SOMEBODY'S got expensive tastes! My wife was happy with a $700-800 Wedding/Engagement ring set. Maybe she's a bit more down-to-earth? ;-)

Take the $15,000.00, go buy the $1500.00 ring , and tuck it away for a rainy day. Unless he's a jewler, he won't know the diff

No it wouldn't matter to me. In fact, we married young so my stone is smaller, and I think that is an excellent option! Tell him it's not 'fake' it's merely man made. He can always upgrade the stone later if he likes. Most people can't tell the difference (particularly without a loop) anyway.

15,000$?.... gulp! Good for you honey. I think we live in different worlds. lol

I am not sure if it would matter to me or not. Seems to bother me a little. Of course when i was with my ex-husband I had a 1/2 carat diamond and wanted a bigger one. I told him i wanted a Cz so i could have a bigger one. But he wouldn't get it for me cause he said i would tell everyone. Which I probably would have. But i would have said it with excitement. "Isn't it pretty I Love it! and It is Cz Doesn't look it does it? " But when I got with my current boyfriend he asked me what i thought about it. I told him I used to want one but my ex said I would tell everyone. I probably would. Then I told him that I took a diamond earring to get tested that this guy left at my house to see if it was real cuz the guy bragged about it and said it was, It wasn't real! I told him that my friend and I laughed at the guy. So I don't know what he thought when i told him that. He just said it was a real diamond it was just man made. I said well would it pass if it was tested? Id take it to check. Then we never talked about it again. He still hasn't gotten me a ring and its been. Almost 2 years. :(

Why do you want a 15K stone? So that you can show off to your friends? But, if you insist, then I would never wear a fake, imitation stone. Either get a stone or wear a wedding band -- Ziconia? Don't you think that's sort of --dishonest?

I would want the biggest real stone that my husband could afford. A ring shows people that a woman has a man to take care of her. In a sense a ring protects a woman. Big and Real for me!

I did not expect an engagement ring at all (it was a cultural thing - in former USSR, people didn't get engaged, they just got married) and, if I were to get one, would have been perfectly fine with a cubic zirconia. However, when my now-husband gave me an $11K diamond, I was in shock for several months - he could afford it at the time and his logic was as follows: it is supposed to be once-in-a-lifetime commitment, once-in-a-lifetime gift and he wanted to get me the best he could afford. Although times have been tough a few years later, neither one of us was ever sorry that he did that - I never take it off and he is happy to see it. I think the fact that you are fine with a CZ says a lot - you are obviously in it not for a diamond. Do whatever makes sense now - if you can afford it, go for a real thing, if not - may be it makes sense to wait until you do. Whatever you decide, may it never distract you from what it is really all about;-) Best of luck to both of you!

Go for the cubic zucchini and use any extra dough for a very special honeymoon. The truth is that no one can tell by eye and that life is for living and enjoying. Not getting into debt over a stupid rock. You know this person loves you and wants to marry you. Does it have to be the real deal or are you both falling prey to some clever marketing? Why take the risk of buying a "blood diamond" too. Diamonds are controversial for a reason. A nice alternative are "recycled" diamonds and gold. There is a company called Green Karat. Try them for a nice alternative.

I have been a widow for some time and am going to marry my Pastor within the year. I gave my ring to my daughter after my husband died. My fiancee has given me the diamond that his wife wore for twenty-nine years before she died. I am so proud, and it wouldn't matter to me how big it is or whether it is real or not. The fact that it was hers, and that he loved her; and that now he is going to give it me -- it's just perfect. And, by the way--Read your Bible!

Keep the following in mind: The high price of diamonds is BS! The world is AWASH in diamonds and if the normal laws of supply and demand were applied, they'd be dirt cheap. The reason that they are expensive is that the DeBeers cartel controls the supply to keep the price up. So, if you or your fiance think that enriching the DeBeers cartel with an extra $13,500 just so that you can have a 'real' stone (which is simply marketing hype), well...OK. But I think I'd spend that money on something more substantial (like a trip around the world). . . .

