I was flipping through a magazine recently when I saw a Cartier ad with a picture of humongous platinum diamond rings.

By the size of those puppies, I quickly figured that unless regular people like me win the Megabucks or take out a second mortgage, such jewelry would be limited to the Paris Hiltons and rap-star girlfriends of the world. Oh, well. I shrugged and started to turn the page.

Then I caught a glimpse of Cartier's tag line for the ad: "What extraordinary love looks like."

Well, excu-u-u-use me.

I know it's just a marketing gimmick — five words put together to convince guys (and their women) that the best way to prove one's devotion is by dropping a chunk of dough on a shiny rock.

But I was a tad annoyed.

Now, this column isn't meant to criticize those who buy nice, expensive jewelry for a loved one. Hey, it's your money; do what you want with it. Besides, I'm still a girl; I can understand the mesmerizing effect of shiny, sparkly things, too.

But I'd like to point out the obvious: A fancy-schmancy trinket does not equal extraordinary love. It doesn't even promise ordinary love.

Remember the huge pink diamond ring Ben Affleck gave Jennifer Lopez back in the day? We all know how that turned out. Or how about the "I'm-sorry-I-cheated-on-you-baby" rock Kobe Bryant gave his wife? Blech.

In these times when celebrity and all things flashy seem to upstage true acts of humanity, I'd like to humbly offer my own examples of extraordinary love: