

and don't you buy a ring for yourself? i thought the idea was you both wear the same ring to show eternal love or something?
There are usually two rings. The engagement ring has the WOW! stone on it, and then a separate wedding band worn after the cermony. In many cases today, the wedding band is a 'wrap' that fits around the engagement ring.

It's easy to get a ring size by swiping another one of your sweetie's rings and taking it to the jeweler.
That's the best and safest thing to do... swipe a ring of hers. My now-fiance had NO IDEA I was going to propose and I wanted to make it a total shock to her. There was no way I was bringing her with me to shop for a ring... and I forgot to swipe a ring from her small collection... but luckily I guessed her finger size correctly (jewelers have something for you to compare with) and she's a happy camper (I was relieved). The place I went to also manufactures their own rings... so it was easy to re-fit if it didn't work out the first time.
 

SCSIfreek

Diamond Member
Mar 3, 2000
3,216
0
0
Originally posted by: ActPrincess
Originally posted by: rh71
Originally posted by: Saltin
When you do decide to marry your girl, do it right and buy the best ring you can afford. That might be 2 months salary, it might be 2 weeks.
You don't want to cheap out on things like this. A little secret; "every girl wants a nice ring".
Finally, when you do get engaged, people are going to look at the ring, and they are going to judge you based on that ring. It sucks, but it's true. If you buy a nice one, not only will you're girl love you, her friends will too.
To some, it may not matter what friends (or their girl's friends) think about them. I personally agree with you... it matters a lot more than guys may think, even if they say otherwise. My fiance is the sweetest girl and NEVER even wears jewelry or brand name expensive clothes. But a nice ring made her the object of jealousy among her friends for a long while... and I was happy I was able to put her in that situation.

You guys got it EXACLTY right. I tip my hat to your knowing what women want:D

That is exactly what I'm going through. :( although I have saved enough for the ring but I'm a little hesitant in dropping 10K+ on a ring :D. We'll see what happens.


--Scsi

 

Shagger

Golden Member
Feb 12, 2001
1,046
0
0
Rubies are rarer than diamonds but because of the artificial shortages imposed by DeBeers the price of a diamond is higher...
 

KokomoGST

Diamond Member
Nov 13, 2001
3,758
0
0
Originally posted by: rh71
Originally posted by: BooneRebel
Originally posted by: acidvoodoo
when you buy the ring for your wife, does she come along and choose? Dont you have to get her finger measured etc

and don't you buy a ring for yourself? i thought the idea was you both wear the same ring to show eternal love or something?
There are usually two rings. The engagement ring has the WOW! stone on it, and then a separate wedding band worn after the cermony. In many cases today, the wedding band is a 'wrap' that fits around the engagement ring.

It's easy to get a ring size by swiping another one of your sweetie's rings and taking it to the jeweler.
That's the best and safest thing to do... swipe a ring of hers. My now-fiance had NO IDEA I was going to propose and I wanted to make it a total shock to her. There was no way I was bringing her with me to shop for a ring... and I forgot to swipe a ring from her small collection... but luckily I guessed her finger size correctly (jewelers have something for you to compare with) and she's a happy camper (I was relieved). The place I went to also manufactures their own rings... so it was easy to re-fit if it didn't work out the first time.

I thought it was a common practice to take someone they know, ie sister/mom/best friend, shopping with you for the ring since they would know the ring size and prolly something that they would be happy with. Most people I know don't get the wedding band "wrap" for the engagement ring since it's just not practical to be wearing a big rock all the time.

I have to agree that the whole DeBeers thing is a big turnoff... who ever said you needed diamonds in an engagement ring? DeBeers!! while diamonds are a beautiful gem, like someone else said, rubies are rarer. I recall that some emeralds are also more expensive, especially ones with rich deep color. I'm sure some of you out there can buy a fairly gigantic stone with 3 months salary. So large as to be uncomfortable for some women to wear because its so pricey.
 

rh71

No Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
52,853
1,048
126
Originally posted by: SCSIfreek
Originally posted by: ActPrincess
Originally posted by: rh71
Originally posted by: Saltin
When you do decide to marry your girl, do it right and buy the best ring you can afford. That might be 2 months salary, it might be 2 weeks.
You don't want to cheap out on things like this. A little secret; "every girl wants a nice ring".
Finally, when you do get engaged, people are going to look at the ring, and they are going to judge you based on that ring. It sucks, but it's true. If you buy a nice one, not only will you're girl love you, her friends will too.
To some, it may not matter what friends (or their girl's friends) think about them. I personally agree with you... it matters a lot more than guys may think, even if they say otherwise. My fiance is the sweetest girl and NEVER even wears jewelry or brand name expensive clothes. But a nice ring made her the object of jealousy among her friends for a long while... and I was happy I was able to put her in that situation.