And really, an engagment ring is just a "symbol" of their engagement, from him to her. So, up to you, babe, If you truly love each other, a $15.00 ring means the same as a $15,000.00, because it's the "meaning" of the ring that counts , not the price, (Sorry Jewelers, they made up the 10% or whatever your pay-gross for a year they want you to spend)

I think the idea that an engagement ring has to be a diamond is a great bit of marketing by the diamond industry, which everybody seems to have fallen for. Engagement rings were not always diamond. Indeed, they were not always rings: often a pendant with a lock of hair or a portrait. But de Beers have convinced the world that it has to be diamonds (and don't talk about Conflict Diamonds). An engagement ring is a sign of commitment. It is expensive, so he cannot go around giving them to other women. And it is public, so that if either of you cheat, people couldn't say they didn't know. By him giving it and you wearing it, you are both showing commitment to each other. And the price says that it is important to both of you. So I think he should buy the best ring he can afford, and you should ask for the ring which you most want to wear. Diamond or zirconia doesn't matter: it is the message you are giving each other and the world that matters.

An engagement ring could be anything, it doesn't even have to be a diamond. I've seen plenty of people get engaged with an antique ring with a ruby or something else in it. But, as far as whether you get a real or fake, it doesn't really matter. It's the symbol, not the expense. And maybe ya'll can get a different stone in it sometime later, for a 10 year anniversary or something. All it really comes down to is what makes you happy!

I think you should consider your husband to be's feelings here. Having the nicer ring/stone means more to him than it does to you. If he wants to spoil you with such a lavish gift then let him. It sounds like it will make him happy. To me spending that amount of money on a ring seems foolish, but to each his own. My partner loves to give me sweet little gifts, even when we don't have the money. The fact that he holds you in such high regards would seem to mean more that any piece of jewelry ever could. I think your heart and pocketbook are in the right place, but he wants to treat you physically the way he feels about you emotionally.

i say go wit the real diamond since they tend to last longer and plus the ring is suppose to symbolize you guys love and obviously you want it to be a real love, not a fake one :p

For many men, it's a matter of pride to see your ring her finger. If no one else ever even guessed, he'd know it was fake and it would bother him forever. Great moment: "Wow, somebody really must love you." I felt ten feet tall.

I think you would be wise to take the CZ for a number of reasons, not the least of which Old School mentioned being the DeBeers company keeping the price of real diamonds unreasonably high while paying slave wages to those who harvest the stones. I think young couples just starting out are wise to pocket the 'stone money' or put it into a home mortgage down payment. That way your money is actually earning something other than compliments on your finger. If, on your 10th wedding anniversary, you are financially solvent and stable, then he can spring that 15K ring on you as an anniversary present!!

I have actually thought about this too. It is so much cheaper to get CZ than the real thing. And you end up with a much bigger ring in most cases. Here's the thing. If your fiance gets real and you have fake i think in the end you will end up resenting the fact that your ring isn't the real thing. The ring you want is very expensive. Maybe you should look around and check out some other cuts, styles and definitely let the jeweler know what your price range is before you fall in love with something fabulous but out of your league. Keep looking and saving your money until you find the perfect ring in your price range.

Diamonds are silly. It doesn't matter what your ring is.

Whoa, that must be a hefty diamond! ^^ How many carats? Cubic Zirconia's are really nice but honestly, I would let him decide. Just give him an option. I'm not a big fan of diamonds, atleast not mainly. The ring I want is a Royal Blue Sapphire with 12 diamonds on the ring. It's REALLY pretty and it's not all that expensive either. I don't wanna kill him buying it for me and then have to worry about other things.... Dunno. But go for it!! XD If it's what he wants to get you then let him be. :)

If you are concerned about finances, and I'd say in this day and age with the economy the way it is rightly so, and he feels it should be a real stone, why not compromise and find an affordable lovely stone in a good setting? It doesn't have to be one or the other.

All that really matters is the thought, intentions and commitment behind it, and that should all have been sorted when he popped the question and you presumably said "yes".

