Cost of e-ring inversely related to success of marriage?

[Maria D]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/03/expensive-weddings-study_n_5929056.html?cps=gravity

Hmmm.. suddenly my 0.79 carat solitaire is looking sparklier....

 

[baby monster]

Hmm, I'm not convinced by these statistics and would need to see the data. 2 grand difference in discretionary spending shouldn't lead to divorce.

Men who spent $2,000 to $4,000 on engagement rings were 1.3 times more likely to end up divorced than men who spent $500 to $2,000. Women who received expensive engagement rings also experienced higher rates of divorce..

 

[AprilBaby]

My first ring 34 years ago was $365. Still married. See?

 

[Maria D]

My first ring 34 years ago was $365. Still married. See?

haha, well then, that proves it!

Or maybe couples that can't afford a more expensive ring can't afford divorce either. I always tell my husband he can't afford to be divorced!

 

[kenny]

If there's any validity to this I think it has nothing to do with ering budget itself.

IMO and experience, the more money people have the less happy they are.

Happier people = happier marriage.

 

[diamondringlover]

Yea my first engagement ring was $119 and that was 30 years ago....

 

[lyra]

Mine was $900 31 years ago. It was really small, does that count? Like .26ct.

Hold on:

Interestingly, spending $1,000 or less on the wedding decreased the chances of divorce, but spending too little on an engagement ring backfired; those who spent less than $500 experienced higher rates of divorce.

 

[Dancing Fire]

If there's any validity to this I think it has nothing to do with ering budget itself.

IMO and experience, the more money people have the less happy they are.

Happier people = happier marriage.

If I had a choice I'd prefer to be rich and sad than poor and sad...

 

[pyramid]

No relation in the UK as diamonds here are small or lots of people get a larger gemstone. Engagement ring as nothing to do with success of marriage at all, I would say that peoples personalities are more relevant, you have to marry someone who is like you, not in hobbies etc but in personality traits.

 

[texaskj]

My parents have been married 52 years. She didn't even have a diamond until they'd been married 17 years. Their wedding rings were matching white gold bands.

My first engagement ring was $500 and we were married a whole year before I kicked him out. (He thought he needed a wife and a girlfriend.) My second ring was about $850. We were married 14 years before I decided life was too short to be so miserable. (He has some serious problems from his upbringing.) Both rings were sapphires and diamonds in yellow gold.

 

[katharath]

Funny stuff!

My parents are happily married 35 yrs this summer, and my mom's ering was quite a small diamond, I'm sure it was inline with the "in between $500 and $1000" thing. They married young and became successful through hard work and higher education; they're really wonderful role models in many areas of life. So it's very surprising to me that of myself and my three siblings, I'm the only one who hasn't divorced yet! (I'm also the oldest). My two brothers are both divorced, with one remarried. My sister is divorced and almost remarried. Of the three of them, at least two had (or purchased for their wives) rings that cost more than $1000. The other sibling I'm not sure about - I don't know how much his wife's ring cost.

I'm almost at 15 yrs married, and my ring cost $750 . We married young too, and I still love my DH to pieces!!

So, if you take my marriage, my siblings' marriages, and my parents, according to the study the findings are correct 4 out of 4 cases, with the last one being unknown. Curious!

 

[momhappy]

In my experience, I don't think more money = less happiness - I have actually seen (and lived) the opposite. To me, more money = greater peace of mind and greater peace of mind = more happiness (again, for me anyways).
As far as the study is concerned, I don't see any validity to it. My ring in my first marriage was pretty inexpensive and that marriage ended in divorce. My current ring was much more costly and the marriage is still going strong.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Hmmm. I have to admit I am skeptical. There is a huge difference between a couple overspending on a ring and a wedding (financial problems are one of the biggies in a marriage) and a couple buying an expensive ring that they can afford. I will pull out the "correlation does not imply causation" card here.

This article bothers me since there is a whiff of "money is bad", "money corrupts" or of "middle class virtue". In other words, rich people are bad, don't take marriage seriously, are unfaithful, etc.

 

[JaneSmith]

$500 in 1980 = $50,000 now.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

$50,000 is way too high but, yes, inflation is something to consider.

Using buying power equivalency, $500 in 1980 would be $1,443 in today's currency.

 

[Gypsy]

That's interesting. I do think it's a case of correlation not being causation.

Still interesting and thought provoking. I know we all wonder about those relationships where the poster on RT says the lady will NOT accept a stone under 2 carats.

 

[Niel]

That's interesting. I do think it's a case of correlation not being causation.

