Jeth 0 #51 March 2, 2005 Quote A wedding band really stands for something, but I think the whole engagement ring scam is a crock. The diamond brokers, who work for the thugs that run Debeers, will tell you that it is an investment...that's BS, it's a gift. What a waste... never again. I do see it as an investment. We bought my ring 6 years ago and recently it was appraised for almost $1000 more than we paid. Its too bad that yours was never worn. I totally thought about that before we picked one out, I wanted to make sure it was one I could wear every day. I guess its just personal feelings. Since I intend on keeping mine forever and passing it down to my heirs, and it has appreciated in value, it was well worth what we paid for it."At 13,000 feet nothing else matters." PFRX!!!!! Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109 My Jump Site Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
livendive 8 #52 March 2, 2005 My ex gave me a diamond "promise ring", i.e. she said it meant she promised to say yes whenever I got around to proposing. I never did, (though I did come close enough to ask and receive her dad's permission), but kind of liked the sentiment. FWIW, I think the sentiment was "Here's something nice that shows I love you and has the added benefit of marking you as 'taken' should any other women get any ideas." It was kind of sweet. Blues, Dave"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jeth 0 #53 March 2, 2005 QuoteQuoteI love my ring. But yes, it is a bit crazy that my husband's ring only cost $300 whereas mine cost over $3k. Quote $3K!!!!! Sweet Jesus, did it come with a parachute? Actually, my rig only cost $1700, and that came with 2 parachutes! "At 13,000 feet nothing else matters." PFRX!!!!! Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109 My Jump Site Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Buried 0 #54 March 2, 2005 some women like to brag. as do some guys.. I sure hope it's insured. Maybe she's expecting to Pawn it after the divorce Where is my fizzy-lifting drink? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites rehmwa 2 #55 March 2, 2005 My wife likes a ring. So she has a really nice one (and band - OJ, I won't tell you what it's worth so you don't pass out). If she didn't like them, then I wouldn't care. I don't like jewelry of any kind for men or women, frankly I think it's real waste and detracts from someone's appearance. For me - With jumping and climbing, I consider a ring a version of a snag factor - and rarely wear that $50 band at all. Mostly it's in my cup holder in the truck. We just got it because that was how it was done. But the ring has nothing to do with marriage. "Symbols" are a poor substitute for children, communication, emotional attachment, and physical attraction. ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites OrangeJumper 0 #56 March 2, 2005 QuoteQuoteQuoteI love my ring. But yes, it is a bit crazy that my husband's ring only cost $300 whereas mine cost over $3k. Quote $3K!!!!! Sweet Jesus, did it come with a parachute? Actually, my rig only cost $1700, and that came with 2 parachutes! See, you could have almost paid for two rigs. Where is your damn priorities? The Original Cabana Boy! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Jeth 0 #57 March 2, 2005 Quotesome women like to brag. as do some guys.. I sure hope it's insured. Maybe she's expecting to Pawn it after the divorce I'm not bragging! I have definitely seen plenty of rings much more worthy of bragging about. But its mine, my wonderful husband gave it to me, and I love it. (Yes, it is insured.)"At 13,000 feet nothing else matters." PFRX!!!!! Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109 My Jump Site Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Jeth 0 #58 March 2, 2005 QuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteI love my ring. But yes, it is a bit crazy that my husband's ring only cost $300 whereas mine cost over $3k. Quote $3K!!!!! Sweet Jesus, did it come with a parachute? Actually, my rig only cost $1700, and that came with 2 parachutes! See, you could have almost paid for two rigs. Where is your damn priorities? Well I had to have both. That's my priority. "At 13,000 feet nothing else matters." PFRX!!!!! Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109 My Jump Site Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Buried 0 #59 March 2, 2005 Jeth - 3k aint that bad for a ring.. I was talking about the 10k one Orange was replying to Where is my fizzy-lifting drink? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Brains 2 #60 March 2, 2005 QuoteOuch! Nah, she's just a wee little thing, here, poke her with a stick and see what happens. Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites ryoder 1,410 #61 March 2, 2005 QuoteI said I don't like diamonds... Not much of a 'shopper' though actually... I think I'm in love. Several posters have made reference to diamonds being a scam, but no one provided backup material. Here is an article that spells it out: http://www.princeton.edu/~amoroz/2004/11/have-you-ever-tried-to-sell-diamond.html"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites livendive 8 #62 March 2, 2005 QuoteQuoteI'm just curious...why does it matter so much that the ring have a certain price or value? Good question. The ring you recieved has family and traditional value. I wanted a ring that would be something that we might be proud to give a son (and him be proud to have to give) to give a women someday and their son to give another women. I wanted something that had value that could become a family harelum. Not only that but I wanted to get her the best I could, I wanted to do even more since she didn't care if I used a simple gold band. Just like I do now and just like I want to do for the rest of our lives, I have a strong desire to simply provide and do the best I can for her and for our future children. Hopefully that all makes sense. With the Depression just tailing off and the minimal pay of an enlisted man, my grandfather couldn't afford anything more than a simple gold band for my grandmother. His mom(my great grandmother), who'd immigrated here and was just learning the language couldn't tolerate that and spent every dime she had available to buy her daughter-in-law a diamond ring. It's very simple and worth very little in monetary terms, but it's in my possession and earmarked for the possibility of a marriage in my future. I definitely want to keep it in the family, but at the same time would want to buy my bride something nicer, so if that day ever comes I'll likely have it torn down and incorporated into a new, nicer ring. I think that would nicely tie together a family heirloom, a symbol of the success we've managed over a couple generations, and a token of love for whoever that lucky woman might be. Blues, Dave"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Jeth 0 #63 March 2, 2005 QuoteJeth - 3k aint that bad for a ring.. I was talking about the 10k one Orange was replying to Thats good. I was thinkin the same thing. "At 13,000 feet nothing else matters." PFRX!!!!! Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109 My Jump Site Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Buried 0 #64 March 2, 2005 QuoteQuoteJeth - 3k aint that bad for a ring.. I was talking about the 10k one Orange was replying to Thats good. I was thinkin the same thing. with that said, I'll trade you my ring for yours. I found mine in a box of cracker jacks Where is my fizzy-lifting drink? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Thanatos340 1 #65 March 2, 2005 Yep. Good Article. For those who care here are a Few Highlights: 1. Diamonds are NOT rare stones. 2. The "Diamond" Engagement Ring was a Marketing Scheme from De Beers started in the early 1930`s to help them dump their over abundance of these otherwise worthless stones. By your Fiance a House (What most people spend on an engagement ring would make a good start on the down payment). A Much Better Investment in the future. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites ACMESkydiver 0 #66 March 2, 2005 QuoteI said I don't like diamonds. I actually love russian alexandrite and some other alternatives. I just have a need to be unique. Not much of a 'shopper' though actually. Guess that makes me weird too. I don't like shopping either...EXCEPT for bright, shiny things...~Jaye Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites craichead 0 #67 March 2, 2005 QuoteBy your Fiance a House (What most people spend on an engagement ring would make a good start on the down payment). A Much Better Investment in the future. Yup, that's what AndyMan and I did! Well, not a house, but a new condo. The money he could've spent on my engagement ring, we spent on really nice upgrades. _Pm__ "Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites GTAVercetti 0 #68 March 2, 2005 Quote DaBeers has done such an unbelievable job in marketing their useless stones and convinced people that they have throw away such ridiculous amounts of money on something so useless at time in a couple’s life where they usually really need that money to get a good start in life. Funny how the diamond ring was not even an important item until the diamond industry had an AD CAMPAIGN telling people it was important. I think expensive rings are silly. If you need money to show how much you care, something is off. I wrote this once: I was driving back from PA yesterday when I heard it again: the diamond commercial. Although I heard it in PA, it seems that these commercials have invaded the DC area. When I used to get up in the morning and turn on the radio I would hear the dreaded "go to www.wherethediamonds" blah blah blah. See what I did there? I am not going to put their goddamn website on my blog. Why? Cause I hate them and their desire to perpetuate the idea that woman NEED a diamond to live. And the funny thing is is that woman don't ever say that this materialistic item is unneeded even though you think that they would want to negate the