Question:

When my SO and I got engaged it was several years ago, but now it is only 13 months until the wedding and we have several things already done (reception hall, wedding dress). We had heard too many horror stories from her friends about planning a wedding six months or a year in advance (they would have to go with the fifth or sixth choice for a reception place, etc.). I would say that you would have to start planning a wedding 18 months in advance if you want to get everything. JJB 6/17/95

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Jo and myself have in fact been very lucky on this score – the engagement will have lasted exactly one year (a birthday proposal and wedding) and, thanks to Jo’s mother, most things have been booked already (4 months!) – the only major items left are the photographer (who we saw last weekend, and should be booked when the in-laws-to-be get back from the States), the flowers and the dress, which I’m leaving Jo to handle (she wants to drag me around the dress shops, so I’ve suddenly got excessively superstitious). — | /~|/~ | Giovanni Ciampa    | |   _/   | I am but a figment | |  ___/  | of my own deranged | |   _/   | imagination        |

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My fiancee and I got engaged with 17 months to the wedding date. I am SOOOOOOOO glad we did.  We had time to do things right, and to really

I had a year and a half, too.  Since I am planner, coordinator, florist, and bride all rolled into one, it was nice to have that much time to look over EVERYTHING and decide what it was we wanted before I had to actually get it all done.  :) just my $.02 — Shannon                       ***of WGMU, WNTW, and lots of other great     who is being dragged from the Net                ***(3 weeks til G-day) on 5/21–kicking and screaming !!          ***(6 weeks til I am Mrs K!)

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 How far before the intended time

   of the wedding is it proper to propose?  How long is the typical    engagement period? << As several people have pointed out, your engagement has in some senses begun. It’s simply not official yet.  Sociological studies show that engagements of less than six months or more than three years lead to marriages with a higher rate of divorce. Keep in mind that this figure probably depends heavily on the underlying reasons for the brief or long engagement (knowing each other too little, fear of commitment, whatever). Everything else I would have added has been said, so let me close by wishing you well.

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My fiancee and I got engaged with 17 months to the wedding date. I am SOOOOOOOO glad we did.  We had time to do things right, and to really look into what we wanted and how to do it.  I’d suggest at least a year from a purely logistical standpoint. Jeff

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Several years ago, Jim gave me a lovely, simple ring with an oval amethyst (birthstone) and two tiny diamonds that I wore on my left hand as a ‘promise’ ring until we decided to get *officially* engaged.  (By that time I was already calling him my fiance and someone had the effrontery to remark that my amethyst didn’t _look_ like an engagement ring! – not that it was, but what a thing to focus on, as if the ring placed the relationship – but I digress) I don’t care much for solitaire diamonds, don’t like round stones and don’t like that big thing sticking off my finger, so when we started looking for a new ring, we were definitely looking for something different.  I thought I wanted an emerald, but learned that they are really too soft for daily wear (and tear, in my case).  My amethyst is already a little bruised (also semi-soft), so we started looking at sapphires, because I like the deep, rich color. We weren’t on a schedule, but really couldn’t find anything we liked, so it was a little frustrating.  Jewelers in the States have a hard time with non-traditional stones and settings.  Symmetry is very "in" too.  They kept telling us we would have to have our idea designed and custom made, and then one day we were walking by a downtown jeweler and decided to just ’stop in’ since we were there.  We found a set (not a goal, but okay) that was almost exactly what I had drawn, except it had a round diamond as the focal piece.  Jim went back later, got them to get some sapphires, and set one and then invited me down to see it.  It was very exciting.  We looked at several stones, and settled on one and now I have it!  We didn’t even have to have it sized. So what did I end up with?  I have a deep blue, droplet-shaped sapphire in the center with a spray of five marquis diamonds around the left and a swoop of gold on the right (kind of paisley shaped).  The two rings fit together with the diamonds set on both pieces.  The asymmetry pleases me, I made them set the stones low in the ring (although they are on prongs, so it took a little getting used to), it’s different and interesting and I love it! So my advice – if you want something different, keep looking.  I think colored gem stones are getting more common in rings as people focus on what they want, rather than what tradition dictates (which is not to say that diamonds are bad – some people love ‘em.) And although there are advantages to having a ring custom made (sizing, originality, etc), we were pleased to find a jeweler with a few, more original ideas and happy to purchase my ring (almost) ready made.

