Weird question, but how much should a guy spend on an e ring?

[MermaidKelly]

I know this is a very arguable question, but how much do you think a man should spend on an e-ring for his love? See, I ask, because here on PS I have been seeing all these huge, gorgeous rings!

It makes me wonder though... Is something like 3 or 4 thous being cheap, or is that a good price range?

 

[Dannielle]

I think it depends what your FI is comfortable spending.

For reference, FI spent a little over $6,000 on my ring and at the time was earning $45,000 a year. Since then his income has doubled, but he said that if he would of had that income when he proposed I would of gotten the same ring, because he couldn''t justify spending more than that.

I don''t think $4,000 is cheap- you can get an amazing ring with that budget. I would suggest buying a diamond through a wholesaler because alot of money can be saved by not going retail.

 

[jaylex]

You'll find many posts on this actually..

I think it varies for every couple.

In our situation, he wanted my dream ring... the best diamond he could afford in a setting that I loved... He had to be able to either either pay cash for OR pay off in three months.

And that's what we got! And I can't wait to have her on my finger.

I would not conisder 3/4 k to be "cheap".. even though my bf spent about 6 or 7 on mine.. I have a friend who's bf got her a little solitaire for $400.00

You'll find that the average diamond cost and size will vary by the area you live in as well.

So yeah, basically there is no right or wrong answer here. Have you two discussed a budget? Is 3/4 k the answer he gave you?

We'd be glad to help you look

!


Edit: I COMPLETELY agree with Dannielle. Don't go retail!

 

[ckrickett]

the general rule of thumb is I believe 2 months salary. BUT it really depends on what you both are comfortable with.
I know with SO''s budget it''s 1 months and it could be 1 weeks for all I care. Some people can go HUGE too (some women on here wear my house on their finger) and that''s perfectly OK too (I live vicariously through them

).. because that fits into their lifestyle and they have the income to do so.
What is amazing about diamonds is they are GORGEOUS in all shapes and sizes. You can get a fantastic gorgeous icy stone with an ideal cut for 3 thousand (granted its not a boulder but it is a SHOW stopping stone) so budget really just means whats comfortable to you. if you get a .3 ACA or a 10 carat rock at the end of the day its all just as lovely.

also remember too, the REAL beauty behind the E-ring is the commitment and the promise that your SO has given to you. That is what this is REALLY all about

 

[jaylex]

Date: 8/10/2009 12:57:05 AM
Author: ckrickett
the general rule of thumb is I believe 2 months salary. BUT it really depends on what you both are comfortable with.
I know with SO''s budget it''s 1 months and it could be 1 weeks for all I care. Some people can go HUGE too (some women on here wear my house on their finger) and that''s perfectly OK too (I live vicariously through them

).. because that fits into their lifestyle and they have the income to do so.
What is amazing about diamonds is they are GORGEOUS in all shapes and sizes. You can get a fantastic gorgeous icy stone with an ideal cut for 3 thousand (granted its not a boulder but it is a SHOW stopping stone) so budget really just means whats comfortable to you. if you get a .3 ACA or a 10 carat rock at the end of the day its all just as lovely.

also remember too, the REAL beauty behind the E-ring is the commitment and the promise that your SO has given to you. That is what this is REALLY all about

Ditto, ck!

Btw, mermaid..
I think the average size of an engagement ring diamond is somewhere between .25 and .33 carats!! So the large and lovely stones you see on PS are not the "average".. just keep that in mind.

Because PS is a diamond forum, and women (and men) with an appreciation for diamonds use it, It''s understandable that most of those diamonds will be on the larger side of the scale... because for them, it isn''t just some stone that came in the setting they bought at Kay. It''s a diamond that was most likely the focus of their shopping experience.. They will most likely know the Cut, Clarity, Color and exact Carat weight of their center stone (which is probably certified)... not just it''s shape.. and they will have spent (possibly) more time, but but less money on it than they would have picking a ring out at your run-of-the-mill retail/mall jewelery store.

So yes, my center stone, which is a modest .81 carats (vvs2 clarity, I color, Ex cut in case you were interested lol) may be on the smaller side when compared to the LOVELY meteors on pricescope, but it''s rather large when compared to the .25 - .50 my peers have and the .65-.75 the "elders" in my life have.

So work in your SO''s budget, and get a little fire ball, instead of the largest-he-can-afford piece of "cut glass"... you''ll be much happier!

 

[bee*]

I don''t think that there''s any set figure-it depends on what a guy can afford. D spent quite a bit on our ering as he had been saving for quite a while. I would have loved anything he got me though. You can get a fantastic ring for 3-4 thousand. I think that it can be easy to get carried away when looking at the rings here but most rings that you will see in real life are a lot smaller.

 

[Nomsdeplume]

PS tends to distort our views of what an average engagement ring looks like
A man should spend what he is comfortable with without going into debt.

