i am thinking of asking my girlfriend to marry me, i have looked for rings, but a lot of them are too expensive, should i get a cheaper one, or should i save for an expensive one
2006-10-04 01:18:11 · 43 answers · asked by thomo_boy1988 2 in Family & Relationships ➔ Weddings
ok thanks for the help, i have just been looking and i saw one that immediatly attracted my eyes.
its perfect
i think she will love it, so i am going to get it.
thanks for the help
2006-10-04 01:41:01 · update #1
Don't worry about what the "norm" is. If she is really a good person, she won't care how much it costs. Yes, it's nice to get a huge ring, but it's not realistic for everyone. You can get a nice ring from $500-$1000. Check jewelry store sales. You can also finance a ring. That's what my fiancee did. They have good interest rates. Even if you have no credit, it's a good way to get started and get credit. Hope this helps.
2006-10-04 09:52:34 · answer #1 · answered by texas y'all! 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think the traditional is two months wages, however a lot of men don't do that for practical reasons. Nowadays, the standard is a 1 carat diamond and the prices here in the US range from I guess $2500 and up depending on the quality of the stone and the ring setting. For some women engagement rings are a big deal, so since you know your gf better than anybody else, you'd prolly want to spend more if she's that type.
My husband didn't get my ring from a store but ordered it online instead. Try sites like mondera.com, bluenile.com and ebay to see what kinds of rings you can afford. Also, Costco has wonderful engagement rings that are wayyy cheaper than going to a regular jewelry store. My husband bought my ring online. It was 1.3 carats and it was half the cost of what it would be in the stores.
However, for other cultures, other precious and semi-precious stones are considered acceptable too. Try looking for other stones such as topaz and sapphires. Princess Diana had a sapphire engagement ring.
It would be nice to give your wife a special ring because this only happens once in your life--why don't you ask your mom for help? She might have a family heirloom that she would like to pass on to your wife to be, or she might have an antique ring and all you need is to upgrade the stone or something...
Good luck!
2006-10-04 05:44:29 · answer #2 · answered by the_memory_of_ashes 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do not spend more than $1000 on the complete set for her. that means her engagement and wedding bands. You should not have to spend more than that at all. If what you found is from a chain store (especailly in the malls), try to find an independent jeweler and inquire about a similiar set. On a personal note: my hubby bought my rings from a chain store that was outside of the malls. He paid $950 for the set from them. Later, I had a mall store value the set for over $2500!!!! This is why I tell you to get out of the malls.
I highly reccommend you do not do business with a company that wants to sell you a maintence policy on her rings. If the jewelers hired by them can't do a quality job, they shouldn't be messing with precious metals in the first place. Any repair work needed to jewelry should be free.
Feel free to pick up a wedding planning book. My favorite is The Everything Wedding Planner. There is an entire section dedicated to wedding jewelry. Thye give very good tips in there on how to shop and "not shop" for her rings.
2006-10-04 03:02:02 · answer #3 · answered by coolmom 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dont be pressured into what you feel is the norm. Buy her what you can afford. BUT buy smart. Buy a loose stone wholesale and have the diamond mounted its less expensive that way. A quality carate diamond will cost anywhere around $5,000 a 3/4 carate half that, BUT quality is hard to see unless you are expert and most never notice. A VS grade is sufficiant. Make sure the diamond comes with a certification which helps to assess the true value of the stone. a VS certified .70 carate under $1,000 is easy to find a ring plus mounting $300 just be smart.
2006-10-04 01:29:36 · answer #4 · answered by latitude58_8 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Okay my first warning is DO NOT buy an engagement ring from Zales, the quality is horrible, the staff is even worse. My fiance got my engagement ring there and when I went to the store to have it sized down to a 5 1/2 they told me they couldn't do it! hello! I had to go to a local store downtown and they had no problems sizing my ring and cleaning it. Morons. Zales is cheap and if anything ever happens to the ring or it just needs maintenence they will not do it even if you buy the package that says they are supposed to. Total garbadge!
Now for the cost part, mine was a little over $1,000 (USA) it's a 1/2 carat solitare in white gold and I love it. Now I live in north jersey, and people around here are pretty into money and people have literally made rude comments to me about my ring which made my fiance feel like crap. My ring is very pretty, I mean sure a bigger one would be nicer just so people wouldn't be jerk off's but I love him more than anything/one in the entire world and I just want to marry him. Just do yourself and your wife to be a favor and heed my warning about Zales they are a buyer beware. Good luck to you :)
2006-10-04 04:49:20 · answer #5 · answered by Jersey Style 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A lot of people like to choose their own ring as your taste and hers may not be the same as far as jewellery is concerned. Don't let not having a ring stop you from proposing to her if you are absolutely sure that's what you want to do. Propose and tell her that you think it is important that she has a say in what will adorn her finger for the rest of her life and shop for it together. If what she fancies is too expensive, then broach the subject of waiting to save up for it. It is a symbol of the engagement not what the engagement is all about.
2006-10-04 01:29:41 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Buy what you like AND can afford. When my parents got married they paid $10.00 for my mom's best friends old wedding set and they have been together for over 34 yrs. Once they were older and he was more established financially ofcourse he bought her a nice, new set. Remember, it's not the cost of the ring or the size of the diamond that is going to make your marriage a long and happy one. If she truly loves you and wants to be your wife she'll be more happy about that the fact that you asked rather than how much you paid for her ring. Good luck!
2006-10-04 02:20:56 · answer #7 · answered by mvngs 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Some say a months salary is about right. Check some of the shopping channels like qvc or gems tv. My mother buys things from there and in the past has paid a couple of hundred pounds for a ring, taken it to be valued to find it's worth a thousand pounds. You can send them back as well if you're not happy with it.
2006-10-04 01:25:16 · answer #8 · answered by H 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To be honest if i was your girlfriend i would just rather you wait until you could afford something nice, depends what sort of a person she is. I wouldn't want an engagement ring to cost any less than £800 because you will wear it for the rest of your life & it is better to go for a cheaper wedding band.
You need to think if you cant afford the ring you probably cant afford the wedding. You have plenty of time oh & just a hint dont even think about buying a cluster has to be a solitaire.
2006-10-04 01:24:14 · answer #9 · answered by theprettypoolplayer 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
People are right to tell you to spend what you can afford to spend on the ring, because it is a symbol of your love and the commitment you're willing to make to this girl. That being said, it is a symbol of your love, so don't cheap out on it. Take your time and save your money, go to a few jewellers and do your research on the rings, don't just go looking on price alone. Find out what sort of thing she likes, maybe she doesn't even like diamonds, and you can get her something tailored to her taste. Remember this is about the two of you, so make it special.
2006-10-04 01:30:32 · answer #10 · answered by simplyrelaxinginblvl 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