"Big CAROT Engagement Ring" found at pinc So my current quandary is, do I need an engagement ring to feel complete and loved and to help me prepare for wedded bliss? I say no....
However, the look of absolute horror on the faces of my two sisters was enough to make me rethink my gut reaction. My Guy has said that he wants to buy me an engagement ring. He would buy me the world if he could, and I know that. I have never understood the fairytale where She With the Largest Diamond Ring is the winner. It's quite shocking how many friends of mine think differently.
My picky wish list includes:
1. conflict free diamond (this is more and more important to me)
2. recycled materials would be lovely
3. it would fantastic if we were fortunate to use an old family heirloom...but we don't have that option...bummer
4. it would have to be more of a flat setting, rather than tall (due to putting on and taking off latex gloves ALL day long)
5. minimalist in style (however I do fall in love with the romantic antique engagement rings of the 30s and 40s ... see #3)
6. don't break the bank...or even come close.
Fay Cullen has an INCREDIBLE selection of conflict-free eco-friendly diamond engagement rings. I think they are perhaps too bold for me, but they are growing on me more and more. This 2.34 carat diamond ring is $1560
CreativeGoldsmith on Etsy - $349 (though I am starting to like yellow gold more and more, I'm still a white gold/platinum/sterling kinda girl)
Sarah Perlis - $275 (I pretty much love this dainty little rough rose cut ring! Again, however, yellow gold...hummm)
This lovely raw diamond is a Melissa Joy Manning design - $690 (perhaps my favorite of today's finds - I love the hammered band!)
I didn't want to have an outward sign that said "I'm taken" if my fiance didn't have anything to signify that he was taken. All of my feminist leanings said no to the big shiny diamond (or even little shiny diamond, which would have been more likely in our case). I swore that if my fiance bought me a ring, I'd sell it and donate the money to my favorite charity. That said, almost a year into our engagement, my parents gave me a ring that belonged to my great-grandmother (I never knew her, or even my grandmother) and it fit perfectly on my ring finger. I won't wear it after I'm married (I'll opt for a simple recycled gold band) but it's felt so special to wear during my engagement. I never thought I'd be a convert, but I really love it, especially since it's a connection to my family's past. The rings you've chosen are all BEAUTIFUL and maybe you'll begin a new family tradition with one of them!
ReplyDeletei'm totally with you on the picky wish list for a ring, i've written about this too. i really don't like big bling hanging off ifingers and want something really understated. originally my guy was going to look on his own but now i think he wants me to help point him in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteHi. I just wanted to thank you for this blog post. I opened it multiple times a day for a whole week before eventually buying the Melissa Joy Manning one with the hand-hammered band. My future wife loves it, and I love her. Thanks for helping make the ring situation simple, beautiful and totally void of stress. I loved every bit of it.
ReplyDeleteI blogged about the ring and the proposal here: http://justinandbianca.wordpress.com/
Great article. I really tried to hint to my now husband about the kind of ring I wanted. He didn't listen, but could tell how disappointed I was with the style of the engagement ring . This is where it got expensive as we bought another ring, but the original jeweler wouldn't accept the original ring back. Thankfully we were able to re-sell the using haveyouseenthering and didn't lose too much. He should have listened to my very unsubtle hints. I hope that this doesn't mean I am bad person!
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