If finances are an issue, then I wouldn't see anything wrong with the Cubic Zirconia... you can always have it replaced with a real diamond later on. I don't even have an engagement ring, and I'm fine with that -- The marriage is so much more important than the ring anyway.

yes it would matter. I have some CZ rings and you can tell. Even though you pay for them to look real, they dont. So people are going to know. If you're cool with that then go for it.

There are a couple of reasons diamonds are used in engagement rings and wedding bands... You've heard the term “diamonds are forever”? Well, one of the reasons it is true is because somewhere in the world a diamond is laying, just waiting to be found. It was there a thousand years ago, and will still be here a thousand years from now (even bigger than it is today!). They can take decades to grow while cubic zirconias take mere hours. While diamonds are created within the earth naturally, the cubic zirconias used today are created in a lab, synthetically. To me, it can be construed as a commentary on the marriage. Did your love take years to grow? Is your love precious, unique and one-of-a-kind? Is it both of yours intention for your commitment to last forever, such as the gem you wear everyday? I am not implying that those who are not financially capable of purchasing such a stone, are any less in love or committed. You could place a piece of shiny tin on a lady’s hand and if, to the both of you, it represents your eternal, devoted commitment to each other, that’s all that really matters. As I am not privy to your finances, I suppose, in the end, it is entirely up to your partner and you. In my opinion though, the significance of a diamond on the hand of a bride is such that if you've got the dough, spring for it.

Is there a reason you can't get a real diamond ring for the $1300 he would spend on a fake ring? That can still buy a really nice ring.

First of all, if he has the money and wants to get it, why don't you go with the real one? It'll last a lot longer! That CZ is gonna look like the window of a trailer in Arizona during a sandstorm in ten years! There is a reason diamonds are used for wedding rings, It's the hardest natural gemstone! As long as my boyfriend doesn't go into a ridiculous amount of debt or go over his budget, I'll take a big one! I would do it for him if the shoe was on the other foot...

$1300 for a C.Z ??? Hell hunny you are shopping in the wrong place. If your B.F spends money like you hand out points to the good people who have taken the time to answer you question., you will be lucky to get a ring pull off a beer can

I would put on a ring from a cracker jack box, if that was what we could afford. My husband like many Men, would and has spent way too much money on rings for me. The diamond doesn't speak about your marriage, it speaks of how much money you have, or how much you care about what other people think. You can find a really beautiful ring for under 2,000. A small platinum band with diamonds all the way around is just as nice. Take the 15,000 and put it toward your honey moon or a new house etc.

Id be asking for a real but much, much smaller ring. The money is best spent elsewhere.

Are those your only 2 choices. How about you both go into a diamond ring shop or wutever and compromise. How bout a $5000 ring?

Have you ever seen "The Legend of Molly Brown"? If you have, think about what her engagement ring was.

that's silly. buy her what you can afford and don't try to be "showy" by faking an expensive ring.

Does your fiance mind spending $15,000 on the ring you want? Can you find the type of ring you want, but cheaper? I think as long as you find something you like and are going to wear the rest of your life that is between you and your fiance. You are going to be the one wearing the ring. I think as both of you are ok with whatever you choose and what you can afford. People tend to focus too much on the money aspect and they forget the real reason they are getting married. Yes, its nice to have a nice ring, but $15,000?? That all depends on if the two of you can afford that.

I don't think the ring is that important, I would rather the money go towards a down payment on a house, our future children's education or even trip for the two of us.

not at all. if it's fake, by fiance can afford to get a bigger stone. :]

Just keep in mind that once you're married the debt will be just as much yours as his. I guess that kind of means you're buying yourself a ring, doesn't it?

It would absolutely not matter to me what kind of stone was in my ring. It could come from a bubble gum machine and I could care less. It's not the ring that makes the marriage! After 50 years of marriage, or even 10, a ring would mean diddly squat compared to love, time, and memories.

marriage in itself is a waste of - Everything. Why cant people be happy just being in love?

It wouldn't matter to me if it was CZ, unless he presented it to me as a diamond ring. Since you have told him that you don't mind it being CZ, remind him how long it's going to take you guys to pay it off. A marriage isn't based on the rings!

