5 Reasons to Skip the Diamond Engagement Ring

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joulediamonds of UT 1:20AM February 26, 2011

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Wedding Rings of CA 3:49AM February 25, 2011

A ring is not enough to make you feel totally loved. What he really is to you is the best thing.

Kate Middleton's Engagement Ring of DC 7:06AM November 19, 2010

I recently got engaged this year, after a five year courtship, without the ring. I don't need that one thing to make me feel more special or define my worth or even my fiancee's. In fact, I don't even wear any jewelry at all or very seldom; perhaps, only on a very special occasion. Odd, I suppose for someone who used to model and act ... spent a good majority of my time in the Arts... Come to think of it, we don't even trade Christmas gifts. We're just happy to be able to spend time together doing fun things with family and friends. We sure live for the adventure. Anyways, I got really sick over the past few years ... and our biggest investment as a couple was Health and I guess, just making it from day to day. I was undiagnosed/misdiagnosed for way too long, until, I was finally treated this past spring for Chronic Lyme Disease (co-infected): I don't know of one other man, on the face of this Earth, who would have stayed by my side, like a soldier on a battlefield would. And I stood by my man through so much as well, unbelievable if I were to tell. Hard to fathom that we survived it all, actually and I have no doubt that we can get through anything life throws at us in the next 5, 10, 15, 20 plus years. I am planing a green wedding in SoCal at the moment: Looking at ecologically and socially conscious ring options. This is a great article. I'm a lady who has skipped the Engagement Ring, but not the Engagement. It was truly magical that night on the Santa Monica Pier (just uplifting after a very sad incident) ... the lights from the Ferris wheel, coaster, and stars of the night never stopped sparkling in our hearts.

Sonya Rose of CA 1:43AM October 18, 2010

This article was fun to read and provocative. I agree with many of the points here, but only to a certain extent. There’s a lot to debate and discuss in this article, so I’ll mostly focus my comments on your last point—that it’s “hard to get around the ethical issues surrounding the diamond industry.” This point is not really true and deserves some context and clarification.
I agree that the track record for the diamond industry is not so good. The problem of blood or “conflict” diamonds is real, and continues to this day despite efforts by the diamond industry to convince consumers otherwise. In eastern Zimbabwe, for instance, the regime of Robert Mugabe has recently used forced labor and torture to mine for diamonds. However, the ethical and environmental issues surrounding diamonds are not insurmountable. Diamonds from Canada, for example, are mined under strict labor and environmental laws.
Antique diamond rings are a very socially and environmentally responsible choice – no new mining is needed. And, as this article mentions, lab-created diamonds are another socially and environmentally responsible alternative.
The last point in this article may also be making the false suggestion that, by avoiding diamonds, a person can be assured of making a socially and environmentally responsible jewelry purchase. Actually, it’s highly possible for sapphires or any other gemstone to be mined under objectionable conditions. Additionally, there’s the matter of settings. Gold mining is an extremely dirty business. Modern gold mining methods generate about 20 tons of mine waste for every gold ring. Right now, gold mining is also contributing to a terrible civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Thus, when buying an engagement ring, diamond or no diamond is not really the ethical issue. The key is to choose an ethical origin gemstone (it may or may not be a diamond) and a setting made of recycled metals or fair trade gold.
As to your other points—mostly relating to cost, beauty, and historical origins of the diamond engagement ring—I suppose that a lot of this comes down to the preferences of the individual buyer. Diamonds are very beautiful gemstones, and, setting aside the question of how they came to be so revered, by now they’ve come to hold a special place in our culture. Many people simply want the look and cultural symbolism of a diamond. On the other hand, especially in these tough economic times, it’s possible we’ll see more people choosing diamond alternatives. In any case, and responding to your fourth point, I don’t think it’s necessary for people to skip the giving of engagement rings. Regardless of what gemstones or metals go into a ring, there are a plenty of socially responsible and affordable engagement ring options for every taste and budget. -GK, www.brilliantearth.com

GK, www.brilliantearth.com of MD 9:46PM August 17, 2010

Why was not the cubic zirconia mentioned? Most people can't tell the difference. How many people have expensive jewels and then have cheaper copies made of them to wear because they are fearful of being robbed?
Diamonds are such a ripoff. It is amazing how the public is snookered by the wealthy and powerful at times.
I am so glad to see this article.
I saw a documentary not too long ago about how the Russians had a process that could manufacture diamonds that were undetectable by experts.

Joan Dalton of AL 3:26PM August 17, 2010

There are still blood diamonds being mined in Africa to this very day. There has been much in the news lately about the ongoing conflict in Zimbabwe.
http://d.neadiamonds.com/conflict-diamond
A blue or yellow synthetic diamonds appears to be a good option for those still wanting a diamond, but free of the ethical issues of mined diamonds.

Ongoing conflict of MI 10:39PM August 12, 2010