Celtic Diamond Engagement Ring?
Q.I just wanted to get some opinions on a non-diamond engagement ring. I am not a big fan of mafia organizations, and DeBeers is one the worst. Its amazing to me that they managed to not only kill the rest of the diamond miners in South Africa, but now have engineered society so that you're expected to hand them 2 months of your salary. I don't have a problem with buying an expensive ring for my fiancee, but I would like to buy her an emerald instead (it would match her eyes a million times better). I find the beauty of a fine emerald stone to be un-paralleled, and would much prefer this as a symbol of my love for her. Is there any sort of modern society protocol for an _emerald_ engagement ring?
A.A few thoughts. First, you should make sure what your fiancee's preference is. Some women really want diamonds, especially for a ring they're going to wear every day. If she's also amenable to something other than a diamond, find out what her preference is. Even if emeralds match her eyes, she might prefer something else. With emeralds in particular, I'd be careful because they can be a bit delicate to wear in an everyday ring. They require more TLC than a harder, more durable stone (like diamonds, rubies, sapphires). If you both really want to go with an emerald, you might want to consider the setting carefully so that it will be as protected from sharp blows as possible. My husband and I both have rubies in our rings. We both like them very much. I certainly wouldn't trade mine for a diamond for anything, but then again, I'm not a big diamond fan myself. There is no requirement that an engagement ring be a diamond. I personally have a sapphire engagement ring and I know several people who have other precious and semi-precous stones in their rings. There are 2 things I would suggest if you choose not to go with a diamond engagement ring, however: (1) Make sure that what you choose is what your fiancee likes too. It's great that *you* like emeralds, but you don't have to wear the ring on your finger for the next 75 years. If your fiancee hates emeralds but doesn't want to hurt your feelings and let you know that she'd prefer something else after you've picked it out and presented it to her, she won't enjoy wearing or showing off the ring. (2) Make sure that you pick a stone that is fairly hard (after diamonds come sapphires, then emeralds, then rubies, I think). Remember that an engagement ring will be worn everyday and needs to be able to stand the potential hazards of everyday wear. For that reason things like pearls, opals, and other "soft" stones aren't great ideas - although it's been done and can work well if your fiancee is not hard on jewelry or has a job that allows her to be easier on her hands.
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