sterotype that all women want is money. No, in fact, they go right along with it. First, lets talk about the diamond as an engagement ring. To most of us, this is the only thing we have known to symbolize this momentous occasion. Indeed, most can't even conceive anything else. After all, the diamond engagement ring has a long and storied history filled with symbols and deep meanings, going back in time to....1939. That is fucking right, the diamond engagement gained its popularity in the 30's. And how did this happen? Was it some superstar wedding or perhaps the union of two heirs of royalty? Nope, it was a goddamn advertising compaign. Welcome to America. Check it out yourself at Engagement Ring History. And even research it yourself if you want, but it is truth. The whole idea of the diamond engagement ring is a little over sixty fucking years old and was orchastrated by the son of the De Beers diamond empire. Which leads me to my next point. De Beers. The international name in diamonds. They control nearly 80% of the diamonds in the world. Though a few years ago, it was nearly 100%. So what does this mean? To anyone with ANY knowledge of monopolies, you can see where I am going with this. You can guarantee that De Beers hads warehouses upon warehouses of diamonds that they hold back to inflate prices. De Beers has been under US Antintrust indictment for years. ANd what is reall ybeing done about it? Not a damn thing because Americans love and need their diamonds. And all because of an advertising campaign. Out of the BILLIONS of dollars in diamond sales in the world in 2002, almost half were sold in the US. And half of that? Rappers and the hip-hop world. And half of that again is for Puffy's diamond encrusted toilet. Ya gotta have yo bling bling ya know? But seriously, you can see how effective this advertising campaign was back in the day. We bought it carat, facet, and sparkle. And for god's sake, don't listen when anyone tells you that cubic zirconia is a good imitation. They must be liars! I mean, it is really easy to tell one piece of shiny carbon from a piece of Zirconium Oxide. Oh wait, its not. Not only is fine quality zirconia cheaper than diamonds, but it has a hardness 8.5. For those unfamiliar with Moh's hardness scale, the diamond is the top with a score of 10. So you see that cubic zirconia is nearly as hard as a diamond. Not to mention that to the naked eye, fine zirconia cannot be distiguished from diamond. So, if you run in a circle of friends who always wear their jeweler glasses, I would say go with the diamond. Otherwise, a peice of zirconia will look just as shiny and pretty and will be alot cheaper....allowing you to take that Carnival cruise you had your eye on. Finally, to wrap this up, lets examine the reaction to an engagement ring. If you are a guy and you bust out a proposal (and I hope to god it is not over a box of McNuggets), and she is disappointed with the ring, perhaps you both should examine exactly why you are together. Is it love or money? If it is the latter, you may want to reconsider the whole marriage thing. I mean really, here is an item that concievably she will wear for the rest of her life. Why the hell would you worry about its value? It is meant to be a symbol. Its not like she is going to take down to the pawn shop in five years to see how much she can get. Unless she has a nasty smack habit by then, and then, you guys have more worries than I can deal with right now. Buying an engagement ring is not like buying property in NoVa. You shouldn't be worrying about the resell value ( the ring not the house, cause with the hot market around here, you should DEFINITELY worry about your house's resale, cause people, we are talking mad bank). Instead, you should be overjoyed with the emotion and meaning BEHIND that ring. The union, the love, the desire to be with someone for your WHOLE LIFE. So here is the thing: If you are breaking your back trying to afford a ring for your girlfriend. If you are eating balony sammiches so she can have a shiny, sparkling peice of compress carbon (the most ABUNDANT element in the world by the way), stop. Money is not a sign of love. If she loves you, she will not care. And if she loves you, she will not want you breaking the bank for a little piece of jewelry. If you cannot afford it, go another route. All over the world engagements are done differently. Different stones are used in different lands. Some don't even use rings at all. Find something you like and do it. Be different. Don't let a measly 60 some frickin years tell you what to do. Tradition does not mean its right. And tell those guys on the diamond commercials to go fuck themselves....from me.Why yes, my license number is a palindrome. Thank you for noticing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Buried 0 #69 March 2, 2005 Quote I don't like shopping either...EXCEPT for bright, shiny things... like knives?!? Where is my fizzy-lifting drink? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites BillyVance 34 #70 March 2, 2005 I did get one from my wife in a strange double-surprise proposal one X-mas... I had one ready for her too and didn't know she was going to pop the same ? to me... It was one of those typical men's gold rings with a broad flat top and smooth flat onyx stone set in with a tiny diamond."Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites AndyMan 7 #71 March 2, 2005 I have a similar story. Forgive me, because this is long. After dating Craichead for more than a few months, we ended up visiting my parents over the Easter holidays. The point of the trip was primarily for the two of us to enjoy some time traveling together, but it also served to introduce her to my family. Towards the end of the long weekend, my mother pulled me aside and handed me her late mother’s ring, on the slim chance that I might need it. Both my grandparents grew up on the farm in southwestern Ontario, and came from very humble origins. Nobody got rich working the farm back then. Life was hard, even in the good times. When the depression hit, my grandparents hit the road, and traveled to Toronto where my grandfather hoped he could find work. He eventually did, as a school teacher. With barely a dime in his pocket, living in a new city, at a job that barely paid at all during the depression, he managed to scrape together enough to buy a ring to propose to his girlfriend. To say the ring was humble would be the understatement of the century. A white gold ring with three miniscule "stones", I use that term loosely because the "stones" have more in common with grains of sand, than real diamonds. She accepted his proposition, and they married. He worked hard as a teacher, and prospered. Gradually he'd make "department head", then Vice-principle, and eventually became the principle of a handful of well respected Toronto schools. They had two children - two girls, one of which is my mother. They had a great life together, and in the 60's started traveling abroad once jet-airplanes became common. I remember when they took out life-insurance policies before their trip to Japan in the 70's, because they had trouble understanding how a plane could really fly that far safely. Once he was more successful, and they had more cash, they chose (as some here have suggested), that they "upgrade" the ring. They did in fact to that, and they replaced the ring with barely 3 grains of sand with one with a single solitary, but much larger stone. Of course all things are relative, and by today’s standards the "Much Larger" stone is still quite small. About .25K, it's the kind of stone that jewelers today use as ornaments around a larger stone. When my mother handed me the ring, she also gave me appraisal papers from the 70's which show the ring was worth $300. Jewelry appraisals being what they are, that means it probably would have sold for $150 on the street. After my mother gave it to me, I took it to a jeweler and wondered about its current value, and they informed me they might give me a $100 discount on a new ring if I traded in. The moral of this tangent is simple: gems do NOT appreciate in value. In 30 years, the street value was basically unchanged - even despite the effects of inflation. This means they lose financial value over time. Anyways, to get back on track, that's the ring I gave my girlfriend, when she became my fiancée. I would have happily given her the smaller ring with the miniscule diamonds, and I know she still would have accepted. I gave her the larger one because it was the ring my grandmother loved, and it was the one my mother and aunt knew. I know that when we have our kids together, one of them might be so lucky to be offered the original ring, and someday our grandkids might be offered the second ring. I hope they don't choose to "upgrade" their rings. The diamond merchants have done wonders of advertising by convincing millions of people to buy bigger and bigger otherwise worthless stones each year, presumably so they'll turn down the "free" rings from relatives. If this continues, I think we'll be seeing the "Hope Diamond" as the new standard in a generation or two. Last month, Craichead and I closed on, then moved into our first home together, a condo in downtown Chicago. Partly because of the money we didn't spend on lavish rings for our wedding, we were able to do significant upgrades to our home, like high end appliances, cabinets and hardwood floors. Additionally, we've got the same heirlooms to pass on as someone who bought an inexpensive ring today. The rings were never expensive; they were always humble for the periods they were purchased. They're still great heirlooms. That's the thing about the pieces of history that gets passed down; they don't have to be expensive to be meaningful. _Am__ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites livendive 8 #72 March 2, 2005 QuoteTowards the end of the long weekend, my mother pulled me aside and handed me her late mother’s ring, on the slim chance that I might need it. Heh heh...My girlfriend and I were on the other side of the state, visiting my family, and my mom asked me to go get a yard of beauty bark and spread it around at my grandmother's house before heading home. I asked my gf to go inside and visit with grandma so she wouldn't come out and try to help. Well, she must have done an awesome job, because when I got inside she was seated on the floor in front of my grandmother and my grandmother asked me to sit down next to her. Grandma then started crying a little, explained the history behind the ring, handed it to me, and said "I think you can find something good to do with this"....right in front of my girlfriend! Talk about putting a little pressure on the 4 hour drive home. LOL Blues, Dave"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites ryoder 1,410 #73 March 2, 2005 QuoteYep. Good Article. For those who care here are a Few Highlights: 1. Diamonds are NOT rare stones. 