How Much For an Engagement Ring?

Off Topic
1

I’ve got a ways to go, but the relationship is moving in that direction.

Curious as to what others have spent, or what would you spend on a ring?
I’ve been engaged before (in college so I could only afford an $800 ring, which was a waste of money obviously).

I know the standard is 3 months salary, but that’s a lot of fricken money for a ring (and I don’t even make a ton of money).

Also, would you buy from a jeweler like (Kay’s, Shaws, etc.) or one of those discount ones that are like direct from the seller?

2

[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:
I’ve got a ways to go, but the relationship is moving in that direction.

Curious as to what others have spent, or what would you spend on a ring?
I’ve been engaged before (in college so I could only afford an $800 ring, which was a waste of money obviously).

I know the standard is 3 months salary, but that’s a lot of fricken money for a ring (and I don’t even make a ton of money).

Also, would you buy from a jeweler like (Kay’s, Shaws, etc) or one of those discount ones that are like direct from the seller?

[/quote]

3 months salary is a ton, plus the insurance (which is a really, really good idea) and you’re looking at getting effed huge. I’d stay away from a retail store.

I found a guy that gave me 12% above cost plus tax, which got me a great deal. He told me that most chain stores mark up the cost by 300%, then knock it down 100%, so the customer thinks they are getting a great deal.

The guy was great. Once you buy the ring, he will write you an appraisal for what it would have cost at an actual store, which will allow you to insure it for that price. I’m sure that is something most wholesalers will do for you.

I inherited my own stone, and had my guy put it in the ring. He let me examine the stone in his loop before and after it was mounted and mapped it out for me so I know it was the same one. That is key. . . you can also get the stone engraved with a laser for more security.

Long story short, I paid about 15% - 20% of the ring’s appraised value - A lot of that is because of the free stone - and if she ever loses it, I can replace it with an even bigger ring.

3

I make about 115k a year and spent 12, if that helps at all.

4

Get her one of those rings from a Cracker Jack box.

That’ll be so freakin’ sweet she can’t even be pissed.

5

[quote]NeelyDan wrote:
I make about 115k a year and spent 12, if that helps at all.[/quote]

number one, your avatar is hilarious LOL

number two, while that’s not 3 months salary for $12k I’m sure it’s a hell of a ring.

did you buy from a chain store? or like the poster above?

6

[quote]NeelyDan wrote:
I make about 115k a year and spent 12, if that helps at all.[/quote]

U.S. or CAN?

7

i bought from a local place that every guy from my hockey team went to…haha…it’s a reputable place up here, though.

It’s a huge market. Take your time. References are key.

8

[quote]eic wrote:
NeelyDan wrote:
I make about 115k a year and spent 12, if that helps at all.

U.S. or CAN?

[/quote]

Not much of a difference now, but Canadian.

9

I’m curious, what is she buying for you?

10

I’m curious… what was the resolution on the kids issue?

11

[quote]nephorm wrote:
I’m curious… what was the resolution on the kids issue?[/quote]

lol, that’s why we’re still a little ways away from being engaged.

12

The DeBeer’s guideline is two month’s salary, but DeBeers is evil. In my experience, the best rings in my group have come from one independent jeweler, everyone refers their friends to him.

You can get an idea of sizes and prices at www.bluenile.com. Don’t go to a mall store. Get a referral. Don’t be afraid to look at chick’s fingers and ask for referrals.

You also need to take into consideration what she wants. I know when we got engaged, I wanted something nice, but I didn’t want to start my marriage with a boatload of unnecessary debt.

This point of view differed from a friend’s now-wife, who wanted a huge ring and said to the friend, “well, finance it, we can pay for it when we get married, I am sure Daddy will give us a lot of money at the wedding.”

Oh and yeah, don’t get married or even propose until you decide re: kids!

13

Yes, listen to the ring vendor’s advice on how much to spend on a ring.

lol

if your woman cares about that, it’s the wrong woman IMO. Not saying being a cheapass, but if you have to adhere to rules, fuck that.

14

Perhaps I’m a little more practical than the average girl but it would bother me if my partner spent 3 months salary on a ring. Does every woman want a nice ring? Sure, every woman dreams about it but a nice doesn’t have to break the bank.

A route I’ve seen (if you’re not superstitious) is to go to an antique dealer. They often have jewelry sections and you can find gorgeous engagement rings/wedding bands there.

15

Hell, I think a woman would be more appreciative of your financial health than the bling on her finger. A vacation, nicer wedding, nicer honeymoon. Down payment on a CAR, getting out of debt, fuck 3 month’s salary for a wedding ring. I’m going to spend a lot, but not some bullshit arbitrary rule like 3 months.

16

Spent $16,000 on a 1.5 carat princess cut “ideal” cut, damn near perfect in all aspects, platinum ring.

Used bluenile.com, would again in a heartbeat, check the site out, very informative. Also, provides you with a sliding scale of the 4 C’s that allows you to see their inventory and also compare prices by changing different characteristics.

Would not go for such a high quality ring if I had it to do over again. Would stay closer to the range of imperfection of 10x magnification, I think mine is 100x magnification before you see any flaws. Lower clarity,more imperfections (although not visible to the eye) would have resulted in a larger ring, 2+ carats.

However, I will say my wife is constantly telling me about all the compliments she receives about her ring (still 5 years later).

As far as insurance goes, I pay about $110 a year to insure it for about $18,000.

For my ring, spent $60 at saltlakesilver.com, for a ring that I have only worn once, wedding day.

17

yeah, I have no plans on wearing a ring.

18

3 months salary? I don’t fucking think so. Honestly, why spend more than a couple grand? Or am I too young and naive to know how big a deal this is.

For 12k you could go on an insane trip to any country you wanted for a couple months, now that would be worth it.

19

I spent 4,200 for a 1.25 carat marquee cut, with a band I designed. That was 11 years ago though.

20

Give her cash.

And I’m not joking either.