Weddingbee Blog

Well, I’m having Andrew get me a ruby engagement ring….and I just want cubic zirconia side stones. I’m not all that worried about if they’re real, so long as they’re sparkly. What can I say, I’m looooow maintenance. And I don’t really want Andrew to buy me REAL diamond jewelry. The cubic zirconia looks just like the real thing anyhow! I have a pair of earrings, and NO one can tell the difference!

Yeah, I got suckered into believing in the Kimberely process reassurances. If I had to do it again I would look into manmade stones (if they make them that small) or cubic zicrona. Not only is there the risk you’re funding wars and slaughter, even “legitimate” diamonds have a high enviromental cost, crappy working conditions and an inflated value. Other stones aren’t much better, they’re just not as common as diamond engagement rings so we don’t hear as much about them.

I wanted a blue topaz, he wanted a diamond, we compromised by getting a conflict-free stone (my father worked in the jewelery trade and I didn’t feel ethically correct in getting a conflict stone). My family friend (jeweler) is still holding onto the 2.5ct topaz that I picked out in case I want it for my something blue.

Prior to the blood diamond issue, I was shocked to learn about how worthless diamonds were in the 1880’s before the DeBeers cartel and their lovely marketing campaign. It’s quite twisted, and I can’t wait to see what tricks they’re going to pull out and lie about for the blood diamond fiasco. Whenever I visit Tiffany I hear something new to giggle about when they describe the rarity of diamonds

I have a certificate that says mine isn’t a conflict diamond. I don’t know how accurate it is, but oh well. My fiance took me “window shopping” for rings once and I was trying to get him to lean towards Canadian diamonds, but he didn’t end up going that route.

Too late now!

ditto what miss lemon said. it’s mildly infuriating as well :). i have an heirloom diamond, so no idea where it’s from originally. but i definitely am a little more hesitant now to buy diamonds in the future. even if there is an accompanying document that says it’s “conflict free”–i think i would still come to doubt it b/c of the sketchiness of the diamond industry in general (especially if the diamond is from africa!).

I didn’t want a new diamond ring: too much money to get a decently sized one, the whole conflict diamond thing, I love aquamarines, and I tend to prefer vintage everything anyway! So my fiance bought me a beautiful vintage aquamarine in platium. Yes, there are some small diamonds on the sides, but they’re at least sixty years old, so I’m not too worried about them.

yes i thought about this long before the movie came out, we chose a moissanite (lab grown) ring and i feel really good about it.

the more i think about it though i dont like that diamonds or any stone for that matter symbolize such wealth and privilege when the majority of the world is impoverished… so we are looking at possibly exchanging the moissanite ring and getting non-stone basic wedding bands… it would be more like us anyway.

thanks for posting this! we dont talk about this issue enough.

I noted in this discussion there are several couples where the woman would prefer something other than a diamond, not necessarily for social justice reason but because of personal preference, but her fiance thinks it’s almost a necessity for showing the world his love and commitment. (here I thought it was just us!) Speaks to the power that 20th-century advertising has in creating “tradition”!