一般來說,任何一個(gè)有自尊的男士大概都愿意拿出至少一個(gè)月的薪水給自己心愛的人買個(gè)訂婚戒指。不過,在經(jīng)濟(jì)低迷時(shí)期,訂婚和結(jié)婚這樣的開銷也免不了要被列入縮減范疇。英國一家大型超市最近就應(yīng)景推出了一套“經(jīng)濟(jì)型”婚戒系列,顧客花15英鎊就能買到一只鑲有鋯石的鍍金銀制訂婚戒指,同樣的價(jià)錢還能買到一只重0.55克的9k黃金婚戒。這家超市的發(fā)言人表示,最近金價(jià)飆升,經(jīng)濟(jì)也不景氣,在這種情況下為人們提供價(jià)格合理的替代品也算是一種潮流。該超市還宣稱,他們銷售的婚戒跟價(jià)值500英鎊以上的鉆戒幾乎一模一樣,除珠寶專家外,普通人一般都看不出區(qū)別。
Tesco's £15 engagement ring, made from gold-plated silver and featuring a zirconia stone. |
Traditionally, any self-respecting man could have been expected to fork out at least a month's salary to buy his beloved an engagement ring.
But in these troubled economic times, a more prudent alternative has emerged - although it might not bode well for a lengthy marriage.
Britain’s supermarket giant Tesco is to sell engagement rings for just £15, and they'll throw in a wedding ring for another £15.
The engagement ring is made from gold-plated silver, while the stones are the finest zirconia - the sort of man-made substance made popular by TV shopping channels.
The wedding ring, which weighs 0.55g, is made from nine-carat gold.
A spokesman rather optimistically claimed: 'With gold prices rocketing - they reached £860 per ounce in June - we have found an affordable alternative to help recession-hit Brits get engaged in style.'
The supermarket insists the ring looks just like alternatives costing more than £500.
'Most people - other than jewellery experts - would not be able to spot the difference between a gold-plated silver ring with cubic zirconia and a diamond solitaire ring,' the spokesman said.
Jan Marchant, Tesco director of buying for ladieswear, footwear and accessories, added: 'Gold-plated silver is set to become a huge trend.'
Fourteen-carat gold-plated silver pendants and earrings are on offer at £15 online from Tesco. A nine-carat gold version would cost more than £50.
Zirconia is the crystal form of zirconium dioxide. The hard, usually colourless material is sometimes marketed under the name diamonique.
It has been used as a cheap alternative to diamonds in jewellery for more than 30 years.
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(Agencies)
(中國日報(bào)網(wǎng)英語點(diǎn)津 Helen 編輯)