Us vs. Them

August 23rd, 2017 / Alese Oldenburg

We’re going to tell you a secret.

We surveyed more than 3,000 women about their favorite engagement ring styles. No surprise: We all love the most expensive designs and the biggest diamonds. But is spending a lot on an engagement ring the smartest thing to do, given that if you’re getting married, there are probably some other things you might like to buy in the near future (house, honeymoon, car…not to mention the wedding itself). So let’s look at what we all love, and how realistically you can have it all.

A lot has been written lately about the negative psychological effects of Instagram on mental health, from FOMO to depression because our lives, really, aren’t as beautiful-thin-exotic-rich-dazzling as other people’s. Everyone looks like they have a live-in chef, an apartment straight out of West Elm and the world’s cutest puppy. Or, in the case of weddings, they have a beachside proposal with a 2-carat ring, a Pinterest-worthy wedding and the gorgeous home.

So in the interest of positive mental health, let’s talk about reality, at least when it comes to engagement and wedding rings, because here at Diamond Nexus, we know a little something about that. That 2-carat rock? It was probably mined by a kid in Africa or dredged from the sea floor and killed a coral reef. And since it was probably mined for next-to-nothing and then sold to you for tens of thousands of dollars, it made some guy in a diamond cartel rich. You won’t see that on your Instagram feed.

When you shop for an engagement ring, what you’re really shopping for is a symbol of your new life as partners. Start building that partnership right, with a ring that is as beautiful as it is smart, so you can invest in building your forever, together.

Take that, Instagram.