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Buy Your K-Wife a Korean Style Ring or Western Diamond Ring?
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Kennyftw



Joined: 08 Aug 2011

PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 11:03 pm    Post subject: Buy Your K-Wife a Korean Style Ring or Western Diamond Ring? Reply with quote

Let's face it, the Korean style engagement/wedding/couple's ring, whatever they call it, are a lot cheaper than Western engagement rings--but they look like you got them out of a cracker jack box.

OTOH, Western style engagement rings are at least 2k more expensive, if you plan on getting anything of good quality.

Would you save the money and get her a Korean style ring or Western? I think I couldn't live with myself if I got her a rinky-dink ring like the ones I see on some of my Korean female co-workers' hands. To me, it has to be at least .5 carat. Preferably .75.

What would/did you do?
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Died By Bear



Joined: 13 Jul 2010
Location: On the big lake they call Gitche Gumee

PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 12:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here's the thing...

Size matters, but she won't wear it much anyway because she'll be afraid to lose it. So then it becomes an expensive rock that sits in her jewelry box. Better off spending the money on a nice trip w/all the trimmings, nice hotel, etc. At least then you'd have the memories. What's that rock going to do for you? Well...don't answer that...you get the picture.
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jonbowman88



Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Location: gwangju, s korea

PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 12:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, if you ask her she'll want the western style obviously. My wife did. She wears the wedding and engagement ring everyday
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Kennyftw



Joined: 08 Aug 2011

PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 1:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm kind of with jonbow on this one DBB. I would just feel really cheap if I didn't get her a nice ring. And there's no way I'd allow her to just lock it up in her jewelery box. If I spent that money she'd be wearing it everyday, that's for sure.
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schwa



Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Location: Yap

PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 1:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Diamonds are a racket. Way overpriced, cleverly promoted, no resale value.

If you can see your way to steer clear, do so.

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1982/02/have-you-ever-tried-to-sell-a-diamond/4575/
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ttompatz



Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea

PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 5:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Died By Bear wrote:
Here's the thing...

Size matters, but she won't wear it much anyway because she'll be afraid to lose it. So then it becomes an expensive rock that sits in her jewelry box. Better off spending the money on a nice trip w/all the trimmings, nice hotel, etc. At least then you'd have the memories. What's that rock going to do for you? Well...don't answer that...you get the picture.


Better yet..... instead of getting a cheap ring and taking a holiday....

Take a holiday to Hong Kiong AND get her a nice .75ct diamond ring.

Because of import duties and excise taxes the cost of the ring (in Korea) will be more than double the cost of the same ring in a freeport like HK.

Additionally, IF you buy from a licensed shop in HK the government guarantees that what is on the receipt is what you have or they will ensure a quick and proper refund.

You can get a nice .5ct (solitaire) ring for about US$1000 (CCC = white, round, VVS1).

You can get a nice 4-day get-a-way package (air/transfers/hotel) from Cathay for 550k won per person. Sum it up, trip for 2 + ring for about 2.2 million won.

.
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flakfizer



Joined: 12 Nov 2004
Location: scaling the Cliffs of Insanity with a frayed rope.

PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 5:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

schwa wrote:
Diamonds are a racket. Way overpriced, cleverly promoted, no resale value.

If you can see your way to steer clear, do so.

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1982/02/have-you-ever-tried-to-sell-a-diamond/4575/

And diedbybear wrote:
Quote:
Better off spending the money on a nice trip w/all the trimmings, nice hotel, etc


Totally agree. I truly believe that the whole diamond engagement ring tradition is the most vile of all western traditions. Of course, De Beers is laughing all the way to the bank. You said you would feel cheap if you didn't get her a nice ring (big, diamond one). Would she feel that way? There other ways to spend a lot of money on your sweetheart than a ring.
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Stan Rogers



Joined: 20 Aug 2010

PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 5:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

ttompatz wrote:
Died By Bear wrote:
Here's the thing...

Size matters, but she won't wear it much anyway because she'll be afraid to lose it. So then it becomes an expensive rock that sits in her jewelry box. Better off spending the money on a nice trip w/all the trimmings, nice hotel, etc. At least then you'd have the memories. What's that rock going to do for you? Well...don't answer that...you get the picture.


Better yet..... instead of getting a cheap ring and taking a holiday....

Take a holiday to Hong Kiong AND get her a nice .75ct diamond ring.

Because of import duties and excise taxes the cost of the ring (in Korea) will be more than double the cost of the same ring in a freeport like HK.

Additionally, IF you buy from a licensed shop in HK the government guarantees that what is on the receipt is what you have or they will ensure a quick and proper refund.

You can get a nice .5ct (solitaire) ring for about US$1000 (CCC = white, round, VVS1).

You can get a nice 4-day get-a-way package (air/transfers/hotel) from Cathay for 550k won per person. Sum it up, trip for 2 + ring for about 2.2 million won.

.


A Korean jewlery importer I know told me there are a lot of dodgy dealers in HK. He said it's not unusual for them to sell fake stones, show customers a fake licence, issue fake receipts and guarantees (think fake Apple store). Most people never bother to check if their stone is real. He said he wouldn't buy anything there without first checking it out with his lense.
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ttompatz



Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea

PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 5:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hong Kong is not mainland China.
It has everything to lose and nothing to gain.

Pick any of the shops along the golden mile and you are fine.

Just don't be buying your jewelry at some back room place or at the Temple Street night market.

.
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marsavalanche



Joined: 27 Aug 2010
Location: where pretty lies perish

PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 6:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

ttompatz wrote:


You can get a nice 4-day get-a-way package (air/transfers/hotel) from Cathay for 550k won per person. Sum it up, trip for 2 + ring for about 2.2 million won.

.


are you serious?

i'm embarrassed to say how much i spent there (in a hostel).

i'm contacting you next time i go on a vacation.
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cryingnutter



Joined: 11 Jul 2010

PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 7:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I agree, diamonds are a racket. Consider moissanite.
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sirius black



Joined: 04 Jun 2010

PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 7:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Engagement and marriage related things are all about her. Any woman will tell you that. So, its up to her. If she wants korean style then its korean style and you save some money in the process. Rinky dink or not.

Same with the wedding, its about her. If she wants korean style, then that's how it is or western. Her choice. Wedding. Venue. The wedding is about her. Its her day.
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brier



Joined: 14 Dec 2009

PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 8:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's just another item she will bag to her personal account. What are you doing? Don't you know anything about the precedent of Korean women clawing and appropriating your wealth away? If she is asking for a big diamond, run!
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Kennyftw



Joined: 08 Aug 2011

PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 9:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

brier wrote:
It's just another item she will bag to her personal account. What are you doing? Don't you know anything about the precedent of Korean women clawing and appropriating your wealth away? If she is asking for a big diamond, run!


She's not asking for a diamond ring at all. She said a Korean style one would be fine. But I insisted on getting her a Western style ring. She said she'd be afraid of losing it, but she won't if she's careful.
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SeoulMan6



Joined: 27 Jul 2005
Location: Gangwon-do

PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 2:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Skip the engagement ring but buy a nice wedding ring. We got our rings on bluenile.com and had them shipped to our honeymoon location in Hawaii to avoid Korean customs (she just wore it back to Korea). Hers was perfect but mine required a slight refit which cost about 5,000 won.

They're great rings and we both wear them all the time.
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