How much did you spend on an engagement ring?
Thinking of popping the question next year but curious to see what everyone spent and what kind of diamond they purchased.
I’ve been thinking $15-20K would get me a pretty decent ring.
Thinking of popping the question next year but curious to see what everyone spent and what kind of diamond they purchased.
I’ve been thinking $15-20K would get me a pretty decent ring.
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Went to look at rings with my girl and thought $40-50k was doable but when I actually saw a $40k I thought “I can’t believe I have to waste my hard earned money on this useless thing”.
Haven’t decided how much I will spend but definitely don’t see it being over $20k. Just an FYI, go to a diamond dealer rather than the mall jewelers - you can get a diamond that’s just as good but 30-50% less expensive than Tiffany’s.
Unless you're disposable income is absolute fuck you, 50k for a ring is fucking stupid... as... fuck
Don't do it. At least your gut instinct is telling you it's stupid too.
Depends, did you get a prenup or not
$115k+
Bullshit
I love wedding/engagement posts! So happy for you. Also I had no idea that rings are this expensive. At this point in my life even $15-$20 K on a ring seems a lot to me (I am a first year analyst). I am also cheap af so will probably feel super bad if a guy had to spend so much money on buying a ring for me lol. Good luck with the ring search!
In your same boat - actually went to a jeweler last week. I’m in 15-20k range but think I’ll end up closer to 15k.
Married someone who doesn’t care about any of this stuff. Spent less than $1k on a gift and that was it.
Ditto. Spent 3k on a ring. We're good with it.
We did ~$5k as well. Spent our hard earned savings on a down payment for a house instead. Excellent decision.
I see you got the new Gel Upgrade from WM doll.
I was gonna make a joke about spending a lot on ring but I had no idea that they were 15-20k. I had no idea rings went for that much... damn... hopefully who ever I end up with will be okay with a rubber band.
5-6k seems reasonable but never been ring shopping so what do I know.
If you make $120K, its 3x monthly gross as a general rule. So that would be $10K x 3 = $30K ring, to stay within societal norms. $30K does sound nice, but the rings for $100K or $200K+ are decisively baller.
I do generally feel a large ring on a girl is a security risk and one day on the NYC subway sat across from this well dressed latina chick (hot chick) who was typing on her phone with some of the biggest rocks I have ever seen. I was convinced she had $250K on her finger. They looked real and I couldn't believe she would slum it in the subway with those rocks. She seemed too refined to wear fake rocks. She did have the kickboxer look, so maybe she had skills.
Bro if I’m making 120k, I’m not buying a 30k ring, don’t care how hot the girl is. 30k is rent money.
The 3x gross monthly was invented by De Beers as a marketing gimmick
d
I just got engaged, incoming analyst so the budget was much tighter (gotta save for that high COL) and ended up spending around 5k. Figured I’d shell out later on for anniversary rings like 20th or 10th year. I’m guessing you’ve got a bigger budget and flexibility though haha.
Ridiculous I’m even reading this. Luckily my girl is against diamonds because majority of them and that are in circulation came from poor, hazardous, and a good amount of illegal labor conditions. So I got to spend 2k on a sapphire/ruby/emerald.
Same here, I ended up getting a lab one for the conscience and those are cheaper than mined as well.
Where did you get the lab diamond? I’ve heard good things.
Wife has a $30k ring but main stone is a family heirloom. #Winning
Pretty close to $15k including the wedding band.
this is why you do not take the wife-pill
Really depends on your age and your (her) peer group. These all sound a little low to a guy in their 30s but if you're in your 20s $15-20k is probably a very nice amount.
As much as it hurts to spend big $$ on a little shiny ring, do you really want your girl to have the shittiest one of all her friends?
What's a good amount to spend let's say in your early 30s, assuming you're pulling 250-300k?
I see your point of not having your girl rock a shitty ring vs. her friends but there's a limit to this, esp. since the ring will lose a shit ton of value after taking it out of the store & at some point the ring costing more than a good car...
That’s the wrong mentality to approach this. If you’re future wife is thinking this way or you think she’s thinking that way about a material thing like a ring, that sends a message
Agreed, that if the main motive is to "flex" then there's something wrong. However if you really do want to spend extra for a ring your wife will like and its in budget go for it.