2. The "Diamond" Engagement Ring was a Marketing Scheme from De Beers started in the early 1930`s to help them dump their over abundance of these otherwise worthless stones. By your Fiance a House (What most people spend on an engagement ring would make a good start on the down payment). A Much Better Investment in the future. And something else to think about is that in the past year, two different companies have developed two different processes to manufacture real diamonds. I have seen articles about this in Wired Magazine, as well as TV news shows. This has DeBeers running scared. The only way to distinguish the man-made ones from natural ones: The man-made ones are perfect, while the natural ones have tiny flaws."There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites bobsled92 0 #74 March 2, 2005 I wore a Cladough ring during my engagement and on the wedding day SHE wore it as the "something borrowed"._______________________________ If I could be a Super Hero, I chose to be: "GRANT-A-CLAUS". and work 365 days a Year. http://www.hangout.no/speednews/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites skycat 0 #75 March 2, 2005 QuoteQuoteOuch! Nah, she's just a wee little thing, here, poke her with a stick and see what happens. Bring it on......I have snowboarding video to torture you with. Fly it like you stole it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 3 4 Next Page 3 of 4 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. 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Buried 0 #54 March 2, 2005 some women like to brag. as do some guys.. I sure hope it's insured. Maybe she's expecting to Pawn it after the divorce Where is my fizzy-lifting drink? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rehmwa 2 #55 March 2, 2005 My wife likes a ring. So she has a really nice one (and band - OJ, I won't tell you what it's worth so you don't pass out). If she didn't like them, then I wouldn't care. I don't like jewelry of any kind for men or women, frankly I think it's real waste and detracts from someone's appearance. For me - With jumping and climbing, I consider a ring a version of a snag factor - and rarely wear that $50 band at all. Mostly it's in my cup holder in the truck. We just got it because that was how it was done. But the ring has nothing to do with marriage. "Symbols" are a poor substitute for children, communication, emotional attachment, and physical attraction. ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OrangeJumper 0 #56 March 2, 2005 QuoteQuoteQuoteI love my ring. But yes, it is a bit crazy that my husband's ring only cost $300 whereas mine cost over $3k. Quote $3K!!!!! Sweet Jesus, did it come with a parachute? Actually, my rig only cost $1700, and that came with 2 parachutes! See, you could have almost paid for two rigs. Where is your damn priorities? The Original Cabana Boy! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Jeth 0 #57 March 2, 2005 Quotesome women like to brag. as do some guys.. I sure hope it's insured. Maybe she's expecting to Pawn it after the divorce I'm not bragging! I have definitely seen plenty of rings much more worthy of bragging about. But its mine, my wonderful husband gave it to me, and I love it. (Yes, it is insured.)"At 13,000 feet nothing else matters." PFRX!!!!! Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109 My Jump Site Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Jeth 0 #58 March 2, 2005 QuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteI love my ring. But yes, it is a bit crazy that my husband's ring only cost $300 whereas mine cost over $3k. Quote $3K!!!!! Sweet Jesus, did it come with a parachute? Actually, my rig only cost $1700, and that came with 2 parachutes! See, you could have almost paid for two rigs. Where is your damn priorities? Well I had to have both. That's my priority. "At 13,000 feet nothing else matters." PFRX!!!!! Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109 My Jump Site Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Buried 0 #59 March 2, 2005 Jeth - 3k aint that bad for a ring.. I was talking about the 10k one Orange was replying to Where is my fizzy-lifting drink? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Brains 2 #60 March 2, 2005 QuoteOuch! Nah, she's just a wee little thing, here, poke her with a stick and see what happens. Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites ryoder 1,410 #61 March 2, 2005 QuoteI said I don't like diamonds... Not much of a 'shopper' though actually... I think I'm in love. Several posters have made reference to diamonds being a scam, but no one provided backup material. Here is an article that spells it out: http://www.princeton.edu/~amoroz/2004/11/have-you-ever-tried-to-sell-diamond.html"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites livendive 8 #62 March 2, 2005 QuoteQuoteI'm just curious...why does it matter so much that the ring have a certain price or value? Good question. The ring you recieved has family and traditional value. I wanted a ring that would be something that we might be proud to give a son (and him be proud to have to give) to give a women someday and their son to give another women. I wanted something that had value that could become a family harelum. Not only that but I wanted to get her the best I could, I wanted to do even more since she didn't care if I used a simple gold band. Just like I do now and just like I want to do for the rest of our lives, I have a strong desire to simply provide and do the best I can for her and for our future children. Hopefully that all makes sense. With the Depression just tailing off and the minimal pay of an enlisted man, my grandfather couldn't afford anything more than a simple gold band for my grandmother. His mom(my great grandmother), who'd immigrated here and was just learning the language couldn't tolerate that and spent every dime she had available to buy her daughter-in-law a diamond ring. It's very simple and worth very little in monetary terms, but it's in my possession and earmarked for the possibility of a marriage in my future. I definitely want to keep it in the family, but at the same time would want to buy my bride something nicer, so if that day ever comes I'll likely have it torn down and incorporated into a new, nicer ring. I think that would nicely tie together a family heirloom, a symbol of the success we've managed over a couple generations, and a token of love for whoever that lucky woman might be. Blues, Dave"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Jeth 0 #63 March 2, 2005 QuoteJeth - 3k aint that bad for a ring.. I was talking about the 10k one Orange was replying to Thats good. I was thinkin the same thing. "At 13,000 feet nothing else matters." PFRX!!!!! Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109 My Jump Site Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Buried 0 #64 March 2, 2005 QuoteQuoteJeth - 3k aint that bad for a ring.. I was talking about the 10k one Orange was replying to Thats good. I was thinkin the same thing. with that said, I'll trade you my ring for yours. I found mine in a box of cracker jacks Where is my fizzy-lifting drink? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Thanatos340 1 #65 March 2, 2005 Yep. Good Article. For those who care here are a Few Highlights: 1. Diamonds are NOT rare stones. 2. The "Diamond" Engagement Ring was a Marketing Scheme from De Beers started in the early 1930`s to help them dump their over abundance of these otherwise worthless stones. By your Fiance a House (What most people spend on an engagement ring would make a good start on the down payment). A Much Better Investment in the future. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites ACMESkydiver 0 #66 March 2, 2005 QuoteI said I don't like diamonds. I actually love russian alexandrite and some other alternatives. I just have a need to be unique. Not much of a 'shopper' though actually. Guess that makes me weird too. I don't like shopping either...EXCEPT for bright, shiny things...