Wedding Blog
My girlfriends and I are pretty much price whores. When we meet up, the first thing out of our mouths is a collective chorus of “omgthatssocutehowmuchdiditcost?” We unashamedly triumph in the bargains we get, and on the flip side, love to brag about our mucho expensive-o True Religion Jeans that make our booties ’licious. It’s the way the universe works in Pengyland.
I know precisely how much everything costs that Mr. Penguin has ever given me. Mostly because they are usually video game consoles, DVDs, CDs, books, spa gift certificates, weekend getaways, and the likes. I’m not a jewelry girl, and Mr. Penguin doesn’t ever venture into the world of women’s fashion, so pretty much everything he buys me can be found on Amazon.com.
BUT, there is one thing that Mr. Penguin has bought me that I’ve never asked the price of: My engagement ring. I love my engagement ring, and since it was a surprise, I’ve never gone diamond shopping with him nor have any idea how much the going rate is for platinum. And since diamond prices vary widely because of the 5 C’s, my diamond could be worth anything from $0 to $20K. Okay maybe not $0. Or $20K for that matter. But somewhere in between, for sure.
I’m dying to both know, and at the same time, not know. I’m pretty sure I’ll never ask, just because it’s really fun to have one gift from Mr. Penguin that has, essentially, no monetary value to me. My girlfriends have all asked how much my ring cost, and I proudly say that I don’t know. Because divulging the price of the ring, quite frankly, would be so awkward, even though I’m usually the type of girl who wears a price tag on my sleeve. Ignorance is bliss, and rather than keeping the price tag a secret from people, I can truly say, that I simply just don’t know.
So Pret-Tay!
Do you know how much your Engagment Ring costs? Do you share the price tag with others?
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HAHA Pengy… I do the same thing. I think I got it from my Asian mother…
Buuuut, same for me, I NEVER asked about the ring. A few people have asked, but I have no idea. I, like you, don’t plan on asking.
P.S. Your bling is hot. Love it!
Hahaha… Mr.E was so proud of his bargain hunting skills (for my e-ring) that he couldn’t wait to share the “deal” with me! Not to mention I have all the paperwork as well, and took care of the insurance stuff =)
i have no idea how much it was, nor do i have any desire to know. i’m all for bragging about great bargains, but i think it’s really tacky to ask how much an engagement ring cost.
I designed my ering myself and know exactly how much it cost as I’m the one who contacted the insurance company to put together a separate rider for it.
I would never tell anyone else how much it cost, except for my sister and best friend (if they asked).
However I get asked how many carats it is a lot. from strangers. awkward.
What a beautiful ring Pengy! Why didn’t you take a picture of your whole hand? What? You didn’t get your nails done? No wonda you have no boyfend!
I know how much my e-ring cost only because I had to insure it….the insurance company said that the ring should go under my homeowner’s insurance (we both own separate places) because once engaged, it is under my possession. I don’t tell people what he paid for it though. I know too many people who would secretly be like, “I can’t believe he spent *that* much on a ring” or “that’s all he spent?!”.
That is a gorgeous ring!
Personally, I have no idea how much my ring cost, and I’m not interested in finding out. But I do know how much it’s insured for - and I do know that’s significantly more than he paid for it. So there’s that….
Your ring is beautiful, I love the knife edge cut (if that’s what it is called) of the band!
I know how much my ring cost because we bought it together. His parents know because he told them (he was so happy that I wanted a sapphire when a diamond the same size cost $9000 hehe). My mom, dad and sister know because either they asked or he told them, yes, he has no qualms about telling people how much things cost 
But I don’t want to broadcast it anymore!
I too haven’t asked how much my Fiance had spent. I generally think I know by plugging in all the 4 C’s into Blue nile.com. Also, my fiance did give me the sheet for the appraisal of the ring. Even if I knew how much, I would’t share it with anyone.
what a pretty ring. It sparkles so much. -) i know everything about my ring, kind of unromantic but i am one nosy wife.
love your funny posts btw.
your ring make you look like modoh, cheeleaduh, someting prettay
I don’t know exactly how much he paid either - only how much it’s insured for because I took care of that. I do have an idea of a ballpark figure because he assured me that he paid a lot less than it’s insured for.
