<p>Here ya go, ladies:</p>
<p>[Kate</a> Middleton Royal Engagement Ring](<a href=“http://www.overstockjeweler.com/kate-middleton-royal-engagement-ring-oval-cz-sapphire-silver-plated-5ct-p-5150.html]Kate”>http://www.overstockjeweler.com/kate-middleton-royal-engagement-ring-oval-cz-sapphire-silver-plated-5ct-p-5150.html)</p>
<p>:cool:</p>
<p>Can’t beat the price :D</p>
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<p>Now my husband wants to know why I’m laughing until I make little snort noises…</p>
<p>Update: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!
DD is now officially engaged and (from the Match Day thread) her STBDBF (soon-to-be-doctor-boyfriend) is now her DF (doctor fiance’). Wow!</p>
<p>It was very, very sweet: he planned a nice evening with appetizers and cocktails at one place; on to sushi for dinner at another; then off to a park with a beautiful view of the city where he had a picnic, coffee and chocolate cake for them. That’s where he asked and she is beyond thrilled. And her ring is truly breathtaking. </p>
<p>We (all her immediate family) all surprised her at her brother’s house with a little party with a “She Said Yes” banner, beautiful lights, more cake (with a welcome to the family message on it for the DF), champagne and strawberries. She was again thrilled and cried to see we were all there to celebrate. Best of all, her DF had arranged to fly her best friend and Maid of Honor here from NYC and my daughter’s face when she saw her best friend was beyond priceless. It was pretty funny as she’d just called her to tell her the news about 10 minutes before she actually walked in the door.</p>
<p>Needless to say, our future son-in-law did very, very well.</p>
<p>We are so happy!</p>
<p>Congratulations. Your D is very lucky.</p>
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<p>Thanks! I do know that!! </p>
<p>I also am convinced that we prayed that guy right in to her life…and his parents are convinced of the same thing—that they prayed her into his. I can think of no greater joy than seeing your child so very happy and with their best friend. Still bouncing around here and looking forward to more family celebrations today!</p>
<p>cmm - thanks for sharing the great story. best wishes to all! </p>
<p>My mom has a sapphire ring: medium round stone flanked with a small diamond on each side. It is very pretty and she gets lots of compliments on it. It was not too pricey when bought (1960!). Mom is English and my parents were working in France when they met and got engaged. Perhaps the colored stones are more common outside of the US?</p>
<p>When S proposed, he brought along a cubic zirconia ring (that his dad had mail-ordered to WIN the magazine sweepstakes). We used the ring as a temporary one and shopped for the REAL engagement ring together. H wanted it to be a round diamond, brilliant cut, slightly larger than a carat, like the ones his friends had bought their fiancees years prior; I was fine with that and we could afford it, so that was what I have to this date. We bought it from a friend who is a jeweler.</p>
<p>My bro & sis-in-law chose a ring where the diamond is set into the gold with NO prongs, since she is an MD and didn’t want hassles with the prongs when she did surgery and/or had to scrub up. She has not worn it now for some years, but it is lovely and they are happily married. Her diamond is smaller and has two rubies on the side as well.</p>
<p>My sis & BIL got married when they were struggling financially, so he got her a smaller diamond that they could afford. Years later, he bought her a larger one and she has also purchased several cubic zirconia ones that she can wear without fear of losing a REAL diamond.</p>
<p>Other sibs have gotten/given different rings over the years and I didn’t really pay much attention, as it has not much to do with me.</p>
<p>One of my friends’ S got engaged and he got fiancee a ring that is mainly a lovely blue stone with small diamonds on the side; they both love it.</p>
<p>As long as the couple is happy and the ring is within their budget and doesn’t fly off the woman’s hand, not sure why anyone else should care, honestly. If the couple decides to ‘upgrade’ at some future date, that’s between them as well. I am just fine with my ring, but would be fine without it as well, since it makes fitting gloves more challenging. ;)</p>
<p>Ha it’s funny that this was bumped. I was so set on a sapphire. Alas, when I saw it in the setting, it looked almost black. I didn’t like it. I ended up getting a man-made blue diamond and I am absolutely in love with the ring that we made. </p>
<p>It’s a tiny diamond- ~.4 ct surrounded by a halo of very tiny white diamonds. It is beautiful and I wouldn’t change a darn thing about it. I get plenty of compliments on it- even from strangers. The blue ranges from dark to teal to almost green depending on the light and I get questions all the time about what type of stone it is. I just looked at the paperwork and apparently it is listed as a “teal” color- which I actually didn’t know until right now and funny enough, my wedding color is going to be teal. I guess I like what I like 
haha</p>
<p>Jewelry is my vice. I won’t wear fur, but I love jewelry. (I do wear leather. I go under the presumption that the leather used is part of using the whole animal).</p>
<p>When we got married Mr. Ellebud gave me a two carat diamond that we put in his mother’s first setting. Twenty years later (or 25?) Mr. Ellebud upgraded the diamond ring to a six carat. I love it.</p>
<p>Our son gave his fiance a 1 carat. Beautiful. We gave her a diamond necklace…ugly setting (or average), but three nice size diamonds. (Yes, my daughters weren’t pleased.) My husband said at the beginning that they could upgrade some time in the future. My son said that he thought it would be a nice push present.</p>
<p>I am shallow, I admit it. Love jewelry.</p>
<p>I’m dating a wonderful man and would be happy to get a ring out of a Cracker Jack box. But there’s exactly one type of ring I wouldn’t want to wear: a tiny diamond chip solitaire. They just look like they’re trying to keep up in a race they are doomed to lose. I’d much rather have a $150 inscribed gold band or circle of garnets than a wee lone diamond.</p>
<p>My engagement ring was a quarter carat and I would have been happy with less. I wore it until I learned the setting was compromised and the band so thin that I risked losing the stone. I’d hoped my husband would have it reset for out 25th but he replaced it with a full carat. It is a beautiful ring but I work with my hands so I only wear it when we go out. </p>
<p>I offered the stone to my recently engaged son (“lots of good karma”) but his betrothed isn’t interested in an engagement ring at all. It seems in our family less is more. If S2 doesn’t want it I’ll have a pair of earrings made.</p>
<p>Hanna, I’m clueless, what’s a tiny diamond chip solitaire? (Specifically, what does the “chip” mean) :)</p>
<p>You’re all marketing pawns of the DeBeers cartel.</p>
<p>Lucky for me, GMT, my stone is man-made 
(the other ones are from Canada) - and the gold is recycled. (I was picky.)</p>