~Jaye Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites craichead 0 #67 March 2, 2005 QuoteBy your Fiance a House (What most people spend on an engagement ring would make a good start on the down payment). A Much Better Investment in the future. Yup, that's what AndyMan and I did! Well, not a house, but a new condo. The money he could've spent on my engagement ring, we spent on really nice upgrades. _Pm__ "Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites GTAVercetti 0 #68 March 2, 2005 Quote DaBeers has done such an unbelievable job in marketing their useless stones and convinced people that they have throw away such ridiculous amounts of money on something so useless at time in a couple’s life where they usually really need that money to get a good start in life. Funny how the diamond ring was not even an important item until the diamond industry had an AD CAMPAIGN telling people it was important. I think expensive rings are silly. If you need money to show how much you care, something is off. I wrote this once: I was driving back from PA yesterday when I heard it again: the diamond commercial. Although I heard it in PA, it seems that these commercials have invaded the DC area. When I used to get up in the morning and turn on the radio I would hear the dreaded "go to www.wherethediamonds" blah blah blah. See what I did there? I am not going to put their goddamn website on my blog. Why? Cause I hate them and their desire to perpetuate the idea that woman NEED a diamond to live. And the funny thing is is that woman don't ever say that this materialistic item is unneeded even though you think that they would want to negate the sterotype that all women want is money. No, in fact, they go right along with it. First, lets talk about the diamond as an engagement ring. To most of us, this is the only thing we have known to symbolize this momentous occasion. Indeed, most can't even conceive anything else. After all, the diamond engagement ring has a long and storied history filled with symbols and deep meanings, going back in time to....1939. That is fucking right, the diamond engagement gained its popularity in the 30's. And how did this happen? Was it some superstar wedding or perhaps the union of two heirs of royalty? Nope, it was a goddamn advertising compaign. Welcome to America. Check it out yourself at Engagement Ring History. And even research it yourself if you want, but it is truth. The whole idea of the diamond engagement ring is a little over sixty fucking years old and was orchastrated by the son of the De Beers diamond empire. Which leads me to my next point. De Beers. The international name in diamonds. They control nearly 80% of the diamonds in the world. Though a few years ago, it was nearly 100%. So what does this mean? To anyone with ANY knowledge of monopolies, you can see where I am going with this. You can guarantee that De Beers hads warehouses upon warehouses of diamonds that they hold back to inflate prices. De Beers has been under US Antintrust indictment for years. ANd what is reall ybeing done about it? Not a damn thing because Americans love and need their diamonds. And all because of an advertising campaign. Out of the BILLIONS of dollars in diamond sales in the world in 2002, almost half were sold in the US. And half of that? Rappers and the hip-hop world. And half of that again is for Puffy's diamond encrusted toilet. Ya gotta have yo bling bling ya know? But seriously, you can see how effective this advertising campaign was back in the day. We bought it carat, facet, and sparkle. And for god's sake, don't listen when anyone tells you that cubic zirconia is a good imitation. They must be liars! I mean, it is really easy to tell one piece of shiny carbon from a piece of Zirconium Oxide. Oh wait, its not. Not only is fine quality zirconia cheaper than diamonds, but it has a hardness 8.5. For those unfamiliar with Moh's hardness scale, the diamond is the top with a score of 10. So you see that cubic zirconia is nearly as hard as a diamond. Not to mention that to the naked eye, fine zirconia cannot be distiguished from diamond. So, if you run in a circle of friends who always wear their jeweler glasses, I would say go with the diamond. Otherwise, a peice of zirconia will look just as shiny and pretty and will be alot cheaper....allowing you to take that Carnival cruise you had your eye on. Finally, to wrap this up, lets examine the reaction to an engagement ring. If you are a guy and you bust out a proposal (and I hope to god it is not over a box of McNuggets), and she is disappointed with the ring, perhaps you both should examine exactly why you are together. Is it love or money? If it is the latter, you may want to reconsider the whole marriage thing. I mean really, here is an item that concievably she will wear for the rest of her life. Why the hell would you worry about its value? It is meant to be a symbol. Its not like she is going to take down to the pawn shop in five years to see how much she can get. Unless she has a nasty smack habit by then, and then, you guys have more worries than I can deal with right now. Buying an engagement ring is not like buying property in NoVa. You shouldn't be worrying about the resell value ( the ring not the house, cause with the hot market around here, you should DEFINITELY worry about your house's resale, cause people, we are talking mad bank). Instead, you should be overjoyed with the emotion and meaning BEHIND that ring. The union, the love, the desire to be with someone for your WHOLE LIFE. So here is the thing: If you are breaking your back trying to afford a ring for your girlfriend. If you are eating balony sammiches so she can have a shiny, sparkling peice of compress carbon (the most ABUNDANT element in the world by the way), stop. Money is not a sign of love. If she loves you, she will not care. And if she loves you, she will not want you breaking the bank for a little piece of jewelry. If you cannot afford it, go another route. All over the world engagements are done differently. Different stones are used in different lands. Some don't even use rings at all. Find something you like and do it. Be different. Don't let a measly 60 some frickin years tell you what to do. Tradition does not mean its right. And tell those guys on the diamond commercials to go fuck themselves....from me.Why yes, my license number is a palindrome. Thank you for noticing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Buried 0 #69 March 2, 2005 Quote I don't like shopping either...EXCEPT for bright, shiny things... like knives?!? Where is my fizzy-lifting drink? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites BillyVance 34 #70 March 2, 2005 I did get one from my wife in a strange double-surprise proposal one X-mas... I had one ready for her too and didn't know she was going to pop the same ? to me... It was one of those typical men's gold rings with a broad flat top and smooth flat onyx stone set in with a tiny diamond."Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites AndyMan 7 #71 March 2, 2005 I have a similar story. Forgive me, because this is long. After dating Craichead for more than a few months, we ended up visiting my parents over the Easter holidays. The point of the trip was primarily for the two of us to enjoy some time traveling together, but it also served to introduce her to my family. Towards the end of the long weekend, my mother pulled me aside and handed me her late mother’s ring, on the slim chance that I might need it. Both my grandparents grew up on the farm in southwestern Ontario, and came from very humble origins. Nobody got rich working the farm back then. Life was hard, even in the good times. When the depression hit, my grandparents hit the road, and traveled to Toronto where my grandfather hoped he could find work. He eventually did, as a school teacher. With barely a dime in his pocket, living in a new city, at a job that barely paid at all during the depression, he managed to scrape together enough to buy a ring to propose to his girlfriend. To say the ring was humble would be the understatement of the century. A white gold ring with three miniscule "stones", I use that term loosely because the "stones" have more in common with grains of sand, than real diamonds. She accepted his proposition, and they married. He worked hard as a teacher, and prospered. Gradually he'd make "department head", then Vice-principle, and eventually became the principle of a handful of well respected Toronto schools. They had two children - two girls, one of which is my mother. They had a great life together, and in the 60's started traveling abroad once jet-airplanes became common. I remember when they took out life-insurance policies before their trip to Japan in the 70's, because they had trouble understanding how a plane could really fly that far safely. Once he was more successful, and they had more cash, they chose (as some here have suggested), that they "upgrade" the ring. They did in fact to that, and they replaced the ring with barely 3 grains of sand with one with a single solitary, but much larger stone. Of course all things are relative, and by today’s standards the "Much Larger" stone is still quite small. About .25K, it's the kind of stone that jewelers today use as ornaments around a larger stone. When my mother handed me the ring, she also gave me appraisal papers from the 70's which show the ring was worth $300. Jewelry appraisals being what they are, that means it probably would have sold for $150 on the street. After my mother gave it to me, I took it to a jeweler and wondered about its current value, and they informed me they might give me a $100 discount on a new ring if I traded in. The moral of this tangent is simple: gems do NOT appreciate in value. In 30 years, the street value was basically unchanged - even despite the effects of inflation. This means they lose financial value over time. Anyways, to get back on track, that's the ring I gave my girlfriend, when she became my fiancée. I would have happily given her the smaller ring with the miniscule diamonds, and I know she still would have accepted. I gave her the larger one because it was the ring my grandmother loved, and it was the one my mother and aunt knew. I know that when we have our kids together, one of them might be so lucky to be offered the original ring, and someday our grandkids might be offered the second ring. I hope they don't choose to "upgrade" their rings. The diamond merchants have done wonders of advertising by convincing millions of people to buy bigger and bigger otherwise worthless stones each year, presumably so they'll turn down the "free" rings from relatives. If this continues, I think we'll be seeing the "Hope Diamond" as the new standard in a generation or two. Last month, Craichead and I closed on, then moved into our first home together, a condo in downtown Chicago. Partly because of the money we didn't spend on lavish rings for our wedding, we were able to do significant upgrades to our home, like high end appliances, cabinets and hardwood floors. Additionally, we've got the same heirlooms to pass on as someone who bought an inexpensive ring today. The rings were never expensive; they were always humble for the periods they were purchased. They're still great heirlooms. That's the thing about the pieces of history that gets passed down; they don't have to be expensive to be meaningful. _Am__ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites livendive 8 #72 March 2, 2005 QuoteTowards the end of the long weekend, my mother pulled me aside and handed me her late mother’s ring, on the slim chance that I might need it. Heh heh...My girlfriend and I were on the other side of the state, visiting my family, and my mom asked me to go get a yard of beauty bark and spread it around at my grandmother's house before heading home. I asked my gf to go inside and visit with grandma so she wouldn't come out and try to help. Well, she must have done an awesome job, because when I got inside she was seated on the floor in front of my grandmother and my grandmother asked me to sit down next to her. Grandma then started crying a little, explained the history behind the ring, handed it to me, and said "I think you can find something good to do with this"....right in front of my girlfriend! Talk about putting a little pressure on the 4 hour drive home. LOL Blues, Dave"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites ryoder 1,410 #73 March 2, 2005 QuoteYep. Good Article. For those who care here are a Few Highlights: 1. Diamonds are NOT rare stones. 