When you are getting married it’s natural to want to spend as much as you possibly can on a wedding ring. However, there are actually plenty of reasons why someone should consider buying a cheaper ring that is easier to afford. Whether you are shopping for an engagement ring, or a wedding band, there are plenty of reasons why you might want to buy a less expensive ring. There’s no need to feel tight though, read through this guide to put your mind at ease.
It’s Just a Ring
Rings are a symbol of your never ending love for one another, but that’s all they are. A wedding or engagement ring doesn’t have any particular purpose other than looking nice. For this reason, many people are shopping around for cheaper rings.
It’s not an Investment
Many people think that it doesn’t matter that they’re spending a fortune buying a wedding ring because it can be seen as an investment. While it is true you are buying precious metal and precious stones, normally you won’t be able to sell these for as much as you paid for them. This is simply because when you sell most old jewellery it is scrapped and melted down. Never treat fine jewellery as an investment, as normally it won’t pay off.
Divorce
When you are just getting married it might seem like you will be together forever. While that’s a lovely thought, nothing is certain in life. In recent years the divorce rates of couples in the US has gone up a lot. According to a survey conducted in 2002 29% of marriages ended in a divorce within 10 years from the date of the marriage. This is quite a high proportion of marriages within just 10 years. Spending a lot of money on someone that you might only stay married to for a couple of years could be seen as a waste.
Not Worried about Losing it
A wedding ring to many people is just a symbol to show other people that you are in a relationship and that you are taken. For this reason you might wear it every day. If you lost an expensive wedding ring then it could be very upsetting and traumatic. However, if you have a cheaper wedding ring which is just a symbol of your marriage then it can be replaced quite easily should it be lost.
Not worried about Damage
Gold and Platinum are the most common materials for wedding rings. The problem with both of these precious metals is that they are quite soft. Few people remove their rings when they are washing up and washing clothes. This can cause scratches and damage to the precious metals. A cheaper wedding ring made from a harder metal would stand up better to this abuse. Even cheaper gold wedding rings will be made from 8 carat gold which will be much more durable.
Blood Diamonds
Diamonds might look beautiful, but by buying them it’s also possible you are helping to fund an unfair war. Many diamonds are found in conflict areas such as Sierra Leone and Angola. These can be mined and sold by warlords to raise money for their military campaign. Although the US and many other developed countries have strict policies regarding the importing of blood diamonds, the large numbers of conflict diamonds means that some will slip through the net.
The high value of diamonds also means that it’s worth someone concealing the true source of diamonds. This is a very good reason not to buy an expensive diamond ring for your wedding.
Not Environmentally Friendly
Because of the high value of gold, platinum and diamonds they are often mined extensively. Sometimes at a cost to the planet. For example, gold is mined in the Amazon rainforest by using mercury as a way to get the gold dust to stick together. This is poured out into the forest which results in serious damage to the ecosystem. Diamonds can also be mined in an unsustainable fashion which can be damaging to the earth.
It’s a Fairly new Concept
While wedding rings themselves are quite an old tradition, using diamonds in engagement rings is relatively new. This was dreamt up by an advertising campaign for De Beers, the very same companies that control most of the diamond mines around the world. They simply created the concept of the engagement ring as a way to sell their products. The concept of diamond engagement rings is only around 100 years old.
You don’t need an Expensive Ring to show Love
The main reason people buy an expensive ring is to show that they really love someone. This doesn’t really mean a lot. The only way you can show you truly love someone is to stick with them no matter what. In other words, only time will tell.
Money is more Valuable
Spending thousands of dollars on a wedding ring might seem great at the time. However, when you buy your first home together, or try to start a family you will wish you kept the money in savings. There will always be a time when you will be desperate for more money, but a wedding ring is an inanimate object which can’t help achieve anything.
Leave a Reply