Don’t spend a lot, it will feel cool do to so for maybe a few months while she’s showing it to people, but then you’ll be kicking yourself when you have less money for much more important things and nobody gives a shit about her ring anymore. The 3 months salary rule is bullshit and you can get a great ring for around $10k. If your girlfriend would be mad you didn’t spend more, id reconsider proposing in the first place. Also, check with your parents and her parents to see if there is an unused diamond floating around in the family you can use which will reduce the total cost significantly. Also keep in mind the wedding reception is probably going to cost many multiples what the ring does in case you'll need some cash for that too..
I'm from Asian. The mentality is that many girls (especially girls' parents) believe that engagement ring and wedding are very important. Not only because of the image displayed for relatives (showing off), but also because of the wield belief that if the man get my girl so easily(with little money), it is likely that he would not cherish the girl later and will decrease the contribution. So girls' family tend to set the initial standard high enough to ensure the fair treatment they would receive in the future. Although I know it sounds BS, it's not without rational.
i found a ring on amazon that looks exactly like what my girlfriend wanted...but it was cubic zirconia and cost $25.
she loved it...showed it off to everybody and nobody has ever been able to tell the difference...saved me 25k
This is epic. Can you send the link?
here you go...but amazon has hundreds of different designs and sellers
Update us, after a YT diamond tester tells her its fake.
.
Lmao I know a guy who did this and put it in a Tiffany's box. The girl totally fell for it thinking it was real and when the she went to get the ring resized, the lady working there told her it was a fake diamond. Girl called the wedding off and broke up with him lol.
1) amateur mistake not having the ring sized properly before giving it to the girl
2) if my girl wants to break up because the stone is man made, then i would dump her anyway....this is how i would test girls for "gold digger" status.
$350.....not K. Three hundred and fifty dollars. Happily married 10+ years later.
There’s some pretty good bands that are that price. If you don’t care about brand name there’s quality rings to be found for way cheaper than most people realize.
Definitely and particularly as people have already mentioned if you look at things like emeralds or saphires, you can get some great stuff. Honestly, in my opinion, a really nice $2,000 (or less) emerald ring aesthetically looks better than a $20K diamond ring.
Also, I find it funny how much better things look when you don't have a price reference. For example, my wife and I were going for a walk a few months back and we found a diamond earing on the ground. It looked amazing. Turns out it was cubic zirconium maybe worth $50...could have sworn it was worth a $1,000. If you walked into a jewelry store and nothing had a price on it, I would estimate that 90% of people would guess wrong the prices of both the most expensive and cheapest rings by a wide range.
I’m 28 and bring in $240-275K a year depending on my bonus and I’ve been told that anything over $20K is pushing it.
I can afford to spend around $50K since I don’t have any debt and 12 months of savings, but $50K is a fuck ton of money.
Instead of a 50k ring, buy her a rubber ring off of amazon, they’re like 3 bucks, take what you have and build a sex dungeon. Your girl would appreciate it, trust me,
Take the money you save and buy a vasectomy. This will save you hundreds of thousands.
Looks like you got a lot of answers already, but I'll chime in FWIW
~$24K with the setting, tax and everything. Got it from Blue Nile. Amazing customer service.
2.05 carat, VS1, D Color, Ideal cut, round shape
She doesn't care too much about this stuff. I normally wouldn't spend this much because in my eyes, it's just a freakin rock. But, I've been lucky financially these past few years and she has been wonderful and supportive through it all, so I thought eh why not. What I've learned from the process is:
1. Focus on cut first, then other things like color, clarity, carat, etc. The wrong proportions can ruin it all. Diamonds are usually priced on weight and amount of flaws - not the angles they're cut. Angles are important because they reflect light. If you have the right cut, a small diamond can look bigger - and vice versa.
2. Buy from someone you trust. Jewelers have a bad rep for a reason.
3. The size of the ring shouldn't effect the relationship, and if it does - you shouldn't be buying a ring in the first place.
4. Do not care about what other people think. The ring is for her and is something between you two. Women are absolutely brutal when it comes to this. I don't know why, but the judgement is real. And it's usually the ones not wearing a ring that are making all the judgements...
you are an idiot. diamonds are not precious...they are very common. debeers controls supply with their monopoly power and tries to artificially keep prices high with extensive advertising campaigns, and sheep like you act like dumb lemmings and just believe what the commercials tell you to believe.
i gave my GF a $25 2 carot ring that looks like exactly what she wanted...i didn't tell her the stone was "fake" because its real, made of carbon, sparkly, and to the naked eye nobody can tell the difference. Someday maybe i'll tell her...but nobody can tell and she shows it off to everybody.