Still interesting and thought provoking. I know we all wonder about those relationships where the poster on RT says the lady will NOT accept a stone under 2 carats.

I agree.


Also, how does it work when I bought my own??

 

[luv2sparkle]

My first ring was $240.00, 35 years ago. I have to say though, I wasn't too happy about it. Five years after it was upgraded and the upgrade was 800.00. Wore that one for 25 more years.

 

[packrat]

How does it shape up then when this is my fourth, and final, incarnation? Does that mean our marriage has gotten worse, since my ring has gotten bigger?

 

[decodelighted]

Interesting theory. I'd guess it's generational to some extent also. In that lower costs were during a time when divorce was more rare?

But I always suspect vow-renewal as the biggest Tell for marital

 

[WinkHPD]

LOL< I read this paragraph,

Interestingly, spending $1,000 or less on the wedding decreased the chances of divorce, but spending too little on an engagement ring backfired; those who spent less than $500 experienced higher rates of divorce.

I spent $300 on my wife's engagement ring at a time when I made $600 per month as a Sgt in the Marine Corps. That would have been in late 1970 or early 1972, not sure which.

Still happily married. Celebrated 41 years this August 11th.

Wink

 

[HopeDream]

Niel: I'd like to know that too! What about all the girls that purchase their own?

(I'm guessing it probably depends on the context. If she's buying because he doesn't think it's that important, or can't get it together financially, then probably bad news. If She's buying (or contributing) because she knows what she wants and it makes financial sense for them at the time, maybe better news?)

 

[Lady_Disdain]

How does it shape up then when this is my fourth, and final, incarnation? Does that mean our marriage has gotten worse, since my ring has gotten bigger?

You are compensating for something, clearly

 

[Calliecake]

I'm wondering what this means for my husband and I. We got married with a cubic zirconia. Buying our home and paying for our wedding didn't leave much left over for bling. And to be fair it was my choice to wait on the ring. 2 years later we purchased a 1.27 diamond. I've since received another 4 engagement rings. He considers them my hobby and has no problem with it as long as the husband remains the same.

 

[redwood66]

1990 my ring was $1400 with a .33ct center and some side stones. I loved it then and if it had been hardier would still have it now. It was all he could afford and we found it together. He is still terrible at picking jewelry so I am envious of all the ladies who have SO's that take the time to find the right piece. But this does not mean I love him any less. He just has no sparkly gene but makes up for that with how much he loves me. My upgrade for our 25th (which is not until 2016 but I got it early) is something he wanted to do for me but he had a panic attack about doing it himself. I was more than happy to help him out...

 

[Calliecake]

1990 my ring was $1400 with a .33ct center and some side stones. I loved it then and if it had been hardier would still have it now. It was all he could afford and we found it together. He is still terrible at picking jewelry so I am envious of all the ladies who have SO's that take the time to find the right piece. But this does not mean I love him any less. He just has no sparkly gene but makes up for that with how much he loves me. My upgrade for our 25th (which is not until 2016 but I got it early) is something he wanted to do for me but he had a panic attack about doing it himself. I was more than happy to help him out...

Too funny Redwood! I also just received my 25th anniversary present and your 25th isn't until 2016!

 

[NOYFB]

My original e-ring was $400 and we've been happily married for almost 14 years!

 

[TC1987]

If their statisticians think that $2,000 to $4,000 is a large sum of money for an e-ring in the USA, ah... well... I just don't know what to say. I got engaged in my early 30s, so by gosh, that's NOT a couple starting out with nothing. Perhaps the cost of the ring is not so much a factor as is the age of the couple.

 

[WinkHPD]

I'm wondering what this means for my husband and I. We got married with a cubic zirconia. Buying our home and paying for our wedding didn't leave much left over for bling. And to be fair it was my choice to wait on the ring. 2 years later we purchased a 1.27 diamond. I've since received another 4 engagement rings. He considers them my hobby and has no problem with it as long as the husband remains the same.

LOL, I LIKE this man!

Wink

 

[Calliecake]

I'm wondering what this means for my husband and I. We got married with a cubic zirconia. Buying our home and paying for our wedding didn't leave much left over for bling. And to be fair it was my choice to wait on the ring. 2 years later we purchased a 1.27 diamond. I've since received another 4 engagement rings. He considers them my hobby and has no problem with it as long as the husband remains the same.

LOL, I LIKE this man!

Wink

You and me both Wink! I especially like that he is always encouraging me to go bigger. My problem is my jewelery was all purchased before I found Pricescope. I love it but I doubt it's all up to Pricescope standards.