Diamond Solitaire or Nontraditional Engagement Ring? (marriage, money)

[Sassybluesy]

I kind of feel the same about solitaires, except you can get a pretty ring guard/wrap, and change up the look of the ring really easy.


With my second husband, he gave me an emerald cut diamond with a trillion diamond on each side. I got EXACTLY what I wanted. I recently bought myself a ring wrap to go with it...cause why not?

[TashaPosh]

Originally Posted by Forever Blue

It's the solitaire part I never cared for. Just the band & the single stone is too simple & plain for me personally. I always wanted more embellishment along the sides or something.

The wedding band usually has a lot of diamonds tho...all different styles....so when you stack it, it’s not just the big pretty solitaire from an engagement ring.^^ IMO it can be gaudy with too many stones on the engagement ring AND the wedding band. I want the most expensive & biggest diamond to stand out. Quality & size instead of quantity..JMO.

I wear a wedding band by itself a lot when I don’t want to wear my solitaire. I have 2...a plain band to wear if I go sailing with my husband or hiking & when I assist at the hospital, if I ever get a chance to go back to that The other one has a lot of diamonds to stack with my engagement solitaire or wear alone.

edit: Have you guys decided on a date yet Blue? A 4 yr engagement is super long! I’d love to hear about your plans!

[DanW127]

I think this is definitely up to you and your partner. Some people prefer diamonds, as you can see by the comments, while others are open to whatever, or possibly even against diamonds as a whole. Personally, I’m pretty impartial, but my wife was not, as I knew she wanted a diamond ring, so I wasn’t going to propose with a non-traditional ring. Of course, a lot of proposals are surprises, so it can be difficult to find out their preference without giving away some of the surprise, however, if you’re able to figure it out, there are plenty of jewelers online that can help you explore non-traditional options. We used Allurez, and despite us getting a regular diamond, they had tons of other options available as well: https://www.allurez.com/

[TashaPosh]

Originally Posted by DanW127

Of course, a lot of proposals are surprises, so it can be difficult to find out their preference without giving away some of the surprise, however, if you’re able to figure it out, there are plenty of jewelers online that can help you explore non-traditional options.

Many ppl have discussed the idea of a marriage before a man proposes IMO, even tho it’s super common to make when or how a surprise. AND..it’s super easy to find out what we prefer...even tho it’s just a casual walk past the jewelry store.^^ They could just ask too.

What man wants to go buy a ring & she doesn’t like it....or she says no?

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by ElizaTeal

I have a diamond engagement ring, but I also have another engagement ring with a Russian demantoid garnet. These garnets have a high refractive index similar to a diamond.

ding ding ding ding ding! One of my favorite stones! OP, you can get what you consider to be "nontraditional" engagement rings (this really depends on the culture, because in Russia, demantoids and other stones considered unusual in the West are "traditional") in heirloom jewelry for sale on romanovrussia.com

[Roselvr]

Originally Posted by TashaPosh

Ita....I love a solitaire emerald cut & they look better being set lower than a lot of settings for round...especially if they are bigger. My friend has a round tension setting that is set high. It’s a beautiful ring but it’s not my style.












Tho can’t a jeweler tighten the setting....or don’t you like it enough to bother?

They did tighten the stones. It's a cheap Zales ring that the coloring is off of too, piece of crap. It was supposed to be white gold but has a coppery tint to it now. I won't waste money on it. The rest of my rings are platinum. The color is way too off now.

[maiden_fern]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

ding ding ding ding ding! One of my favorite stones! OP, you can get what you consider to be "nontraditional" engagement rings (this really depends on the culture, because in Russia, demantoids and other stones considered unusual in the West are "traditional") in heirloom jewelry for sale on romanovrussia.com

What a great website, thanks for posting the link!

[TashaPosh]

Originally Posted by Roselvr

They did tighten the stones. It's a cheap Zales ring that the coloring is off of too, piece of crap. It was supposed to be white gold but has a coppery tint to it now. I won't waste money on it. The rest of my rings are platinum. The color is way too off now.

Ok...I wouldn’t bother with it either. I thought that the only problem was that the diamonds were loose.

[Roselvr]

Originally Posted by TashaPosh

Ok...I wouldn’t bother with it either. I thought that the only problem was that the diamonds were loose.

I'd message you a pic but you don't accept messages.

[RamenAddict]

Originally Posted by TashaPosh

Many ppl have discussed the idea of a marriage before a man proposes IMO, even tho it’s super common to make when or how a surprise. AND..it’s super easy to find out what we prefer...even tho it’s just a casual walk past the jewelry store.^^ They could just ask too.

What man wants to go buy a ring & she doesn’t like it....or she says no?

I would *hope* that IRL people talk to their potential fiancée before going to pick out a ring. There’s a possibility that she does not want a ring at all, doesn’t want a diamond ring, or does not want to get married. It may also be that they have a radical difference in price points- perhaps the fiancée would prefer a smaller ring to put more toward the wedding/honeymoon, etc?

I think it is really unwise for a man (or woman buying for another woman) to go full steam ahead buying a fancy engagement ring without discussing it first. I know a lot of couples who go look at rings together, and then after seeing what the potential fiancée likes, the other person will make the right choice.