Rings - engagement,wedding
 

Can someone explain how all this stuff works? Does the groom alway buy 2 rings for the woman - or sometimes just a wedding ring? And why can't you just go and get a ring at Target or something for $500 instead of paying 1000s?

This seems like a lot of cash to spend on something so silly. Any websites explain all this crap?

Re: Rings - engagement,wedding
 

You're asking this question on a board where people are also asking:

1. What are the odds of getting HIV through unprotected sex?
2. How can I keep my ass cool at work?
3. Marathon: Harder to run or wheelchair?

Re: Rings - engagement,wedding
 

If you're getting engaged, just worry about the engagement ring for now. You may need to cough up a wedding ring later, but that is somewhere in the middle of a long list of wedding expenses you can worry about later.

You can't get a good diamond for $500. What they sell you at Target is either fake, "manufactured" (i.e. sortof fake), or is just a piece of crap diamond. By crap, that means that it is either structurally weak, seriously flawed, cloudy in sunlight, or just cut poorly so it won't really sparkle. Besides those $500 diamonds are probably grossly overpriced to begin with, they probably are really worth less than $200.

Look at www.bluenile.com, and learn the 4 C's

Re: Rings - engagement,wedding
 

I know some diamonds are better than others. I just never saw the point of jewelry I guess. I mean who cares how clear a diamond is? Who cares if there is some little speck on it that you need a microscope to see? I would like to spend the $ on something we could use, like a flat screen, hi-def TV.

Re: Rings - engagement,wedding
 

[ QUOTE ]
I know some diamonds are better than others. I just never saw the point of jewelry I guess. I mean who cares how clear a diamond is? Who cares if there is some little speck on it that you need a microscope to see? I would like to spend the $ on something we could use, like a flat screen, hi-def TV.

[/ QUOTE ]

Women care.

Re: Rings - engagement,wedding
 

Take a jeweller’s loupe along with you when you go looking for a diamond (a 50mm lens from a 35mm camera reversed makes an excellent substitute). A lot of diamonds offered by big multiples are rubbish, but some of the small independents are actually worse. The multiples have more choice and there are always a few good ones that seem to slip through. Pay special attention to any flaws (milkyness, etc) and inclusions (black spots).

I recently bought my wife a 1 carat pendant – went to about 40 shops before finding a diamond that I would even consider buying. Some of the stuff that’s out there is little better than a lump of coal with a few sparkly bits attached.

ALWAYS GET A DISCOUNT – even the ‘discount’ jewellers work on a minimum of around 275% mark up, so having ruthlessly selected the best that they have to offer, tell them how poor their diamond is and get at least 20% off.