getting engaged

[shori]

I am getting engaged. I have seen a nice big ring with a o.75 diamond in the centre and smaller diamonds on either side. He can easily afford it, but we could put the money to a better use like a larger down-payment of the house, furnishings or a trip. I don''t mind keeping the nice centre diamond and downgrade to CZ on the sides and pay only half the price. I haven''t suggested this to him yet. should I?

 

[glitterata]

Despite what the people who sell diamonds want you to think, there's no rule that says you need a diamond ring to get engaged. If you have other things you'd rather spend your money on, god bless you.

Some things to consider:
1. How much money will you actually save by replacing the side diamonds with CZs? The biggest expense is the big diamond. When diamonds get bigger, they get much more expensive, out of proportion to their size. For example, all other things being equal, a 1 carat diamond costs much more than two half-carat diamonds.

2. How colorless and clear is the big diamond? Most affordable diamonds have at least a slight hint of color (yellow or brown) and some little imperfections in them. CZs are completely colorless and look flawless. So if you put your diamond next to a CZ, the diamond might look worse than it actually is in comparison.

3. How good are your CZs? Although all CZs are colorless and have no imperfections, if they're not carefully cut they can look fake to people in the know. That may make people think your diamond is fake, too. Would that make you unhappy?

4. CZs scratch much more quickly than diamonds because they're softer. You might have to replace them after a while. This shouldn't be very expensive, though.

Those are all the drawbacks that I can think of. However, I still think a nice CZ ring is a great alternative to spending a ton of money on a diamond ring that you would rather spend on more useful things.

 

[valeria101]

CZ is not a great choice for small side stones because they wear out. Besides, those tiny diamonds are qite cheap, so replacing them will not save all that much. Why get a ring anyway? There are plenty of nice bands than can stand out as a strong statement by themselves, and they need not have a ton of diamonds on them, if any. I could not agree more that the respective ring is somewhat of a useless expenditure. Quite a few people get them later(including a few Pricescpe contributors) if they so wish or 'upgrade' their initial rings substantially, which, I guess, is the same. I would not spend a dime on a CZ: one can really tell those for what they are. A band with a diamond in it or a colored stone (usually sapphire) are choices too. I would go for the first if anything.

 

[bling]

Its a personal choice and if you feel more comfortable spending that large amount of money on something else then thats fine.
If you do choose to look at diamond simulants..try www.betterthandiamond.com. They are alittle more pricey than some other companies, but from what i have heard, its worth the price.
again, its your choice, and lots of folks here will tell you CZ's are bad bad..but in the end, its what makes you happy.
good luck!

 

[Summer]

shori, another suggestion would be to get a solitare and skip the side stones altogether. You have plenty of options as already discussed.

I think you should definitely discuss your feelings about this purchase with your boyfriend and more importantly what you'd like to see spent on what purchases. Money is a big factor that many people end up aruging over and it's great to be in sync before the marriage. Good luck!