A man who spent $20,000 on an engagement ring has shared how he was left heartbroken when his fiancée, 27, said that it wasn’t good enough.
The 30-year-old man took to Reddit and asked: “AITA (AM I The A**hole) for buying my fiancée a lab-grown diamond and refusing to exchange it for a natural stone?
“I told her that I had spent about $20,000 on it that I had been squirreling away for the last 10 years.”
He continued: “She was initially floored that I had spent so much but later became suspicious that I had managed to get such a large stone (3.6 carats) for the price, and asked to see the diamond certificate I got with the ring.
“I, of course, showed it to her (I thought she was worried I had been duped into buying a fake) and when she saw it was lab-grown she got upset that I hadn’t bought her a ‘real’ diamond.
“This reaction stunned me for a couple of reasons.
“Firstly, I had always been open in my distaste for the natural diamond industry, and secondly because I had employed the assistance of her friends and mother and everyone agreed that she wouldn’t care if the diamond was lab-grown.”
The unnamed man said that he tried to explain to his girlfriend numerous times about his reason for choosing a lab-grown diamond.
“It is better for the environment, I know the exact origin of the stone, so I know it isn’t a conflict stone, and ultimately it is better value for the money and I wanted to get her the most beautiful ring possible,” he said.
He also told her that she would’ve had ‘no clue’ had he not told her, adding that lab-grown diamonds are ‘indistinguishable from natural ones unless you look at their certificate.’
The frustrated boyfriend said his partner had asked him to exchange the ring for a natural stone ‘of equivalent value.’
“The idea of potentially getting a blood diamond really does sicken me,” he continued. “So I said no, and said if she wanted to give the ring back and end our relationship, that is fine, but I would not exchange it.
“She called me an a**hole and went to stay the night with her parents. Since then I have received multiple texts from her friends telling me to just acquiesce and exchange the ring (and, ultimately, I will if it means saving the relationship) but I just feel like this is something worth being firm on.”
People sided with the man, with one Reddit user commenting: “NTA You spent $20,000 on a ring and she isn’t happy? I think you have bigger fish to fry. What’s going to be enough for her?”
Another wrote: “NTA. Jesus christ. Your fiancee sounds deeply materialistic.”
A third added: “NTA – I can’t understand why you’d want to be with someone who is willing to actually end a relationship over a non-conflict diamond that was given to her out of love and a hope for a future together.”
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