This Woman Thought Her Engagement Ring was Too Small…Then She Found the Receipt

The Engagement Ring Debacle

Image: Business Insider

For most women, getting engaged is a magical moment that they dream of from the time they are little girls. Unfortunately, one woman’s dream was shattered when her boyfriend popped the question. Expecting to see a stunning ring, she was more than disappointed when he opened the box. Even worse, when she saw the receipt she was absolutely fuming. You won’t believe what the bride-to-be did next. In a rage, the ungrateful lady took to the internet in an effort to garner some sympathy. Unfortunately, for her, the reaction was NOT what she expected.

Rings are Expensive

Image: WeddBook

When it comes to a wedding, the overall cost can be quite high. A recent survey conducted revealed that the average couple spends close to $32,000 on their wedding day. That’s no chump change. However, before the cake or the dress, there always comes the matter of the engagement ring.

The Great Depression Ploy

Image: Wikipedia

The ritual of the engagement ring actually originated as a marketing ploy during the Great Depression by South African jewelry company, De Beers. Men were encouraged to spend at least one month’s salary on a ring for their lady love.  Talk about a financial commitment.

De Beers Advertising Strategy

Image De Beers

Prior to De Beers advertising campaign, only 1 out of 10 engagement rings were diamonds. The De Beers advertising strategy changed this and soon 80 percent of engagement rings were sporting a rock that would wow the socks off of any lady. Men were also enticed to spend anywhere from $1,000-$5,000 on a ring.

Diamonds are Forever

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The “Diamonds are Forever” campaign that was popular in the 1990’s also created an expectation that engagement rings should be expensive, but only because they lasted so long and would be appreciated for years to come. This set a new precedent that engagement rings were a larger investment and an integral part to any proposal.

High Expectations Not Met

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Therefore, it’s understandable that the underwhelmed woman had her expectations set VERY HIGH. Dejected and not sure how to handle the situation, the woman decided to vent her frustrations online. While she expected support from the community, she got a whole lot more than she bargained for.

Voicing Her Disappointment Online

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As the woman began her post, she started off with that while she was happy, the ring itself was just an outright disappointment.  “The first word that entered my head was ‘small’. There’s nothing to dislike about the type of ring, as a diamond solitaire would have been my choice. But it’s the whole thing – the color of the gold, the setting, the small stone and relatively chunky shoulders.” Honestly, we think she should be happy she got a diamond at all, but to each their own.

Choosing a Ring Together

Image: The Plunge

“Ideally, I would have loved for us to have chosen a ring together and made a special day finding one we both liked,” the discouraged woman wrote. “As it’s something I’ll be wearing every day and is such a special piece of jewelry I wanted to really love it and I just don’t.”

But is wasn’t just the style she didn’t like, she found out more information that she wasn’t pleased with…

A Sad and Pathetic Price Tag

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However, it wasn’t the ring itself that was the only problem. When the woman found the receipt and realized it was only $1,760 she was furious! You may be thinking she is the most shallow woman on earth, but wait until you hear her explaination.

Not So Generous

Image: Buzzfeed

Her fiance made six-figures a year, so she couldn’t understand why on earth would he have skimped on the ring. Continuing the lengthy post, the woman complained that her man was usually very generous, which is why she was so perplexed. Sadly, for such a significant piece of jewelry, she felt completely bamboozled. What could his explanation be?

How to Break the News?

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Now, the next major dilemma for the woman was how to tell her future husband she hated the monstrosity he called a ring that was now on her finger. She didn’t want to look ungrateful (too late lady) and knew he would be disappointed that she was making such a big deal over a ring that fit and looked good according to him.

Afraid and Confused

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The woman was also fearful because her fiance’s co-worker had mentioned that if any woman made it all about the ring, she wasn’t the right woman to begin with. So it’s understandable she was slightly nervous to approach the issue. Honestly, we think she should buck up and be happy someone wants to marry her gold-digging b***.

Desperate for Answers

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The desperate and unhappy (aka horrible) woman ended her online posting asking if anyone had been in her situation and if they could offer up a solution. Of course, the reaction she got was anything but sympathetic. In fact, most of the people who responded disagreed with her lack of tact.

The Responses Roll In

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One response blasted the woman for missing the entire point of the proposal and who was she to complain when someone wanted to spend the rest of their life with her? Did the ring really matter that much in retrospect?

Size Doesn’t Matter

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Another woman couldn’t understand why the size and cut of the diamond mattered. Did it really have to be about the money and how flashy the ring was? We couldn’t agree more!

Conversations Should Take Place

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Of course, not all of the comments to her posting were hateful. One person felt sympathetic to her predicament and had this to say: “I would prepare to be flamed and called grabby. If this is the man you intend to spend the rest of your life with, you should be able to have a conversation about this.”

The Voice of Reason

Image: National Catholic Register

As the woman’s comment thread continued to blow up with people and their opinions. One reasonable person said that if she had to look at it everyday, she had the right to be happy with the ring. She offered up the solution of taking the current ring back and choosing a new one together.

No Solution Found

Image: Huffington Post

Unfortunately, such reasonable comments were few and far between. Most people labeled the woman as greedy, ungrateful and the worst human being on the planet. Sadly, a solution for the woman’s problem wasn’t in the cards. It was a gamble on how her new fiance (or soon-to-be ex-fiance) would react.

How to Avoid This Situation

Image: ABC 7

So, how does one avoid such pitfalls when it comes to rings? According to experts, you can find beautiful rings at any price point, so it’s important for the future groom to know her likes and dislikes. Choosing a ring together is another possibility, although it does ruin the element of surprise.

Limited Options

Image: Anthony Calleja Photography

Ultimately, for this one unhappy woman, her options were limited. So is it okay to exchange an engagement ring? Most wedding experts seem to believe this option is okay, but with a caveat. They suggest waiting until an anniversary or another special milestone to upgrade to something more elaborate. What do you think? Does the ring really matter that much?