The price difference could be a large part of a romantic trip to Europe. The desire for such showcase possessions is tough for me to understand.
A ring rich in gold, platinum, rubies, or emeralds would at least hold its value well by comparison.
A ring rich in gold, platinum, rubies, or emeralds would at least hold its value well by comparison.
That's why jewelry with obvious resale value doesn't work as well, nor does anything that can be seen as investment or an utility purchase: the signal only works if you're wasting money on a vanity purchase - one large enough to show that you either have more money than you know what to do with, or at least that you care so much about recipient that you're willing to sacrifice a meaningful chunk of your wealth on a gesture.
Of course few will say this out loud, or even think about this explicitly. Diamonds, engagement rings, and all the other staples of romance are in big part a status game that people learn to play from childhood, so to most, those things feel like something natural to do.