I don't remember how much my engagement ring cost. It's sterling silver, and the star ruby is in a setting of sculpted bones, ivy leaves, and a skull.

She was spending $60-$90k on each one

I can't think of any piece of jewelry I'd spend that much money on. Not unless it came with guaranteed magic powers.

She spent three times as much one one finger as I did on my car. There were eyerolls and words of incomprehension. Nothing that small and inanimate is that pretty.

Chipotle line is long.

Not unless it came with guaranteed magic powers.

Yup. And even then only if one of the powers was "turn junk mail into gold."

And I just got an email about sponsoring children in Ethiopia so they can stay with their families and not come to the orphanage my agnecy runs (this is what they try to do with any family that is bringing a child in for solely economic reasons- not health, danger, or abandonment) and I can't reconcile the numbers.

OMG ded of cute: lesbian gamer wedding

Also, Jilli, there is a stripey Victorian goth bride on there! And absinthe-themed wedding!

90K is 30K more than my parents house cost. Wow.

When I first read that, I thought it was $60-$90 (I missed the k!) and I still thought it was ridiculous.

Funny, I was writing up a little rant about engagement rings for LJ yesterday, but I didn't post it. I'd rather have a fake diamond than spend enough money to buy a house on a shiny rock.

Also, Jilli, there is a stripey Victorian goth bride on there! And absinthe-themed wedding!

I know the woman who runs Offbeat Bride, and she is awesome.

In their world $60k didn't buy a car, much less a house. They imported the wood for the ground floor of their house from the South. It was so smooth I slept on it bare.

They lived a different life. Not sure what the economy crash and a divorce have done to them. Haven't kept up with them or the goss.

In their world $60k didn't buy a car, much less a house.

That is the one semi-reasonable thing about pegging the cost of a ring to your salary, at least. Although I'd still say less than one month is plenty.

I have a diamond engagement ring. It's the one we both thought was pretty when we went to look at rings, certified conflict-free, did not cost a whole paycheck much less three months. I enjoy thinking that maybe I could use it to cut glass if I needed to. It does not come off my finger hardly at all - not for washing dishes or kneading bread or lotioning up my hands. Kinda hard to get on and off, truth be told. Engagement ring, wedding band and an amethyst ring DH gave me wen we'd known each other about two months I wear constantly, and I rarely think to put any other jewelry on.