Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for April 23, 2013

Love Toni’s 3rd panel expression. It’s seems so…sisterly.

Sisters… now aren’t they just the cutest lil’ ole things?

That was an inappropriate and bizarre leap, Luann.

That is a classy and thoughtful idea Toni. Using a family heirloom really indicates the sincerity of your love for Brad!

Well, Luann does have one marriage proposal in the bank.

Seems to me that we might be getting a peek into Toni’s past. High School engagement? Early marriage and annulment? HUMMMM

Toni should be a hand model on QVC.

Her great grandmother’s, then her grandmother’s, then her mother’s ring. Toni probably had it resized before she proposed to Brad. She knew that he would never refuse her proposal!

Much nicer than wasting $5000 on a diamond, an opal has some character at least…and it was free

This makes me need to go back to last week to examine where I thought Frank may have been guessing the price of the ring.

My grandmother still wears her opal engagement ring.

Uh oh! Opals are associated with bad luck and death!

Australian fire opals are gorgeous. I wasted a beautiful set on my ex.

I’m very impressed that they didn’t get sucked into making De Beers even richer.They started in the 1930s, by suggesting one month’s salary. The “traditional two months wages for a diamond ring” and “Diamonds are forever” marketing campaign started in 1947.Recently it became three months!

Sentimentally lovely, but practically a very awful choice in an engagement ring. It is a soft stone, tends to fracture with time, and scratches easily. I’ve been in the jewelry industry over 14 years, both designing and making engagement rings. While I do advocate precious gemstone, as an engagement stone, never anything soft or brittle… It’s too much for everyday wear, and requires more maintenance than most people can keep up with.

@Ottodesu: agree. White diamonds are extremely over priced and the resale value very low in comparison. Most people don’t know that the average 1-5 carat diamond isn’t rare… plenty of precious gemstones that are actually worth more than diamonds and always accrue in value. I’m always please by couples who come in looking for another alternative to a white diamond :)

Very nice thought – but Fire Opals are from Mexico. Might have said it was Coober Pedy or something.

Cheapskate Brad.

But then also:http://www.opalsdownunder.com.au/learn-about-opals/introductory/types-opal

“Fire opal is a term not commonly used within Australia but is quite common amongst Americans. Technically, the only type of opal known as ‘fire opal’ is Mexican Fire Opal, mined in Mexico, which usually has a distinct orange colouring. However, the term has been used to describe any Australian kinds of opal (normally a black opal shows it best) which displays a significant amount of red colouring. As Toni and Brad are American, they fit the accepted usage for describing some Australian opals.

“The sister she never had” …… that would open up a door for a whole new set of comic laffs

beautiful idea, use a family heirloom. Plus if they break up she doesn’t have to give the ring back. lol

And since Luann is doomed to be in high school forever…

Hi Donny. I’ve seen you mentioned Stuart before. Who or what is Stuart?

That’s RIGHT, Toni!

Luann has a Marriage Proposal form EL-WOOD!

Elwood gave Lu an ACTUAL Engagement Ring, Sorta.

All Mr. Ozball gave Her was some silly necklace thing shaped like an “L”.

Elwood asked Her FIRST!!!!

Toni could be a good influence on Luann. I think she needs that!

When my hubby was stationed in Montana (Air Force) and we were still dating, one of our dates was to a sapphire mine. We found some beautiful stones, and had them cut. When we got engaged, we decided to use 2 of the cushion cut stones, he took the blue one and I picked a lavendar one for our wedding rings. We chose a man’s ring because of the gold and the stones would look “made” for the setting. We had my ring “feminized” by having the jeweler create settings for my mother’s tiny diamonds from her wedding ring. They turned out beautifully, and we have a great story behind them.

Got that right, Toni! I’ve seem far too many high school marriages end in divorce to recommend it. If the couple are mature, it can work, but too often they are not. And Luann, sad to say, is not.

Note the difference between this comic and the one from 4/6/2013:Luann is talking engagement. Toni is talking marriage.

One is talking about an exciting event to tell her friends about. The other is talking about a lifelong commitment to share with her husband. One says, “Maybe I’m about to be engaged”. The other says, “We’re getting married”.

The difference is subtle yet quite profound. Greg really knows what he is doing.

A REMINDER: You can skip the comments of any, especially those who consistently spout nonsense

I have always wanted a diamond engagement ring, but honestly, I would prefer a slightly smaller gem. I don’t know why people feel they need a large stone. Save the larger stones when you’ve got 25 years of marriage secured.

