Name Brand Ring? 25c Machine? Which way do you lean?

My friend dragged me into the Tiffany's store to steal glances at the engagement rings...

she asked: "Wouldn't you just be so excited to get your ring from here in one of those blue boxes? Wouldn't it just be the BEST?"

 My immediate response was: "No. In fact I'd be pissed off that he wasted so much extra money on a cardboard box for the ring to arrive in."

Am I crazy? Is she?

What is it about name brand anything that gets people excited??? Would she even be able to pick out a Tiffany's ring out of a lineup? Probably not. I certainly couldn't. I'd probably be happy with a ring from a 25c machine (although maybe something slightly more substantial since I'd be sad if the original broke) 

People are funny to analyze.

Somewhere in between. I was proposed to with the most beautiful ring from Brilliant Earth, who offer conflict free diamonds and recycled precious metals.

The 25 cent gumball ring for me. 

My "engagement" ring was my grandmother's.  It's a 1/4 carat diamond in a nice setting that I have been unable to shake loose.  Given that I have lost stones out of the few nice pieces of jewelry I have had, this says a lot. 

My wedding band is a plain gold band that cost $40.  It was all a couple of teenagers could afford.  But 29 years later I'm still married to the same guy and woulnd't give it up for the world. 

neither.  if the tiffany's ring were 25c, i still wouldn't want it.  engagement rings are awful.

Husband and I got our rings on Ebay for 1/10th the cost of mall stores and probably 1/100th the cost of Tiffany's.

Im with you. If a guy proposed to me with a Tiffany's ring, Id consider it a big red flag that he was super irresponsible with financial decisions.

Original Post by amethystgirl:

Somewhere in between. I was proposed to with the most beautiful ring from Brilliant Earth, who offer conflict free diamonds and recycled precious metals.

oh wow, this site is amazing! i would love a ring from somewhere like that. i can't lie and say i don't want a beautiful engagement ring that people go "ooh!" when they see. but i don't want anything to do with a diamond that comes at the cost of peoples lives.  

i've gotta know, did you hint to your fiance that you wanted a ring from there, or did he figure it out on his own?

NYC's Diamond District.....Nuff said.

I have to admit, I did some looking around (especially because all I could really picture was a "mall store" diamond, which I really don't like - so I started wondering if there was a ring anywhere that I would actually want) - then I found BE, and it not only had diamonds and metal that I wouldn't feel as guilty about having (I know that in a perfect world, it should have been a non-diamond or a reused diamond - but it's the only one I ever intend to own!), but it also had such different designs, so I showed it to him. There's another (Green Karat) but I don't like the settings as much.

We had been talking about marriage for a while, but I knew it wouldn't happen at that point - but I also felt that once he had decided it was time, he wouldn't want to ask my opinion, because that would clue me in that it was coming. I figured I could do some of the leg work, figure out what I wanted, and he'd go from there.

(And if I'm making it seem like I was calm and rational in the year or so before we actually got engaged, it's all a facade. Now I get to focus my obsessions on what shoes I can wear to the wedding that won't kill my feet but will still look "bridal". If anyone wants to help me, I'd love to hear it.)

Hmmm.  Has your friend been watching too much Sex and the City?  Or maybe too much Real Housewives?  I can't make too much fun....I am sometimes guilty of coveting designer things.  My weakness is handbags and shoes. 

Original Post by peaches0405:

 I can't make too much fun....I am sometimes guilty of coveting designer things.  My weakness is handbags and shoes. 

 mine is sunglasses *drools*

but theres a HUGE different in quality between cheapy sunglasses and designer. i feel like with jewelry, Tiffany's is really superior in name only. though they do have some gorgeous things.

Agreed, jules.  Tiffany has never interested me.  Now Jimmy, Louis, Marc and all their friends do speak of quality.  And many of them have some good warranties.  Especially the purses.

My ring was from an independent jeweler, but it wasn't ridiculously expensive.  If he went out and dropped something like ten or fifteen grand on a ring, I would have been royally pissed because that's a nice chunk of change towards the house or the wedding.  Especially since lots of women only wear their engagement rings until they get their wedding bands, or as part of their wedding sets (and a 15 thousand dollar engagement ring would have a ten grand wedding band to make a set).  Too much money for me.

But if my friend had a rock like that, I would still take a little sip of the Haterade whenever I saw it. 

Original Post by amethystgirl:

Now I get to focus my obsessions on what shoes I can wear to the wedding that won't kill my feet but will still look "bridal". If anyone wants to help me, I'd love to hear it.)

 I've had four cousins that have gotten married in the last 4 years and the brides had fantastic footwear (all of which were covered by the dress and had to be asked to be seen!)

1) white BIRKENSTOCKS! (it suited her and completely made the outfit for her)

2) white flip flops with sparkly straps

3) white sneakers at a new years eve wedding with bedazzled sparkles on the sides and fancy ribbons as the laces

4) ... actually I have no idea - I never saw her footwear all evening!

Original Post by amethystgirl:

 Now I get to focus my obsessions on what shoes I can wear to the wedding that won't kill my feet but will still look "bridal". If anyone wants to help me, I'd love to hear it.)

 Whatever you do, buy your shoes well in advance and wear them around a lot!  I wore mine to work and everything so that I knew they were nice and broken in.  

These are the shoes I wore - they were a silvery colour.

http://www.shopping.com/xPO-Tribeca-Tribeca-T hink-Fast-Pewter-Womens

BTW I was also into the ethically sourced diamond - mine is from the North West Territories (in Canada....)

Name brands are silly. Especially for a ring! Not like anyone can tell.

thanks amethystgirl, for that link.  I gave up real diamonds (not that i ever had scads of them or anything) several years ago because of the atrocities associated with conflict-locale mining.  all the diamonds in my wedding set were imitation ... i'm going to take a longer look around on that site and see how they do what they do.  it is great.

Original Post by amethystgirl:

Somewhere in between. I was proposed to with the most beautiful ring from Brilliant Earth, who offer conflict free diamonds and recycled precious metals.

Nice marketing gimmick. 

diamonds are so boring and traditional ho hum

 i agree with the OP id be pissed too

id rather spend the money on something more meaningful

my cousin got a ring that her husband spent six months salary on.

i would be livid if he spent that much money. buy me a nice ring but not one i'd be afraid to wear out of the house!  i'd rather my man put that money towards a house instead. lol

I think women make too much of a deal about the size of the ring.  Just because he can afford to buy a 3 carat from Tiffanys does not mean he loves the girl any more than the small diamond band that my loving husband bought me at the jewelry store down the street.

Just sayin....

With things like jewelry, brands don't really mean anything because gold and diamonds are standardized.  Gold is the same quality whether it's sold at walmart or at tiffany's.  Diamonds are all ranked the same way, and if you informed about the ranking system, you can find the same quality anywhere.  If you're going to lose quality anywhere, it's probably in the setting and design.

As far as designer products go, if you're interested in that, check out Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster.

It goes into what makes things expensive and how the designer system works and whether it really is of better quality.