So you wanna get married, but you’re broke? Well, lucky you, because I just happened across a really cool vintage engagement ring for the insanely reasonable price of $195. That’s right, $195, folks.

 
Purty, ain’t it? 14k gold and a .10 carat diamond. So, yeah, it’s not huge, but it’s beautiful. And it has a subtle, old-fashioned charm that some big rock just can’t match. Available from Lone Star Estates.
Photo Credits: Lone Star Estates

So, it’s a recession, you know that already. Maybe you’re broke, or maybe you just don’t want to go broke having a wedding, either way, the time is nigh for cost cutting. One of the biggest ways to get broke before your even get to the altar is by blowing a whole lot of money on wedding jewelry. If you just want something simple and sweet to remind you of your love, then flash a quick pic of this baby to your beau.
I think this sweet little ring would work as an engagement ring OR a wedding ring, or as …read more

Of all the wedding duties a groom has, proposing is the most important. It’s a moment you’ll both remember forever, so getting all the details right can, I’m sure, be nerve-wracking. I can only imagine how nervous my man was when he got down on one knee. Er, well, he got down on two, actually, he was kneeling, but anyways. Ring selection is the only part that us ladies may have a say in, in terms of the proposal, so if you do, have I got a great idea for you.
I’m going to go ahead and offer the disclaimer that …read more

Guest Post by Lucy Zimmerman
If you are in the market for an unusual ring, have an idea for something different and spectacular but don’t know where to start – read on to find out why going the custom way may be right for you.
1: Use “old” to make “new”.
Did you inherit an engagement ring from your grandmother or a diamond wedding band from another woman in your family? The “old” pieces carry a lot of sentimental value. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to “re-use” all of these diamonds in your own ring?
Work with your designer to incorporate the stones into the …read more

Engaged?  Married?  Or just looking for your perfect diamond ring…
Do you have an idea for your one of a kind diamond ring?
Did you know that Amazon (yes, the Amazon that sells books) has a very cool online ring builder?

You can select everything from diamond shape, cut, size and clarity.   Want a particular band style?  Browse through dozens of different shapes and metals.  You can compare loose diamonds, to pick the best one for your ring and they’ll even make recommendations for which band style will work best for your diamond cut.
Need more help?  They even have diamond experts that you …read more

By Guest Blogger Kelli DesRochers
With the continuing recession and increasing moral concerns surrounding conflict diamonds, it seems that more couples are searching for alternatives to the traditional solitaire engagement ring. I have met many young couples recently who don’t really see the necessity of a huge “bling” diamond when there are perfectly beautiful alternative options that don’t require 3-4 months salary (hopefully a six figure one for those 2+ karat rocks) or a heavy conscience.
I completely understand the inclination to defy that norm and question the tradition (which I heard was started by an ad campaign that DeBeers created …read more

I think I prefer having a non-lethal engagement ring…
Thanks to Boing Boing for finding this little goodie

“There are a great many things to know about Diamonds and the Diamond Industry. By reading books and the information available on the Internet, you can learn a lot, but that still doesn’t help you much in physically grading a Diamond or going through the Diamond buying process. Nonetheless, if you know the right things you can have better success rate in buying a Diamond for a fair price. Here is a shortlist of the things you need to know. ”
I obviously have a lot to learn about diamonds. To be quite honest in the past, I have simply looked …read more

It seems that when you receive your first really good piece of jewelry (like an engagement ring for example) you rush out and buy a jar of jewelry cleaner. But the jar runs out and for some reason, you never get around to replacing it. Sound at all familiar?? That’s the reason for today’s post. Chances are your jewelry has been sitting around for years without a good cleaning. You have to wonder what color some of those pieces were meant to be??
And then there is… Debbie Meyer’s E-Z Jewelry CleanerTM System (Using Your Own Dishwasher!)
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