I’ve never done this before, so I hope it works… We decided not to get engagment rings at all.  Instead, we wanted interesting and unique wedding rings. Luckily, we found Kris’ ring almost immediately — a band with a raid of blue- green, rose and yellow gold in the center.  I think they said it was made in Armenia??? Mine took a little more work, as I, too, am not very fond of diamonds for myself.  After looking in many of the larger jewelry stores, we finally went into one of the shops in our Chicago neighborhood that sells leather goods, clothing and some jewelry.  We’d bought gifts there before, but had never really thought of it as a "jewelry store".  Well, we saw an inexpensive silver ring with non-precious stones, and we loved the design.  It was by a local artist who was a long-time supplier of the shop owner.  We changed the metal to gold (my but aren’t we the alchemists) and the stones to a deep red garnet, square-cut, with small, round, light green tormelines on either side.  It’s beautiful! So, my suggestion is to look for rings in places you might not normally consider.  We were very pleasantly surprised. And I agree that if you don’t find what you want, keep looking! Don’t settle. Molly (Gee, do I put my wedding date here? OK… 5/21/94)

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  My SO left for Washington D.C. the day after we decided to get married   and he came back with a matching set of dog tags around his neck.   Inscribed on the set was our names the day I asked him and our   nicknames.  Since neither of us wear rings, yet, it was touching.   Cheryl —

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Well… I am engaged and have been hmm… for 2 years, and we dont plan on getting married til after undergrad. perhaps grad. school…but we were sure about it… and it made our family take our four year in april relationship MUCH more seriously… long engagements arent all that bad… -Kim

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What about Irish Cladaughs (band with heart in center w/ crown, two hands spporting heart are the band).  Also, Signals Catalogue has a few interesting rings – not necessarily wedding rings per se, but not unthinkable.  In fact, I would prefer either the Posy ring, or there’s one with inscribed with "All others I refuse and thee I choose" on the INSIDE band, closer to the heart.  There are other similar variations, and they all come in gold or silver, and there are some very elaborate Cladaughs with emeralds and diamonds. Good luck. Molly

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –        My fiance & I both prefer colored gemstones to white diamonds        and are considerieng several different options for        an engagement ring, including sapphires, peridots and        "worthless" yellow diamonds.        Sapphires, if I recall correctly, are the 2nd hardest gemstone        and are symbols of fidelity(?)…anyone know for sure?        Peridot is my fiance’s birthstone and I like the symbolism in        that (I’m sure he’d reciprocate, but he does too much        hand-work for both an engagement ring and a wedding band to        be comfortable.  And besides, if opals [my birthstone] _aren’t_        the wearer’s  birthstone, they’re thought to bring bad luck).        Lastly, the majority of Australian diamonds are yellow diamonds        (often called "worthless" or "industrial").  We’re going to visit        my dad & step-mom there in July and hope to find a nice        yellow-green stone…not sure if this will be feasible, since most        jeweler’s don’t buy the few that are cut, since they don’t        sell well.  (I think the latest marketing ploy is to call        the "champagne diamonds"…*groan)  Again, the idea is mostly        a sentimental one, though thumbing our noses at the diamond        industry is fun too.        Anyone else have "alternative engagement stones/tokens"?        Karissa (and Russell) Sellman, who sometimes just like        to thumb their noses for no reason at all…

I wanted some sort of sapphire setting, actually, before the idea of using his grandmother’s diamond came up. He felt badly, thinking I’d rather have the sapphire, but I am very honored to have a family heirloom like that. Besides, we are planning on having the diamond re-set, as I’ve mentioned here before. I’m sure it’s possible to find a setting that includes some sapphires. Even though my actual birthstone is amethyst (which I like, too), my favorite stone is the sapphire, and by coincidence, we’re getting married the month that it’s the birthstone. Tamara (& John) September 3, 1994

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does anybody have an engagement ring that isn’t just a diamond? i quite like the idea.

My stone is a tanzanite – they’ve become rather trendy recently, but I fell in love with the blue-purple color when a gemologist friend showed me one she had about 5 years ago. I don’t have anything against diamonds, but they’re not the kind of thing I can see myself wearing every day. We bought the stone separately, and had it set at a jewelers. It’s quite sparkly enough for me, and I still adore the color. It’s also a lot of fun explaining to people what the stone is. — just tell me where to get more wax!

