We've been on the subject of marriage, and we love each other very much! We're going to go to the jewelry store (Kay's) to look at rings in a couple weeks. She told me she doesnt care about the size or price, she's just happy knowing I love her.
What I want to know is, what's a good rule of thumb when it comes to buying the ring? 1 or 2 months wages? I make around $2800/month, but if that's how much I plan on spending, does that just cover the engagement ring, or is that the total for the bridal set? I'd like to have a budget in mind when i'm looking at the rings.
Like i said before, she would be happy with a ring from a cracker jack box, as long as it's from me. And that's why she deserves a ring 10000 times better!
2007-02-23 07:03:23 · 27 answers · asked by John Redcorn 4 in Family & Relationships ➔ Weddings
Im not necessarily buying one at Kay's, that's just where we are going to start looking. But what's a good place for a great deal on size and price? Kay's, Gordon's, Jared's....
2007-02-23 07:36:28 · update #1
you should buy what you can afford. It doesnt sound like she is materalistic. Dont go crazy... you can always upgrade with 5 / 10 / 15 and up anniversaries.
2007-02-23 07:40:43 · answer #1 · answered by Brown Eyed Girl 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Stay away from chain stores. You're almost never going to get a good deal. They mark up the prices and then "go on sale" and mark them back down. Also, the people who work there often know nothing about what they are selling (Not always, there are exceptions to every rule). Go to a reputable local jeweler who will take the time to walk you through your options and explain to you what you are buying. KNOW YOUR 4 C'S!!!! Color, cut, carat, and clarity all make a difference in the price of the ring. You can get a really big diamond of poor quality for close to the same price as a much smaller diamond of excellent quality, so it isn't just size that counts. The rule of thumb is three months salary. I believe that is just for the engagement ring. The price of the wedding band will be factored into your wedding budget. Don't let that freak you out, there is this thing called financing and almost all jewelry stores offer it. If you find a bridal set that includes the wedding band within that price that she will love, score. If you can't find a reputable local jeweler you trust, the only one I would reccommend would be Helzberg Diamonds. Also, the three month thing is just a guideline. Get an idea of what her personal style is. She's going to be wearing this thing for the rest of her life. Does she prefer yellow or white metal? Princess cut, oval, marquis or round? Solitaire or a fancy setting? You should let these criteria guide your decision more than the budget. The only thing a budget should really do is guide your limits. Congratulations, by the way. Good luck popping the question and I'm sure she will love whatever you choose.
2007-02-23 17:35:23 · answer #2 · answered by tehuskey513 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
One month's salary? I've always been told THREE is the rule of thumb.....
But this is a stupid thing to have "rules" about.
Buy her whatever she likes.... if she wants a price range, give her an honest one. Pay as much as your can afford. You want this diamond to be quality, she's going to wear it forever. Do some reasearch befor you buy- you wouldn't buy a car w/o doing some research, would you? This is a much bigger deal than a car.
Don't go to Kay!!! Or Weisfield... or pretty much any chain jeweler you can find in the average mall.
Some jewelers will sell you a plain diamond solitaire, which you can use for a surprise proposal. Then you guys can take the ring back to the jeweler & trade it in for one she picks out. The full cost of the solitaire will be credited toward the new, permanent, ring.
I love my guy & would have proudly worn any cracker jack ring he gave me, too- BUT--- I was absolutely blown away by his beautiful, surprise proposal. I even forgot to look at the ring! When he reminded me to look at it- I saw that the ring was perfect, so beautiful, and had a MASSIVE center stone.... that was the most amazing night of my life..... I think the only thing that will ever top it will be having a baby. People complement me on my ring all the time & I always feel bad when I'm with someone I know who's also engaged & her ring looks much less glamorous than mine. You should do your best to give your girl that feeling.... most women won't admit it... but we all absolutely loooove to be envied, or to be the thinnest/ richest/best dressed/ prettiest/ most loved woman in the room.
Ideally, she should never know how much you spent on the ring.
2007-02-23 15:30:41 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Firstly, don't believe the stuff about it being two or three months' wages; that's just marketing hype from diamond merchants and jewellery stores!
Only spend the amount you can comfortably afford - don't go into debt over a ring. The average price of an engagement ring is 800 to 1K. Now just so you know, if you are getting a diamond engagement ring, it is much more costly than the wedding band which will go with it. Some come in sets, and some don't. So you judge for yourself how much you want to spend.