I love opals, but they’re fragile stones. Not really a ring you want to wear everyday especially if you’re a firefighter (I’ve cracked at least 3 opals in 20+ years) The sentiment is nice but harder, tougher stones (rubies, sapphires, jade, topaz, plus of course diamonds) are more practical for a forever ring.

OK, I take back what I said last week about the rock. Heirloom rings are great. (Although, superstition has it that wearing opal is bad luck if it’s not your birthstone.I hope Greg never heard that old wives’ tale.)

They say that it’s bad luck to wear opals if they’re not your birthstone. This doesn’t bode well…….

I love opals, but their pretty fragile and can be damaged by heat. Not the greatest for a ring you won’t want to take off. Wonder what the wedding ring will be.

“…With Luann gone we also won’t get Delta and Bernice in the picture…”.Both ladies are mature, wise, intelligent and loveable. Even if something happened to our ‘silly goose’, Delta and Bernice could support any character.Lord knows if Bernice were suddenly out of the picture we’d have some fans hotter than Texas in August.

The Evans do this really neat, but devious, thing where they have us all looking at the treadstones. We talk about them. We analyze them. We debate their meaning and origin.-Then we look up, and see the path has taken us somewhere unexpected. Bing! Just like that, we’re bumping into Luann and Quill again.

The first mention of sexy T’s people. She comes across as an ambitious little trailer-park princess from Turlock or Slab City

How did Luann know Brad and Luann had gone ring shopping? They didn’t speak of it to the parents. It wasn’t mentioned in the first panel.

Grandmother rings don’t always have to stay as rings, either -I have a lovely ring from my hubby – I had my grandmother’s wedding ring made into *earings (with other stones) and took the main stone as a necklace.

Generally, trolls are hoping someone will stoop to see what’s under the bridge. DavidHuieGreen’s suggestion is a good one. Don’t stoop.

Luann speaks like a teen – “it’s all about ME!”. First as a bridesmaid, then as a future fiancee. Toni, no doubt, senses the maturity difference- one more reason LUann will NOT be the maid of honor.*So one sibling will be involved— will Jonah be a groomsman? Will the Captain be a groomsman? Will Shannon be the adorable (?) flower girl?*Because it does look like they’re planning on a regular wedding rather than eloping, as I’d predicted!

Yawn. Another hater. Why don’t you just read Zits or Curtis and quit reading comix that feature female main characters, if they bother you so much?

Funny; I have three different opal rings that have lasted over 40 years. Course, I don’t wear them everyday.

I’m afraid this also reveals that Luann’s interest in a career, even as a performer, even as a college student, is shallow. Her real desire is to be a socialite.

Luann can go off the deep end at times.

they say it is bad luck to wear an opal if it is not your birthstone.

But you know Bernice would be back the day after you quit reading and you wouldn’t know about it.

Dve, these “friends we don’t know about”— what if her BFF is Diane? But if she has none, there is no reason she couldn’t have the Captain or her brother as her principal attendant. Wedding parties now are more about emotional ties than gender.

Toni let’s Brad off easy…this time

I have a 1/4 carat manufactured diamond. It’s small and worthless, in terms of dollars. It’s the perfect engagement ring for me and I love it.

“I’m thinking either her brother or The Captain would “give her away”, if they still do that sort of thing.”.I think the Cap will give her away. Just can’t tell who the rest of her crew will be. .The only role I can imagine Jonah playing is one that’s readily expendable.Toni knows his degree of flakiness, so they’re not going to give him any part he could walk out on (called for the ‘opportunity of his lifetime’ the night before) and leave them flat..As you alluded to, I think we’re going to be meeting a few of Toni’s friends.

We decided to use my late mother’s engagement ring and made donations to our two favorite charities that equaled the amount we would have spent on a new diamond.I cherish the memory of my mother, the love of my hubby and the good we were able to do.

Neither the Captain, nor (most emphatically) Jonah will “give Toni away”.-She’s her own woman, and won’t be mired in social conventions. The ring tells us this.

The plan will be for Jonah to walk her down the aisle. He will flake out. Frank will step in. It will make her feel very welcomed to the family.

that was sweet Toni has her great grandmother’s ring Prince William gave the Duchess Catherine Princess Diana’s engagement ring so it’s all in the family, eh y’all????!!!