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(jones kelly suzanne) writes: does anybody have an engagement ring that isn’t just a diamond? i quite like the idea. –kelly

        My fiance & I both prefer colored gemstones to white diamonds         and are considerieng several different options for         an engagement ring, including sapphires, peridots and         "worthless" yellow diamonds.         Sapphires, if I recall correctly, are the 2nd hardest gemstone         and are symbols of fidelity(?)…anyone know for sure?         Peridot is my fiance’s birthstone and I like the symbolism in         that (I’m sure he’d reciprocate, but he does too much         hand-work for both an engagement ring and a wedding band to         be comfortable.  And besides, if opals [my birthstone] _aren’t_         the wearer’s  birthstone, they’re thought to bring bad luck).         Lastly, the majority of Australian diamonds are yellow diamonds         (often called "worthless" or "industrial").  We’re going to visit         my dad & step-mom there in July and hope to find a nice         yellow-green stone…not sure if this will be feasible, since most         jeweler’s don’t buy the few that are cut, since they don’t         sell well.  (I think the latest marketing ploy is to call         the "champagne diamonds"…*groan)  Again, the idea is mostly         a sentimental one, though thumbing our noses at the diamond         industry is fun too.         Anyone else have "alternative engagement stones/tokens"?         Karissa (and Russell) Sellman, who sometimes just like         to thumb their noses for no reason at all…

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Path: ra.csc.ti.com!cauldron!csc.ti.com!cs.utexas.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!new s2.cac .psu.edu!news.pop.psu.edu!psuvax1!psuvm!dsg119 Organization: Penn State University Newsgroups: alt.wedding Lines: 25 OK, I am a young (college age) male who has absolutely no sense of tradition or knowledge about weddings, rings, etc. 1) I have been with my girlfriend for over a year and a half.  We know that   we are going to get married eventually, and we have even decided that   we will get married as soon as she graduates from college in 3 years.   There is absolutely no possible way we will break up.  What I am wondering   is when should I officially propose?  How far before the intended time   of the wedding is it proper to propose?  How long is the typical   engagement period?

  Darren, as far as I know, there is no "usual" engagement period.  Most people however prefer this period to be less than one year (or there abouts).   That’s just the semi-traditional time period.  If you wanted to give her something formal right now though, you could give her a promisory ring which signifies that you intend to propose to her in the future and until then you are agreeing that she is the only one for you (and by her accepting the ring she is agreeing to the same thing). 2) Could someone explain the ring thing to me.  What is the difference   between the wedding ring, and the engagement ring?  Where is the best   place to look for a ring?  What are typical costs?  What do I need to   know?

  The only *good* piece of advice that I can give you here is this: *don’t buy your ring at any of the large chain store (usually in the malls, i.e. Helzebergs, etc)*.  This may be an over simplification (and unjustified slam for some companies), but when I was shopping about 8 months ago I found that the mall stores tended to have higher prices and lower quality.  They tend to over-rate their ring’s qualities.   The other piece of advice I would give you on this is to educate yourself on the rating scale they use for rings.  You’ll get to hear all about the *4 C’s*, Clarity, Color, Cut & ??? (pardon me for not remembering the last one).   BAsically they tell you about (1) Brightness (or color) which is how white your ring is.  Believe it or not, there is varying ranges of "white". Some white rings are actually on the yellow side.  Their normal scale goes from A-C: brilliant or all white – this is extermely expensive, D-F: very white and impossible to see any yellow except by an expert with a color scale, G-I: godd for most people, however some yellow can be perceived through their magnifying lenses and is very easy to see when put next to a brighter stone. (2) Clarity or how clear does the stone look and does it tend to reflect well.  This is another very important feature of a good stone. (3) Cut has to do with how the stone looks (round, marquis, etc.), but more importantly, if the stone is not cut correctly then the reflections will not be a brilliant.  This is especially true for the marquis diamonds.  It takes a very good jewler to get the cut just right (depth vs. width).  If the dont’ do this the light that comes into the stone will get "lost in the stone" (you see a dark spot in the middle of the diamond) and the en result is that the diamond doesn’t look very bright.  (4) I can’t remember this right off the bat, so you’ll have to find this one for yourself.   While all of these are very important properties, you’ll find that the thing that makes the *biggest* impact on the looks of your new stone is the *color* (and secondly the Clarity).  If a stone is more yellow (past I on the Gem scale) it will tend to look "murky" no matter how good the other attributes are.  The other important attribute, clarity, has to do with the "inclusions" in the diamond (as you look at the stone through the Lupe, you’ll see carbon – or glass – inclusions that detract immensly from the look of the stone).   Because these two attributes are so important, you’ll pay more for them.   But you’ll find that if you finds a stone with a decent cut and "good enough" clarity (for your taste) that you’ll want to spend more money on the color, because it makes the most difference in the overall look of the stone.     I know this is a lot of info and it’s not organized very well (besides I don’t have my gem cheat sheets with me), but you’ll be glad that you spent the time figuring out what is the best attributes for your money because the diamiond really does last forever (and it means *very* much to your SO).  I really would like to encourage you to go to a *real jewler* because they can educate you about the things in this article and they have much better stones (because their lives depend on their reputation).   Anyway, good luck and if you need more info, let me know and I’ll try to dig up some of my old gem ratings info.  You might want to e-mail me because I don’t always get on this news group. Good luck, Dan Disclaimer: No I’m not pretending to be a gemologist and I don’t sell jewels for a living.  The dislike for mall diamond stores are just an opinion from many hours of comparison stores.  This opinion may not apply to all areas of the country. Thanks in advance for helping me out!                                         -Darren Penn State University

