Jewelry Snob Insults My Engagement Ring

[ralerin]

I'd really like Boyfriend to propose to me (nearly 5 years of dating and the waiting is annoying me), but I can wait, I think.

My ideal ring would be a trillion cut, small, very pale blue/green aquamarine with two very small diamonds. I fell in LOVE with the blue/green aquamarine because it reminds me of the sea-a certain color of the sea during a storm. I don't like diamonds-I despise convention for some reason and hate the idea of being like everyone else. Small stones for my small hands. Possibly white gold or even sterling.

[Indigo]

When my fiance and I were shopping for my e-ring I had already told him I did not want a diamond (even though it is my birthstone). I've never liked diamonds or how they look on me. I much prefer emeralds and sapphires. Couldn't do sapphires as that is what my mother's engagement ring is so I went with emeralds.

I've had some unpleasant experiences with Zales as well as Kay's. My honey and I will never go to our local ones for jewelry because I have repeatedly been snubbed and given an attitude. Reed's jewelers has my loyalty because they have always been incredible. We went to the mall and stood at Kays and Zales for about half an hour looking at their emerald selections (which I was not impressed with) and not once did anyone offer to help us, despite the fact that there were very few customers in the store. Granted, we were not dressed to the nines, but that is no reason to ignore a potential customer. We happened to walk by Reeds and they let us look around without bothering us too much and then they answered questions and let me try on the ring I picked out. Never did I feel like I was pressured to buy it right that minute and never did I feel like the salesperson saw us as a waste of time. They were fantastic when my honey went to buy the ring and when we happened to pass by, the saleslady who sold him the ring remembered us and congratulated us. I've even stopped by a couple times to admire (and drool) over the matching earrings and each time, I still get that great customer service. I have a feeling that we will probably go back there for the wedding bands as well.

http://www.reeds.com/Created-Emerald...u18855304.html
(link to the ring, in case anyone was curious. The emerald is much darker in person though)

[ArcticChicken]

I'd really like Boyfriend to propose to me (nearly 5 years of dating and the waiting is annoying me), but I can wait, I think.

You don't have to wait. You could do the proposing. Not traditional, I know, but it can be very sweet and romantic.

[tigger222]

My brother just got married and they were talking about rings. He's been deployed and only came back a couple days before the wedding so they hadn't a chance to pick something out.
They were talking about maybe borrowing one of her Aunts rings until they had a chance to find something or getting something from a pawn shop and waiting until he had more time here to pick something out (He was only able to be here for 2 1/2 weeks).
She asked me what my opinion on it was and I said to her that it doesn't matter where the ring comes from or how much it cost its the thought behind it that counts.
She said that is something that she will always have to remember.

[Cookie]

Exactly! My engagement ring came from a pawn shop, at my recommendation. I'd rather have the money for other things, and it came from my sweetheart, so it's just as special as it would be if "he went to Jared".

[Lady J'ssem]

My own engagement ring has caused lots of snide comments and remarks, but I ignore them. The ring is just a simple sterling silver ring, no carvings or patterns at all. The reason I love my ring so much, though, is because it suits me, and has a history with my fiance.

My fiance had the ring for a good while, I think around 10 years. When he got it, he had said it was going to be his future wife's engagement ring. He didn't even know if he would get married, or anything, but he kept hold of the ring. Then we started dating, and talking marriage... and he told me about the ring, how he's wanted to use it for an engagment ring. And I couldn't help but love the idea he'd been keeping the ring for his wife-to-be.... When we were "offically" engage, I tried on the ring, and it fit perfectly. Its not too big or too small, it doesn't hurt my hand when my hands are swollen for whatever reason. It feels like it was made for me.

And in the spirit of being individuals... we're not getting wedding rings, we're getting torcs. And tattoos of each others' names on our ring fingers on our first anniversary. Cause we're odd like that

[Dreamstalker]

It's a nice-sized stone, but it's got some noticeable flaws, plus it's an older style of cut that allegedly doesn't sparkle as much as the modern ones (appraiser said it was cut around 1920, which means that my grandfather got it used, as they were married around 1938).

My grandmother left us her diamond rings. We needed to sell one of the rings so took it to a jeweler to be appraised; it's a really pretty stone with minimal flaws, but not really worth anything due to the older-style European cut.

The only silver I can wear is sterling, and I'm not really a gold person.

[tropicsgoddess]

Yep, Size ISN'T everything ----<SNIP!>----

I never knew a diamond could be ugly But it was big, and a full carat.

