Why Engagement Rings Are a Scam

[silverhatch]

The entire diamond industry is a scam. The only reason they're worth as much as they are is because humanity has collectively agreed to it. My wife got a fake diamond when we got engaged and she loved it. The only reason she has diamonds now is because we inherited them and they have sentimental value.

Use fake diamonds as a barometer for finding the right girl. If she demands real diamonds, that's your cue to keep looking.

You mean like the U.S. dollar?

[BLAKE]

The entire diamond industry is a scam. The only reason they're worth as much as they are is because humanity has collectively agreed to it. My wife got a fake diamond when we got engaged and she loved it. The only reason she has diamonds now is because we inherited them and they have sentimental value.

Use fake diamonds as a barometer for finding the right girl. If she demands real diamonds, that's your cue to keep looking.

[Big A]

I bought my diamond separate and placed it. Still paid too much, but I made the "same" ring that was going for nearly 30k at Jarred's for a little over 4k. The ring itself(no diamonds) was a little over 1k at the time. Now that gold price has jumped up so much might be worth a few hundred more.

This is what I did as well, and aside from getting bigger/better for the money, she feels like she got a semi-custom ring made just for her. Win/win.

I agree pretty much with what Jared posted as well, I don't personally get jewelry in general, seems like such a waste to me personally, but I "waste" plenty of money on hobbies and things that she could say the same thing about. If it makes her happy, and her face tells me that it does, then the investment is well beyond monetary.

[jayjohnson600]

...
So yeah I went to the mall and spent one months salary
...

This thread is about the engagement rings being a scam, but going to the mall for an engagement ring is a scam on top of a scam.

But having said that, diamonds like many things in this world trade for exorbitant valuations and as such *can* be an alternative investment, within a tricky market.
Like anything with high valuations, knowing how to buy them and also how to sell them is key.

I have an allocation, as they provide some interesting characteristics and round out my portfolio. They have no intrinsic value, and so far they have stayed a bit ahead of inflation, but if they end up being worthless, then I can get a good laugh as I stare at them dazzling my eyes and anyone else in the room.

[Rick Modena]

I bought my diamond separate and placed it. Still paid too much, but I made the "same" ring that was going for nearly 30k at Jarred's for a little over 4k. The ring itself(no diamonds) was a little over 1k at the time. Now that gold price has jumped up so much might be worth a few hundred more.

This is what I did, except I picked a smaller stone (1/2 carat) with a Tolkowsky cut, VVS2 and D in color. I then had that bitch set in Platinum, yes her pussy belongs to me...

[Baron Von Crowder]

It's not "worth more" on a resale market, sadly. Precious metal scrapping is a lucrative business to be in if you can eliminate the 3rd party - which most of us normal people can't.

My local jeweler takes the carpets under his work bench to be scrapped a couple of times a year due to all of the metal shavings collected there.

A friend of a friend sells the cleanout of his dip for a few grand a month.

[DasVWBabe]

I bought my diamond separate and placed it. Still paid too much, but I made the "same" ring that was going for nearly 30k at Jarred's for a little over 4k. The ring itself(no diamonds) was a little over 1k at the time. Now that gold price has jumped up so much might be worth a few hundred more.

It's not "worth more" on a resale market, sadly. Precious metal scrapping is a lucrative business to be in if you can eliminate the 3rd party - which most of us normal people can't.

My local jeweler takes the carpets under his work bench to be scrapped a couple of times a year due to all of the metal shavings collected there.

[DasVWBabe]

Good info and thanks for the link DAS, but besides an industrial use situation I won't waste my money on an overpriced rock. The bond is made in the commitment of the object and the satisfaction of the receiving party, not the dollars wasted on it. It should make the other person happy for the thought and the thought alone. I guess I grew up too broke to understand rich peoples trinkets.

I've helped plenty of men with colored gemstone rings, plain metal bands, etc. I agree, it's not the material; it's the concept that's important.

The point I was trying to make among all of that is that education is key if you choose to buy an engagement ring in the first place. We research our car purchases tremendously, but I have seen men walk right into a brick & mortar jewelry store and walk out 90 minutes later with an overpriced diamond that doesn't even meet the specs of what they thought they purchased because the ring had a proprietary "certification and appraisal" (and don't get me started about appraisals and proprietary certification - that's akin to walking into a Ford dealership and paying MSRP on a GT-CS without verifying it actually *is* a GT-CS). I recommend www.pricescope.com and the very helpful posters in the Rocky Talky forum to do any due diligence there.

Do what you want and what makes sense to you as a couple, but the second minimum demands are put in place, I would warn to rethink the whole relationship. I have had men say to me "I don't care about anything else, but it has to be better/bigger than her sister's/friends'/mom's/first engagement ring." It's sad that men are now competing for something that ultimately *shouldn't* matter.

Quite honestly, I believe most women would be over the moon with a proposal that doesn't include a ring. I doubt anyone would believe it after that huge post , but my husband originally proposed sans ring and my answer was a resounding yes.

Sounds like a solid investment.

Can you work us up a risk profile on it?

[FATHERFORD]

I bought my diamond separate and placed it. Still paid too much, but I made the "same" ring that was going for nearly 30k at Jarred's for a little over 4k. The ring itself(no diamonds) was a little over 1k at the time. Now that gold price has jumped up so much might be worth a few hundred more.

[matts5.0]

I paid too much, yall would make fun of me

[matts5.0]

My wife's ring has actually appreciated. I decided to go solid platinum vs. platinum setting because fuck yeah

Same here..

[4king]

My wife said she didn't car about the ring, but you know the first thing their friends and family say when she says she is getting married is let me see the ring.

So for me I guess it was more symbolic, a sign that I can provide for my wife to her family and friends. If I bought her a zircon I wouldn't feel worthy.

So yeah I went to the mall and spent one months salary

[idrivea4banger]

Good info and thanks for the link DAS, but besides an industrial use situation I won't waste my money on an overpriced rock. The bond is made in the commitment of the object and the satisfaction of the receiving party, not the dollars wasted on it. It should make the other person happy for the thought and the thought alone. I guess I grew up too broke to understand rich peoples trinkets.

Excellent post.

[Scott Mc]

Sounds like a solid investment.

Sounds like he will be a step and fetch boy for the rest of his life.