2. The "Diamond" Engagement Ring was a Marketing Scheme from De Beers started in the early 1930`s to help them dump their over abundance of these otherwise worthless stones. By your Fiance a House (What most people spend on an engagement ring would make a good start on the down payment). A Much Better Investment in the future. And something else to think about is that in the past year, two different companies have developed two different processes to manufacture real diamonds. I have seen articles about this in Wired Magazine, as well as TV news shows. This has DeBeers running scared. The only way to distinguish the man-made ones from natural ones: The man-made ones are perfect, while the natural ones have tiny flaws."There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites bobsled92 0 #74 March 2, 2005 I wore a Cladough ring during my engagement and on the wedding day SHE wore it as the "something borrowed"._______________________________ If I could be a Super Hero, I chose to be: "GRANT-A-CLAUS". and work 365 days a Year. http://www.hangout.no/speednews/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites skycat 0 #75 March 2, 2005 QuoteQuoteOuch! Nah, she's just a wee little thing, here, poke her with a stick and see what happens. Bring it on......I have snowboarding video to torture you with. Fly it like you stole it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 3 4 Next Page 3 of 4 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. Insert image from URL × Desktop Tablet Phone Submit Reply 0 Go To Topic Listing
Jeth 0 #57 March 2, 2005 Quotesome women like to brag. as do some guys.. I sure hope it's insured. Maybe she's expecting to Pawn it after the divorce I'm not bragging! I have definitely seen plenty of rings much more worthy of bragging about. But its mine, my wonderful husband gave it to me, and I love it. (Yes, it is insured.)"At 13,000 feet nothing else matters." PFRX!!!!! Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109 My Jump Site Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jeth 0 #58 March 2, 2005 QuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteI love my ring. But yes, it is a bit crazy that my husband's ring only cost $300 whereas mine cost over $3k. Quote $3K!!!!! Sweet Jesus, did it come with a parachute? Actually, my rig only cost $1700, and that came with 2 parachutes! See, you could have almost paid for two rigs. Where is your damn priorities? Well I had to have both. That's my priority. "At 13,000 feet nothing else matters." PFRX!!!!! Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109 My Jump Site Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Buried 0 #59 March 2, 2005 Jeth - 3k aint that bad for a ring.. I was talking about the 10k one Orange was replying to Where is my fizzy-lifting drink? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Brains 2 #60 March 2, 2005 QuoteOuch! Nah, she's just a wee little thing, here, poke her with a stick and see what happens. Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites ryoder 1,410 #61 March 2, 2005 QuoteI said I don't like diamonds... Not much of a 'shopper' though actually... I think I'm in love. Several posters have made reference to diamonds being a scam, but no one provided backup material. Here is an article that spells it out: http://www.princeton.edu/~amoroz/2004/11/have-you-ever-tried-to-sell-diamond.html"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites livendive 8 #62 March 2, 2005 QuoteQuoteI'm just curious...why does it matter so much that the ring have a certain price or value? Good question. The ring you recieved has family and traditional value. I wanted a ring that would be something that we might be proud to give a son (and him be proud to have to give) to give a women someday and their son to give another women. I wanted something that had value that could become a family harelum. Not only that but I wanted to get her the best I could, I wanted to do even more since she didn't care if I used a simple gold band. Just like I do now and just like I want to do for the rest of our lives, I have a strong desire to simply provide and do the best I can for her and for our future children. Hopefully that all makes sense. With the Depression just tailing off and the minimal pay of an enlisted man, my grandfather couldn't afford anything more than a simple gold band for my grandmother. His mom(my great grandmother), who'd immigrated here and was just learning the language couldn't tolerate that and spent every dime she had available to buy her daughter-in-law a diamond ring. It's very simple and worth very little in monetary terms, but it's in my possession and earmarked for the possibility of a marriage in my future. I definitely want to keep it in the family, but at the same time would want to buy my bride something nicer, so if that day ever comes I'll likely have it torn down and incorporated into a new, nicer ring. I think that would nicely tie together a family heirloom, a symbol of the success we've managed over a couple generations, and a token of love for whoever that lucky woman might be. Blues, Dave"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Jeth 0 #63 March 2, 2005 QuoteJeth - 3k aint that bad for a ring.. I was talking about the 10k one Orange was replying to Thats good. I was thinkin the same thing. "At 13,000 feet nothing else matters." PFRX!!!!! Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109 My Jump Site Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Buried 0 #64 March 2, 2005 QuoteQuoteJeth - 3k aint that bad for a ring.. I was talking about the 10k one Orange was replying to Thats good. I was thinkin the same thing. with that said, I'll trade you my ring for yours. I found mine in a box of cracker jacks Where is my fizzy-lifting drink? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Thanatos340 1 #65 March 2, 2005 Yep. Good Article. For those who care here are a Few Highlights: 1. Diamonds are NOT rare stones. 2. The "Diamond" Engagement Ring was a Marketing Scheme from De Beers started in the early 1930`s to help them dump their over abundance of these otherwise worthless stones. By your Fiance a House (What most people spend on an engagement ring would make a good start on the down payment). A Much Better Investment in the future. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites ACMESkydiver 0 #66 March 2, 2005 QuoteI said I don't like diamonds. I actually love russian alexandrite and some other alternatives. I just have a need to be unique. Not much of a 'shopper' though actually. Guess that makes me weird too. I don't like shopping either...EXCEPT for bright, shiny things...~Jaye Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites craichead 0 #67 March 2, 2005 QuoteBy your Fiance a House (What most people spend on an engagement ring would make a good start on the down payment). A Much Better Investment in the future. Yup, that's what AndyMan and I did! Well, not a house, but a new condo. The money he could've spent on my engagement ring, we spent on really nice upgrades. _Pm__ "Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites GTAVercetti 0 #68 March 2, 2005 Quote DaBeers has done such an unbelievable job in marketing their useless stones and convinced people that they have throw away such ridiculous amounts of money on something so useless at time in a couple’s life where they usually really need that money to get a good start in life. Funny how the diamond ring was not even an important item until the diamond industry had an AD CAMPAIGN telling people it was important. I think expensive rings are silly. If you need money to show how much you care, something is off. I wrote this once: I was driving back from PA yesterday when I heard it again: the diamond commercial. Although I heard it in PA, it seems that these commercials have invaded the DC area. When I used to get up in the morning and turn on the radio I would hear the dreaded "go to www.wherethediamonds" blah blah blah. See what I did there? I am not going to put their goddamn website on my blog. Why? Cause I hate them and their desire to perpetuate the idea that woman NEED a diamond to live. And the funny thing is is that woman don't ever say that this materialistic item is unneeded even though you think that they would want to negate the sterotype that all women want is money. No, in fact, they go right along with it. First, lets talk about the diamond as an engagement ring. To most of us, this is the only thing we have known to symbolize this momentous occasion. Indeed, most can't even conceive anything else. After all, the diamond