Engagement rings how what price range is right.

[FrugalFish]

I have to also say that it depends what you can realistically afford, and beyond that it should be what works for the 2 of you.

I don't mean to make this sound too shallow, but she should love her ring and be happy with it. It shouldn't be a ring that she looks at and thinks that it doesn't fit her style- KWIM? Yes, if her beloved gives it to her, then she should love it, but her beloved should know her well enough to give her something suitable to her.

My original 2 ring set was bought very inexpensively. It is gold- I am not a gold-tone person, but there was kind of this impression that gold was the way to go. Depending on your family and social circle, it can also be tough on your gal if she ends up with the tiniest rock in the group- yes, she should be above that, but that's usually the argument of people who don't have the tiniest ring in the group,or are the ones pointing that out to her instead of the one wearing it. That whole thing may sound shallow, but the fact of the matter is that a ring that is to be worn every day will kind of become a part of her personality, much like someone's eyeglasses. For that reason, it's also important not to buy too big of a ring; if your girl is low key, a big gaudy ring is going to look silly on her.

DH and I have been married for 17 years. I'm not a jewelry fanatic, but I do kind of wish he'd bought a little bigger ring (stone wise), or that we'd just gone for a band if that seemed unaffordable. I almost never wear my original band because it's gold and I don't feel good in gold. Much of the time I just wear a sterling silver band, or a CZ eternity band that we bought for $40. Just like Imasaver said, I have no worries about losing it. Actually, from many people I've talked to, I think you'd be surprised how many ladies big diamond rings are actually fakes

Good luck deciding what to do.

[happygirl]

I don't think 2200 is too much to spend if you're absolutely sure she is the right woman for you, the two of you share values and goals, your personalities blend nicely and you truly don't imagine yourself ever living without her.

My engagement ring (which DH picked out himself) cost more than that, but my wedding band only cost 29$. I wear the band everyday and everywhere. The engagement ring and a wrap Dh got me for an anniversary aren't appropriate for the gym, grocery store etc. so sometimes they stay at home.

Years later, I still love my rings and enjoy looking at them. If they hadn't been what I really wanted I might not enjoy them as much.

[DC Metro Crab]

Engagement rings are highly subjective. I agree with others that what's most important is a compromise between what your gf wants and what you can afford. BOTH people may need to compromise.

I'm not a jewelry person, yet sometimes I feel I do want a nice quality stone. Other days, I feel totally fine not getting an engagement ring and getting a wedding band only. I drive my bf crazy. My compromise would be to not get anything now and save for a house. This involves ZERO compromise on his part since he also thinks a ring would be a waste of money, but I know he would spring for one if I decided it was important to me. If I chose a ring, that means I would also have to agree that it may jeopardize purchasing a home if the right one comes up before the downpayment is ready to go.

[Justice44]

Re:Engagement Rings

I don't think 2200 is too much to spend if you're absolutely sure she is the right woman for you, the two of you share values and goals, your personalities blend nicely and you truly don't imagine yourself ever living without her.

I thought these rings cost at least 10K! Wow! It is not as bad as I thought.

[nycguy567]

I would not recommend this if you expect your marriage to last. Anyways, from the OP's other posts, this would be a waste of money since he and his girlfriend would be starting their wealth building life together (ie...doesn't have anything right now just how most of us started out).

As for the price, I got my wife a $1,000 engagement ring and then a $400 wedding ring that matches it. She wears both everyday since she had them soldered together. Yes, she's told me she wants a bigger diamond, but my aunt gave us good advice and said that a bigger diamond wouldn't reflect the point in your life that you're at. In 20 years, when you're making more money, you can upgrade.


Edit: The post above me has great information as well!

normally i would argue about the advantage and disadvantages of prenuptials (or any technical topic) but i guess i've been on the internet for too many years to try to convince or prove someone wrong. i'd advise the OP to read up on prenuptials and point out that most people dont enter into marriage expecting it to not last.

[sandrark]

nycguy:

Whether the marriage lasts (or not) isn't actually the point of a pre-nup. A pre-nup is designed to PROTECT ASSETS.

If you don't have assets when you're young and broke and getting married, there's absolutely NO POINT in paying for a pre-nup. I think the only exceptions would be unless one of them is supporting the other through law or med school, or there was the likelihood of a family inheritance....

Sandi

[KellyJef]

Depending on your family and social circle, it can also be tough on your gal if she ends up with the tiniest rock in the group- yes, she should be above that, but that's usually the argument of people who don't have the tiniest ring in the group,or are the ones pointing that out to her instead of the one wearing it. That whole thing may sound shallow, but the fact of the matter is that a ring that is to be worn every day will kind of become a part of her personality, much like someone's eyeglasses.

