This is one of those curious cultural things that are well-accepted in a handful of countries and seem completely loony to the rest of the world. America has it

This is one of those curious cultural things that are well-accepted in a handful of countries and seem completely loony to the rest of the world. America has its engagement ring culture I guess. The phrasing of the article title says a lot. I spent €100 on a lovely antique necklace for my fiancée, knowing full-well that she would call me crazy and feel unpleasantly embarrassed if I spent more on it. Meanwhile you come across stories of American men spending several monthly salaries on diamond engagement rings simply because they are expected to. Fascinating how such a custom has such strong inertia, despite all the critical voices denouncing it — not in the least because of the harmful way diamonds are mined. Refreshingly, the geekier types seem to lean towards all sorts of creative alternatives, such as lab-grown diamonds, alternative unencumbered gem stones, and the coolest space-age metals.