Girlfriend Says Engagement Ring Boyfriend Bought For Her Isn't Up To Her Standards

May 15, 2021

Imagine finding the love of your life and finally taking the next step in your relationship. A man proposed to his girlfriend after five amazing years together, ready to cement their love for life. While most people would be absolutely thrilled to receive a gorgeous ring and know that they have found their forever partner, his girlfriend was not too happy with the choice of ring. In fact, she was very upset that her boyfriend spent so much money on a lab-grown diamond ring rather than a real diamond ring.

There are a few notable characteristics of diamonds, such as the cut, color, clarity and carat. Together, the slight differences in these elements can create the perfect ring for someone. While there are some differences in pure diamond rings and lab-grown diamond rings, they are usually indistinguishable to the blind eye. Unless told otherwise or checked by a professional gemologist, most people wouldn’t notice the slight differences in clarity and color. 

This caused quite a stir in their otherwise relationship, and the man went to the platform Reddit in May 2021 to seek out advice from the internet. Was he in the wrong for not buying his girlfriend her dream ring? Or was his girlfriend being rude for not appreciating the thought behind the sweet gift? It’s possible that he could return the ring and try to exchange it for one that she would prefer, but is this necessary? The couple fought over the ring, and the state of their relationship is now up in the air.

The unnamed man went to Reddit to explain his situation in a lengthy post on May 10, 2021. The man, 30, proposed to his girlfriend, 27, in April after dating for five years. “It was wonderful and she said yes, and we were never happier,” he wrote. Everything seemed to be going great, until the girlfriend began asking questions about her new piece of jewelry. The boyfriend explained how he had spent $20,000 on it after putting money aside for the past 10 years.

His girlfriend was blown away by the fact he spent so much money, and even more impressed that she received such a large stone. Her ring was 3.6 carats, while the average engagement ring in the United States is one carat. The boyfriend then showed the diamond certificate he received when he purchased the ring, which is when his girlfriend became incredibly upset. “When she saw it was lab grown she got upset that I hadn’t bought her a ‘real’ diamond,” he wrote in his Reddit post.

While the girlfriend was upset she didn’t receive her dream ring, the man had his own reasons for choosing to buy a lab-grown diamond. “I had always been open in my distaste for the natural diamond industry,” he explained. “Her friends and mother and everyone agreed that she wouldn’t care if the diamond was lab-grown.” Along with these reasons, the boyfriend had a few others to further his point. “It is better for the environment, I know the exact origin of the stone,” he reasoned.

Lastly, he picked the ring out of the kindness of his heart that would result in the best possible outcome for his girlfriend. “It is better value for the money and I wanted to get her the most beautiful ring possible,” he explained.

After finding out the truth, the girlfriend insisted that she could see the difference and went so far as to ask her boyfriend to “exchange it for a natural stone of equivalent value.” This didn’t bode well with the Reddit user. “I spent months searching for the perfect ring for her and also, though value was the biggest reason for me, the idea of potentially getting a blood diamond really does sicken me,” he wrote.

The issue has caused complications for the relationship, so much so that the boyfriend even gave his girlfriend an ultimatum. “I said no, and said if she wanted to give the ring back and end our relationship, that is fine, but I would not exchange it,” he explained in his post.

Some Reddit users came to his defense and sided with the boyfriend. “I can’t understand why you’d want to be with someone who is willing to actually end a relationship over a non-conflict diamond that was given to her out of love and hope for a future together,” one user wrote. “You spent $20,000 on a ring and she isn’t happy?” another asked. “I think you have bigger fish to fry. What’s going to be enough for her?” 

Only time will tell what will happen with this couple, as there have been no further updates yet.

Whose side are you taking? Was the girlfriend wrong to ask for a new ring, or was the boyfriend wrong for not exchanging it? Let us know your thoughts, and be sure to send this to your friends and family members to see what they think, too.