Beautiful bling, btw!
FI only bought the setting for the ring because the diamond was my great-grandmother’s and was a gift to us from my mom. So, the diamond is priceless, but I do know how much the setting was. I don’t tell anyone, and no one asks. However, everything else is fair game.
I do indeed know how much it was cuz I was standing right there…but no I choose not to give out that information because quite frankly it’s nobody’s business! =) But I am quite the bargainer so it was a good deal! =)
Yeah I know because he gave me all the paperwork.. I also knew what his budget was when he was looking
I know how much my ring costs because he told me about the great deal he got. I haven’t had anyone ask how much it costs, but I would never tell though.
I know because I helped pick it…my parents know what it cost, but I’d be very uncomfortable discussing it with anyone else.
I know about how much it cost because we shopped for it together - piece by piece. So I should say that I know how much the center stone cost. We wanted a yellow diamond, so we looked at about a dozen stones before we found one we liked and also could afford. Then he and the jeweler decided on the size of the side stones, and I remember some talk about the weight of the setting we were having made and the current price of gold.
I do know the appraised value (which he assures me is more than he paid) because I had to send the appraisal to my insurance company.
I can’t believe anyone would rude enough to ask, but I certainly wouldn’t tell them. I have also been asked the ct weight of the center stone, but only by a couple of people. More often I get asked what kind of stone it is, as people are not used to seeing a yellow diamond.
Originally, I have no idea the cost as it was my grandmother’s engagement ring and wedding band.
We paid $50 to have a CZ put in place of the original diamond which my grandmother lost in the 60s when she was gardening. We decided that since the ring is so old (70 years approx.) if it’s still holding up alright in 5 years, we’d splurge on a real diamond, which is more than fine by me! I couldn’t justify spending that much on a diamond that could possibly fall out in a few days/months/years.
i know the exact cost of every part of my ring, no romance or mystery here! In general, I don’t tell people - it’s a weird question to be asked… but I have had many guy friends who were starting the ring search discuss the whole scope with me, which included “well, how much did yours cost?” but it was just for reference I think… and I think I’ve been asked the center carat weight only once.
either my ring is ooogly and people don’t want to ask or I maybe look mean.
I know how much the price tag was because I picked it out, and then shopped around and priced it at various locations. BUT I told him to haggle and he did, so the official price is unknown….
I wouldn’t let him spend more than 2k on the ring since neither one of us prioritize the ring that highly in our grand-scheme-of-things-budget, and to be quite honest it looks like it cost at least twice as much….so in the hope of showing ladies that you CAN get a gorgeous ring for less than 10k I do tell people the approx cost if they ask but it’s rare that anyone does.
I know exactly how much my ring cost, because I was standing right there when we picked out the diamond and designed the setting. And when I say “when we picked…” I mean “when I picked…” because he wanted to make sure the ring was exactly what I wanted.
But I would never tell anyone how much it cost unless they asked, and even then I’d feel uncomfortable unless they were asking to get an idea of how much a similar ring would cost them to buy. Otherwise why would they care?
I know how much the ring cost because he showed me the actual receipt. No one has asked me how much it cost though.
I know…. but I never told anyone cuz its not the point. Mr.F was in school when he bought it and regarless of how much its worth I love love love it.
Its not a very expensive e-ring, but I too am a bargain lady, and i am happy he didnt spend crazy money for it!!!
I know how much mine costs because we bought it together, but I dont’ share with anyone because…. well, it’s a lot. Like, a lot. Disproportionate for our station in life at the moment. We have our own real reasons for this, but I feel like anyone we tell will look down on us for it.
I know because I have the certification and appraisal for insurance purposes. No one has asked me how much it cost, but a couple people have asked me what the carat weight is.
