What are the alternatives to a diamond engagement ring?

“Can you tell me more about the different alternatives to a diamond e-ring? It’s not that I’m necessarily opposed to buying a diamond engagement ring, I just want to know what my options are. Two months’ salary seems like a lot of money to plunk down on a rock. I know that there are alternatives like moissanite, cubic zirconia, and white sapphire. Which of those options looks most like a diamond? Or is there another option that I should be considering as an alternative to a diamond engagement ring?

Diamond e-ring alternatives:

I’ve got to say, that I don’t think that there are any suitable alternatives to a diamond e-ring, other than a colored stone, such as a ruby or a sapphire. I’m familiar with the claims made by sellers of diamond alternatives, such as moissanite, cubic zirconia, and such, that imply that those simulants look just like diamond. But the reality is that they don’t. Sure, they reflect light and sparkle, but not in the same manner that a diamond does. And white sapphire is just dull and lifeless, the only similarity it has to diamond is that it’s white.

How much money should you spend on e-ring?

I want to address your comment that two or even three months’ salary seems like a lot of money to plunk down on a rock. The two-month salary guideline was developed by an advertising agency employed by De Beers decades ago. I heard that the idea behind it was along the lines that people of a feather flock together. If you and your friends all work at the same factory, and hang out together on the weekends, and all spend two-months salary on the engagement rings, then their won’t be any competition amongst the wives over who has the bigger diamond, et cetera.

But personally, I think that explanation is bunk. Especially in this modern age when people of different social classes mix it up, all the time. I’ve got friends who are doctors, lawyers, software designers, teachers, and a few who are out of work at the moment, there is no way that the two-month salary rule is going to ensure that our wives are all wearing engagement rings that are comparable in any way, shape, or form.

And the variety of diamond engagement rings that are available these days, is incredibly different and more diverse than what was available back when the two-month salary rule was invented. If your girlfriend wants a diamond e-ring, then my sincere suggestion is to buy her a diamond e-ring, but I’ll never tell you that you need to spend two-months salary on it. Lots of people spend less than that, lots of people spend more than that, it really is a matter of personal preference and priority.

What I suggest is buying a diamond engagement ring that offers the best value, and that is one which features a Brian Gavin Signature diamond as the center stone. Our brand offers a level of consistency and value like no other. Every BGD Signature diamond is produced to production standards, which are nothing short of exacting. Every diamond is graded by the AGS Laboratory with an overall cut grade of AGS Ideal-0. The light return and sparkle factor is off the charts, because every diamond that we produce is designed to deliver incredible visual performance.