In one of the articles linked below, Jim @ Blueprint for Financial Prosperity talks about synthetic diamonds in rings. Synthetic diamonds are make-believe stones created in a laboratory - made to look (and feel) like real diamonds. They cost a fraction of what real diamonds cost and personally, I think they present a better option than spending a ton of money on real diamonds you cannot really afford (if you can afford them, sure, go ahead and buy the real things).
In the post, Jim asks this loaded (but seemingly obvious) question:
Does your love mean any more or less because the diamond was created by a guy in a lab coat or eons of pressure?
To us (me and my wife), the answer is: NO - love can’t be defined by stones.
Easier said than done? Not exactly, we are a “no diamond” couple.
In fact, my wife has made it clear in the past that she would have married me even if I had given her something like this, instead of a ring 
:
I am sure she still thinks that way. 
Of course, there are cultural and social issues involved in these sacred stone-exchanging ceremonies, but it would be nice if people emphasize more on trust and understanding, than on the quality of stones and metals.
Now, here are links to some interesting articles published over the week.
- Maximizing The Effectiveness Of Your Sleep - So You Have More Time For Life’s Activities by Trent @ The Simple Dollar.
- Why You Spend and Save The Way You Do: The Science Behind Money Behaviors by SVB @ The Digerati Life.
- Synthetic Diamond Engagement Rings by Jim @ Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.
- Choosing a 529 Plan by Lazy @ Lazy Man and Money.
- Five Ways To Lose Money From Investing by Super Saver @ My Wealth Builder.
- ING Direct’s Electric Orange Send Paper Checks Feature by Flexo @ Consumerism Commentary.
- Roth 401(k) by Sun @ The Sun’s Financial Diary.
- Gambling for Fun and Profit by Ben @ Money Smart Life.
- A Comprehensive List of Retirement Planning Tools and Calculators by JLP @ All Financial Matters.
- The Very Best 529 Plans? by Nickel @ Five Cent Nickel.
- Is It Better To Buy a Stock Before or After It Splits? by Jeremy @ Generation X Finance.
- Debt troubles are not just for low wage earners by MBH @ Mighty Bargain Hunter.
- Why We Always Recommend Buying Low Cost Index Funds by David @ Money Ning.
- Our Night with Saladmaster by FMF @ Free Money Finance.
Image source: illinoismeteorites.com
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you very much for the mention!
I believe whatever kind of diamond you choose, you need to make sure your wife knows pretty much what it really is. Like Golbguru mentioned, trust is more important than everything and trust comes from honesty and understanding.
While I think that synthetic jewelry can be gorgeous, I wouldn’t want to begin a permanent relationship with a “fake” or “copied” stone. I also wouldn’t want an engagement ring from a pawn shop; I’m too superstitious not to wonder how the ring ended up there. (Heirloom jewelry, even inexpensive, but given with love, would be OK with me.)
however, I almost married (relationship ended for unrelated reasons) a man who gave me a $50 ring made from white topaz and green Helenite - fancy word for expensive glass from Mt St Helens. I loved that something so pretty was the result of something so scary (heck, we saw wind-blown ash on the East coast!) and that’s what he got me. I love the ring, even though I won’t wear it again.
Lab created diamonds are not “make-believe” stones. They are the exact chemical composition of real diamonds, and indistinguishable. The only difference is in the time it takes to create (eons of pressure vs. lab), which is why they are so much less expensive.
For the life of me, I just don’t get the obsessions with diamonds when it comes to romance. Are they so much more beautiful than other stones or is its pull a product of Madison Ave? In terms of pure finance, diamonds are a foolhardy investment. Besides, what about all of the blood being spilled for these physical manifestations of love?
um, there is a difference between simulated and synth stones. synth stones, as anonymous mentioned, are produced in a lab etc. manufacturing costs have not made them cost effective to compete against natural diamonds, so i’m not sure where people are getting that they cost so much less than natural diamonds.
no things like cz, etc, definitely cost much less but do not have the same properties as natural diamonds.
bottom line, it depends on what you value. it doesn’t make a difference what you get, so long as you are happy with it.
me i like the idea of natural diamonds as i do other precious and semi-precious stones. diamond properties is what amazes me and they do look nice.
Jay, there are lots of things that blood is spilt over. the whole blood diamond thing is a du jour issue. yes there are warlords that are doing some nasty things to obtain diamonds. there are warlords that do nasty things to grow drugs, secure oil, manufacture textiles, etc.
My soon to be husband purchased an Apollo diamond ring for me. It was not significantly cheaper, rather right in the median range for a comparable mined diamond. Mine isn’t a “make believe” diamond, it’s as much a diamond as any sold in everyday stores, but I had told him pre engagement that if he were to buy me a diamond engagement ring I wanted it from them or the similar companies.
As far as the “does the ring mean more to you since it was man made rather than mined,” as a ring yes. I feel it’s more interesting and I would rather support a company who might one day create more interesting items, it promotes our interest in technology, and it does not have any possibility of being a blood diamond, but the ring really doesn’t make a difference in my love for him.
“I wouldn’t want to begin a permanent relationship with a “fake†or “copied†stone”
How does the stone or even a ring have any affect on your relationship?? Maybe it’s just me…
I’m superstitious. I’d rather begin with a plain band than with something “not genuine” - ONLY because of superstition. (You missed the part where I said I got engaged with a piece of, essentially, glass, albeit from a volcano. It’s set in sterling.)
Note that I would give, accept, and purchase, lab-created stones for everything else.
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