Jewellery in the US
Nov 26th 2006, 11:54 am
#16
Banned
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: IL
Posts: 48
Re: Jewellery in the US
I am very lucky in the fact that I think I may have married one the few American women who don't insist on the biggest most expensive engagement ring in the world, which seems to be very popular over here. We got her ring in a shop in Gran Canaria when we were over there, small and elegant $100 and it still looks as good today 6 or so years on.
I have seen so much spent on weddings and rings and all that buisiness over here it is unbelievable. I can never remember it being like this at home?
One guy who I used to work with is going to spend over $10,000 on an engagemant ring for his girlfriend and plans on spending $75,000 on the wedding, all on the never never! The crazy thing is they will be living in a rented apparment after they get married, now nothing wrong with living in a rented appartment me and wife did so for a couple of years until we bought our house....... but $85 is a serious downpayment. I kind of suggested this to the guy in question and he look at me like I had a welly on my head!
Crazy! Well good luck to you Mr. G if in fact you plan on popping that question, I can highly recommend Vegas if the lady say's yes!
I have seen so much spent on weddings and rings and all that buisiness over here it is unbelievable. I can never remember it being like this at home?
One guy who I used to work with is going to spend over $10,000 on an engagemant ring for his girlfriend and plans on spending $75,000 on the wedding, all on the never never! The crazy thing is they will be living in a rented apparment after they get married, now nothing wrong with living in a rented appartment me and wife did so for a couple of years until we bought our house....... but $85 is a serious downpayment. I kind of suggested this to the guy in question and he look at me like I had a welly on my head!
Crazy! Well good luck to you Mr. G if in fact you plan on popping that question, I can highly recommend Vegas if the lady say's yes!
Nov 26th 2006, 12:41 pm
#17
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2005
Location: Oz -> UK -> San Diego
Posts: 9,912
Re: Jewellery in the US
Originally Posted by Pickles
I am very lucky in the fact that I think I may have married one the few American women who don't insist on the biggest most expensive engagement ring in the world, which seems to be very popular over here. We got her ring in a shop in Gran Canaria when we were over there, small and elegant $100 and it still looks as good today 6 or so years on.
I have seen so much spent on weddings and rings and all that buisiness over here it is unbelievable. I can never remember it being like this at home?
One guy who I used to work with is going to spend over $10,000 on an engagemant ring for his girlfriend and plans on spending $75,000 on the wedding, all on the never never! The crazy thing is they will be living in a rented apparment after they get married, now nothing wrong with living in a rented appartment me and wife did so for a couple of years until we bought our house....... but $85 is a serious downpayment. I kind of suggested this to the guy in question and he look at me like I had a welly on my head!
Crazy! Well good luck to you Mr. G if in fact you plan on popping that question, I can highly recommend Vegas if the lady say's yes!
I have seen so much spent on weddings and rings and all that buisiness over here it is unbelievable. I can never remember it being like this at home?
One guy who I used to work with is going to spend over $10,000 on an engagemant ring for his girlfriend and plans on spending $75,000 on the wedding, all on the never never! The crazy thing is they will be living in a rented apparment after they get married, now nothing wrong with living in a rented appartment me and wife did so for a couple of years until we bought our house....... but $85 is a serious downpayment. I kind of suggested this to the guy in question and he look at me like I had a welly on my head!
Crazy! Well good luck to you Mr. G if in fact you plan on popping that question, I can highly recommend Vegas if the lady say's yes!
Nov 26th 2006, 1:28 pm
#18
Banned
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: IL
Posts: 48
Re: Jewellery in the US
Originally Posted by Ozzidoc
Pickles - give your colleague the book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad".
Nov 26th 2006, 1:51 pm
#19
Gone but not forgotten. RIP
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 1,570
Re: Jewellery in the US
Originally Posted by BigDavyG
Ok - I know I'm asking for trouble by starting a thread with this title but I was in Tiffany today and noticed a few things which I thought were a bit strange...
1) The place was full of teenage girls and their parents - there were serious sums of cash being spent on jewellery for the young girls (I'm talking thousands of dollars here). Who does this for a teenager who is likely to have found something she like more by this time next week ??
2) The place was full of teenage boys and their parents. The boys seemed to be spending $$$'s of mummy and daddy's cash on gifts for their girlfriends (again, I am talking considerable sums of cash here). Who does this ??
