Before I discuss the sheer fabulosity of my engagement ring, I would like to make it clear that I absolutely loathe conformity.  I teach in a community where there are thousands of houses that look alike, where the parents are alike, and when you look across the street at the community that surrounds our school all you see is rows upon rows of conventionality and normalcy.  No thanks, not for me.

For my engagment ring, I did not do the suburban white or yellow gold solitaire that was purchased in the mall and would easily pair with a wedding band that had an amount of diamonds that was commensurate to either the amount of money your boyfriend has, or perhaps the amount he loves you?  I was never able to figure that out, maybe my public school education is the reason that this proportion has always eluded me.

My boyfriend spent $500 dollars on a rose gold and pink amethyst ring with tiny diamonds on the band, at which point we went to a local jeweler who took out the amethyst (since they are very soft, easily scratched, and not practical for everyday wear), tucked it away for a future piece, and replaced it with a vibrant pink lab-created sapphire that is unique, representative of my personality, and did I mention MASSIVE?  The jeweler warned me that a rock the size of my setting might get really pricey, and I braced myself when I got the call that she had found one in another city for the whopping price tag of ... $200.  Two hundred dollars?!  I’ll take two!

Table from Gemesis Eco-Friendly Lab-Created Diamonds

Lab-created stones [you can even find lab-created diamonds] , I have now found out, are an incredibly inexpensive alternative to stones that have been mined in traditional, and consequently non-ethical, ways.  It is impossible to detect the difference between a lab-created stone and its natural counterpart, and according to Federal Trade Commissions regulations, if the differences are detectable, it is not permissable to call it by its name.  I cannot state this enough: THEY ARE NOT SYNTHETIC or SIMULANTS.  They are the real deal and often look synthetic because they are so perfect and pristine, unlike natural diamonds and gemstones that have naturally occuring nicks and flaws. 

My only warning for those of you looking for lab-created stones is to watch out for the rampant levels of jealousy incurred by people who totally sweat your ring.  My coworkers loved to point out that a sapphire is not an engagement ring, or that mine was too big to be an engagement ring, or that an engagement ring could not be pink, or how was I going to find a wedding ring to match?  My theory: they are really personally offended that I look as fabulous as I do with a big flashy pink engagement ring that lauds my divergence from their provincial norms.  And if they knew I did it for $700?  There would definitely be chaos in the streets of suburbia!