You guys got it EXACLTY right. I tip my hat to your knowing what women want:D

That is exactly what I'm going through. :( although I have saved enough for the ring but I'm a little hesitant in dropping 10K+ on a ring :D. We'll see what happens.


--Scsi
$10k gets you close to 2.0 carats and that rock is HUGE. Depends on your lady's hand size... but I don' think 2.0 carats is a good fit for anybody.
 

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
You'd need a gun to my throat before I blew 3 months salary on a piece of metal and diamond, and damn the woman who'd make her fiance do otherwise.
 

TallBill

Lifer
Apr 29, 2001
46,044
62
91
spending that much on a ring is rediculous.. With 10,000 bucks, you can buy a cheaper ring, go on a 7 day cruise, and still put a down payment on a car.
 

dirtboy

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
6,745
1
81
Originally posted by: Saltin
If you buy a nice one, not only will you're girl love you, her friends will too.

Yea, because the "friends" will tell their boyfriends/fiancee's that they must buy a ring of equal size and worth. Pfffft. I think that's stupd. If my woman won't be happy with a simple band, then she won't be my wife. :) Believe me, it doesn't end with the ring. It starts with the ring, then it will be a big house, an expensive car, etc.
 

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,145
10
81
sheesh 3 months salery? me and my wife went out and she picked out her ring. The one we got her was like $900

she was a school teacher. she didnt want a huge one that could get stolen.

Im lucky in the fact that my wife dont like to wear jewlery nor does she care to wear expensive clothes.

If a women wont except the ring you can afford and needs a $3000+ ring then maybe you need to get a diffrent wife/girlfriend.


 

dirtboy

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
6,745
1
81
Originally posted by: uncJIGGA
Why can't our wives be like us and just wait for an upgrade later on?

hahaha Because they know we'll spend the money on computer parts, cars and electronics instead of them. :)
 

dirtboy

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
6,745
1
81
Originally posted by: waggy
If a women wont except the ring you can afford and needs a $3000+ ring then maybe you need to get a diffrent wife/girlfriend.

Well said. Even though I am not planning on getting married again in the near (or far) future, I am really happy that my gf doesn't care much about jewelry and expensive diamonds. :)
 

Saltin

Platinum Member
Jul 21, 2001
2,175
0
0
Neither DeBeer's, nor your local jeweler, can tell you whether the diamond you are buying has come from a 'good' place or a 'bad' place. DeBeer's admitted to as much on the last 60 minutes show I saw regarding Sierra Leone. Unless you're the guy with the pick & hardhat, you have no guarantee where the stone is coming from.

That's simply not true. While it is generally agreed that no one can determine the origin of a diamond from its physical makeup (i.e just by examining it), many diamonds are tracked from the mine through the manufacturing/cutting process. You can insist on a diamond that is certified from a certain location, it's not uncommon at all for people to do this based on the ethical problems surrounding diamonds.

Many diamonds are marked with lasers before they are set as well, and often the mark will identify the origin of the stone.


A good example is Spence Diamonds in Southern Ontario, anyone from Toronto I'm sure you have heard of them. While I wasnt impressed with the store or the prices, all of thier diamonds are Canadian, CERTIFIED.

There are choices.
 

Vic

Elite Member
Jun 12, 2001
50,415
14,303
136
Originally posted by: Skoorb
You'd need a gun to my throat before I blew 3 months salary on a piece of metal and diamond, and damn the woman who'd make her fiance do otherwise.
Same here. I think the 2 (or 3) months salary gimmic is bullsh!t. There should NEVER be a pricetag on love. I would dump like a stone any woman who would ever demand that I buy her something to "prove my love."
Also, I refuse to EVER buy any diamond. They are, in fact, nearly worthless (as jewelry, they do have some value for industrial uses) and not rare at all. Only the DeBeers monopoly, combined with massive marketing over the past 100 years, keeps the price of diamonds outrageously inflated.
That said, when the time came, I bought my long-time GF a very nice emerald ring. Emeralds, unlike diamonds, actually are rare and precious stones, and (IMO) more beautiful as well. And because there is no monopoly control on emeralds, they cost less too.
 

Kadarin

Lifer
Nov 23, 2001
44,303
15
81
Originally posted by: Geekbabe
Well,the kind of women I hang out with are far more likely to be ohhing and ahing over the quality of the man I'm marrying rather than some stupid ring I could easily buy for myself,but then that's just me:)

Ah, but I wish more women could be like you. As ActPrincess points out, for the vast majority of women, it's all about a woman's status amongst her friends; the expensive ring the visible indicator that she was good enough to attract and snare the wealthy alpha-male. Invariably, after hearing "I just got engaged!", the next statement is "let's see the ring!" which the woman then proudly shows off.