I know how much the ring costs, because not only did I help design it, our finances are an open book to each other and we had discussions on how much to spend (we’re saving up for a down payment on a new place together too). He actually wanted to spend more on it, but I gave him a cap. Not to mention, I had to submit the appraisal to the insurance company.
My mom asked how much the ring was, and I told her, but other than that none of my other friends/family have inquired. The same cannot be said for FI’s friends. Their group if very money oriented and competitive, and they all started asking how much he spent on it. It’s just a remarkable coincidence that since we got engaged, three more of his friends have gotten engaged and they made sure they either spent more money or got a larger carat ring. I just have to laugh.
I know exactly how much it cost because we (or I should say “I”) picked it out together. I also should mention that our appraisal is almost twice as much as what we paid for. I was shocked when I saw the value! So either we got an incredible deal, or the appraiser (also our jeweller) is hoping I’ll lose the ring and purchase a replacement from him for twice as much!
I know how much mine cost because we picked out the diamond together and then custom made the setting together. My parents and my best friend know how much the whole kit and kaboodle cost, and I feel like most people could approximate how much it cost, but no one has asked…yet.
I do know how much it costs as I pay the insurance on it. I have never told anyone (my mother knows though) but have been asked and it was awkward…. their responsed was that they could have bought a new BMW for that to which I flabberghastedly said true… Yipes.
Yeas I know since we picked it put together and no I don’t share except to say that if it was a diamond we couldn’t invite as many peopletot he wedding!
Miss Penguin- I presume your fiance took care of insuring it? Just saying, if you ever really DO want to know, the paperwork must be out there… haha.
I know exactly how much he paid, though he didn’t directly tell me.
Moral of this story — boys are morons. Don’t hide the engagement ring in your underwear drawer, and the assorted paperwork in your sock drawer, if you’re trying to surprise the same person who does your laundry and folds it and puts it away. Just saying. Because if there is a random piece of paper folded up in your sock drawer, I might look at it, because what’s a piece of paper doing in your sock drawer? And it just might be a receipt that tells me exactly how much you paid for the ring. Just, ahem, saying, you know?
I saw all the paperwork… so I know, but no one else does I’m happy I know… and if had spent more I would have bopped him over the head!
Not only do I know, but I was there when he bought it. I didn’t tell people at the time, but since then I have worked for jewelers and it has been discussed in more of a professional way.
~$15K…. from our wholesaler friend :o)
I do!
My husband even gave me the GIA certificate for me to check out the authentication….haahhaha..
I know how much it costs since we took care of the insurance together but I’m also the type that is uncomfortable discussing numbers when people ask.
my fiance freelances PPC for a jewelry company, so I knew he got a deal, but it wasn’t until I was cleaning and came across the paper work (bill and insurance stuff) that I knew any numbers. I’m torn about knowing it’s weird knowing I own a piece of jewelry worth more than my car,and really he could have spent ten bucks and I would still be marrying him. But I do know now why he unhappy when I get handcream in the prongs and stuff.
Yes, I know. He actually had the loose stone sent home and I opened the package and found an invoice. We also shopped for the setting together. I have only told parents,close family an good friends who have asked.
I know because I helped to pick it out! I wouldn’t share the price with anyone (except my parents who are nosey like that :)).
If anyone had the nerve to ask - I’d ask them, Why do you want to know? Are you making a contribution???
Like many others here, I know because of insurance. But for everyone who has their ring insured at way more than he paid for it — make sure it’s not overinsured. Lots of companies will only pay replacement costs for a “like and kind” piece. I only know of a couple companies that will send you a check for the policy amount. So if you’ve got it insured for a few thousand more than it would cost to buy a similar ring, you’re probably throwing money away on premiums.
I haven’t had anyone ask me what he paid, but my ring is quite small and subtle so I doubt it would really occur to people to ask.
Like the others, I also know because I took care of the insurance paperwork, but it doesn’t diminish the romance! He was worried at first because he thought I’d be disappointed in how much he spent, but I couldn’t be happier. He struck the perfect balance between size and quality. He done good!