engagement ring has a long and storied history filled with symbols and deep meanings, going back in time to....1939. That is fucking right, the diamond engagement gained its popularity in the 30's. And how did this happen? Was it some superstar wedding or perhaps the union of two heirs of royalty? Nope, it was a goddamn advertising compaign. Welcome to America. Check it out yourself at Engagement Ring History. And even research it yourself if you want, but it is truth. The whole idea of the diamond engagement ring is a little over sixty fucking years old and was orchastrated by the son of the De Beers diamond empire. Which leads me to my next point. De Beers. The international name in diamonds. They control nearly 80% of the diamonds in the world. Though a few years ago, it was nearly 100%. So what does this mean? To anyone with ANY knowledge of monopolies, you can see where I am going with this. You can guarantee that De Beers hads warehouses upon warehouses of diamonds that they hold back to inflate prices. De Beers has been under US Antintrust indictment for years. ANd what is reall ybeing done about it? Not a damn thing because Americans love and need their diamonds. And all because of an advertising campaign. Out of the BILLIONS of dollars in diamond sales in the world in 2002, almost half were sold in the US. And half of that? Rappers and the hip-hop world. And half of that again is for Puffy's diamond encrusted toilet. Ya gotta have yo bling bling ya know? But seriously, you can see how effective this advertising campaign was back in the day. We bought it carat, facet, and sparkle. And for god's sake, don't listen when anyone tells you that cubic zirconia is a good imitation. They must be liars! I mean, it is really easy to tell one piece of shiny carbon from a piece of Zirconium Oxide. Oh wait, its not. Not only is fine quality zirconia cheaper than diamonds, but it has a hardness 8.5. For those unfamiliar with Moh's hardness scale, the diamond is the top with a score of 10. So you see that cubic zirconia is nearly as hard as a diamond. Not to mention that to the naked eye, fine zirconia cannot be distiguished from diamond. So, if you run in a circle of friends who always wear their jeweler glasses, I would say go with the diamond. Otherwise, a peice of zirconia will look just as shiny and pretty and will be alot cheaper....allowing you to take that Carnival cruise you had your eye on. Finally, to wrap this up, lets examine the reaction to an engagement ring. If you are a guy and you bust out a proposal (and I hope to god it is not over a box of McNuggets), and she is disappointed with the ring, perhaps you both should examine exactly why you are together. Is it love or money? If it is the latter, you may want to reconsider the whole marriage thing. I mean really, here is an item that concievably she will wear for the rest of her life. Why the hell would you worry about its value? It is meant to be a symbol. Its not like she is going to take down to the pawn shop in five years to see how much she can get. Unless she has a nasty smack habit by then, and then, you guys have more worries than I can deal with right now. Buying an engagement ring is not like buying property in NoVa. You shouldn't be worrying about the resell value ( the ring not the house, cause with the hot market around here, you should DEFINITELY worry about your house's resale, cause people, we are talking mad bank). Instead, you should be overjoyed with the emotion and meaning BEHIND that ring. The union, the love, the desire to be with someone for your WHOLE LIFE. So here is the thing: If you are breaking your back trying to afford a ring for your girlfriend. If you are eating balony sammiches so she can have a shiny, sparkling peice of compress carbon (the most ABUNDANT element in the world by the way), stop. Money is not a sign of love. If she loves you, she will not care. And if she loves you, she will not want you breaking the bank for a little piece of jewelry. If you cannot afford it, go another route. All over the world engagements are done differently. Different stones are used in different lands. Some don't even use rings at all. Find something you like and do it. Be different. Don't let a measly 60 some frickin years tell you what to do. Tradition does not mean its right. And tell those guys on the diamond commercials to go fuck themselves....from me.Why yes, my license number is a palindrome. Thank you for noticing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Buried 0 #69 March 2, 2005 Quote I don't like shopping either...EXCEPT for bright, shiny things... like knives?!? Where is my fizzy-lifting drink? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites BillyVance 34 #70 March 2, 2005 I did get one from my wife in a strange double-surprise proposal one X-mas... I had one ready for her too and didn't know she was going to pop the same ? to me... It was one of those typical men's gold rings with a broad flat top and smooth flat onyx stone set in with a tiny diamond."Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites AndyMan 7 #71 March 2, 2005 I have a similar story. Forgive me, because this is long. After dating Craichead for more than a few months, we ended up visiting my parents over the Easter holidays. The point of the trip was primarily for the two of us to enjoy some time traveling together, but it also served to introduce her to my family. Towards the end of the long weekend, my mother pulled me aside and handed me her late mother’s ring, on the slim chance that I might need it. Both my grandparents grew up on the farm in southwestern Ontario, and came from very humble origins. Nobody got rich working the farm back then. Life was hard, even in the good times. When the depression hit, my grandparents hit the road, and traveled to Toronto where my grandfather hoped he could find work. He eventually did, as a school teacher. With barely a dime in his pocket, living in a new city, at a job that barely paid at all during the depression, he managed to scrape together enough to buy a ring to propose to his girlfriend. To say the ring was humble would be the understatement of the century. A white gold ring with three miniscule "stones", I use that term loosely because the "stones" have more in common with grains of sand, than real diamonds. She accepted his proposition, and they married. He worked hard as a teacher, and prospered. Gradually he'd make "department head", then Vice-principle, and eventually became the principle of a handful of well respected Toronto schools. They had two children - two girls, one of which is my mother. They had a great life together, and in the 60's started traveling abroad once jet-airplanes became common. I remember when they took out life-insurance policies before their trip to Japan in the 70's, because they had trouble understanding how a plane could really fly that far safely. Once he was more successful, and they had more cash, they chose (as some here have suggested), that they "upgrade" the ring. They did in fact to that, and they replaced the ring with barely 3 grains of sand with one with a single solitary, but much larger stone. Of course all things are relative, and by today’s standards the "Much Larger" stone is still quite small. About .25K, it's the kind of stone that jewelers today use as ornaments around a larger stone. When my mother handed me the ring, she also gave me appraisal papers from the 70's which show the ring was worth $300. Jewelry appraisals being what they are, that means it probably would have sold for $150 on the street. After my mother gave it to me, I took it to a jeweler and wondered about its current value, and they informed me they might give me a $100 discount on a new ring if I traded in. The moral of this tangent is simple: gems do NOT appreciate in value. In 30 years, the street value was basically unchanged - even despite the effects of inflation. This means they lose financial value over time. Anyways, to get back on track, that's the ring I gave my girlfriend, when she became my fiancée. I would have happily given her the smaller ring with the miniscule diamonds, and I know she still would have accepted. I gave her the larger one because it was the ring my grandmother loved, and it was the one my mother and aunt knew. I know that when we have our kids together, one of them might be so lucky to be offered the original ring, and someday our grandkids might be offered the second ring. I hope they don't choose to "upgrade" their rings. The diamond merchants have done wonders of advertising by convincing millions of people to buy bigger and bigger otherwise worthless stones each year, presumably so they'll turn down the "free" rings from relatives. If this continues, I think we'll be seeing the "Hope Diamond" as the new standard in a generation or two. Last month, Craichead and I closed on, then moved into our first home together, a condo in downtown Chicago. Partly because of the money we didn't spend on lavish rings for our wedding, we were able to do significant upgrades to our home, like high end appliances, cabinets and hardwood floors. Additionally, we've got the same heirlooms to pass on as someone who bought an inexpensive ring today. The rings were never expensive; they were always humble for the periods they were purchased. They're still great heirlooms. That's the thing about the pieces of history that gets passed down; they don't have to be expensive to be meaningful. _Am__ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites livendive 8 #72 March 2, 2005 QuoteTowards the end of the long weekend, my mother pulled me aside and handed me her late mother’s ring, on the slim chance that I might need it. Heh heh...My girlfriend and I were on the other side of the state, visiting my family, and my mom asked me to go get a yard of beauty bark and spread it around at my grandmother's house before heading home. I asked my gf to go inside and visit with grandma so she wouldn't come out and try to help. Well, she must have done an awesome job, because when I got inside she was seated on the floor in front of my grandmother and my grandmother asked me to sit down next to her. Grandma then started crying a little, explained the history behind the ring, handed it to me, and said "I think you can find something good to do with this"....right in front of my girlfriend! Talk about putting a little pressure on the 4 hour drive home. LOL Blues, Dave"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites ryoder 1,410 #73 March 2, 2005 QuoteYep. Good Article. For those who care here are a Few Highlights: 1. Diamonds are NOT rare stones. 