subject: A Ring For Marriage [print this page] Marriage is advertised as being the foundation of family and crucial to the healthy nurturing of our future generations. This is all well and good as marriage is not only morally advantageous to society but financially beneficial as well. At some point we have all considered the possibility of marriage. Many of us have already engaged ourselves legally to the institution of the wedded, as it were. The idea of marriage transcends culture and history as a necessary organization of a successful society.
Marriage, however, is also an industry. The feature event, of course, is the wedding ceremony. Every tradition involved from the clothing, the bouquets, the cake and the jewelry can end up costing a small fortune. Spare no expense seems to be the attitude of the parties involved as they begin their trek down the road of matrimony. But is the traditional part really important? After all, the ceremony itself is not required in the eyes of the law and certainly all of the pomp and circumstance is not necessarily required by the religious institutions.
The diamond industry has created an atmosphere of pressure with their slick ads promoting the idea that a diamond ring is the means by which the true expression of love and sacrifice are delivered, materially. Why? Because it is as traditional as the recurring commercials for engagement rings reminding you both that a diamond ring is the very symbol of your marriage.
To be sure, the rise in the value of diamonds can be directly related to the commercialization of marriage. As divorce rates rise, the frivolousness with which marriage is being treated can be directly related to a grand marketing campaign which really should say, Get married! So YOU can have a wedding too.
For most people, the most important consideration when choosing a diamond is price. True, choosing a diamond is all up to the buyer's taste, but an expert's opinion definitely counts. The hardest part in choosing a diamond is not what you thought, it's only over when you find someone special enough to present one to. Step one in choosing a diamond is learning about them, it costs nothing, but could end up saving you a bundle. Choosing a diamond is one of the most important decisions of your life.