I absolutely refused to find out — I even had him call my insurance company to deal with the paperwork so I wouldn’t have to know. It makes me anxious just thinking about it.
I think it’s interesting to read that the majority of commenters who know the cost of their engagement ring are pleased — it fell in that nice middle ground of a gorgeous ring, without spending a fortune.
Am I the only one who was disappointed with the cost of the ring? Disappointed may not be the right word, but perhaps shocked? Astonished? Ready to beat my fiance’s head in with a Microsoft Money CD? Don’t get me wrong, my ring is breathtaking, and I love it, but it was SO DAMN EXPENSIVE. Considering the hefty hunk of medical school loans he carries, I was truly floored that he would spend so much on a ring, when he was so much to pay off. But, it’s his money, so I didn’t make a big deal out of it.
I’ve never shared the cost with anyone, because frankly, I don’t think it’s their business. I was once with a friend and some her her other engaged acquaintances, and they were all discussing ring costs, like a giant “Mine is better than yours” session. When they finally got around to me, I lied and said I had no idea. Obviously, I do — but I didn’t feel like sharing. My ring over more than $10,000 more than any of theirs, though it is not particularly larger in carats. I think the major difference is that they all had brilliant cuts while I have an asscher which is MUCH more expensive, and side stones, and mine is set in platinum, while I think theirs are white gold. But the fact of the matter is that many of these girls are catty, and I know bringing it up, they would have some snide comment about how could you spend so much more for a ring that is no nicer than theirs, etc. Frankly, I don’t think it is anybody’s business, however. It’s between my fiance and the jeweler, and that’s it.
Happy not to know, ’cause I would feel guilty that he spent all that!!! I know what it was appraised at, because I had to give the info to my insurance company, but the appraisal is higher than what he actually paid….
And your ring is beautiful — love the shape!
I don’t know what he actually paid. And Mr Corn had to basically give up our first born child to the insurance people for them to believe that we live together and therefore it could go on his homeowners policy!!
Of course, now that we are married, that is moot.
And since he left the paperwork for the appraisal out on the table next to the elliptical machine…it is double moot.
I asked once, when he gave it to me, only because it looked so enormous and perfect to me. He wouldn’t tell, and now I’m glad I don’t know. I mean, I could probably guess within a few grand…but what’s the point?
If someone asked, I’d just stare blankly at them and blink. Repeatedly.
Yeah, I got the nosy gene from my Chinese mother–bargains are a source of serious pride in our family! Hubs bought my ring on ebay and got a great deal. He showed the auction to me first and we debated about whether or not it was legit. He got up at 5:30 am to bid on it and promptly went back to sleep. I freakin’ love ebay.
I know because I helped pick all the components with him… but I won’t even tell my parents the cost (and we are really close!)…because that was between him and me. He did tell his mother, and she was shocked at what he spent. He told her he knew it was coming, had saved for it, and that’s that. She also doesn’t have a concept of what such things cost now, especially with the rising cost of gold and platinum to record levels.
I know cos I picked mine out. Yums, I love my precious!
I don’t share its cost with anyone except for a really close friend who helped me understand jewelry and I have told inquisitive people approx carat weight.
Otherwise, I just enjoy its beauty.
mine’s from Tiffany and i know because their rings only come in size 6 and i had to go get it resized smaller.. so i needed the receipt to do it. heh
I have an idea, but no exact price. Christie, mine’s an ebay find, too! I know that he got an EXTREMELY good deal on it, because we’re both price whores and he spent, in his words, “at least 90 hours searching for it, and when I (he) saw it, I knew it was the one.” After hearing that, who cares how much it cost?
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Mrs. Penguin, Northern California
Age and Occupation: 27, Weddingbee Editor in Chief
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Doctor of Physical Therapy
Engagement Date: January 29, 2007
Wedding Date: June 7, 2008
Blogging Since: September 14, 2007
Venue: Winery in the Gold Country
About Me: I love the Spice Girls, dogs with underbites, bean burritos, making messes, high fives, avoiding showers, crossword puzzles, blogs, weddings, and blogs about weddings!
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