I have been dating my gf for around 2+ years now and I think I want to take the step and buy her the engagement ring. How much would you spend? When someone says, spend what you can "afford" what does one actually mean by "afford"? Should I take into account that her family "has done "a lot" for me"
2007-07-26 02:19:52 · 37 answers · asked by bluenote12482 1 in Family & Relationships ➔ Weddings
If your fiance is a level-headed girl, and knows your financial situation, and I'm assuming she does after 2+years, then she should be satisfied with "what you can afford."
Here's the deal, you can assure her that when things improve you will take her to any (well, almost any) jeweller for your 5-year, or whatever year, anniversary for a new set of rings. And she can pick the set she likes. This time not just "what you two can afford."
2007-07-26 03:07:50 · answer #1 · answered by ahnikarose 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The general rule that I have always heard is to spend two months salary.
Now my boyfriend and I just had a conversation about this very thing. And I told him that if he spent that much, I'd ring his neck. Although, I guess it depends on how much you make too.
What I would go by is, what will she like? Will she want you to spend a small fortune on her engagement ring or would she want something classy but simple and reasonably priced? If you have been with her for 2+ years then I would hope you would know the answer. I don't think you should take what her family has done for you into account here. This is between you and her. Where you will want to remember the family is in the wedding plans, but for the ring keep it between the two of you.
I told my boyfriend not to go over $2,000.00.
A good place to look if you are on a budget, but want something with a higher value is pawn shops. They get a ton of high priced, quality jewelry and sell it at an awesome mark down.
Good luck!
2007-07-26 02:31:18 · answer #2 · answered by mv_alva 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
All these answers are fine..but I just got engaged & let me tell you what was impt to me that my fiance took into consideration:
1. He took my personal style into acct. (If she doesn't like yellow gold don't buy her a yellow gold engagement ring, get white gold)
2. The main diamond was nearly flawless & colorless..no spots, not dirty, etc. This is sooo impt. Believe me, my best friend & I both got engaged around the same time & her ring has more karats than mine but she says she likes mine better b/c the diamonds are more flawless & clear looking!!
3. The band part of the ring is not huge or too big.
4. The diamond is not so huge that it gets in my way or overpowers the whole ring. Don't get me wrong, my main diamond is over 1 karat & bigger than lots of my friends but i didn't want anything crazy.
5. DO NOT get her a solitare (just one diamond), they are sooo played out...at least get a few accent diamonds on the band next to the main diamond.
6. Do not get any ring where the main diamond is less than a karat...not to sound petty but it's embarassing to show off tiny engagement rings. People say ohh that's nice, but they really don't mean it..they think damn, he must not care about her that much to not even spend a little more on her ring.
Tip: Skip the platinum for white gold, they look nearly the same & unless ur girl is real petty she WILL NOT care about this.
You should probably spend at least $3,000-$5,000 by adhering to this advice, try www.bluenile.com or go to jared's they design rings with you. On blue nile you can pick a diamond and band out & design it yourself to envision how the perfect ring will look. Also, it has useful info on the 4 Cs (cut, color, clarity, carat)....these are so impt when pickign out the perfect ring. My fiance told me he studied these when looking for my ring & I must say he did a wonderful job..people always comment on how beautiful my ring is!! :o)
Good luck & congrats!
2007-07-26 03:37:31 · answer #3 · answered by Jen J. 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The general rule of thumb is three months salary, however, for some guys that's not much, and for others that's a lot. The best thing you can do is find out what she likes, does she even like diamonds, her ring size, etc. Maybe even go shopping with her and get a feel for what she likes. It might give away the surprise a bit, but it's better knowing all that you can before hand. What she likes may only cost you 4 days worth of working, not 3 months salary. Good luck!!
2007-07-26 07:34:20 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It really depends on your income and lifestyle - obviously don't buy something that is going to take you years to pay off, or at the other extreme, something you can buy with the spare cash in your wallet.
Take her out 'pretend' ring shopping at some point - just walking through the mall, stop by a jewelry store and see what she likes. Take your cues from there - what style, what shape center stone, etc., and see what the price range is. You can make comments and register her reaction - say things like, "Whoa, that one looks huge!" or "You'd have to be pretty cheap to buy a diamond that small." and see if she agrees or not.
If you feel like that might ruin the surprise, ask her close friends or family (as long as they won't spill the beans!) what she might like. As far as her family helping you out... you're not getting the ring for them! It's nice to take that into consideration, but maybe you could do something specifically for them once the actual wedding rolls around.
2007-07-26 02:32:19 · answer #5 · answered by Sarah 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The two things most women really care about are:
1. STYLE of the setting - Yellow gold, white gold, or platinum? Modern or antique? Most girls want a setting that looks unique. Feel free to ask your future mother-in-law for help on this; she'll know her style pretty well.
2. QUALITY of the diamond - If I had to choose between an imperfect large diamond, or a higher quality smaller one, I'd want the smaller one. They sparkle and "pop" much better.
As far as price goes... You can get something REALLY nice for as little as 2 grand. Don't feel like you need to spend more than you can afford just 'cause her family's nice.
In short, do you research, shop around, and stay out of the malls!
You may want to print this out and take it shopping with you:
http://www.gemcor.net/diamonds101.html
2007-07-26 02:42:11 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
As a woman, I know the bling is good, however, as a wife that married a man that spend his savings on the ring I tell you, it is much more important to think about the things that are needed. Example a house, etc... If she truly loves you, she will appreciate whatever you give her and if you use that money for a downpayment on a house she will appreciate it on the long run. If she seems unhappy about the size of the ring, she probably isn't worth it.
2007-07-26 02:29:19 · answer #7 · answered by cutepet 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I have always been told to spend 3 months' salary, but I agree, that can be a bit excessive. My gf and I have been dating about 2 years as well and I've started looking at rings in the $700-$1300 range. The ones that she usually says she likes are also in this range.
GOOD LUCK!
2007-07-26 02:27:49 · answer #8 · answered by TransyMAJ 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Just think about how much you love her and how she makes you feel. The engagement ring is important. So you decide. Either way she is going to like it because its from you!! you have been with her for a long time. The engagement will be the surprise not the ring.
2007-07-26 02:25:32 · answer #9 · answered by Poohnay aka Larishay 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I've heard either do 1 month or 3 months salary, that's when it goes into what you can "afford."
The best thing you could do is go ring shopping with your girlfriend, see what she likes and see if the price is within your 1 or 3 months salary. You may be surprised that what she wants is well within your budget.
2007-07-26 02:41:25 · answer #10 · answered by britno_00 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