Economy

People Are Questioning This Actress' Engagement Ring for a Bizarre Reason

September 15th 2016

It's not uncommon for female celebrities to generate buzz on social media the first time they step out wearing their engagement ring. But actress Amanda Seyfried is earning attention for a different reason.

Seyfried's choice of a gold band is a far cry from the gaudy diamond rings seen on many celebrities, and social media gadflies don't know what to make of it.

Some are calling it "minimalist" and "low-key," while others are downright confused as to why she wouldn't go with something more ostentatious:

On the other side, people are praising her for bucking convention. 

"Seyfried may be getting so much attention because she falls on the opposite end of the celebrity engagement spectrum, far, far away from ladies like Mariah Carey and her whopping 35-carat stone, or Kim Kardashian West with her 15-carat stunner," Brooke Bobb wrote in a piece for Vogue. "So congrats to the star on her new minimal, special piece of jewelry. As far as this public engagement goes, it’s refreshing to see a highly exposed face in celeb-land that finds joy in simplicity."

There's some evidence that a less expensive engagement ring might be a sign of a happy marriage to come.

Two years ago, Emory University researchers found that people who spent $2,000 to $4,000 on engagement rings had a higher chance of splitting up than those who spent less than $2,000 on a ring.

Spending between $2,000 and $4,000 on an engagement ring is significantly associated with an increase in the hazard of divorce in the sample of men. Specifically, in the sample of men, spending between $2,000 and $4,000 on an engagement ring is associated with a 1.3 times greater hazard of divorce as compared to spending between $500 and $2,000. — Emory University Study

Does the ring really not mean a thing?

As ATTN: has noted before, the diamond industry played a major role in increasing the perceived importance of engagement rings. In the late 1930s, The De Beers Mining Company began a massive campaign to establish a diamond engagement ring culture in the United States, and even made appearances at schools to convince young men that buying diamond rings was the best way to show their love for a woman.

But the tide could be changing. As ATTN: noted in a recent video you can watch below, many women have chosen to eschew diamonds in favor of amethysts and other more diverse options, proving that Seyfried is with the times:

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