2. The "Diamond" Engagement Ring was a Marketing Scheme from De Beers started in the early 1930`s to help them dump their over abundance of these otherwise worthless stones. By your Fiance a House (What most people spend on an engagement ring would make a good start on the down payment). A Much Better Investment in the future. And something else to think about is that in the past year, two different companies have developed two different processes to manufacture real diamonds. I have seen articles about this in Wired Magazine, as well as TV news shows. This has DeBeers running scared. The only way to distinguish the man-made ones from natural ones: The man-made ones are perfect, while the natural ones have tiny flaws."There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites bobsled92 0 #74 March 2, 2005 I wore a Cladough ring during my engagement and on the wedding day SHE wore it as the "something borrowed"._______________________________ If I could be a Super Hero, I chose to be: "GRANT-A-CLAUS". and work 365 days a Year. http://www.hangout.no/speednews/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites skycat 0 #75 March 2, 2005 QuoteQuoteOuch! Nah, she's just a wee little thing, here, poke her with a stick and see what happens. Bring it on......I have snowboarding video to torture you with. Fly it like you stole it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 3 4 Next Page 3 of 4 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. Insert image from URL × Desktop Tablet Phone Submit Reply 0 Go To Topic Listing
Buried 0 #59 March 2, 2005 Jeth - 3k aint that bad for a ring.. I was talking about the 10k one Orange was replying to Where is my fizzy-lifting drink? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brains 2 #60 March 2, 2005 QuoteOuch! Nah, she's just a wee little thing, here, poke her with a stick and see what happens. Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ryoder 1,410 #61 March 2, 2005 QuoteI said I don't like diamonds... Not much of a 'shopper' though actually... I think I'm in love. Several posters have made reference to diamonds being a scam, but no one provided backup material. Here is an article that spells it out: http://www.princeton.edu/~amoroz/2004/11/have-you-ever-tried-to-sell-diamond.html"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
livendive 8 #62 March 2, 2005 QuoteQuoteI'm just curious...why does it matter so much that the ring have a certain price or value? Good question. The ring you recieved has family and traditional value. I wanted a ring that would be something that we might be proud to give a son (and him be proud to have to give) to give a women someday and their son to give another women. I wanted something that had value that could become a family harelum. Not only that but I wanted to get her the best I could, I wanted to do even more since she didn't care if I used a simple gold band. Just like I do now and just like I want to do for the rest of our lives, I have a strong desire to simply provide and do the best I can for her and for our future children. Hopefully that all makes sense. With the Depression just tailing off and the minimal pay of an enlisted man, my grandfather couldn't afford anything more than a simple gold band for my grandmother. His mom(my great grandmother), who'd immigrated here and was just learning the language couldn't tolerate that and spent every dime she had available to buy her daughter-in-law a diamond ring. It's very simple and worth very little in monetary terms, but it's in my possession and earmarked for the possibility of a marriage in my future. I definitely want to keep it in the family, but at the same time would want to buy my bride something nicer, so if that day ever comes I'll likely have it torn down and incorporated into a new, nicer ring. I think that would nicely tie together a family heirloom, a symbol of the success we've managed over a couple generations, and a token of love for whoever that lucky woman might be. Blues, Dave"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jeth 0 #63 March 2, 2005 QuoteJeth - 3k aint that bad for a ring.. I was talking about the 10k one Orange was replying to Thats good. I was thinkin the same thing. "At 13,000 feet nothing else matters." PFRX!!!!! Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109 My Jump Site Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Buried 0 #64 March 2, 2005 QuoteQuoteJeth - 3k aint that bad for a ring.. I was talking about the 10k one Orange was replying to Thats good. I was thinkin the same thing. with that said, I'll trade you my ring for yours. I found mine in a box of cracker jacks Where is my fizzy-lifting drink? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thanatos340 1 #65 March 2, 2005 Yep. Good Article. For those who care here are a Few Highlights: 1. Diamonds are NOT rare stones. 2. The "Diamond" Engagement Ring was a Marketing Scheme from De Beers started in the early 1930`s to help them dump their over abundance of these otherwise worthless stones. By your Fiance a House (What most people spend on an engagement ring would make a good start on the down payment). A Much Better Investment in the future. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ACMESkydiver 0 #66 March 2, 2005 QuoteI said I don't like diamonds. I actually love russian alexandrite and some other alternatives. I just have a need to be unique. Not much of a 'shopper' though actually. Guess that makes me weird too. I don't like shopping either...EXCEPT for bright, shiny things...~Jaye Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
craichead 0 #67 March 2, 2005 QuoteBy your Fiance a House (What most people spend on an engagement ring would make a good start on the down payment). A Much Better Investment in the future. Yup, that's what AndyMan and I did! Well, not a house, but a new condo. The money he could've spent on my engagement ring, we spent on really nice upgrades. _Pm__ "Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GTAVercetti 0 #68 March 2, 2005 Quote DaBeers has done such an unbelievable job in marketing their useless stones and convinced people that they have throw away such ridiculous amounts of money on something so useless at time in a couple’s life where they usually really need that money to get a good start in life. Funny how the diamond ring was not even an important item until the diamond industry had an AD CAMPAIGN telling people it was important. I think expensive rings are silly. If you need money to show how much you care, something is off. I wrote this once: I was driving back from PA yesterday when I heard it again: the diamond commercial. Although I heard it in PA, it seems that these commercials have invaded the DC area. When I used to get up in the morning and turn on the radio I would hear the dreaded "go to www.wherethediamonds" blah blah blah. See what I did there? I am not going to put their goddamn website on my blog. Why? Cause I hate them and their desire to perpetuate the idea that woman NEED a diamond to live. And the funny thing is is that woman don't ever say that this materialistic item is unneeded even though you think that they would want to negate the sterotype that all women want is money. No, in fact, they go right along with it. First, lets talk about the diamond as an engagement ring. To most of us, this is the only thing we have known to symbolize this momentous occasion. Indeed, most can't even conceive anything else. After all, the diamond engagement ring has a long and storied history filled with symbols and deep meanings, going back in time to....1939. That is fucking right, the diamond engagement gained its popularity in the 30's. And how did this happen? Was it some superstar wedding or perhaps the union of two heirs of royalty? Nope, it was a goddamn advertising compaign. Welcome to America. Check it out yourself at Engagement Ring History. And even research it yourself if you want, but it is truth. The whole idea of the diamond engagement ring is a little over sixty fucking years old and was orchastrated by the son of the De Beers diamond empire. Which leads me to my next point. De Beers. The international name in diamonds. They control nearly 80% of the diamonds in the world. Though a few years ago, it was nearly 100%. So what does this mean? To anyone with ANY knowledge of monopolies, you can see where I am going with this. You can guarantee that De Beers hads warehouses upon warehouses of diamonds that they hold back to inflate prices. De Beers has been under US Antintrust indictment for years. ANd what is reall ybeing done about it? Not a damn thing because Americans love and need their diamonds. And all because of an advertising campaign. Out of the BILLIONS of dollars in diamond sales in the world in 2002, almost half were sold in the US. And half of that? Rappers and the hip-hop world. And half of that again is for Puffy's diamond encrusted toilet. Ya gotta have yo bling bling ya know? But seriously, you can see how effective this advertising campaign was back in the day. We bought it carat, facet, and sparkle. And for god's sake, don't listen when anyone tells you that cubic zirconia is a good imitation. They must be liars! I mean, it is really easy to tell one piece of shiny carbon from a piece of Zirconium Oxide. Oh wait, its not. Not only is fine quality zirconia cheaper than diamonds, but it has a hardness 8.5. For those unfamiliar with Moh's