I'm happy with it, and looks like you missed point #4.
They are not "precious" but they do hold their value relatively well compared to lab grown and other "fake" stones. I did quite a lot of research when picking one and got the ring appraised too. The diamond I got has pretty much perfect with ideal proportions and angles, and the appraisal came out well over $24K.
You should be honest with your SO though, but hey, that's none of my business.
I went DEEP down the rabbit hole on researching engagement rings for my fiancée. There are a lot of "Excellent" cut diamonds that aren't truly remarkable. In my opinion, one needs to filter by excellent cut initially and then drill down into the proper proportions (L/W, depth, table, etc.) to really capture that fire that some diamonds seem to have and other "Excellent" cut diamonds do not.
Spent a lot of time researching rings and then realized I didn't want to get married then. Saved a FORTUNE
Im a girl & I love diamonds so here is my 2 cents -
1. Echo the above of online diamond merchants eg blue nile, James Allen. Some of the settings are a cheap-looking so you can buy the diamond loose at online discount price and have it set at a high quality jeweller. Keep in mind the 4 c's, which vary in importance according to individual. Personally carat comes first for me because size is the most noticeable, followed by colour, clarity and carat.
Most importantly get a GIA certified diamond which is gold standard for diamond quality - a D colour GIA is far superior to for eg IGI or ARS which is equivalent to a GIA G colour (I am speaking loosely but you get the point). Ethically sourced. Certification of any kind proves that it isn't a lab diamond that has zero resale value.
2. Some of us girls like, possibly even expect, 'the blue bag and box' for these kind of occasions ...
Depends on the recipient and if you are open to it you can buy a second hand high quality Tiffany ring and have it re-polished at Tiffany and it will look like brand new. Tiffany will include all the paraphernalia eg bag, box, ribbon etc with the re-polish to give it the wow effect. NB Tiffany are not GIA but have their own grading.
Buying second hand is not everyones cup of tea but my view is that diamonds are unique and one of a kind so there is no shame in buying a 'pre-loved' diamond ring. Once it is re-polished, no one will know and you will get a considerably higher quality branded diamond at a competitive price, regardless of your budget.
Whatever you price you decide on- buy the best possible diamond you can. Good luck.
Would you become upset if your future husband bought you a cheap ring? When I say cheap, I mean those sub 25 dollar rings?
If it was meaningful and thoughtful and what he could afford, no I wouldn't be upset with a $25 ring. There are some incredible dupes you can buy.
eg
https:// www.qvcuk.com /Diamonique-2ct-tw- 100-Facet-Solitaire-Ring- Sterling-Silver.product.344180.html ?sc=NAVLIST
https:// www.qvcuk.com /Diamonique- 5ct-tw-Solitaire- Ring-Sterling- Silver.product.345056.html?sc=NAVLIST
https:// www.qvcuk.com/ Diamonique-39ct-tw-Solitaire- Ring-Set-Sterling-Silver.product. 343699.html?sc= NAVLIST
https:// www.qvcuk. com/diamonique /jewellery/rings /_/N-1z141asZlfn7/c.html
Literally no one can tell the difference.
But if he was just being cheap yeah I kind of would have a problem with that tbh
You’re a girl (at least you say you are) and I’m just trying to get a sense of what’s acceptable.
It sounds like you know your stuff about diamonds. While I don't like the first half of your post(or rather agree). The second part of your post is great to hear from a "girl's" perspective. Absolutely buy second hand.
Diamonds are not rare, many African's died to get your diamonds. They don't have a great resale value.
The same reason I am not willing to buy jewelry(watch) for myself for any brand where as soon as I buy it the value goes down. Vintage Porsche, watches or Diamonds are where it is at.
Tiffany is way over priced. As mentioned above, focus on the stone. Size matters. If you have the cash, I would recommend at least 2 carats. On the GIA scale I would not recommend a D rated color and flawless clarity rating because you will pay up significantly for it. Just don’t go below the H color and SI2 clarity because then the inclusions become noticeable. I spent $34k. Wife gets compliments all the time on it. Plus it is ultimately a reflection of you so now everyone thinks I’m crushing it. Good luck.
Good points on a) getting compliments and b) it being a reflection of you
$34k is pretty steep though unless you're pulling 300K+ and even then I cringe a bit haha
Definitely don’t have to spend $30k. Everyone has different budgets and are different ages when they finally pull the trigger (early 30s for me). You can get something nice and pretty decent size for less. Main point is that it is not worth paying up for the Tiffany’s or other high end brand name.