3) There were a few couple in shopping for engagement rings. All 3 of the women involved looked so serious it was unbelievable when they were talking with the sales assistant - it was like they were trying to seal a billion dollar business deal - the hunger in their eyes was clearly visible.
So anyway - maybe this stuff isn't weird at all, but any time I was in a jewellers back home (usually to get a watch battery replaced) it was never like this.
Has anyone else noticed this, or is it just me ??
1) The place was full of teenage girls and their parents - there were serious sums of cash being spent on jewellery for the young girls (I'm talking thousands of dollars here). Who does this for a teenager who is likely to have found something she like more by this time next week ??
2) The place was full of teenage boys and their parents. The boys seemed to be spending $$$'s of mummy and daddy's cash on gifts for their girlfriends (again, I am talking considerable sums of cash here). Who does this ??
3) There were a few couple in shopping for engagement rings. All 3 of the women involved looked so serious it was unbelievable when they were talking with the sales assistant - it was like they were trying to seal a billion dollar business deal - the hunger in their eyes was clearly visible.
So anyway - maybe this stuff isn't weird at all, but any time I was in a jewellers back home (usually to get a watch battery replaced) it was never like this.
Has anyone else noticed this, or is it just me ??
1) Bat Mitzvahs (Tiffany's is the proper gift)
2) Baby Showers (Tiffany's baby spoons)
3) Manhattan lifestyle (You have to live it to understand it)
Nothing says "I Love You" quite like a Tiffany's box
Last edited by TRPardoe; Nov 26th 2006 at 1:54 pm.
Nov 26th 2006, 2:07 pm
#20
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 68,280
Re: Jewellery in the US
FFS ..nobody reminded me it Joycee's bithday tomorrow .......
Can't I rely on you people for nothing ...........
Does this wife spending ever end
Can't I rely on you people for nothing ...........
Does this wife spending ever end
Nov 26th 2006, 2:10 pm
#21
Account Closed
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 6,196
Re: Jewellery in the US
Originally Posted by Ray
FFS ..nobody reminded me it Joycee's bithday tomorrow .......
Can't I rely on you people for nothing ...........
Does this wife spending ever end
Can't I rely on you people for nothing ...........
Does this wife spending ever end
Nov 26th 2006, 2:30 pm
#22
Thinking about it
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Mid-West
Posts: 9,435
Re: Jewellery in the US
Originally Posted by Pickles
Crazy! Well good luck to you Mr. G if in fact you plan on popping that question, I can highly recommend Vegas if the lady say's yes!
Nov 26th 2006, 3:36 pm
#23
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2005
Location: Oz -> UK -> San Diego
Posts: 9,912
Re: Jewellery in the US
Originally Posted by Pickles
I have not read that book, is it worth me heading down to the library for a copy?
Nov 26th 2006, 3:50 pm
#24
Homebody
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: HOME
Posts: 23,181
Re: Jewellery in the US
Originally Posted by Ozzidoc
Yep - no need to buy a copy as most libraries will have a copy. It has helped me refocus over the years......it's a little OT at times, but certainly makes some good sense. The author's credential have been questioned from time-to-time - personally I don't care, cos I get a lot out of the book.
I would second that. The book oversimplifies this whole getting rich lark, but the fundamental principles are solid (i.e. rich people are rich because they don't waste $$$ on stuff they don't need; a Camry gets you from A to B as easily as a Merc; don't get into debt unless it's to buy a house or an education, etc etc.)
Nov 26th 2006, 4:54 pm
#25
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2006
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
Posts: 77
Re: Jewellery in the US
Originally Posted by Sarah
Urgh, hate Tiffanys. Mainly because of the clientele and the ones in London look at you like your scum if you aren't wearing some kind of Armani suit.
The ball and chain got my engagement ring online! (Bluenile.com) It's lovely too.
I chose my own wedding ring, bought it off Overstock.com, it was on sale and about $500 cheaper than I'd seen it in any store. I hate shopping. My goal is to buy at least 90% of the Christmas pressies from the comfort of my keyboard
The ball and chain got my engagement ring online! (Bluenile.com) It's lovely too.
I chose my own wedding ring, bought it off Overstock.com, it was on sale and about $500 cheaper than I'd seen it in any store. I hate shopping. My goal is to buy at least 90% of the Christmas pressies from the comfort of my keyboard
I ventured into Tiffany's for the first time a couple months ago and sped walked around the store before knowing that I could not afford a single thing! Walking past people dropping $10,000 for a necklace...we realised we better go! We were being eyed by the security guard! I think bluenile.com is great! I have picked out my engagement ring there too..and showed my boyfriend Mark
He now knows exactly what i want 
Nov 26th 2006, 5:25 pm
#26
Who?
