So here's my personal observation about woman, weddings, and diamond engagement rings: the subject turns even the most otherwise rational, reasonable women into these materialistic, horrible harpy-monsters. It's not ALWAYS the case, and I'm rarely shocked or bothered when I get the "you have to get your man to buy you a real diamond" tripe from most women, but when I explained my satisfaction with a synthetic diamond (and my general opposition to buying an overvalued gemstone born of human exploitation) to my mother, she about pitched a fit! I'd never expected that from her, of all people, whom I expected to understand at least my economic reasons, if not my moral ones.

All that said, though, most people can't tell the difference between a $20 silver and CZ ring (like mine, which I love) and a $2000 diamond and white gold ring (which everyone thinks mine is unless I tell them otherwise).