Engagement Rings / Wedding Bands

[CaitlinC]

Rothem Collection Represent - The real white gold wide snake spiral engagement ring, featuring certified main round diamond weighing 0.50 carat with side diamonds on a snake spiral engagement band.

rothemcollection.com

I absolutely love it. I have an obsession with snake jewelry. So, this fit perfectly for me.

 

[chaneladdict]

i'm not sure I really understand why people get rings that they keep in a safe..isn't a ring supposed to be worn??

That's cool and really pretty caitlin, I am not much of a snake fan myself but I like that ring a lot.

congrats liya, that's really beautiful

 

[chaneladdict]

A Pearl would indeed be gorgeous!

http://grandviewmercantile.com/gran...band_with_diamonds_1.jpg&width=200&height=200

these are all vintage rings that I think are pretty and aren't the traditional engagement ring.

Grandviewmercantile.com

 

[chaneladdict]

and this is one of my all time favorite rings, I tried hinting to my now husband about it but that didn't work

grandviewmercantile.com

 

[Veronika C]

Actually, I would say that unless you support the more traditional aspects of engagement and matrimony, including the status of women as chattel, then an engagement ring is a completely unnecessary bribe.

Engagement rings can also be linked to an African Tribal Custom of giving a woman a ring (circle) of gold to wear around her wrist. This is a symbol of the man entrusting the woman with his money and property.

Early engagement and wedding rings were made out of anything from leather to fabric. The significance of the ring was so great people would even use curtain rings long ago b/c they could not afford to have a real one. Once the ceremony was over, it would go back on the curtain rod.

 

[Veronika C]

My engagement ring is by Varna. I love the uniqueness of the rings. All I can say is try on as many rings as you can. What you end up with may not be the ring you thought you would like.

Mine is platnium with a bit of gold, with One large and several small diamonds. It's all hand detailed. No two Varna rings are alike. Similar maybe, but never alike. I like the fact that it is unique. And all the detail is beautiful.

My wedding band is platnium and gold. Very simple, and my husbands is the same. We have a message and date engraved in it.

 

[FASHIONLOVA]

i'm not sure I really understand why people get rings that they keep in a safe..isn't a ring supposed to be worn??

That's cool and really pretty caitlin, I am not much of a snake fan myself but I like that ring a lot.

congrats liya, that's really beautiful

i wear my small one on a daily basis and the big one on special occasions. i don t see myself wearing it to the gym or to get groceries. it s too flashy for everyday use.

 

[CrazyC]

nothing is too flashy for everyday use. ha ha

 

[michyed]

i wear my small one on a daily basis and the big one on special occasions. i don t see myself wearing it to the gym or to get groceries. it s too flashy for everyday use.

Aw I totally understand that. Plus wedding rings are expensive, and if you live in a place where crime rates aren't too low... then yeah...

 

[FASHIONLOVA]

well am not gonna risk wearing my nice ring just to get it stolen.

 

[CrazyC]

True , never thought of that.

 

[Veronika C]

Or worse, the stone falls out!

 

[covergal]

Here are my engagement rings

with my wedding band :

http://www.tiffany.com/Shopping/Ite...5-p+5-c+288152-r+101323340-x+-n+6-ri+-ni+0-t+

image credit: heartsonfire.com

 

[michyed]

^Holy crap, that first ring is gorgeous! It's jawdropping

Speaking of diamond rings (please nobody take this personally!), is there any way you can confirm that the diamond that you're purchasing wasn't mined in a conflict zone? Diamonds are so beautiful , but I feel so reluctant about purchasing them... I don't think the company's "promise" is enough. I was at this lecture at Berkeley that spoke about how easy it is to cover the traces of the diamond's origin...

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ deBeers has a certification I believe, but ... let's just say the company's history does not lead me to have ultimate faith in them.

A couple options I'm aware of ... Canadian diamonds, and champagne diamonds, which are found only in Australia.

Of course, there's always the option of another stone. I have had thoughts of a South Sea pearl ring ... granted, it's not as tough as diamonds, but I've never had a problem with any of my pearl rings.

 

[Gleam]

Adding my 2.5 carat solitaire engagement ring...

 

[Gleam]

Canadian diamonds have their own set of issues, too. In order to be considered a "Canadian diamond," a diamond merely has to be mined in Canada. It may, however, be sent to Thailand or China to be cut, and certainly their standards in terms of ethics when it comes to workers' rights, etc., are different than ours.

Not to mention that practically no diamonds found in Canada are over 2 carats. If you're looking for a large stone, you probably won't be able to find a Canadian diamond.

I tend to believe that the Kimberly Process is doing its job in terms of keeping black-market "blood diamonds" out of the mainstream market place. It's not that easy to fake the trail of paperwork each diamond carries with it.

 

[etceteraism]

Canadian diamonds have their own set of issues, too. In order to be considered a "Canadian diamond," a diamond merely has to be mined in Canada. It may, however, be sent to Thailand or China to be cut, and certainly their standards in terms of ethics when it comes to workers' rights, etc., are different than ours.

That's so interesting Gleam-I never thought about the issues around where the diamond is cut. However, the mining conditions seem to be the most deplorable, so although it may still be cut in China/Thailand, I'd rather buy a Canadian diamond knowing at least the most dangerous part of the job is under stricter guidelines.

 

[Separated]

Another option for those of you trying to avoid conflict diamonds is moissanite:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moissanite

It's a mineral that is often found in meteorites and occasionally in the Earth's crust. It can also be lab-created. It looks almost identical to diamond and is nearly as durable. It is more durable than other gemstones such as rubies, sapphires etc...

Best of all, it's MUCH less expensive than diamonds and pretty much indistinguishable from them to the average person. It's gaining popularity as an engagement ring stone as more people become aware of where diamonds come from and how they're mined.

 

[michyed]

^Thank you very much Separated! I will definitely be looking into it.