I totally agree with this.

If the $2,200 ring is the one your gf thinks is "perfect", that is the ring she should have. I promise she will feel so special and so appreciated, you will be so glad that you bought her that ring. If she was asking for a $22,000 ring, it would be different, but $2,200 is not extravagant for most people these days.

I don't think it's being "shallow" at all. Stretching your budget a little to give her the ring that she loves and will be proud to wear for the next 50 years is not like spending a ton of money on a designer purse for heaven's sake.

[NickLeavens]

Have you talked to your future Fiance about your future plans? You mentioned you'd like to not spend all your savings so that you can have some money for the future... Have you discussed future plans with her to the extent that you can mention something like, "I know you think this ring is perfect, but if you think we can save some money by buying 'this' ring, we can bank that extra $$ for our house fund".. etc..

You can always buy another ring or upgrade a ring in the future too.

[pearlieq]

If the $2,200 ring is the one your gf thinks is "perfect", that is the ring she should have. I promise she will feel so special and so appreciated, you will be so glad that you bought her that ring. If she was asking for a $22,000 ring, it would be different, but $2,200 is not extravagant for most people these days.

I agree completely. If you can reasonably afford it, $2,200 is not at all extravagant for an engagement ring. If she truly loves it best, she should have it. If she likes it, but likes other rings just as well, talk to her about the cost vs. your savings goals and come to a decision together.

If it's really inadvisable to buy (i.e. buying it would completely deplete all of your savings, leaving you in a bad spot), explain this to her and watch her reaction. This is an excellent preview of what's ahead. If she's gracious and understanding, great! If she's petulant and unreasonable, proceed with caution.

[Alex_Adviser]

The most common myth is that an engagement ring should cost the equivalent of two months' salary. In reality, the ring's cost should be what the couple is comfortable affording, whether that means financing the ring for a year or buying a small but meaningful ring. For many couples, discussing the price of the engagement ring is the first step toward financial planning for a life together, and the choice to spend a large sum on a piece of jewelry is one that must be carefully considered.

The Best price for an engagement ring could be around $800 - $1000.

[wincrasher]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the 3-month salary guideline. That's what the jewlery industry has put out there for the last few generations.

I think that is probably a good guideline - it's certainly reflective of the groom's status in life at the time. Also, if you can afford a ring that's 3 months' salary, then you are probably in a position to afford to get married, start a household and family.

If you are scrapping nickles together to buy a ring, then you are probably not ready financially to get married. Emotionally, yes, but financially, no.
Money troubles are the #1 enemy of marital bliss.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Oh, my gosh, I would hope my DH would never buy me a ring worth 25% of his yearly earnings. No! No! Please do not feel pressured to spend three months wages on a ring. Maybe you will, maybe you won't. Talk about it with your DF.

[wvufan1985]

I recently purchased an engagement ring from Bluenile.com and it is fantastic! I saved $1000's by purchasing online. So I would highly recommend them. Spend on the ring as much as YOU feel comfortable spending. I bought the ring with the mindset that she will have the ring the rest of her life.

[illinigamer]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the 3-month salary guideline. That's what the jewlery industry has put out there for the last few generations.

I think that is probably a good guideline - it's certainly reflective of the groom's status in life at the time. Also, if you can afford a ring that's 3 months' salary, then you are probably in a position to afford to get married, start a household and family.

If you are scrapping nickles together to buy a ring, then you are probably not ready financially to get married. Emotionally, yes, but financially, no.
Money troubles are the #1 enemy of marital bliss.

The rule is up to 3 months now? Wow! I always heard two months and I still think that is way ridiculous because it is supposed to 2 months GROSS salary. I only have one friend who spent that much and his wife makes double his already decent salary. He felt, "this is a once in a lifetime purchase and if she says yes, money isn't going to be a problem anyways."

I spent $5k on the ring, which I thought was a lot but reasonable. I don't think a bigger rock would have made her any happier.

[illinigamer]

I recently purchased an engagement ring from Bluenile.com and it is fantastic! I saved $1000's by purchasing online. So I would highly recommend them. Spend on the ring as much as YOU feel comfortable spending. I bought the ring with the mindset that she will have the ring the rest of her life.

Even though I did not buy from Bluenile.com, I recommend them nonetheless. They provide fantastic information on buying rings and give you an excellent price point to work from. And, of course, if they end up having the right ring for the right price, so much the better.