My preference would be for a small, perfect, real diamond. I don't like gaudy much anyway and the idea of a fake stone to represent this kind of commitment sort of bothers me. I have my grandmother's engagement ring. You would probably need a magnifying glass to see the tiny little diamond, but she treasured it because it was the most precious thing her young husband could afford. She would never let him buy her a bigger diamond as the years went by because she said that she knew what a sacrifice it was for him when he bought it. I treasure that ring too. I've also treasured my own engagement ring. The clarity and quality is very high, but it's only 5/8 carat. We could afford so much better now, but I'll never exchange it for another ring. When David selected this one, it represented 6 months of salary for him. I wouldn't give it up for the world.

diamonds are bland anyway...cubic zirconia is fake but it looks like daimond and its alot cheaper. i would go with cubic zirconia

I don't mean to be difficult or rude but I find that kind of spending horrific. Why do you need all of that?

I think you are a rareity. I also think thats very noble of you. I never envisioned giving my wife anything other than a real diamond. Something that is as important as a union of marriage deserves the best. I'd also be really careful with such an expensive rock.

I wouldn't care if I had a CZ but then again I'm not materialistic enough to want a ring that cost as much as my entire wedding.

I think the stone, like the marriage certificate, are just things. They don't matter. What really matters is inside.

I'm allergic to my rings and haven't been able to wear them since my honeymoon. The real ring is around my heart. Ask your fiancee how he would feel about spending that much money if you prove unable to wear it and it spends its life in a box in a drawer. What really matters is the ring around your heart. Where that one with pride.

No, and I think your fiance is placing too much importance on the ring. The ring is great, but that's not supposed to be the focus of the relationship.

You can get a real diamond ring for 1,300.... what kind of Cubic Zirconia ring would cost 1,300?

It sounds to me as if impressing others is very important to you..more important than being honest. Is that true? I always prefer something real to something fake..I think it is far lovelier, more meaningful and more real. Happy Tuesday! :)

A diamond is forever... A CZ is just temporary. The stone is used for traditional reasons all the way down to its molecular structure and numeric value depending on how it is cut. It is worn on a certain finger for a certain reason... If you are into tradition and believe at all in the metaphysical aspects of gems and their powers and energies. Wait for the diamond. If not... then do whatever you want.

What kind of ring costs $15,000? A very tiny percentage of women have engagement rings of over 2 carats and you can get that at the Jewelry Exchange for about $2,000 http://www.jewelryexchange.com/DiamondResults.aspx I can't imagine having a fake stone to signify true love.

I would like my man to get a deal on a beautiful ring. Because then we would have more money for something else nice... like a house... Or we could pay off our debts or not go into debt. I'm telling you... the number 1 reason couples fight is over money problems... so get the ring that is best for your future. It's just a thing, not the marriage.

My only concern would be is it durable enough to last a long time. It's not because I want something flashy and expensive, I just want to wear it and not feel like it's going to break. It's a symbol of something dear and precious to me, which is our love and promise. I just want it to last my whole life.

Why would you even consider putting your fiance $15,000 into debt for for a stupid ring?!..... unless he is already very well-to-do in his own right! Listen to your fiance: It's not the ring that is important ..... it is whether or not you are truly in love with and fully committed to your fiance. You don't sound mature enough yet to accept an engagement ring, let alone be married. If the two of you are disagreeing this early in the game, I don't predict a long lasting relationship.

for $1300 your fiance can get you a ring..a nice ring..with a real diamond.. and im shocked someone would want a fake ring as a symbol of unity..and wow!! 1300 for a fake??? no way my fiance got me something for 120..i picked it out..it's from kay and it was on sale..and it's gorgeous

Your engagement says alot so get a nice one esp if he wants to give you a nice one. If your getting a certain style beacause its impressive and then you buy a fake version its not so impressive. Its like people who buy fave name brand bags and think no one knows. The fake bags look like you wanted to be like someone else but you couldnt afford to, your ring will say the same thing if its fake.

I think if you are going to do it, you might as well do it right. Personally I don't think I could justify wearing a ring that is that expensive but I definitely would want it to be a real diamond.