And just an idea for what my husband did. We went "looking" for rings, just so he could get an idea of what I liked. I liked yellow gold, and liked a solitaire, with a smaller stone on either side (shoulder stones). After that, it was up to him. Even though he knew I would like anything he got me, and the size and cost didn't matter at all, it was up to him how much he would be spending, and he did great. He said it was smaller than one of the ones I had tried on, but I didn't even remember; what he got for me was absolutely beautiful.
Good luck, and I think it's nice to get it when she is NOT with you.
2007-02-23 21:55:25 · answer #4 · answered by Lydia 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I would say that it would be what you can afford. Your girlfriend seems like an unselfish understanding loving person and you are lucky to have her. I would say a ring for about $2,000. Let her take the lead in the jewelry store. She knows that you cannot afford a ring that is very very expensive, so she will go toward something that is maybe a carat. A one carat diamond ring is lovely and would probably cost you about $2,000 to $3,000. A wedding band that is plain gold is not that expensive. Don't make a decision until you've checked out prices in a few stores. Tell her that you wish that you could give her a 10 carat diamond ring that she deserves it, but you cannot afford it but want her to have an engagement ring and that you love her very much. I assure you that this girl will know the right ring to choose. You are quite a lucky guy. Best of Luck to you and your future fiance.
2007-02-23 15:57:21 · answer #5 · answered by cardgirl2 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
A budget is an excellent idea (I'd say 3-6k), but when it comes down to it you want to find the "perfect" ring nearest your range. This is one thing you will NEVER regret overspending on. If you do it right, she'll always appreciate it. I've been married for 2+ years and she still shows her appreciation for the ring on a weekly basis.
Basically, your effort is more important than your money. Spend a lot of time looking for the ring you want to get for her. Search different options and come up with a creative way to propose. You will make the most out of your budget and your proposal with additional effort.
She wants a ring that she can show off to every single person that comes within 10 feet of her, so cut and clarity are far more important than size. Get something that really sparkles. A huge diamond looks awful when it's not of the highest quality. When it comes to engagement rings, bling is king!
2007-02-23 15:22:15 · answer #6 · answered by Jon 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's a tricky question. On one hand, I don't believe a guy should go into debt buying an engagement ring ("Will you marry me and help me pay off my debt?") but at the same time, an engagement ring is a symbol of something very serious that is supposed to last for the rest of your lives, so you don't want to skimp, either.
I suggest starting with the quality of ring & specifics like carat weight, stone quality, and metal before dealing with price. Blue Nile has a "Build Your Own Ring" interface that will help you get an idea how much things will cost: http://www.bluenile.com/diamond_search.asp?filter_id=1&set_shape=&high_limit= That will give you an idea of the cost of platinum v. white gold or carat size pricing v. pricing based on cut and clarity. Figure out what it important to you and her and then start shopping.
My guess is that you will probably want to budget $1500 - $2500 on a ring. Whatever you do, do it with love!
2007-02-23 17:21:58 · answer #7 · answered by Church Music Girl 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The general public has no concept how the Jewery Industry works. Everyone wants your money. Any street side shop has a mark up of 300 per cent. So that $2800 ring is only worth $933.The other $1800 goes to pay his rent and taxes. You can beat this rip off by knowing what to look for. No two diamonds are the same.
2007-02-25 10:15:08 · answer #8 · answered by blueridgemotors 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Buy what you can AFFORD. No need to spend several months salary on a ring and end up going into a marriage already in debt.
Let her pick out the ring.
Kay's has some gorgeous engagement rings and bridal sets.
2007-02-23 20:30:05 · answer #9 · answered by Terri 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
hey buy what she likes to a degree keep a idea in mind of no more then one months salary but you might be surprised my ring the whole set is 2.5 carets and i love it and got it on a great sale for $1800.00 its what i wanted and liked and worked really well for us both so she might surprise you and pick something she is more comfortable with some of us like diamonds but don't want to walk around with a huge ring my engagement ring is 1.5 caret and then my wedding band has 1 caret Worth of diamonds in it so its big enough that i loved it but small enough so i didn't feel like people see it not me! so look around at a lot of places and remember to ask when their next sale is if they are not having one right then and there you can all ways go back and get it later! good luck
2007-02-23 15:31:08 · answer #10 · answered by peterpansdate 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Let her pick it, and I wouldn't go to Kay's. If that's the only option you have locallay, at least buy somewhere that will buy it back for the purchase price. That way you can upgrade it to a bigger one every year or so. Makes Anniversary presents easier, and the longer you're married the nicer the diamond gets. Something like this is a cool place in our area.
2007-02-23 15:13:32 · answer #11 · answered by slongholio 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