My daughter takes flack because she has no diamond, she chose her engagement ring, it's a blue saphire, and antique - beautiful, but so many people ask when she'll get a "real" engagement ring.

Of course, the diamond solitaire thing has been pushed like crazy by jewelers, it realy doesn't go back all that far as being the choice for engagement rings, only (and I could be wrong) to the first half of the 20th century, I think.

I love my engagement ring SO gave me, it was his mother's ring. It's gold with two rows of small diamonds on it. Beautiful yet simple and that's my style! I agree, size isn't everything and I don't like the "door knocker" diamond rings. To me those rings are like flashing a big fat neon sign that says "ROB ME!" There's nothing wrong with not having the traditional diamonds in your engagement ring. Shoot, JLo got a PINK diamond on her engagement ring to Ben Affleck. There's nothing wrong with wanting to do your own spin on things.

That was just incredibly rude of the Zales sales person to insult the OP like that.

[AccountingDrone]

Exactly! My engagement ring came from a pawn shop, at my recommendation. I'd rather have the money for other things, and it came from my sweetheart, so it's just as special as it would be if "he went to Jared".

We are having our 20th anniversary next Feb, but I told Rob that the words 'I went to Jarred' are cause for divorce ... whenever we go there [actually to many jewelry stores] we play spot the flaw in the gemstones. It is pretty pitiful when you can see the flaws through the display window and not even bother with a loupe.

[RetailWorkhorse]

Lady isn't even worth being called a Lady.

It is pretty pitiful when you can see the flaws through the display window and not even bother with a loupe.

Now THAT'S depressing.

*Rubs neck* My....engagement ring? Wedding ring? What IS this thing?.... the ring Flea-Bit gave me is sterling silver (allergic to base metals and nickle) with 7 small "stones" of what I hope to god is chipped glass. Cost him 30# from a street vendor. Dunno what it cost to get it resized (size I, which I can't remember what the American conversion is, I have small hands).

Sent it to me to keep the I-Wanna-Take-You-Home-And-Make-Lurve-To-You people from getting into my pants.

It has since turned into my wedding ring, I think. I don't take it off. I'm still looking for a nice one to send to him for Christmas (Shhh~! ).

[LadyAndreca]

We are having our 20th anniversary next Feb, but I told Rob that the words 'I went to Jarred' are cause for divorce ... whenever we go there [actually to many jewelry stores] we play spot the flaw in the gemstones. It is pretty pitiful when you can see the flaws through the display window and not even bother with a loupe.

You know, one of my favoritest rings ever was flawed...it was a simple gold ring with a cloudy sapphire that looked black in anything but sunlight, when it almost glowed a very dark blue. My sister had a similar one that had the same band, but with a cloudy ruby that was maroon.

[ralerin]

You don't have to wait. You could do the proposing. Not traditional, I know, but it can be very sweet and romantic.

I have thought about that, and thinking I might. However, I'd need to visit the UK (where Boyfriend comes from) first and figure out who will live where before there's any wedding bells in our future. Hence why I can wait. I can still dream about it, though.

[FortuneCookie]

What an awful woman. But at least you found what you wanted.

I also find it irritating when you go into a nicer store in jeans and a t-shirt(or the equivalent) and you're ignored. And when you do get their attention, they act as if you're disturbing them. I've never seen why that should make a difference if you're there to buy something from the store. I understand the whole window shopper thing, but not all who don't get dressed up to shop are just looking. Even if they are just looking, why are you ignoring them? Do your job, imo.

[wolfie]

I bought her a very high quality half carat rock in the original engagement ring and then worked in a few questions to make sure I had the right thing before I gave it to her. Turns out she was fairly adamant about having a full carat stone because she wanted something impressive. So I took it back and dropped another couple thousand to get the bigger stone, but at lower quality.

For anyone who gets turned off by a "size is all that matters" woman, I know a place where you can get large diamonds (up to 5 carats) really cheap. Perfect for a "screw you, if you're that materialistic you can find someone else" gift.

[Racket_Man]

my Gf's ring will most likely have a diamond but mine OTOH will be one that I already own. 7 years ago I bought myself a gold ring with a decent sized Tigereye stone at a resale shop here in town. I never really wore it all that much (as in maybe wore it a week or two) but just put it back for later use. As I mainly wear a blue StarFire ring/stone (have not taken it off in like 7 years), the Tigereye will become my wedding band