How much should one spend for an engagement ring?

Question

I need to buy a ring for my fiance but I have no idea on how much I should spend.

Answer 1

There is no standard....just spend what you can afford.

Answer 2

First of all, congratulations on your decision to buy a ring!

Buy what you can afford, yet STILL get a nice ring. Most women prefer platinum, or for a cheaper, but equally pretty look, go for white gold.

The diamond is most important. Please do not confused CARAT with SIZE. A carat is the WEIGHT of a diamond, not the size. Also get a diamond that looks very white and brilliant, not yellow. My fiance bought me a princess cut in a platinum setting. As a woman telling a man, I can honestly say that the band was most important next to the color of the diamond. Go for a thicker band because it'll be durable in the long run, and a thicker band is also a nice backdrop for the diamond. DON'T buy online! If you are doing this on a tight budget, make sure you see what you're paying for and ask a female at the jeweler if she'd wear what you picked out. They are good at giving this type of advice. And remember, if your girlfriend (or fiancee with no ring yet) really loves you, she'll love whatever you bought her because it's from you.

Answer 3

Spend whatever you can afford. My ring cost about $800 and it was perfect for me. Don't just think about the money aspect of the ring (i.e. Just because you can afford a 5 carat diamond, doesn't mean the girl wants a 5 carat diamond). I have small fingers so a large diamond would have looked funny (I tried some on and they looked pretty bad).

I recommend going to a Helzberg Diamonds store if you have one anywhere near where you live. That's where I got my ring at (husband and I went looking around...I told him which ones I liked...then he made the final decision and bought it). Out of ALL of the jewelry stores I've ever been into the people at Helzburg treated us the best. They will even go over the 4 C's of buying a diamond. The place we went to also offered us free drinks. Very friendly company :)

Good Luck!

http://www.helzberg.com/hdsim/jsp/main.do

Answer 4

The old rule use to be 2 months salary. The reason for this was that it was believed that you could not afford to keep a wife until you could save up 2 months of your wages.

Now there are no rules. You can spend more or less. Just buy the nicest (not largest) stone you can afford. Shop around at different jewlers and look for the clearest stone with the least number of inclusions.

Congrats!

Answer 5

Today, two months salary is generally considered a good guideline to follow. Now that may seem like a lot, but it really isn't when you think about it.

The cost of everything has gone up. You can't expect to pay the same price for your diamond as your parents did. Fortunately, your diamond engagement ring does have great value and, like life, can grow more valuable with time. Unlike other important purchases, this is the one lasting symbol of your love that will remain forever. It will be a daily reminder of the rare and precious love you share.

Answer 6

Honestly, most women don't mind about how big it is, or the cost. It's special because you choose it, and you are asking the most important question with it! Just spend what you can comfortably afford - don't go into debt over it. There is such a wide variety out there, you will have no trouble finding something in any price range, from $100 and up.

Answer 7

Cost isn't important when choosing a ring. I think that you should go for what you can comfortably afford, I am sure that your future fiance wouldn't want you starting your future together in debt because of a ring. What is important or would be to me is that you chose something that you think she would like, something classic so that it doesn't become outdated, therefore something simple. Hope that helps.

Answer 8

people are so superficial!

spend what you want, spend what you would feel comfortable spending.
honestly, i would have killed my husband if he would have spent thousands on an engagement ring! there are so many more important things that money could be spent on, like the honeymoon. the meaning is important, not the size, cut, clarity.

i say, less is more when it comes to engagement rings, get maybe 1/2 carat or even 1/3 carat. Simple, i like white gold with a princess cut solitare myself.

Answer 9

It depends of how much money you have. Don't put yourself in debt stay within your means. You can get a nice ring for less then a $1,000. Remember it is the thought that counts and not the size of the diamond. You can always buy a bigger diamond on that special golden anniversary.

Answer 10

The idea is to try to get her the nicest ring- best quality and price for the money.
To get an idea try bluenile.com...... and see what $$ will get you.
I mean people spend 1,000 to 10,000 so it's really what you can afford. 2 or 3 months salary is the old school rule of thumb, if that helps.

Answer 11

It depends on what you can afford. I have heard a lot of different figures, but some of them are pretty ludicrous. I spent around $1200 on my wife's, which was for the diamond engagment ring and wedding band as a set. For me, that took a few months to save up that much money.

~Kyle