An engagement ring is the last thing you should have to be shy or nervous about! I would let anybody (and preferably EVERYBODY!) look at it Up close if they so choose.

They will have no idea it's not diamond!

That seems so rude to me that he would actually ask you to take it off your finger so he can study it closely! I would have been offended. Ever since I have been looking at e-rings online, every time i see one of my married friends I have the urge to ask to examine their ring (just so i can see different settings/stones up close in real life) but I always bite my tongue. I think you handled it well! I don't have my amora yet but am hoping to not ever come across this type of situation!!

No one should ever ask you to take your ring off so they could get a better look. That is rude, rude, rude! It's the same as someone asking if they could try your ring on.

It's a different matter if you "choose" to take it off and pass it to someone else but I'd be tempted to reply "My man put this ring on my finger and there is no one in this world who is going to take it off."

My dear girls, thank you so much for all your comments and support.

Ashagirl and Vanillabeanz, this is EXACTLY how I felt: I thought it was inappropriate to ask me to take my ring off.

And I am proud of my ring.
I think it's absolutely beautiful:))

I agree with PP's weird to ask someone to take their ring off. I had a RHR that a girl asked if she could try on, and I thought to myself "what the heck! Not a chance!" I just said my fingers are a bit swollen I'd rather not pry it off. If you want to "pass it off" and people say "is it real?" I'd just say, "yeah" and leave it at that. But don't be nervous! Just revel in alllll those compliments

Yes this!

He would not have known anyhow, dont feel funny honey! :P

I would focus on the term "amateur" gemologist. There is no way he knew!
I have never had someone ask me to take my ring off but I imagine I would probably feel weirder telling them No. Especially if it was a good friend. I know it is rude to ask, but me saying NO somehow would make me feel like the rude one. I guess I feel like it would make them suspicious to deny them a look. I also think that even if they were to inspect it, 99.9% of all people could stare at a moissy without giving its authenticity thought.

Men don't realize they are being rude a lot of the time I think. They just say what they are thinking for the most part. haha I really don't think most people can tell if it is a moissy or a diamond. There are a few cuts of moissy that I can tell is moissy because of it, but that is because I am a ring nut and most people are not. Besides that, moissy is still not a cheap stone at all and is beautiful and holds its own against a diamond.

+1 to Ginger. I don't think some people think it is rude to ask to see it up close. It is a small thing, after all, lol, and they may just be trying to see the details. I have had people ask me to try on all my rings, lol. It is one of those things, some people are bothered by it, in which case you should just say no, you would rather not. And others don't care I like to see my rings on other people actually, it gives me a different perspective if what it looks like.