% of salary - what's a reasonable amount to spend on engagement ring?

[IntlSet]

I know this is *highly* individual, but can you please give me your opinions?

Is a ring still "two month's salary?" Remember that de Beers commercial that used to say, "How else can two month's salary last forever?"

What do you think? I realize a lot of ladies will say, "Well, if you own your home, you can spend this much... if you don't, etc..." A lot of things come into play.

But I would appreciate any thoughts.

BF thinks he has to sell a kidney to get the ring I want! lol/sad.

 

[sinniebunnie]

I thought it was 3 months.. Anyways.. If you are not financially freeeeeee aka drop 30k on a ring .. i say find a bargain, maybe a 2nd hand diamond. I shop at www.shaneco.com i have a store near by and their prices are reasonable. Also G/H SI1/2 would be the best deal! 1ct is about 3500-4000

2nd hand like craigslist.com you can get a 1ct for 2000. i would just take the diamond and change the mounting =)

 

[IntlSet]

^^^
I would feel extremely uncomfortable buying a diamond from Craigslist.

 

[sinniebunnie]

^^^
I would feel extremely uncomfortable buying a diamond from Craigslist.

Funny because my new ring is from there.. but it was originally from shaneco lol.. i got it on a 80% discount.. ex boyfriend gave it to her

I also bought a anniversary .33ctw 7 diamond double row ring from there when i was 18 for 150.. she also threw in a promise ring with a small diamond on it too! those together were about 900$ retail.

Maybe you can look for trade in value items.. when my time comes for an ering i will be looking for shaneco trade in's so i can save some money. (my penny pincher is talking)


-- My opinion.. Spending more than 10k on a ring is crazy to me.. My ideal size is a 1.0 maybe 1.25 max ct weight and i am fine with a G SI, which is about 5-7k for me. It really depends on do you want top color, clarity and size?--

 

[IntlSet]

^^^


Oops, I saw your edit so I am editting mine.

 

[barcreperie]

That '2 months salary' notion is just some idiotic thing that deBeers came up with in their marketing campaign to give both men and women the idea that this is customary and expected. Spend what you feel comfortable with in your current financial circumstances. That's the only rule-of-thumb that should ever be followed!!!

 

[IntlSet]

-- My opinion.. Spending more than 10k on a ring is crazy to me.. My ideal size is a 1.0 maybe 1.25 max ct weight and i am fine with a G SI, which is about 5-7k for me. It really depends on do you want top color, clarity and size?--

Great, thanks for your input!

You're right. I think it does depend on the 4 C's and the person's comfort level with purchasing extravagant things!

 

[sinniebunnie]

So what do you want? lol


Actually i am very happy with what i have now.. promise ring and my new ring.. it just wasnt given with the name ering and wedding band so oh well hehe

 

[VenetiaWanter]

I think my engagement ring will be the most important thing for me. Even more important than my wedding! lol. I dunno why :s but I agree that you should just afford what you can, and then upgrade lol

 

[illinirdhd]

Ha ha, he can live with 1 kidney, can't he? Just kidding.

I'd always heard 2 months, but then when we started looking, I started hearing 3 months! Ultimately, I think that's the diamond industry's way of telling a guy what he "should" spend, rather than helping to figure out what the guy/couple can afford.

You can save a lot buying from a reputable online jeweler (who doesn't have the overhead of a brick & mortar store), and you can save money buying from a pawn shop. I'm like you - I don't know if I would look at Craigslist either, although I suppose if you found something that looked promising, you could meet the seller at a jewelry store for an appraisal and/or jeweler's opinion. Some people feel weird about buying a diamond second hand - they think they're bad luck, etc., but I don't think I would personally be bothered by that. If anything, I'd see it as giving the diamond a happy new home!

One thing I did find out when we were shopping is that it seems each store has a slightly different product, which ultimately just makes it really hard to comparison shop, and gets very confusing and overwhelming. For example, one store would have a 1ct diamond, F color, VS1, set in platinum and another store would have a very comparable diamond set in white gold. Or the same stats, except SI instead of VS. It's a hard decision and really hard to figure out where you're saving money and where you're paying more than you need to!

I've also heard good things about the diamonds that Sam's Club and Costco carry. Not sure about in the stores, but online, both have very good (and expensive) diamond rings.

We decided on a lovely diamond, a very simple setting, and didn't go near the Tiffany, Cartier, etc. stores because neither of us wanted to pay more for the name. I wanted every cent spent on the stone, not the brand.

 

[IntlSet]

So what do you want? lol


Actually i am very happy with what i have now.. promise ring and my new ring.. it just wasnt given with the name ering and wedding band so oh well hehe

I love your rings, they are lovely!

And I LOVE your signature pic -- it took me a moment to realize it was a bunny on its back! I've never seen such a thing! I wonder if he likes his belly rubbed? Very cute.

I admit, I have high expectations for the ring... We have very, very different view points about luxury items like engagement rings. He's the kind of guy who makes a decent amount of money but refuses to get himself anything better than a used $30 bike to ride around. His biggest indulgences are math and physics books. The only thing he really spends a lot of money on is me.

He thinks it is positively idiotic to have anything more than the bare minimum to indicate that you're engaged.

 

[sinniebunnie]

I think my engagement ring will be the most important thing for me. Even more important than my wedding! lol. I dunno why :s but I agree that you should just afford what you can, and then upgrade lol

I am kinda against upgrading. Because when you do so, the diamond he asked you to get married with won't be there. It kinda loses it meaning of an ering. It will be just be a bigger random diamond. Maybe i am mixing it up with the wedding band.. now that should never be upgraded

 

[dusty paws]

BF says the only ring he will buy for me will be my e-ring - so I'm hoping its a whopper Hopefully - at least one carat solitare just set in white gold. He's lucky i have small hands and everything looks huge on me. I'd say 6K would be a good price... may be a bit on the high side though.

Most importantly - its a token of his love and of our relationship and our promise to each other, so I can't wait...whenever it does happen

 

[IntlSet]

I am kinda against upgrading. Because when you do so, the diamond he asked you to get married with won't be there. It kinda loses it meaning of an ering. It will be just be a bigger random diamond. Maybe i am mixing it up with the wedding band.. now that should never be upgraded

Yeah, I have *zero* attachment to inanimate objects simply because they're supposed imbued with meaning. I've sold off jewelry that ex-boyfriends have given me. I've returned jewelry while I was still with them also. Everyone is different, though.

 

[Sanguar]

Well, we just decided what we could afford. My DH is a grad student, so three month's salary=NOTHING, LOL. We were living in NYC at the time and ended up shopping the diamond district looking with our strict budget. I ended up with a round solitaire from Tiffany & Co. It was absolutely perfect!