Are You Hooked On The Need For A Diamond Engagement Ring?

Before you read the below article let me say this….FELLAS….do not use this as an excuse to get your woman something other than a diamond ring.  The below post is information.  If you and your lady choose to take the information and mutually agree to an engagement ring other than a diamond….do you.  If you and your lady choose to take the information and mutually agree that a diamond is where it’s at….do you.  Do you….do yall!!!  11 years ago I got down on one knee on a beach in Jamaica and gave Aiyana  one of my locs to symbolize our engagement.  She had my loc sewn into her hair.   She later gave me one of her locs and I had her loc sewn into my hair.  Additionally, I gave her a ring.  It wasn’t a diamond.  I didn’t feel comfortable with the idea of it possibly being a “blood diamond” so I looked up the meaning of other precious stones and discovered the sapphire.  In addition to my loc, I gave my wife a light blue ceylon sapphire to symbolize our love and our engagement.  The meaning and sacredness of the stone resonated with us so we collectively chose it.  I share that not to challenge you and your choices but to reveal that everyone’s journey is different.  Continue traveling on your journey ……and do yall when comes to what you choose to symbolize your engagement and your love.

By Ashleigh Schmitz

Would you jump off of a bridge if a fancy ad told you to? Probably not, but that’s exactly what happened — in a manner of speaking — after De Beers rolled out an ad campaign 1938 that made diamond engagement rings a must have if young men intended to propose marriage.

In just three years after the campaign debuted, American diamond sales increased by over 50% (prior to the campaign, diamond engagement rings were by and large a non-event), according to Business Insider. Less than 10 years later, in 1947, the diamond supplier penned the slogan “A Diamond is Forever” solidifying the gem as a symbol of enduring and unbreakable love that resulted in 80 percent of American brides receiving diamond rings within twenty years.

When De Beers said jump, we responded with an exuberant “how high?”. And while it’s true that nothing is stronger than a diamond, which comes in at the top of the Mohs hardness scale and justifies the marketing for the strongest of gemstones, the rarity of the stone is just a marketing ploy.

How much different, then, are diamond engagement rings from Valentine’s Day? The two are far more similar than they seem. Both lend themselves to ridiculous expectations, and in this social media age, a “keeping up with the Joneses” mentality that’s frankly disturbing. Just look at your Facebook and Instagram accounts and see how many of your newly engaged friends posted photos of their rings, and of their elaborate bouquets and gifts on Valentine’s Day. They’re definitely not getting smaller or less ornate, that’s for sure.

According to a recent study from The Wedding Report the average cost of an engagement ring in 2012 was $3,239. If it’s not worth much in the long run, couldn’t that money be better used for a down payment on your first home, an IRA or even safely tucked away in savings? At least these things appreciate in value over time; unlike the rock we all covet so much.

CLICK HERE to read more.