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interestingly, i’ve found since i’ve been in britain that diamond solitaires, although "traditional", are not necessarily as popular as diamonds set with other gems.  sapphires are particularly popular (perhaps because the royal family favours them for engagement rings). does anybody have an engagement ring that isn’t just a diamond? i quite like the idea. –kelly

I have a ruby with a very small diamond on each side. Rubies suited my colouring and I found diamonds dreary. After I got it I discovered that my mother’s engagement ring (which had been stolen years ago) had also been a ruby and diamond three-stone. Diamonds are tougher than other precious stones. My ruby has a tiny chip out of it. It was an old (not quite antique – 1910ish) ring. There also seems to be more variation here (Ireland) in the diamond rings than in the States. Many people get three-stones and five-stones (five small diamonds in a row), or clusters. Also many modern settings have the stones laid quite flat in the band. Lucy — Department of Computer Science Trinity College Dublin Dublin 2, IRELAND

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Identification of the original poster lost(oops!) 1) I have been with my girlfriend for over a year and a half.  We know    that we are going to get married eventually, and we have even    decided that we will get married as soon as she graduates from    college in 3 years.    There is absolutely no possible way we will break up.  What I am    wondering is when should I officially propose?  How far before the    intended time of the wedding is it proper to propose?  How long is    the typical engagement period?

Just thought I’d put in my two-cents. I have now been going outwith my boyfriend for two years, two months, three weeks and four days. (not that I’m counting or anything) Sometime within the last four months or so, we first separately and then jointly decided that it would be a good time to get married after he finishes grad school.(98) Neither of us like long engagements so we have gotten promised. Instead of a ring he gave me a very nice gold chain bracelet. Anyway the point to all this is that we decided not to get engaged right now for many reasons. 1)His mother would freak. She still thinks that I am after his money. 2)The engagement period is supposed to be a transitory state. It is a signal to the world that you have made the commitment to your fiance that you wish to spend the rest of your life with them. Of course IMHO-YMMV. I think that 6 years is a really long time to be in a transitory state. 3) There are people who ask me now and have asked me for almost as long as we have been going out when we are getting married. If we got engaged they would only bug me more. 4) As greedy as it seems I want a ring that is worth about 2000$, more than he/we can spend at the moment. Dale agrees. I am going to wear the ring for the rest of my life and want it to be as accurate a representation as possible of the fire and wonder and importance of our love. As for reasons why I would like to get engaged; 1) It seems all my friends are doing it. PEER PRESSURE everywhere. 2) Our relationship is at a point where that much commitment seems right. 3) My grandmother would like to see us married before she dies and I think that it would make her happy to see us engaged at least. None of her other granddaughters seem to be on the road to matrimony and that bothers her. Jillian Arnott General Manger VivaSoft Canada

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  we will get married as soon as she graduates from college in 3 years.

