Does (diamond) size matter?

[fire&ice]

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On 8/1/2003 12

8:44 AM DoctorZ wrote:

"I guess it depends on how much you love your lady"

Are you suggesting that if I spend $15k, then I love my lady less than if I spend $30k?


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No, No & NO! the notion is ridiculous.

The only time I would see it apply is if *you* had the money; your to be desires a nice ring; & you consciously choose that *her* desire wasn't valid - and you buy some ring for 1k. That senario got to a bigger issue.

Don't get hung up on the amount you *should* spend. Buy a nice ring that both of you would be happy with. Period.

 

[AGBF]

On 8/1/2003 12

8:44 AM DoctorZ wrote to dimonbob:

dimonbob:

"I guess it depends on how much you love your lady"

DoctorZ:

"Are you suggesting that if I spend $15k, then I love my lady less than if I spend $30k?"

Yes, he was. And I am starting to get angry about the stupidity of this, the sheer mercenary quality to the notion that price of ring and love are correlated. As I have posted many times, my engagement ring was a simple (and very delicate) gold band with an oval atop it instead of prongs and a stone. Inside were two one point diamonds. My husband bought it with me *AFTER* he had proposed when we went to Italy so that I could meet his parents. I have no idea of the cost, but I would guess it was a couple of hundred dollars (in 1977).

We are still married 26 years later. He does not spend too much money on "things", but when our daughter or I need something he is there. He pays for her ballet lessons, tap lessons, cello lessons, and pretty clothes. He is there for both our daughter and me when we are sick. He goes to work each day and pays the bills. He is heroic in an everyday way. I didn't need a bigger engagement ring; I do need his steadiness, devotion, and love.

 

[DoctorZ]

Of course it's ridiculous. That's why I quoted DiamondBob of Whiteflash.com. I don't believe for one second that the amount spent tells us how much a guy loves his woman. That's my whole point. Diamondbob of Whiteflash.com would have us believe otherwise. Of course, I don't profit from selling diamonds...

 

[mike04456]

Carat size = love?

I believe Kobe Bryant bought his wife a 7 carat e-ring.

Hmm.

 

[NewlyEngaged]

Doc... Spend whatever you are comfortable with and what you know your future fiance/wife would be comfortable with you spending and with her wearing. When my gf and I first started talking about getting engaged, etc, she said we don't need a ring to get engaged. I am more of a traditionalist than she, so I said that we do. She could care less what the ring is like, big small, expensive or not. She is also more conservative than I. You know your gf best. There is the "status" symbol aspect of making a good buck and being a Doctor that could come into play as well. The book "The Millionaire Next Door" talks about how Doctors and Lawyers are notoriously spending the most on big homes, cars, trips, jewels because people expect that they are wealthy, so many in those professions try to live up to it. I don't get the impression you are trying to do that per se. You are simply trying to justify in your head what to spend. Whether you spend 15k or 150k, doesn't dictate your love. Just go by your gf's style. If you know she loves diamonds and would like a bigger stone, then go shop for a good size, quality stone and see what the cost comes to. Then adjust your choices in rings from there. The two month rule is a guide... I am sure Bill Gates did not spend a billion dollars (two months pay for him) on his wife's e-ring.

 

[Boulder]

I'm curious, what's exactly is this Tiffany dome ring?

 

[rbjd]

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On 8/1/2003 11

6

9 AM SoonToBeEngaged wrote:

The book "The Millionaire Next Door" talks about how Doctors and Lawyers are notoriously spending the most on big homes, cars, trips, jewels because people expect that they are wealthy, so many in those professions try to live up to it. ----------------

I read that book too. And as a lawyer I can tell you there is something of a truth to the idea that you have to appear successful in order to be successful in my profession. My fiancee, on the other hand, works in education, and she fits the profile they list at the beginning of that book to a tee. She would be PISSED if she thought I spent 2 months of salary on a ring. (So I only spent 60% of that). Some women like to SAVE money. The amount I saved will impress my fiancee far more than the amount I spent (which would still get me in trouble if she found out).

And of course, the truest expressions of love have nothing to do with money.

 

[trichrome]

Diamondbob,

Your reply was...hmmm...stupid.

AGBF : I totally agree with you...1000% !!!


By the way, the 2 months rule is so stupid you wont imagine at what point.

Imagine you get 10000$ every month...here in Canada, this means,
you'll have to pay at least 5000$ to the government..

Now you have 5000$ remaining in your pockets...remove from this amount
the bills for home,car,food,clothes, etc.. you have now 2500$ in your pockets...

so 2 months of salary would mean around 5000$ ....the price of a 1ct solitaire
ring... for someone who makes 120.000$US every year....

