Lab grown diamond engagement ring vs natural?

Savvy_Sue

Of course, it's not just what sort of ring she'd like, but what size to buy! 

I wasn't expecting to have one, because DH didn't have two pennies to rub together when he proposed, and that didn't matter, but a good friend gave him some money for one, so we went out looking together. I recognised 'my' ring as soon as I saw it, and fortunately it wasn't expensive. I still love it, although if I was buying again with my very practical hat on I would have gone for a mount without fancy scroll work along the sides - the side next to my wedding ring is worn smooth, and I knew it would happen because I'd seen similar on my mother's engagement ring. That was a single stone set diagonally on the mount, and wore away so badly at the corner she stopped wearing it. I think mine will see me out! 

DS3 bought a proposal ring for his now wife, and they chose the engagement ring together. I'm not sure she ever wears the first one but they're both lovely. 

No way would I ever want to 'upgrade' my engagement ring! We bought another ring for my 40th birthday, but that's completely different. I know some people get eternity rings with stones all around, I've never fancied one of them. 

Sapindus

Here's an idea.  Get a ring size gauge and put it in a presentation box to give her.  Thus giving the message "we are going to go and buy a ring!"   

Jemma01

Not the best person to answer as I couldn't care less what any one thinks

But I'd want something that would maintain it's value as the years go by for as long as possible, within the available budget.

yorkiechick

I have a lab diamond engagement ring, I love it. You can't tell the difference and no one has asked, only complimented it. 
My fiancee proposed with a haribo ring and we went shopping together. We didn't have a big budget so when we discovered lab grown diamonds, it was a bit of a no brainer.

DigForVictory

We were both green as grass after a wet month. What we didn't know about rings filled sales volumes! We went to the high street <sorry!> and were gawping at rings & I saw a design I liked, marquise stones with dots of diamonds (a "dress ring" technically, not that we knew or cared) & they even had it "in my colour" (& as it turned out size) - and over the many happily married years we found I couldn't shove a hand in a pocket wearing it, it needed replacement stones that had flicked out & reclawing repeatedly. It has a place of honour (& wry affection & amusement - it's still freighted with meaning if the thing is near unwearable in real life) in a box whereas my wedding ring won't come off now without shears. 
I am amused by the idea of a proposal ring. Something simple with metal you could recycle into the ring you both want? Or just communicate with your beloved & throw yourself on her mercy, let her write the proposal scene (you Don't Have to wear the lime green mankini on a frozen pier off Torbay to the applause of an old folks home trip out, after all - let us hope she feels more kindly to you than my wild imagination) and may I wish you a long & happy married life together, regardless of rings, rocks or recollections!

elsamum27

It turns out there is no general consensus! This is a personal thing. When I was asked to marry my first hubby we were very short of pennies. So second hand was my choice, and we visited a local antique store. His taste was appaling and I would never trust him to buy anything for me, but that doesn't mean he didn't love me. We were a partnership and made decisions together. Perhaps it's the feminist in me...

kimwp

My two cents is to not get a joke ring as that could go wrong, but maybe just don't use a ring in your proposal and at some point mention choosing a ring together.

twopenny

Either/or...........or does it have to be a diamond?

The 'Diamonds are forever' is just  marketing slogan from De Beers.

But if the person is to wear it for the rest of their life they have to like it a lot so best to choose together.

My friends who are very ethically concious have wooden wedding rings so not even the chemicals and factories involved.

I was offered a state of the art cooker instead of an engagement ring as 'more useful'.

We didn't get engaged

Emily_Joy

I have very few jewellery items, (and a rather small wardrobe) but I prefer everything I around me to be a real thing. A friend of mine told me many years ago that what matters is the ratio (money spend)/(enjoyment/usage time). A mug of latter for 5GBP to be drank in 30 minutes? Expensive, it's almost 240GBP per day. Engagement ring for 1800GBP to be worn for 50 years? Fine. It it less than 10p per day.  

zagfles

The proposal is an excellent test of compatibility!

I didn't buy a ring to propose, in fact I didn't even plan it. There was no "going down on one knee" and all that sexist rubbish (actually I did afterwards but as a joky thing!). I just got to the point where I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with my girlfriend, and after I'd felt that way for a couple of months, and after a really nice date, I just came out with it and asked her if she felt the same and if she wanted to marry me. The actual proposal was a spur of the moment thing.

We went ring shopping together, and she chose a ring she liked, not based on price, or on the manufacturing process, or what it looked like using a magnifying glasses or specialised equipment (who would ever look at in that way in real life), so who cares what it looks like under a microscope. It's what it looks like worn, with the naked eye, is all that matters.

Quite frankly, if she'd expected me to spend n months salary on a ring, or rejected a ring she liked because it was too cheap, the engagement would have been a pretty short one  The ring she chose was about 2 weeks salary. But that wasn't the issue. Had it been 5 months salary I'd have bought it, if it was based on what she really liked rather than the cost. Though she'd have never let me spend that much!