I wouldn't buy either.. $15,000 Is alot for something small like a ring.. especially considering you stop wearing an engagment ring once you get a wedding ring! $1300 Is also expencive for a cubic zirconia.. If I were you, Which i'm not, I would but a cheaper ring.. and spend more money on the actual wedding :) Hope it goes well for you whatever you decide!

It would matter a LOT!!!!!!! I don't like FAKE. . . . .anything! Including PEOPLE!

Yes, it would matter to me. I would want a real diamond, but I certainly would not need a $15,000 diamond, that's crazy!!

I think that the days of people being impressed by expensive jewelry are over. Unless the only people you hang out with are easily impressed by "status symbols", there really is no reason to spend the cost of car on something that can be easily lost, broken or stolen. Much like designer handbags, nobody will know the difference on sight, they have to be told its value.

I wouldn't pay 1300 for a real ring, let alone a fake one, i wouldn't mind a fake ring, but if it was going to cost more than i would pay for a real one, no way

I think your fiancee needs to shop around a bit. Sounds like he's getting rooked at that jewelry store. A beutiful diamond ring can be had for $2000. For $15k that ring better be on the antenna of a car. :p But seriously, don't spend a lot of money on your engagement and wedding. Spend it on the honeymoon. If you like yellow gold tell your fiancee to pick out a diamond that's not perfectly white. A yellowish off-white won't be noticed on a gold band, and it will reduce the cost of the stone significantly allowing for a larger size. There are 4 C's that determine the cost of the diamond. Cut, Clarity, Color, Carat weight. One factor can be sacrificed in favor of others. Like my earlier example, on a yellow gold band you can have a larger, clearer stone that's not perfectly white, and will make no diffrence visually, but can save you hundreds. Save money on the ring. Spend it on the honeymoon.

Actually I prefer neither :P Hubby saved up and financed a diamond I had him take it back that day and get his money back, he figured I was just being cheep on my statement that diamonds are only good in drill bits and saws. In the end, we finally agreed on matching rose tattoos. Always seemed so ludicrous that someone would spend that much money on a rock.

I don't like flashy, My wedding ring is a sterling silver band. $1300 IMO is still too much. If I had to choose between the 2, it would have to be the cz. That's way too much money sitting in one area and it's something that's easily lost.

I prefer fake over the real thing. Cheaper and people don't kill each other for it. Every time I see those diamonds I just think about the children who lost their dad who was murdered over time trying to find that diamond to make a living for his family. I could never smile and be thankful I have that to wear.

I don't think I would even mention a $15,000 ring to my husband lol . I just don't get why there is so much importance put on the ring....the relationship is what should matter, but I digress.......I wouldn't care if the stone were fake, but I'm personally not into gotti stuff so I'd rather just have a simple band with a few channel set diamonds

I have said over and over again, it's not the ring that matters, its the marriage. However, the ring my boyfriend is getting me is a single 1.98 karet diamond, soI guess I can't say much, can I!

i'd focus on your feelings, his feelings, and your relationship, and spend less time thinking about these matters that in 20 years you'll see as trivial. just show him you love him.

it wouldn't matter to me...

Try a man made diamond. It is real, no one can tell and it costs 1/4 of a natural diamond. (I am a male.)

I agree that $1,300 is way too much for a simulated diamond. You can get them on HSN or QVC for much less and they look very real and are set in real white or yellow gold. They are beautiful and have many different styles. Here is a page from QVC with their simulated diamonds which they call Diamonique. Most of the rings are in 14k gold (real gold) http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.item.J24097.desc.Diamonique-1-ct-Marquise-Solitaire-Ring-14K-Gold

I would rather have the real thing. plus I won't want to fool people with a cubic zirconia because the odds are they would think tisa real diamond. You can find a real diamond for less than $15,000.

Yes it would. I dont like fake stones. They may start out pretty but eventually they look shabby a d cheap. Unlike diamonds, CZ

Yes, go real! Not cheap/fake!

Yes, go real! Not cheap/fake!