Now if you make only 60.000$US, the 2months salary "rule" means
that you can afford only a 2500$ ring...

So let's try to be realistic here... a diamond is just a lovely piece of carbon
and some people in the trade just want to put in your head that
money = love = big diamond.

I was so glad when my gf said to me : I dont need a diamond, what is important
for me is all the time you put in finding something you found cute... because
it's coming from your heart...


Love is all,

Diamond is nothing.

And this is what I think

Trichrome.

 

[fire&ice]

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On 8/1/2003 12:19:10 PM trichrome wrote:

Love is all,

Diamond is nothing.

And this is what I think

Trichrome.
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I completely concur - but add the caveat that generousity is a virtue.

I also agree that this two month salary thing is just plain "stupid".

If you really want an answer to how much you should spend, here's mine. $7,800 - 11,000.00. A 1.5 +/- carat H/SI or G/VS2 with a very good make. Not too small/not too big/a quality stone w/o paying for something you don't see.

But, only you know your situation (gf preference coupled w/ your financial situation). If you don't have the +/- 10k to spare (considering your opportunity cost lost), then don't spend it.

There are no rules of engagement except in the military.

 

[aljdewey]

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On 8/1/2003 11

6

9 AM SoonToBeEngaged wrote:

The two month rule is a guide; I am sure Bill Gates did not spend a billion dollars (two months pay for him) on his wife's e-ring.

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SO WELL ANSWERED, I COULD JUST CRY! That's just a perfect answer! Nicely done, Soon!

DoctorZ: the bottom line is this: get what YOU feel comfortable giving her....it will probably exceed her expectations. Your stated budget is MORE than healthy enough to get a beautiful ring that you both can be comfortable with.

Try to avoid the p*nis contest of the two-month thing. It's patently ridiculous.

 

[MichaelF]

Whoa... I could not have said it better... For me, any lady who refuses the ring on account of size just saved me a ton of grief for revealling herself to be the kind of shallow person I would not want to wake up next to... But, the question remains... "Does size matter?" Hmmmm... Uhm... Well... Ah... Perhaps that's a question for a different sort of forum?!?

Michael


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On 8/1/2003 12:19:10 PM trichrome wrote:
I was so glad when my gf said to me : I dont need a diamond, what is important
for me is all the time you put in finding something you found cute... because
it's coming from your heart...


Love is all,

Diamond is nothing.

And this is what I think

Trichrome.----------------

 

[trichrome]

Maybe Leonid will create a new special section to this forum....

Trichrome

 

[AGBF]

Boulder,

You asked what a "dome ring" was. I couldn't find one for sale on the Tiffany website, but found several for sale on ebay. Here is a picture of one.

PS-For a while these were all the rage .

 

[AGBF]

This red dome ring is available at a site called Ruby Lane:

 

[AGBF]

Here is another shot of it:

 

[AGBF]

This is the second shot:

 

[Mara]

My gosh now THAT is gaudy!!! $40k eh? That's a nice big 3c+ solitaire in the real world!

 

[aljdewey]

Yuck. They can keep the dome ring.

I'm with Mara.....that dough would buy a drop-dead beautiful solitaire!

 

[Kamuelamom]

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On 7/31/2003 9:47:49 PM dimonbob wrote:

I guess it depends on how much you love your lady, how much money you are willing to part with for her ring, what she would be confortable with. I spent 4 months salary on my wifes ring and was happy to do it and she loves it. If I made $15K a month, Dr., I would buy her the highest quality and most beautiful diamond I could find with a carat size she would like. And I would not sweat how much it cost. Its not like you are going to be out of work any time soon like other working people. Just my opinion.

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This reeks of DeBeers marketing pressures. Not all diamond sales people are created equal, though. Thank God. I don't think it is for anyone to tell anyone how much they *should* spend on their ering, much less equate it to how much they love their significant other.

 

[AGBF]

To those who say, "Yuck!":

Although I would not have chosen to wear the Tiffany dome ring about which I wrote above, I have to admit that it was lovely. These dome rings of which I posted photos do not come close to the Tiffany ring. It was a very finished looking piece of jewelry that was pleasing to the eye. I posted pictures of dome rings just to show Boulder what they *were*.

 

[AGBF]

This is a dome ring being sold by Cirelli's Fine Jewelry. It does not look like the Tiffany diamond ring, but gives an idea of how dome rings can be constructed. They can be made of gracefully shaped gold with stones (if there are any) placed becomingly. Does anyone have a picture of the ring Tiffany used to sell?