That’s a long engagement. You can be engaged anytime, even without a ring. IMHO, you should wait a little longer to get engaged so when you finally get close to the actual wedding date, it doesn’t seem like you and your fiancee have been boring friends and family for the three years. 2) Could someone explain the ring thing to me.  What is the difference   between the wedding ring, and the engagement ring?  Where is the best

The engagement ring is just a symbol. There’s alot of marketing that has been done by the diamond industry to push this idea. I’ve heard of couples who wither forgo this symbol ("We didn’t want an engagement ring so we saved for a down payment on our house") or replaced it (bracelet, etc). The "traditional" symbol is a colorless diamond solitaire. This idea is relatively new. Wedding rings are usually bands (gold/white, plain or fancy), given at the wedding ceremony. — WorldWide Access (SM) – Chicagoland Internet Services

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –   we will get married as soon as she graduates from college in 3 years. That’s a long engagement. You can be engaged anytime, even without a ring. IMHO, you should wait a little longer to get engaged so when you finally get close to the actual wedding date, it doesn’t seem like you and your fiancee have been boring friends and family for the three years. 2) Could someone explain the ring thing to me.  What is the difference   between the wedding ring, and the engagement ring?  Where is the best The engagement ring is just a symbol. There’s alot of marketing that has been done by the diamond industry to push this idea. I’ve heard of couples who wither forgo this symbol ("We didn’t want an engagement ring so we saved for a down payment on our house") or replaced it (bracelet, etc). The "traditional" symbol is a colorless diamond solitaire. This idea is relatively new. Wedding rings are usually bands (gold/white, plain or fancy), given at the wedding ceremony. — WorldWide Access (SM) – Chicagoland Internet Services

interestingly, i’ve found since i’ve been in britain that diamond solitaires, although "traditional", are not necessarily as popular as diamonds set with other gems.  sapphires are particularly popular (perhaps because the royal family favours them for engagement rings). does anybody have an engagement ring that isn’t just a diamond? i quite like the idea. –kelly

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1) I have been with my girlfriend for over a year and a half.  We know that   we are going to get married eventually, and we have even decided that   we will get married as soon as she graduates from college in 3 years.   There is absolutely no possible way we will break up.  What I am wondering   is when should I officially propose?  How far before the intended time   of the wedding is it proper to propose?  How long is the typical   engagement period?

typically, engagements last for one to two years.  However, I have known people who have been engaged for 4 to 6 years.  It depends on how you and your girlfriend feel about it.  There isn’t really any set period of time, although it usually takes about a year to plan a wedding. 2) Could someone explain the ring thing to me.  What is the difference   between the wedding ring, and the engagement ring?  Where is the best   place to look for a ring?  What are typical costs?  What do I need to   know?

The engagement ring is usually a diamond ring which is presented as a symbol of your love and commitment to the relationship.  It is worn throughout the engagement period and beyond.  The wedding ring is the wedding bands that you and your fiancee wear when you are married. Again, it’s a symbol. Thanks in advance for helping me out!                                         -Darren

Hope this helps! -dawn

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OK, I am a young (college age) male who has absolutely no sense of tradition or knowledge about weddings, rings, etc. 1) I have been with my girlfriend for over a year and a half.  We know that    we are going to get married eventually, and we have even decided that    we will get married as soon as she graduates from college in 3 years.    There is absolutely no possible way we will break up.  What I am wondering    is when should I officially propose?  How far before the intended time    of the wedding is it proper to propose?  How long is the typical    engagement period? 2) Could someone explain the ring thing to me.  What is the difference    between the wedding ring, and the engagement ring?  Where is the best    place to look for a ring?  What are typical costs?  What do I need to    know? Thanks in advance for helping me out!                                          -Darren Penn State University