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: Stepford
Posts: 3,098
Re: Jewellery in the US
Originally Posted by Elvira
I would second that. The book oversimplifies this whole getting rich lark, but the fundamental principles are solid (i.e. rich people are rich because they don't waste $$$ on stuff they don't need; a Camry gets you from A to B as easily as a Merc; don't get into debt unless it's to buy a house or an education, etc etc.)
On the jewellery theme, some of the American women I have met point out their earrings etc and then tell me the price! I don't care, I'm not a jewellery person. Just as well given the paragraph above.
I also find that sometimes people here are more likely to tell you how rich they are, how rich their brother, sister, cousin is. Perhaps I didn't know any rich people in the UK.
Nov 26th 2006, 5:55 pm
#27
Tool
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Playing with the chavs
Posts: 773
Re: Jewellery in the US
True class does not flaunt it.
Only the tacky paupers trying to prove they arent do so.
Only the tacky paupers trying to prove they arent do so.
Nov 26th 2006, 6:11 pm
#28
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 6,848
Re: Jewellery in the US
There is a Tiffany's at my local mall in Short Hills, NJ. Sales tax is cheaper than in New York so it's always packed with New Yorkers buying high priced items, so they're often buying jewellery in Tiffany's.
T Pardoe is correct re:....baby spoons, bar and bat mitzvah gifts and of course engagement rings.
Come to think of it, American engagement rings just seem to be comprised of a single diamond solitaire....in the UK we tend to want a bit more variety and have other stones too, eg. emeralds, rubies, sapphires. My engagement ring is a sapphire with small diamonds around it (which I hardly ever wear), so is one of my sister's, and my youngest sister has an opal surrounded by smaller diamonds.
Over here in the US I definitely get the impression that the purpose of an engagement ring is to show 'one-upmanship' amongst ones peer group as to whom has the most expensive or/and large diamond ring....
Unfortunately, my teenage son has been to Tiffany's to buy gifts for his girlfriends.....
T Pardoe is correct re:....baby spoons, bar and bat mitzvah gifts and of course engagement rings.
Come to think of it, American engagement rings just seem to be comprised of a single diamond solitaire....in the UK we tend to want a bit more variety and have other stones too, eg. emeralds, rubies, sapphires. My engagement ring is a sapphire with small diamonds around it (which I hardly ever wear), so is one of my sister's, and my youngest sister has an opal surrounded by smaller diamonds.
Over here in the US I definitely get the impression that the purpose of an engagement ring is to show 'one-upmanship' amongst ones peer group as to whom has the most expensive or/and large diamond ring....
Unfortunately, my teenage son has been to Tiffany's to buy gifts for his girlfriends.....
Nov 26th 2006, 7:07 pm
#29
Re vera, potas bene.
Joined: Jun 2005
Location: Cape Cod MA..Davenport FL
Posts: 2,405
Re: Jewellery in the US
My replacement wedding ring is silver with inlaid Buffalo in turquoise around it...its Native American and cost 10 pounds...I have jewelery...mostly Native American..some pieces are lovely..but I now have enough to last me a life time .....and I can't remember the last time I wore any...
Nov 26th 2006, 7:12 pm
#30
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2005
Location: Oz -> UK -> San Diego
Posts: 9,912
Re: Jewellery in the US
Originally Posted by jumping doris
Have you read "The Millionaire next door" ?. Same theory that rich people don't waste money and often don't look rich etc. They have Sears charge cards rather than ones from more upmarket stores, cheaper cars and so on. I read the first few chapters and realised that I don't fulfil any of the criteria to become a millionaire and am destined to a life of poverty.
On the jewellery theme, some of the American women I have met point out their earrings etc and then tell me the price! I don't care, I'm not a jewellery person. Just as well given the paragraph above.
I also find that sometimes people here are more likely to tell you how rich they are, how rich their brother, sister, cousin is. Perhaps I didn't know any rich people in the UK.
On the jewellery theme, some of the American women I have met point out their earrings etc and then tell me the price! I don't care, I'm not a jewellery person. Just as well given the paragraph above.
I also find that sometimes people here are more likely to tell you how rich they are, how rich their brother, sister, cousin is. Perhaps I didn't know any rich people in the UK.
Yep - have read that and also "Millionaire woman next door" which wasnt as good, but still useful.