hardness scale, the diamond is the top with a score of 10. So you see that cubic zirconia is nearly as hard as a diamond. Not to mention that to the naked eye, fine zirconia cannot be distiguished from diamond. So, if you run in a circle of friends who always wear their jeweler glasses, I would say go with the diamond. Otherwise, a peice of zirconia will look just as shiny and pretty and will be alot cheaper....allowing you to take that Carnival cruise you had your eye on. Finally, to wrap this up, lets examine the reaction to an engagement ring. If you are a guy and you bust out a proposal (and I hope to god it is not over a box of McNuggets), and she is disappointed with the ring, perhaps you both should examine exactly why you are together. Is it love or money? If it is the latter, you may want to reconsider the whole marriage thing. I mean really, here is an item that concievably she will wear for the rest of her life. Why the hell would you worry about its value? It is meant to be a symbol. Its not like she is going to take down to the pawn shop in five years to see how much she can get. Unless she has a nasty smack habit by then, and then, you guys have more worries than I can deal with right now. Buying an engagement ring is not like buying property in NoVa. You shouldn't be worrying about the resell value ( the ring not the house, cause with the hot market around here, you should DEFINITELY worry about your house's resale, cause people, we are talking mad bank). Instead, you should be overjoyed with the emotion and meaning BEHIND that ring. The union, the love, the desire to be with someone for your WHOLE LIFE. So here is the thing: If you are breaking your back trying to afford a ring for your girlfriend. If you are eating balony sammiches so she can have a shiny, sparkling peice of compress carbon (the most ABUNDANT element in the world by the way), stop. Money is not a sign of love. If she loves you, she will not care. And if she loves you, she will not want you breaking the bank for a little piece of jewelry. If you cannot afford it, go another route. All over the world engagements are done differently. Different stones are used in different lands. Some don't even use rings at all. Find something you like and do it. Be different. Don't let a measly 60 some frickin years tell you what to do. Tradition does not mean its right. And tell those guys on the diamond commercials to go fuck themselves....from me.Why yes, my license number is a palindrome. Thank you for noticing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Buried 0 #69 March 2, 2005 Quote I don't like shopping either...EXCEPT for bright, shiny things... like knives?!? Where is my fizzy-lifting drink? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #70 March 2, 2005 I did get one from my wife in a strange double-surprise proposal one X-mas... I had one ready for her too and didn't know she was going to pop the same ? to me... It was one of those typical men's gold rings with a broad flat top and smooth flat onyx stone set in with a tiny diamond."Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyMan 7 #71 March 2, 2005 I have a similar story. Forgive me, because this is long. After dating Craichead for more than a few months, we ended up visiting my parents over the Easter holidays. The point of the trip was primarily for the two of us to enjoy some time traveling together, but it also served to introduce her to my family. Towards the end of the long weekend, my mother pulled me aside and handed me her late mother’s ring, on the slim chance that I might need it. Both my grandparents grew up on the farm in southwestern Ontario, and came from very humble origins. Nobody got rich working the farm back then. Life was hard, even in the good times. When the depression hit, my grandparents hit the road, and traveled to Toronto where my grandfather hoped he could find work. He eventually did, as a school teacher. With barely a dime in his pocket, living in a new city, at a job that barely paid at all during the depression, he managed to scrape together enough to buy a ring to propose to his girlfriend. To say the ring was humble would be the understatement of the century. A white gold ring with three miniscule "stones", I use that term loosely because the "stones" have more in common with grains of sand, than real diamonds. She accepted his proposition, and they married. He worked hard as a teacher, and prospered. Gradually he'd make "department head", then Vice-principle, and eventually became the principle of a handful of well respected Toronto schools. They had two children - two girls, one of which is my mother. They had a great life together, and in the 60's started traveling abroad once jet-airplanes became common. I remember when they took out life-insurance policies before their trip to Japan in the 70's, because they had trouble understanding how a plane could really fly that far safely. Once he was more successful, and they had more cash, they chose (as some here have suggested), that they "upgrade" the ring. They did in fact to that, and they replaced the ring with barely 3 grains of sand with one with a single solitary, but much larger stone. Of course all things are relative, and by today’s standards the "Much Larger" stone is still quite small. About .25K, it's the kind of stone that jewelers today use as ornaments around a larger stone. When my mother handed me the ring, she also gave me appraisal papers from the 70's which show the ring was worth $300. Jewelry appraisals being what they are, that means it probably would have sold for $150 on the street. After my mother gave it to me, I took it to a jeweler and wondered about its current value, and they informed me they might give me a $100 discount on a new ring if I traded in. The moral of this tangent is simple: gems do NOT appreciate in value. In 30 years, the street value was basically unchanged - even despite the effects of inflation. This means they lose financial value over time. Anyways, to get back on track, that's the ring I gave my girlfriend, when she became my fiancée. I would have happily given her the smaller ring with the miniscule diamonds, and I know she still would have accepted. I gave her the larger one because it was the ring my grandmother loved, and it was the one my mother and aunt knew. I know that when we have our kids together, one of them might be so lucky to be offered the original ring, and someday our grandkids might be offered the second ring. I hope they don't choose to "upgrade" their rings. The diamond merchants have done wonders of advertising by convincing millions of people to buy bigger and bigger otherwise worthless stones each year, presumably so they'll turn down the "free" rings from relatives. If this continues, I think we'll be seeing the "Hope Diamond" as the new standard in a generation or two. Last month, Craichead and I closed on, then moved into our first home together, a condo in downtown Chicago. Partly because of the money we didn't spend on lavish rings for our wedding, we were able to do significant upgrades to our home, like high end appliances, cabinets and hardwood floors. Additionally, we've got the same heirlooms to pass on as someone who bought an inexpensive ring today. The rings were never expensive; they were always humble for the periods they were purchased. They're still great heirlooms. That's the thing about the pieces of history that gets passed down; they don't have to be expensive to be meaningful. _Am__ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
livendive 8 #72 March 2, 2005 QuoteTowards the end of the long weekend, my mother pulled me aside and handed me her late mother’s ring, on the slim chance that I might need it. Heh heh...My girlfriend and I were on the other side of the state, visiting my family, and my mom asked me to go get a yard of beauty bark and spread it around at my grandmother's house before heading home. I asked my gf to go inside and visit with grandma so she wouldn't come out and try to help. Well, she must have done an awesome job, because when I got inside she was seated on the floor in front of my grandmother and my grandmother asked me to sit down next to her. Grandma then started crying a little, explained the history behind the ring, handed it to me, and said "I think you can find something good to do with this"....right in front of my girlfriend! Talk about putting a little pressure on the 4 hour drive home. LOL Blues, Dave"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ryoder 1,410 #73 March 2, 2005 QuoteYep. Good Article. For those who care here are a Few Highlights: 1. Diamonds are NOT rare stones. 2. The "Diamond" Engagement Ring was a Marketing Scheme from De Beers started in the early 1930`s to help them dump their over abundance of these otherwise worthless stones. By your Fiance a House (What most people spend on an engagement ring would make a good start on the down payment). A Much Better Investment in the future. And something else to think about is that in the past year, two different companies have developed two different processes to manufacture real diamonds. I have seen articles about this in Wired Magazine, as well as TV news shows. This has DeBeers running scared. The only way to distinguish the man-made ones from natural ones: The man-made ones are perfect, while the natural ones have tiny flaws."There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bobsled92 0 #74 March 2, 2005 I wore a Cladough ring during my engagement and on the wedding day SHE wore it as the "something borrowed"._______________________________ If I could be a Super Hero, I chose to be: "GRANT-A-CLAUS". and work 365 days a Year. http://www.hangout.no/speednews/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skycat 0 #75 March 2, 2005 QuoteQuoteOuch! Nah, she's just a wee little thing, here, poke her with a stick and see what happens. Bring it on......I have snowboarding video to torture you with. Fly it like you stole it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
