[LisaLee]

Just throwing in my two cents, I have a diamond engagement ring. Although I like the semi-precious stones such as opals, rubies, emeralds etc. I had already collected my fair share of jewellery but I'd never owned any diamond jewellery.

My H2B sat down with a jeweller and got a bespoke ring made up. Because I had never had a diamond before, it was the main stone that I wanted, the time and effort that went into my ring really touched me, plus it's the only diamond I own which makes it even more special to me.

A friend of mine got engaged recently and has a sapphire ring and because it's a large stone people have called it 'showy' and have been second guessing how much it cost. People get too bogged down in details like this. If you love your e-ring, or choose not to wear one then each to their own.

[cynder]

I was with my partner for 10 years before we got engaged, i wanted my ring, however i didn't want an expensive ring. We went into Mathew Stevens in limerick and picked out one together, my engagement ring and wedding ring are the only jewelry i wear 24/7. my husbands wedding ring was 1/2 the price of my engament ring and spends most of its life in my jewelry box.

[hattoncracker]

I work in a shop and had a customer in with a stunning emerald engagement ring..

Im not a diamond person, I'd much prefer an emerald or amber stone.. Having said that, if he handed me a barn brack ring I couldn't care less, the sentiment is still there... Same with weddings. I don't think the size of your cake, dress or how many doves you have, I'd rather a marriage than a wedding day.

[Long Road 8378]

I'm not into expensive jewellery either, TBH, I have more Penneys jewellery than anything but I did want a diamond for my engagement ring and will want the same for my eternity ring. However, it's not a must and I wouldn't be shocked if someone told me that their engagment ring wasn't diamond. Did you ever see Kirsty Allsop from Location, Location, Location? She is a wealthy lady and even comes from a very wealthy family (I just assumed that every wealthy person is a diamond fanatic!!! ) but her ring is not diamond. It's a large and very cool semi-precious coloured stone. Each to their own I say.

[squishykins]

My parents were together 17 years before my dad popped the question, I was 15, so he had enough time to save for one

And bejaysis did he save! It's the only ring my mammy owned (obviously she has her wedding band now too), and it suits her perfectly, it has a feckload of diamonds, but I don't judge on that because he loved her enough to wait to give her one she deserved

I would never want one of those for myself though. I'm not even gonna speculate into what I want yet though

[ihsb]

I work with couples getting married. The rings that I have preferred have been the ones that have been individual to the couple, they generally have diamonds but they are unusual in design and a bit special.

The same way as I know what kind of ring I want. Something small, not flashy at all but unusual. Because of the unusual aspect it will probably be expensive because you have to get it made.

On the whole though. If someone I loved couldn't afford the ring as long as it was well made so it would last a long time I would love it and say yes! (who is to say I couldn't get my dream ring made for me in years to come?)

[Sweetaure]

Just to add my 2 cents as this is an interesting thread… I recently got engaged to my partner of over 7 years, and she got me a ring. It is not huge but it is a beautiful solitaire set in a plain platinum band. First of all, we got engaged because my partner got very sick last year, I apparently took great care of her, and she knew I wanted to get married, since civil partnership is now legal in Ireland, so she thought she’d treat me to a diamond ring. I never saw it coming, I just thought we’d decide one day to do the deed and that would be it. As a gay couple, we didn’t feel the social pressure of getting married after a certain amount of time. Secondly, I never had an interest in jewelry, but as soon as I got the ring on my finger, I started obsessing over diamonds and rings, and diamond rings, and diamond earrings, bracelets, necklaces, etc… and I mean, obsessed!! To the point where I actually said to my girlfriend that I wanted a bigger diamond! I don’t, I really love my ring the way it is, but I got sucked into the whole bigger=better craziness that fills the wedding world. I have been living in Ireland for 13 years (I am French), so I can’t comment on whether this is an Irish thing, as it may be the exact same thing France, but I know that in my office, most engaged/ married women look at the size of the ring over the quality. As someone else mentioned, never mind that a huge rock looks like glass, all a lot of women seem to care about is the size, but don’t seem to really mind if it doesn’t sparkle.

Anyway, as I said, just my 2 cents, apologies for the essay – it just hit a nerve!

Congrats to all newly engaged, married and of course, the happily committed – jewelry/ marriage is a personal choice and no-one should feel pressured into anything that isn’t them!

[Sweetaure]

Originally Posted by Acoshla

I have been known to sit in meetings in hotels with great spotlights moving my hand and oohing and ahhing

Love it, I do that with mine AAALLLLL the time!!

[evilmonkee]

Originally Posted by Azureus

I like the idea of a diamond ring-I like the fact that the stone in synonomous with the meaning-ie if you see a diamond ring on someones engagement finger it stands out as an engagement ring, whereas if you see another stone the meaning for me is more ambiguous (is she engaged or does she just like wearing her ring on that finger?).

I agree with the statement above, personally, I will want to announce to the world that I am engaged (because I love my partner and believe that I am the luckiest woman in the world to spend my life with him, not because I care about showiness).

However, I will be going for a lab created diamond and 100% reclaimed or recycled platinum. Platinum does not have to be resurfaced the way white gold does and therefore I can ensure that the reclaimed/recycled metal is the only metal in the ring.

Also I would like a blue diamond, as I feel they are a little more unusual than the traditional white.

On top of all this, we won't be spending much on all this, I want a simple ring and a simpler wedding band.

(lucky he knows what he has gotten himself in for!)

[shinikins]

Originally Posted by evilmonkee

Also I would like a blue diamond, as I feel they are a little more unusual than the traditional white.

A friend of mine has a blue diamond engagement ring. Looks the exact same as a pale sapphire or blue amethyst. Only for the fact that she tells everyone that its a diamond, no-one would know the difference.

[evilmonkee]

Originally Posted by shinikins

A friend of mine has a blue diamond engagement ring. Looks the exact same as a pale sapphire or blue amethyst. Only for the fact that she tells everyone that its a diamond, no-one would know the difference.

Seeing as mine will be small, this might be worth looking into! Cheers, might help to save a few bob

[byrned17]

I got married in December 2010. We didn't want to spend over €1,000 for all our rings put together and we managed! I had wanted a sapphire ring but alas it was before Kate and William got married so it was hard to find. But we found an "engagement" ring in a shop in our town for €260 - it was sapphire, diamonds and white gold and has a (faux) antique feel to it. And we managed to get our wedding rings for under €750 at a really nice jeweller's called Corr's in Powerscourt Shopping Centre of Grafton Street. Everywhere else, our budget was laughed at!

[byrned17]

Originally Posted by byrned17

I got married in December 2010. We didn't want to spend over €1,000 for all our rings put together and we managed! I had wanted a sapphire ring but alas it was before Kate and William got married so it was hard to find. But we found an "engagement" ring in a shop in our town for €260 - it was sapphire, diamonds and white gold and has a (faux) antique feel to it. And we managed to get our wedding rings for under €750 at a really nice jeweller's called Corr's in Powerscourt Shopping Centre of Grafton Street. Everywhere else, our budget was laughed at!

(And I have never owned expensive jewellery before!)

[cynder]

Originally Posted by byrned17

(And I have never owned expensive jewellery before!)

Neither did I. My ring was 1495, the wedding band was 150. My husbands wedding band was 795.

I see some on the wedding forum spending 3k on a dress they are going to wear for one day. That's mad, most of their dresses cost more than my ring and I wear it every day..

[I am a friend]

The judgement works both ways... People are judging women for wanting a diamond, yet dont want to be judged for not wanting one..

Double standards anyone?