 

[FrekeChild]

My FI (a grad student, for what it's worth) spent under $800 for my ering--a 1.2ct round blue spinel that was custom cut for me, in a custom setting that was made for me.

My stone is about the same size as a 1ct diamond, so I get a lot of finger coverage, for a HECK OF A LOT less than diamonds of the same size would have cost.

FYI, I am a devoted colored stoner, and white diamonds were not on my radar as far as erings go.

Oh, and Big Blue (2.74cts 8.3mm round blue spinel, in a carved split shank dimendSCAASI setting) was under $1,500 and roughly the same size as a 2ct diamond. That kind of finger coverage doesn't have to come with the ginormous price tag!

ETA: I think that $3-4k is a very respectable amount.

 

[cindygenit]

My FI went retail (before He and I found PS) and spent 6000 on the ring! So sadly, the ring is probably only worth 3000 or so.

Anyhoo, 3-4 k is plenty for a nice size diamond. I think your BF should spend however much he is willing to spend and be comfortable with the purchase.

Good luck!

 

[gwendolyn]

Whatever he (or the two of you, if you are contributing) can spend without going into debt for it. A bigger, better ring doesn''t become ''affordable'' because his credit limit is $15K, y''know?

 

[swingirl]

For $4K you could get something small and poor quality or you could get something nice and well-priced, depending on where you shop and how much knowledge you have about diamonds. For example, either of these stones...

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/Whiteflash-ACA-cut-diamond-2169545.htm

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/4536/

...in this setting http://www.whiteflash.com/Engagement-Rings/Styles/Diamond-Settings/Rounded-Open-Cathedral-Engagement-Ring_1352.htm

would make a lovely ring in that price range. $3-4K is a very respectable budget. Realize that many of the rings you see on PS are upgrades. The best ring budget is one you can afford and are comfortable with.

 

[mrscushion]

$3-4K is a great number. If you go over to RockyTalky, many guys look for a ring in that range (or a bit lower), so it''s a perfectly generous budget and you can get a stunning ring for that amount.

 

[Black Jade]

$3-4K will get you a beautiful ring; you will get the most bang for your buck online, probably.
I got a beautiful ring last year for $2500. It''s an .65 F SI1 AGS000 in a platinum setting--the only comparable ring I saw in a jewelry store was $4,000. (most that I saw in jewelry stores were not as nice AT ALL).
Look in the Pricescope section "rings under 1 carat" in the Show Me the Ring section (which is by far the largest section on PS) to get an idea of some of the beautiful rings you can get that are more realistic. With $3-4K you can get one of the rings which is on the larger side there--closer to one carat, if size is important to you. Remember that except in certain VERY select social circles, rings much bigger than 1 carat are unusual. I was just in NYC last week and spent a lot of time at Manhattan and saw nothing like some of the more extravagant rings on P''scope (which I do enjoy LOOKING at)--if they''re not common in Manhattan, I would bet they''re not common anywhere.
I think it is important to have a budget for an e-ring and to not get caught up in the advertising that suggests things like ''one months salary'' or ''two months salary'' (that figure does keep growing). In this current economy, a guy that that has a budget and knows how to keep within it is the guy you want. As I''ve seen in life many times, there''s nothing romantic in the long run about guys who make big extravagant gestures that it turns out later that they couldn''t actually afford.

 

[purselover]

As much as the two of you feel comfortable spending, for us right now that was $300 to reset a ring, in the future when I get a new ring it will be a lot more based on our salaries

 

[princesss]

He should spend what he can pay cash for without compromising his financial stability.

If that''s $5, that''s a great budget. If that''s $50,000, that''s a great budget.

One thing about PS that I love is that while everybody is here because they love diamonds, we all realize they are a luxury, and no luxury is worth going into debt.

 

[ckrickett]

Date: 8/10/2009 9:34:32 AM
Author: princesss
He should spend what he can pay cash for without compromising his financial stability.


If that''s $5, that''s a great budget. If that''s $50,000, that''s a great budget.


One thing about PS that I love is that while everybody is here because they love diamonds, we all realize they are a luxury, and no luxury is worth going into debt.

+1

 

[lucyandroger]

PS is NOT the real world. The next time you spend an afternoon out, take a look around you and see how often you come across a 2+ carat ring....NOT OFTEN!!!

A 3-4 thousand dollar budget is very nice. Please do not compare what your BF can afford to strangers on the internet - you can't possibly know their situations.

ETA - Have you seen this thread? Not everyone on PS has a huge rock and not everyone wants one! https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/under-1ct-diamonds.25028/

 

[Luckyeshe]

The 3-4k budget is very respectable. You''ll be able to get a beautiful ring for that cost. Also if this is going to be your forever diamond (no upgrades in the future) you may want to look at other diamond shapes if you want to go up in size. I''ve noticed that Rounds and Princess cuts cost more because they''re popular. See if you like other shapes like cushions, radiants, emeralds, etc. Of course don''t sacrifice the actual cut when you look since you could have a bigger rock that doesn''t sparkle and who would want that. Whatever the budget it, just make sure it doesn''t put a strain on either of you financial. Good luck!

