Nobody likes to talk about money, especially with friends and family.  It is a taboo topic to discuss with any degree of honesty. Especially when it comes to high-dollar purchases, it will be tough to verify. Particularly frustrating is getting a gauge on how much someone spent on an engagement ring. This purchase is not like buying practical items like watches, grills, or tech gadgets. In that case, you can whip out your phone and search for the exact model to check the price. Everybody does it if they are curious.  Yet, when it comes to this precious piece of jewelry for the love of your life there is a near infinite number of options to choose from and deals to be negotiated, making it impossible to know.

So how much did your friends spend on their engagement rings for their wives?

You may never know the real answer.  You may get answers like – ‘the typical amount’ or ‘more than I wanted to spend’.  These are all common.  I’m sure you’ve seen it yourself – guys dancing around the question.  Another tactic to watch for is hearing your friend share what the ‘value’ of their ring is.  Value is different than cost, and men have a tendency to exaggerate the higher numbers in scenarios when the most prestige is at stake.

At some point we are all guilty.  But why?  Sometimes we do it just to ‘one-up’ the next guy.  Sometimes it’s a cover to make everyone think we are doing better than we are.  Where we see this a lot is in the case of guys purchasing lab-grown diamonds.  There is a stigma around the myth that they are ‘fake’ diamonds and are afraid they will ‘get caught’ doing something shameful. What they really are doing in this case is hiding from the fact that they didn’t spend anywhere close to the amount of money you think they did, and they feel ashamed of ‘going cheap’.  And if you hear your friend start talking about the ‘value’ of the ring they bought, instead of the cost, you may have unlocked one of their secrets.

Let’s put one big myth to bed right away.  There is NOTHING wrong or fake about purchasing a lab-grown diamond.  ZERO. And the more we can talk about that openly, the faster that stigma can be laid to rest.  In fact, there are some very compelling reasons that more guys should get excited about sharing they went with a lab-grown diamond!

So, what are lab grown diamonds anyway?  To make it short and sweet – they are diamonds that are grown in a lab. Thank you, science and engineering!  We have built tools that, under laboratory settings, allow us to ‘grow’ diamonds.  Engineers are able to dial in the exact conditions to recreate the very molecular structure, chemical composition, hardness, and optical clarity that a diamond mined from the earth formed naturally would possess.  Each lab grown diamond is then graded and certified in the same manner in which naturally mined diamonds undergo – because they are the same.

Why are guys hiding this information and unwilling to share the knowledge with their friends?  Easy answer.  They cost FAR LESS money!  In some cases nearly 65% less in fact.  Guys tend to worry what other guys think about what they spend on big purchases – cars, watches, houses – and a diamond for their soon to wife is no different.  Heck, a diamond for themselves (becoming more common every day) is no different, either.

We want everyone to think we spent a fortune.  So, what if you can have that feeling AND save a ton of money on your engagement ring?  That would be the dream, right?  Lab grown diamonds give us that very ability!  It’s a huge secret that no one is sharing nor seem to want to share.  But, the secret is starting to get out, and you should absolutely be considering this option.

The next time the topic comes up, and your friends start talking about the ‘value’ of the ring they bought, consider that maybe they only spent 1/3 of what they are saying because they decided to purchase a lab-grown diamond, and they are comparing it to the equivalent ‘value’ of a natural diamond.

Choice of words matter here and could lead you to unlock more about how your friends are actually spending their money.  And why that friend of yours can afford that huge ring for their wife AND that new watch for himself, new grill, big screen TV, and so on. Now you know the secret, and you can have your buddies wondering the same thing about you too!

If you are looking for a custom engagement ring for that amazing woman in your life, look no further.  Fill out the form below to contact Joe Wall Design to set up a free consultation, talk about budget, designs, and more to get you the ring that will get you the WOW at your proposal and leave you with plenty of budget for your next big plans!