The Senor: I Don’t Believe Expensive Engagement Rings Equal True Love
Posted by Guillermo, "The Senor" - 07/09/10 at 08:09 amHey, CityGirls! What’s going on? It must still be summer because relationships seem to be everywhere these days. Couples are 
out for walks, meeting friends for the “double date dinner,” or watching a late night movie at the cinema. Couples are all over the place and for a cynic that believes in love, it’s refreshing! Time passes and some relationships fail to last, but some do. That’s when the time comes for a topic that most men know nothing about and many women claim to be an expert on: the purchase of the ring.
We’ve all seen it. The lady flashing the bling bling ring in the office or your newly engaged friend shoving that sucker so close to your face you need some sunglasses just to see! It’s not that I don’t like the whole diamond ring thing, but I’ve become increasingly disenchanted with how many ladies I see thrusting these things around and saying, “Look at how much he loves me!”
Now, now, ladies, don’t get mad at me yet. I realize all CGW readers aren’t like this. However, as a man, I am baffled by the notion that the more expensive the ring, the more the man loves the woman (I know a lot of guys buy expensive rings just to impress their lady and to make her happy…it’s not about how much they love her). I am even more disturbed when I hear (sometimes directly) from some lady that her man HAS to purchase her a ring costing $15,000 or more. I’ve even heard a few say $20,000.
REALLY????? For some reason this topic gets my juices flowing. I was at a party recently and a friend from out of town told a group that she believed a man should be willing to spend “two to three months salary” on a ring. Oh yeah, you can bet I jumped in on that one and let me tell you– the debate was all over the place.
I was surprised to learn that a lot of other ladies in the room agreed. When I said I thought an $8,000 (random number) ring would be enough and that the saved money could go toward a fun honeymoon or toward paying for the wedding, well, I was met with sneers and the looks people get when they step in something icky and smelly. I was surprised. Over the next few weeks I talked to a lot of lady friends of mine and found most agreed with me, but that a lot of those that wanted to felt the pressure of wanting the big ring to show off. Some of them even admitted that they feared a cheaper ring would draw remarks like, “Oooh, it’s not, ummm, bad at all…” Trust me, these are not weak superficial ladies…at least not on any other topic.
I decided to look up when this diamond ring thing came about and where the idea of two to three months salary (that’s a lot in tough times) came from. I found the below courtesy of www.experigalot.com:
The history of engagement rings is a pretty fascinating one worth reading. As far as diamond engagement rings go, what happened was that around 1870, diamonds were discovered in South Africa, and De Beers Consolidated Mines managed to gain control over most of the diamond supply to the world. To create demand and perceived value in the post-Depression and post-WWII era, De Beers began a very successful marketing campaign with the famous “A Diamond is Forever” phrase that you still see and hear today in ads. De Beers managed to convince the public that diamond rings were the only correct choice for engagement rings, and, what’s more, that they should be kept as heirlooms (and hence not resold, thus preventing a secondary market from being created). They even educated jewelers to instruct would-be husbands that two to three months’ salary was the appropriate amount to spend on an engagement ring.
De Beers myths and propaganda continue to this day and this new “tradition” isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
So, CityGirls, what do you think? Does an expensive ring really mean anything at all except that the guy spent a lot of money? Does size really matter in demonstrating true love? Am I just a cheapskate because I think $15,000 is a lot of money for a ring? I look forward to reading your comments!
Odds and Ends
- I’ve received some surprising inquiries about David and PLHD and whether or not this whole story (or portions of it) was really true. I’m here to tell you that it is and that PLHD really did call David, Ted, and myself out at a BBQ in DC. She got us good (and I’d be surprised if she isn’t reading this too!). I’ll also tell you that David and PLHD are doing pretty well right now and I couldn’t be happier for them.
- I want to thank you all for reading and supporting the DC Burger Matchoff. It’s been one of CGW’s most popular articles over the last few months and I’m glad to see you appreciate my efforts to find the best burgers and accompanying fries in DC for you guys. I’m currently working through the second group of four (there will be three groups of four , then a Final Four). Here’s a sneak preview: the second group’s contenders are Harry’s Tap Room, Westend Bistro, Palena, and The Burger Joint.
- I’ve been really impressed by the new Gals About Town! Lauren and Leigh bring a great dynamic and energy to CGW and I’ve really enjoyed their articles. Awesome job, ladies!
- As an fyi, I’m always open to suggestions for new articles (my friends do it all the time…even The Senora does too!) or places you think I should try for the Burger Matchoff. You can pass them on in the comments section or by sending an email to the gorgeous Christie or the beautiful Jess.
Till the next time CityGirls,
Senor Guillermo
