Seriously?

[Uncle Cracker]

Now that's profound. And what is she expected to give. What's her level of sacrifice?

C'mon... A girl's dating Daddy Warbucks, and he gives her a dime store ring... Do you really think she's gonna appreciate "the thought"??? Do you think her parents would? How 'bout her friends? Bottom line is that there are "expectations", whether everybody admits to it or not.

[dkerfoot]

I would think that the size of the rock is more important than the quality. Some of the defects can't be seen without a loop.

If you compare different grades of ring in the same size side-by-side, you can see significant differences in color, clarity and brilliance. That is one good reason to buy from a jewelry store instead of off the internet - same as with TVs.

When I remarried nine years ago, my budget allowed for either a full caret of lower quality or a 1/2 caret of much higher. Compared side-by-side it was an easy choice. Of course, I like to think my bride is more interested in substance than flash.

[Rand]

I'm pretty sure the reason a ring is the symbol of marriage is because it's easy to slip it off and put it in your pocket.

I have also heard of unmarried guys wearing wedding rings because it makes it easier for them to get it on with married women... go figure.

[cwithboat]

But as my dad once said, "if your girlfriend is the type of gal that is going to get an appraisal for her engagement ring, then never give her one."

Guesss your dad did not believe in insuring valuable items. You cannot get insurance for jewelry without a professional appraisal.
As for gals not knowing specs, hogwash! My wife carries a loop and knows more about diamond grading than most jewelry store clerks.

[catta12]

I think Costco offers a $25,000 ring to introduce the thought that they carry high end jewelery (and through transference their lower cost diamonds are also high quality). Like said before, most who would buy a diamond that expensive probably don't frequent Costco.

[herb fellows]

I agree with the first part, but not the second. The Costco on Long Island has a huge parking lot, and there are a lot more Mercedes and BMW's in there than Chevys!

Maybe that's how they got the money to buy the Beemer, saving at Costco!

[cgallery]

Guesss your dad did not believe in insuring valuable items. You cannot get insurance for jewelry without a professional appraisal.

As for gals not knowing specs, hogwash! My wife carries a loop and knows more about diamond grading than most jewelry store clerks.

Jeeze, I don't think my dad ever gave my mom enough jewelry to worry about appraising/insuring it. Certainly the old stuff she inherited was appraised, but the stuff he gave her was pretty much on her body at all times. And insurance pretty much only covers theft (I believe), not losing an earring.

And your wife obviously knows and appreciates fine jewelry. I think that is terrific. My entire point is that, if you're going to give someone an incredible diamond, it would be nice that they can truly appreciate it.

Kinda like tools. You wouldn't want to give a Festool plunge saw to a guy that wouldn't appreciate the difference between it and a $29 Ryobi circular saw.

But, I think your wife is the exception. Most women may know the four C's, but they certainly will fall apart when it comes to knowing D/E/F are colorless, and that G/H/I/J are near colorless. And even w/ a scale, it would take some time before they'd be able to determine the differences w/ a loop.

Many women would judge a diamond ring only by how much it cost and where it was purchased. And therein lies the problem: The entire distribution system is aware of this, and they take advantage of it.

Otherwise there would be no retail jewelry stores. People would buy from Costco, Blue Nile, or a broker (and cut-out the retailer markup).