Ring-a-Bling-Bling!

I recently heard a radio deejay bashing Kim Cardashian (WHY is she famous again?) for buying her own engagement ring. Mostly, I think because the chic is not even officially engaged. BUt upon interviewing her on-air it was discovered that she merely has the diamond selected. NOT the ring itself. But the deejay is a silly boy and jsut didn't get it. We were discussing this at work and quite a few of my co-workers felt the same. That a woman shoud NOT buy her own ring. She shouldn even be present when it is purchased. I found it shocking that people, women, would feel this way.

As many of you know, I grew up in the bridal biz. My mother was the owner of a small boutique. Her clientele varied but one thing that remained constant among the brides was THE RING. Whether it was a small diamond chiplet, a huge multi-faceted heart shaped monstrosity or the exquisitely perfect emerald cut, THE RING was always ogled, examined and reveered. But that wasn't always the case.

In the long, long ago before times, in the olden days even, a man gave his beloved an heirloom ring to welcome her into the family. It wasn't necessarily a diamond. Diamonds and white wedding gowns became en vogue thanks to Queen Victoria (who, on her wedding day, donned herself in a never-before-seen dress of while and bespeckled her ears and neck with diamonds-surprisingly there were none on her fingers!) of England.

Ever since then, it has been diamonds and white dresses for brides.
The Victorian era brought the diamond engagement ring into popularity and men were visiting jewelry stores in droves. Back then, a man relied on the help of store clerks to select a ring for his sweetie to wear for the rest of their lives together. He got on one knee, she said yes they lived happily ever after. Then came the 60's and 70's. Suddenly women were shopping with their fiances and men were propsing withOUT a ring. The Feminist Movement woke up the female population. We didn't have to wear somethign that grandma wore. We didn't have to wear a ring tht a stranger had selected. WE HAD A CHOICE.

Then. The 1980's. Materialism, wallstreet and the Feminists of the previous era gave us powerful working women with their own disposable income. 80's women were paying for the entire wedding on their own, or the couple split the cost. Ring and all.

It should come as no surprise that women today select and purchase their own rings before they even acquire a fiance. Let's not forget that Britney Spears bought her own engagement ring when she agreed to marry Kevin Federline. Liz Taylor has funded countless engagement rings of her own.
Its just what we do these days. ALL women, not just the rich-n-famous. We are ALL women who know what we want and if we have to go out and get it on our own, we will!

So Kim Cardashian has a giant diamond on reserve for her in a jewelry store safe. Good for her. She has taken the pressure of her future fiance. And maybe they can design the setting of the diamond and the matching wedding band together.

After all, these days (especially with celeb-or pseudocelebrity-weddings) the bling may faaaaarrr outlast the union!!!!