The most for your money - engagement rings

daisiegg

pinkladyof66 wrote: »

I totally agree i never had an engagement ring i do not know what the hype is all about in spending tons on the ring, when after you get married and have a family you need the money more.

When my mum died i had her engagement ring and if anyone asks this is mine. I personally think it is waste of money spending thousands on a ring.

And I am talking from a womens point of view here too.

Depends how much money you have got. If you don't have to go without anything or get into debt for it then I don't see what's wrong with spending thousands on a ring.

I absolutely LOVE my engagement ring and will treasure it forever. I smiled at the lady on this thread who says she looks at hers at least twice a week and smiles - I must look at mine at least twice an hour and smile! To be fair I have only had it 14 months so maybe that will wear off, but it brings me loads of happiness.

Pollycat

daisiegg wrote: »

Depends how much money you have got. If you don't have to go without anything or get into debt for it then I don't see what's wrong with spending thousands on a ring.

I agree with this.

I didn't have a family after getting married (or before ) so didn't need the money we'd spent on the ring.

daisiegg wrote: »

I absolutely LOVE my engagement ring and will treasure it forever. I smiled at the lady on this thread who says she looks at hers at least twice a week and smiles - I must look at mine at least twice an hour and smile! To be fair I have only had it 14 months so maybe that will wear off, but it brings me loads of happiness.

I've had mine well over 25 years and still love it.:)

burnoutbabe

Gloomendoom wrote: »

Huh?......

well the man spends £000s on a ring for the woman, so what is wrong with the woman spending a few £000 on something the man wants - something long lasting like a watch or painting.

Or are we not in the modern world where women actually have their own money too?

kittykat100

My hubby to be bought mine in the sales after Christmas. Ernst Jones had a sale on diamonds, I got my £1300 ring for £650. I didn't want him spending this much money but he insisted and said I would be wearing if for a lifetime and he wanted me to have something I really loved. (Which I do!). One of the most satisfying things was the ring went back up to full price not long after!

Kittyx

daisiegg

burnoutbabe wrote: »

well the man spends £000s on a ring for the woman, so what is wrong with the woman spending a few £000 on something the man wants - something long lasting like a watch or painting.

Or are we not in the modern world where women actually have their own money too?

I got my DH some white gold cuff links with tiny diamonds in them (tasteful, not tacky!) - I thought he deserved diamonds too

fluffymuffy

I'd be careful not to buy a diamond which has been sold to pay for a war somewhere. Here's the CBBC news on Conflict Diamonds - http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_6290000/newsid_6291300/6291375.stm

Spendless

onlyroz wrote: »

I was bought a new bike instead of an engagement ring. We had a lot of fun choosing it together, deciding on the mud-guards, panniers etc. Very romantic.

That's even less romantic than my mother-in-law who when asked about an engagment ring, asked for a watch instead. Her point was, she;'d be getting a ring a few months later when they married, but she didn't own a watch.:D. They've been married almost 50 years and she's still as practical :T (and still doesn't own an engagment ring afaik)

lilymay1 wrote: »

My first set were nothing special as we were poor when we got engaged. We had been through more as a couple at that point than most people face in a lifetime, and so me the £££ value of a ring was not important.

I have since upgraded because we had the money to waste and I also found a set I really liked.

That's the position we were in too, when we got engaged. When we first came into some cash (from the sale of a property) we also bought a better one.

I don't think there is anything more moneysaving if you want an engagment ring than to use a ring that's already in the family. Look at Prince William! I also believe Camilla's ring originally belonged to the Queen Mother- though I don't know if it was her engagement ring. So I love the idea of you using Great Grans ring and just having a new stone.

Gloomendoom

burnoutbabe wrote: »

well the man spends £000s

Huh?.........

fluffymuffy

Old diamonds tend to be Old-Cut. Which is not as twinkly as the modern computer-cut diamonds. But because there are fewer facets on old-cut diamonds they need to be a higher clarity and better colour. I have a diamond ring from 1842 (so says the hallmark), the diamond might be older and passed down already. It only has a dozen or so facets and looks like a piece of glass - except that you cannot read through it due to the refraction (despite it's clarity), and this is one of the signs it's a genuine diamond. That and the fact that there are no scratches on it after 171 years.

Person_one

burnoutbabe wrote: »

well the man spends £000s on a ring for the woman, so what is wrong with the woman spending a few £000 on something the man wants - something long lasting like a watch or painting.

Or are we not in the modern world where women actually have their own money too?

The modern world where we still don't bat an eyelid at women wearing something to mark them as 'taken'?

Its basically a dowry, nothing modern about the whole thing!