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| 1) I have been with my girlfriend for over a year and a half.  We know that |    we are going to get married eventually, and we have even decided that |    we will get married as soon as she graduates from college in 3 years. |    There is absolutely no possible way we will break up.  What I am wondering |    is when should I officially propose?  How far before the intended time |    of the wedding is it proper to propose?  How long is the typical |    engagement period? My fiancee and I were together five years (exactly) before I proposed to her. It was the same situation- get married after she finished grad school.  I didn’t propose to her until she was in her last semester, not having any particular date in mind.  As it worked out we are having a 14 month engagement which, in hindsight, seems a little long.  However, the long engagement gives her time is adjust to her new job and us time to plan and save. On one side if you love each other and know "there is absolutely no possible way" you’ll break up (which, by the way, many married couples can’t even claim) then why not get engaged now?  On the other hand, if you know neither of you are going anywhere why not wait?  It’s up to you, but I would recommend an engagement period of no longer than one year.  Maybe give her a promise ring? | 2) Could someone explain the ring thing to me.  What is the difference |    between the wedding ring, and the engagement ring?  Where is the best |    place to look for a ring?  What are typical costs?  What do I need to |    know? The engagement ring typically has a large(r) solitaire diamond while the wedding ring doesn’t.  You can get wedding sets where you get matching wedding rings (his and hers) and a matching engagement ring (hers).  Which brings up another question: Why don’t men get engagement rings?  After all it’s the ’90s? I found my fiancee’s ring in LA’s downtown diamond district.  It was much less expensive (almost 50% less than comparable rings) and still good quality. Malls will usually be the most expensive.  Rings (with diamonds) range from $300 on up.  The diamond is the most expensive part of the ring.  For example, a plain band with room for one solitaire diamond may cost as little as $100. The diamond that goes in the ring can cost $500 to $5000 or more! I think the first thing that will overwhelm you when looking for rings is all the varying sizes, colors, and qualities of diamonds.  Don’t get suckered by salepeople telling you that this diamond is higher quality than another.  Just look yourself at the diamond (using the jewelers glass), looking for white or black flakes or yellowish color.  If you can’t see (or notice) any imperfections most likely no one else will.  Don’t pay more for what you can’t see (unless you’re rich  ;-). One other thing, don’t listen to people (read "the diamond industry") who will tell you to spend at least 6 months salary on a wedding ring.  It’s true that this is the only time (hopefully) that you will ever make such a purchase, but your marriage will be happier if you can start it on a stable financial position.  Have six months of salary in the bank *after* you get married. My $0.02. | | | Thanks in advance for helping me out! | Not a problem.  Good luck! Todd & Lisa Nov. 26, 1994 ——                 3000 Robertson Boulevard, Suite 400                 Los Angeles, California 90034           Tel (310) 815 4858

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1) I have been with my girlfriend for over a year and a half.  We know    that we are going to get married eventually, and we have even    decided that we will get married as soon as she graduates from    college in 3 years.    There is absolutely no possible way we will break up.  What I am    wondering is when should I officially propose?  How far before the    intended time of the wedding is it proper to propose?  How long is    the typical engagement period?

I don’t think there’s an official amount of time to be engaged before you get married. Some people prefer and long engagement and some people prefer a short engagement. Currently, I have been engaged for a year and nine months. By the time John and I get married, we will have been engaged for two years and three months. It gives you a long time to plan… on the other hand, I kinda wish we would’ve gotten married last summer. I guess come August 6th it’ll be even more special because it seems like we’ve been waiting FOREVER… Kirstin

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OK, I am a young (college age) male who has absolutely no sense of tradition or knowledge about weddings, rings, etc. 1) I have been with my girlfriend for over a year and a half.  We know that    we are going to get married eventually, and we have even decided that    we will get married as soon as she graduates from college in 3 years.    There is absolutely no possible way we will break up.  What I am wondering    is when should I officially propose?  How far before the intended time    of the wedding is it proper to propose?  How long is the typical    engagement period?

If you have both agreed to get married then you don’t have to propose at all – she’s already said yes. On the other hand people seem to like all the fuss of surprising her with a ring, going down on bended knee, whatever. The real question is when to let the world know your intentions. I don’t think there is any "proper time" to officially get engaged. It depends whether you are both happy as things are or if you’d prefer to people to know. When it gets closer to the time you actually want to be married, you need to let the world know in enough time for arrangements to be made. How long is enough ? Depends on lots of things like how big the wedding is going to be, whether you and she are going to be organising it (in which case you could get started before announcing your engagement), whetehr there are people you’d like to have at the wedding who need to plan holidays and flights, etc. We have 8 months. A year should be plenty. Can be done in three months, or even less. 2) Could someone explain the ring thing to me.  What is the difference    between the wedding ring, and the engagement ring?  Where is the best    place to look for a ring?  What are typical costs?  What do I need to    know?

The engagement ring is a symbol of your promise to marry her. Typically it has a gold or platinum band and a diamond or cluster of diamonds or other precious stones (sapphire, emerald, ruby). It is not necessary to get one. You can choose some other symbol, or have none. Not all women dream of owning a precious ring. Find out if she does before you spend all that money. Also you might like a symbol from her of her promise to marry you. Others will tell you about diamond engagement rings and how to avoid being robbed. Good luck. Lucy Thanks in advance for helping me out!                                          -Darren Penn State University

– Department of Computer Science Trinity College Dublin Dublin 2, IRELAND

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