 

[suchende]

That''s about how much I would want to spend on an e-ring. It would go a long way, and could get you a whole lot of rock, depending on your priorities!

 

[LaurenThePartier]

I have helped a lot of men figure out the answer to this question for their specific set of requirements and desires. It's important to remember, as women, this is a tradition that is fairly young as far as traditions go, and there is no "should", only what DeBeers has suggested they spend for the good of their company. Pricescope is a microcosm of the real world, and the real average falls much lower than the Pricescope average falls.

What I've found is that most men think diamonds are a waste of money, and that they feel like they'd rather spend a week's salary than 2 or 3 months. My advice is to always talk about what they can comfortably spend from their cash reserves, and where their priorities lie. I also always suggest a diamond vendor with a full upgrade policy. Quite consistently, the number settles somewhere between $2,500 and $5,000, with one or two outliers at $20k+ and quite a few sub $1k purchases.

My own ring was in the $3k - $4k range (a lot of it because of the custom setting) and I think it's the perfect ring for me, and fits in very well among my friends rings.

Ultimately, it's in his hands unless you want to contribute some money to the budget, but comments made to him that may imply that he's "cheap" for only spending $3k - $4k on a ring may not be well received, so please be careful how you discuss the purchase.

 

[winelover23]

I agree that 3-4k is a great budget. That is in fact my bf''s budget as well. I''ve been known to call him cheap not because of the budget he''s set but because he won''t go out and actually spend that budget! The crazy expectation of a 20k ring or you won''t fit in if you don''t have one has gotten completely out of control!

LaurenThePartier - I am so infatuated with your ring! I see it on your posts and have always assumed it was something out of our budget so I''m thrilled to know how much you spent. I would love to know the stats if you have a link.

 

[BlueSki231]

I think 3k-4k is a VERY respectable budget!
If you go through the right vendors you will get a stunningly beautiful ring for that price! Not "cheap" looking at all!!

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Date: 8/10/2009 3:31:14 PM
Author: winelover23
I agree that 3-4k is a great budget. That is in fact my bf''s budget as well. I''ve been known to call him cheap not because of the budget he''s set but because he won''t go out and actually spend that budget! The crazy expectation of a 20k ring or you won''t fit in if you don''t have one has gotten completely out of control!

LaurenThePartier - I am so infatuated with your ring! I see it on your posts and have always assumed it was something out of our budget so I''m thrilled to know how much you spent. I would love to know the stats if you have a link.

Thank you, Winelover23!

My diamond is modest by PS standards at .71 ct. and to help with the budget, the setting is in WG. Mochi recently had a similar setting made in green gold, and I believe WF charged ~$1,200 - $1,500.

Here''s a link to a thread about the diamond and ring. Sorry most of the pics are broken.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/engaged-with-3-weeks-til-the-wedding-day-i-cant-quit-staring-at-my-asscher.40160/

 

[Tuckins1]

Whatever he feels comfortable spending.

 

[winelover23]

LarenThePartier- Thanks for the link, I think I love it even more after seeing all the pics! Your ring size is much smaller than mine (6.5) but I still think I''d love it! I love how simple but classy it is!

 

[NakedFinger]

My feeling is whatever he can afford without having to finance it.

 

[Haven]

Date: 8/10/2009 4:27:40 AM
Author: gwendolyn
Whatever he (or the two of you, if you are contributing) can spend without going into debt for it. A bigger, better ring doesn''t become ''affordable'' because his credit limit is $15K, y''know?

Exactly.

He should spend whatever he:
a) Can afford to pay in cash
b) Feels comfortable spending on a ring

 

[supergirl10]

I guess it is different for everyone.

Our budget was quite small by PS standards, but i am in a regional area in australia and my 0.48 carrots is on the larger size in my area because ER''s are not something that people tend to spend a lot of money on.

We had quite a big of saving but i was hestiant to let FI spend it on a ring. Initally i was just wanting something to symbolise i was "taken" as such lol. But my mum talked me into getting something a lil nicer and I am SOOOO glad she did. It was important to us for the ring to be nice but not blow the budget.

.. That being said, im not sure that a upgrade in 10 years of so is out of the question

 

[MermaidKelly]

Thanks everyone for the advice.

 

[ckrickett]

Date: 8/10/2009 3:34:52 PM
Author: Namaste
I think 3k-4k is a VERY respectable budget!

If you go through the right vendors you will get a stunningly beautiful ring for that price! Not 'cheap' looking at all!!

you can get a 1+ carat beautiful oval diamond with a custom James Meyer setting....!!!

yeah I haven't got anything pre-planned at all do I.