Keeping Up With The Joneses: Mom's Ring Finger
Posted on February 01, 2008 by Him and tagged family, joneses, parents
Ah, my crazy mama. I may have posted about her a few times before. One commenter even said she enjoyed my mom's antics. Here's another one for your enjoyment.
A few years ago after both of her sons were engaged, my mother seemed to have noticed that her simple, yet elegant, wedding band wasn't enough for her ring finger compared to her future daughter-in-laws' adornments. My mom had told us numerous times that she doesn't wear her engagement ring because her diamond was small. I can say that's true because I've never seen it.
One day last year we were out at a family function and both Her and I immediately noticed something different about my mom...she had a platinum ring with a LARGE diamond and matching wedding band on her ring finger! When she noticed that Her and I noticed, she again said that her engagement ring was small and wanted to buy a bigger one for herself. I chalked it up to my parents being empty nesters and not knowing what to do with their money.
Well, fast forward to a few weeks ago: Her and I were having dinner with my parents, when I noticed an entirely NEW diamond band around my mom's ring finger. Her noticed as well and we gave each other the "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" look at each other. A little later during dinner my mom showed off her ring to Her and again recited to us the story of how her original engagement ring diamond was too small, so she got herself a new one.
I know what you're thinking: ANOTHER new one? What happened to the second one? Answer: I have no idea. It's like it never existed. Maybe we made it up. Maybe we're the crazy ones.
I wish my dad talked a little more, because I'd be a little pissed off if I were him. My mom essentially bitch-slapped him and said, "Your gifts to me were so crappy that I went out and had to buy 2 rings to make up for it, biatch."
I guess my mother's ring envy got the best of her. Twice. Maybe because both of her sons got engaged she thought she had to try and upstage both of the new engagement rings. Who knows.
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Your mom cracks me up! Of course, if I actually had to deal with her on a regular basis, I'm sure she would drive me crazy :)
I like the part where you paint a picture of your mom bitch-slapping your dad. LOL!
Your posts about your mom make me appreciate my parents and in-laws all the more.
How does Her get along with your mom?
Feeling very grateful for my mom and MIL right now. My MIL actually got an engagement ring for Christmas. They'd been too poor to get one the first time. And too poor to get bands too. So my FIL used a pretty stone and his new jewelry-making kit (he got it for his birthday a few weeks before Christmas) to make her a ring set. I'm not sure what the material was, not silver or gold.
After 30 years of marriage, I think that means so much to her. Hope your mom finds the same happiness with her rings.
My diamond is small on purpose. I don't want something that will scratch people or make others uncomfortable.
"Your gifts to me were so crappy that I went out and had to buy 2 rings to make up for it, biatch."
LOL your mom is a hoot! While reading your post, I could imagine thinking "I've done my time in this family and those young heffas are new recruits. They aint about to show me up with the bling bling!" HA HA
Lurker101 | Feb 1, 2008
Ha! Reminds me of when I got engaged - my ring was my husband's great aunt's. My m-i-l had the ring appraised, then told me that she did it so she could make sure her diamond was bigger than mine!
Great googly moogly.
Though I found the post amusing, it also made me a bit sad that some people are so focused on things that really are trivial with a little perspective.
I vote fakes. Nothing wrong with that! My mom got a diamonique set to replace her original a few years ago and gets compliments on it all the time!
Sounds like my mom! I heard for years after she remarried how she'd wanted a full carat and how she was disappointed at the low setting and how it was just under a carat. So first she got a diamond wrap, then she had the ring reset, all the while saying she was trying to be "sensitive" to my stepfather's feelings. Mm hmm ...
We call my mom the jewelry police - when my sister got a 3 stone anniversary ring, my mom pounced all over it - we were at a funeral at the time! And when my husband upgraded my ring to a full carat on our 10 year anniversary, she literally grabbed my hand while I was trying to eat my lunch and screamed "what is THAT???" I thought a bug had flown into my lunch!
This year, as a joke, I bought a 5 stone fake ring from QVC for $35. It was very realistic, and of course my mom was all over it. So finally I let her off the hook and told her a it was a fake. I do wear it on occasion and get compliments on it. I also wear fake diamond studs. Same look, much cheaper price!
A little sad that she wants to replace her wedding ring, but if they can afford it and your dad doesn't mind...no harm, no foul.
My mom still wears her plain gold wedding band. She hates her engagement ring; her stepmother made it and it's pretty ugly. But on their 20th anniversary my dad got her a big fat diamond ring from her favorite jeweler. So she's pretty well covered for diamonds.
Personally, I'm not a big diamond fan. In the event of an engagement, I'm hoping for sapphires.
MVP | Feb 4, 2008
Along the lines of this post, but a little off-subject, my DH gave me a small but pretty diamond promise ring when we were dating. I've always hated the setting - much too dainty for my big-boned hands - so it usually stays in my jewelry box. I recently mentioned that for and Xmas gift, he could have it re-set for me, because I'd love to wear it more often. He was hurt - he's very sentimental - and said he couldn't do that. What's a girl to do? Do I wear because I love him? Or stash it in the jewelry box for our future children? FYI, this is exactly why I'm not against women picking out their own wedding sets. It's not fair to expect them to wear something every day of their lives that they hate looking at.
Your mom is funny! Maybe she was hoping her two sons would buy her a nice ring?
can't believe I didn't find this site sooner.. I'll have to add you to my blogroll, so I can check back more often!
AL | Feb 6, 2008
Maybe she traded it in like a car. I know w/my engagement ring, I can upgrade after 3 years and just pay the difference.
Cami | Feb 8, 2008
I do find it interesting that someone would care that much about something so trivial! I guess if you have the bucks, and are somewhat envious of others, a person might do this....
Livingalmostlarge | Feb 10, 2008
We went on vacation to a foreign country, and my MIL said, how can you afford it? We said we saved.
She was upset because she said if my son can go on vacation so can I. So she went on the same trip 6 months later. Same thing happened with our last vacation!
Talk about deciding if your kids can do it..so can you! Are you sure we aren't married?
I'm really enjoying reading all these stories.... it is all pretty amazing when you consider the diamond engagement ring became so significant because of an ad campaign by DeBeers. They are terrible investments and I hope some of the recent political backlash against diamonds puts some things in perspective.
Pete @ biblemoneymatters | Feb 28, 2008
My wife has been struck with a case of "ring envy" from time to time especially this past year when several of her friends got married.
When we got married 6 years ago I gave my wife a ring that cost several thousand dollars at the time, and I went with a "quality" diamond, instead of a larger lesser quality diamond.
I've come to learn that to my dear wife, it's all about the diamond's size, and what her friends have. If I could do it over I would just go with one of the larger diamonds, and be done with it.
Call me crazy, but I just don't get the appeal of paying thousands of dollars for a piece of jewelry.
(and for the record, my wife is wonderful, and normally a relatively frugal person. I hope this post doesn't reflect negatively on her because she is the true gem.)
Theresa | Feb 1, 2008
hmmmmm I wonder if they aren't real? Moissinite or CZ? Possibility...
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