What % of your dollars

[Firestone]

What percent of your total dollars spent was for the stone and what percent was for the setting/mounting of your e-ring? With so many beautiful mountings out there I have seen a number of them costing $6,000 to almost $12,000. How do you divide up your dollars?

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 3/15/2010 11:21:56 PM
Author:Firestone
What percent of your total dollars spent was for the stone and what percent was for the setting/mounting of your e-ring? With so many beautiful mountings out there I have seen a number of them costing $6,000 to almost $12,000. How do you divide up your dollars?

I chose the least expensive setting that I would be happy with ($750) and spent all the rest on the stone. Looking back, I might have gotten an even less expensive setting ($250) to have a higher color diamond the first go around. I have used this setting through 3 upgrades, though, and it was never supposedto be my "forever" setting. If you think that your gf will never want to change her setting, then put a larger % towards it!

I always suggest that unless the gf has been *very* explicit about the style she wants, then getting a "temporary" inexpesive setting for the proposal is the best way to go. Then you and the gf can pick out a nicer setting later on when she knows what she wants, and you can save up for it after the major expense of the diamond is over.

But that is not very traditional

 

[yssie]

the first time round, about 1/4 (lasted all of two weeks, the setting had issues)
second time round, about 1/5
third time round, about 1/6

I never went the cheapest possible route. I always thought "this will be my final setting!" so I went all out... did I wind up wasting quite a bit of money? Yes, BUT I learnt what details and nuances are important to me, and next time it''ll be PERFECT (though I''ve said that before, so... cup of salt

)

 

[kenny]

For my asscher ring less than 2% of the whole budget was spent on the setting.

Whatever you decide for yourself is fine, but my priority is to get the best diamond possible
The setting just keeps me from losing it.

 

[reader]

I bought mine as a package deal. In my case, the stone and setting suited it each so well I wouldn''t dream of changing this particular ring.

 

[Cinna]

I was/am all gung-ho about spending it all on the stone and like 5-7% on the setting. We spent most (95%) of our budget on the stone and then ended up trying to buy a setting that was around 20% of our initial budget but not in it... as in tack on another 20% over our budget

 

[Black Jade]

For my anniversary ring, I spent about $1750 on the stone and $700 on the setting. Not good at math so not sure what percentage that is. I spend that amount on the setting because I wanted platinum. But I am a simple person and always choose rings in very simple, Tiffany style settings, which leave the focus on the stone. Because that is MY taste. There are women who love a certain setting and dream about the setting more than the stone. I wouldn''t say there is a right or wrong here, just different personality types.

Some settings limit the size or kind or stone that can be put in them, so you might make sure that the stone will fit into the setting if the person the ring is being bought for is in love with a special kind of designer setting.

 

[Gypsy]

First time around 250 went to my setting. Total budget was around 7K and everything remaining went to the stone. Then I re-set my stone... and my budget was much higher... but at that point it didn''t matter, my full budget was for the setting.

 

[Dancing Fire]

spent 1.5% on my wife's cheap ($400) 14 WG setting.

 

[EHR2009]

My husband''s plan was to buy a diamond, and then the setting was secondary. In our case, we were all about the diamond and didn''t think about the setting until later. He knew that I wanted a simple solitaire setting, though, so I don''t think he was anticipating that it could be very expensive. If I had wanted a more ornate setting, he might have put more thought into it.

 

[PumpkinPie]

I don''t have an ER but I would definitely choose the lowest possible amount for a setting that I really enjoyed - but I would rather a larger stone than a setting that I LOVE unless of course I had a budget that would allow for both!

 

[liza8831]

We spent about $3700 on the setting and $15k on the center stone.

 

[Hest88]

Maybe 60% stone 40% setting? I don''t quite remember. Might have been closer to 1/2 and 1/2. I have rather particular tastes in settings so if I were to do it all again I think it would be the same.

 

[lucky_D]

First time around was 40/60 (higher on the diamond, of course) because in my opinion, we were stupid. Second time 30/70, same setting better diamond. Laster a whole one week. Then and insane amount, for which I can''t find myself to calculate the ratio of 14,000 on the diamond, 700 on the band and setting. Our jeweler said we should consider a setting of at least $2000 (around 15%), since a thicker band or setting or more diamonds reflects more light on your diamond and you get more value for your money.

 

[lucky_D]

sorry, not value, but fire, or just the diamond appears larger.

 

[Chasester]

I purchased 75% of my budget for the diamond, leaving the other 25% for the setting. If it goes under that i''ll put it towards the bands.

 

[Lorelei]

Hi Firestone,

I personally prefer to put the most money into the diamond and have a simple setting.

 

[vanderaf]

I have simple taste and prefer to spend all of the money on the diamond. When my DH proposed he bought me a six prong platinum solitaire (mounting was $600) and told me to go back to the jeweler and pick out what I wanted. I was very happy with it and did not want to switch. A few years later to mark the birth of our first child we reset it to a 3 stone ring. The mounting was $2500 not including the price of the side stones which I can''t remember.