Anyone who reads the "Sunday Styles" section of the New York Times – or its equivalent in London's Sunday Times, Toronto's Globe and Mail, Sydney's Morning Herald or Melbourne's The Age – knows that it is once again in vogue for gentlemen to go down on one knee and proffer a ring when proposing marriage. Traditionally, engagement rings are silver rings, or are made of platinum or gold, and bear a diamond. But in this recession, who can afford a diamond? Given the state of most western economies, today's practical gents and ladies may well prefer to save their money for a mortgage.
Nevertheless, a silver ring is part and parcel of the engagement process. Since even the least romantic male knows his beloved expects an engagement ring, no sensible gent will listen for a "yes" without sliding a silver ring onto his lady's finger. It's well known that silver is valuable and affordable. But how to get around the vexing problem that diamonds are quite dear – in every sense of the word?
A unique silver ring option is a silver ring inlaid with a semi-precious gemstone. In fact, choosing a silver ring with a gemstone is apt to impress and delight the newly-engaged woman: it's innovative, colorful, charming, unusual – and eminently practical. Here are some ideas for silver and gemstone rings that make a terrific stand-in for the traditional engagement diamond:
Sense and sensibility: Another unique silver ring option is to choose a silver ring bearing a gemstone that carries the beneficial energetic properties you'd like to confer on your beloved. Both the carnelian and the topaz promote fidelity, and look wonderful when set off by a silver ring setting. And nothing could be more apt as an silver engagement ring than a silver ring bearing a peridot, a gemstone that is thought to promise marital happiness.