My wife doesn’t care and spent $180 on a men’s ring for me and I spent $500 on her ring. You can’t tell the difference between her ring or a $8,000 ring, unless you’re an expert.
There's actually been a pretty funny TikTok going around recently where a high school kid goes and tests people's rings with a diamond tester and most of them were revealed to be fake (unbeknownst to the wearer). Proves your point exactly.
I was also $15k-$20k range. My fiance did not care about brand (fortunately) so you can definitely get better bang for your buck at one of the online wholesalers if that's the case.
I got engaged (and married) in my early 20s. At the time I proposed, I was making $62k per year. I spend $2,500 on a ring and she was so happy with it (it’s sapphire with some diamonds, I got it from Blue Nile). I make quite a lot more now, and I’ve talked to her about upgrading it. She said there’s no reason to and she’s still very happy with it. Blue Nile has some great deals.
Instead of three months you should go for three years income to be safe.
you people are insane for real
I wanted to get the best quality of ring for my budget, so I did a few things:
- Bought the diamond loose from a wholesaler, no retail brand
- Had the ring made by a small independent jeweler, didn't buy it retail
- Pay for specs (cut, color, clarity) not size (carat)
As a result, the ring appraised at about 40% more than my cash out of pocket.
Having said that, different people look for different things. My wife loves that her diamond is not gaudy-large but is very high quality, and has more "fire" than others (and I think noticeably so if you're looking closely). She also likes that I "built" it and there's no other in the world exactly like it. But someone else might really value the brand name on the box, or might love that it's a 2+ carat diamond and doesn't care that it has microscopic inclusions. There isn't a wrong answer, it's just dependent on the person and what they value.
You are mad. For $15-20k you can bring girls on Tinder dates for a year and hook up with ~50-70 girls.
the man's getting engaged, why tf would he care about tinder dates
We're on a finance forum, and it makes sense to consider all available projects before investing in one. Your comment is like saying: the man's investing in project A which gives $100k NPV, why tf would he care about the project with the same investment that makes $10M NPV ($15-20k on 1 girl you already have vs. 50-70 new girls).
It's just silly to waste such amount on one girl who already dates you, but that's just my thinking.
Your post reeks of virginity
“Fuck a wedding ring, I bought a necklace”
Just remember the more you spend on a ring the more you can spend on a watch without any questions asked.
I am also in camp that, the ring should be based on her income not yours. AKA if your GF is balling you can afford a better ring. If she's barely making it, she gets a barely making it ring. Just a hot take.
What a fucking sad disaster this thread is.
This thread makes me understand how so many Americans are broke and divorced.
Which is great for the economy and for players.
Always go lab grown. Its a Dimond but like 50% cheaper!!!! DONT BUY A FAKE, buy a lab grown. I spent $8K
Paid about $14K for a 2.3ct radiant cut stone and simple platinum band. Was lucky that I bought from a family friend that has known my in-laws for decade and my wife since she was young so i think it got it pretty close to cost. I obviously shopped obsessively and found out that a similar ring from Blue Nile would have been in the low $20K. It appraised for ~$25K. As many have said, Tiffany's is a ripoff. I looked just in case and prices were almost 2x Blue Nile for something that is exactly the same once out of the box.
We got engaged while both in our 30s so while the cost was a large outlay, it wasn't much of an issue to afford and was definitely less than 3 months of salary (even excluding bonus). I cannot imagine paying much more though, a 2.3ct stone is about the limit someone can wear before it gets gaudy. I did check extensively within my (finance) network and 1.5-2.5ct seems the be the sweet spot. Obviously, that may not be possible depending on your age (although I would never suggest anyone gets engaged until they are at least in their late 20s), but my advice for the younger guys would be to land on a setting where you can upgrade the stone down the line. For example, my wife best friend got engaged when she was 25. Her husband was just out of law school and on a limited budget as you can imagine so she got a ring on the small size (~0.5ct). They are like the best couple and she was thrilled when it happened. Fast forward a couple of years and friends and colleagues around her start getting engaged and all got much bigger rings so she became a bit self conscious. Husband rapidly caught that up and surprised her on their anniversary with an "upgrade".
Interesting comment about anything over 2.5 ct being gaudy. I’m looking at radiant cuts as well but in the 2.5 to 3 ct range.
it's not like i'm an authority on this ;) but seriously, I don't know where exactly to draw the line (and it depend on the stone cut and especially its depth), but I do think there comes a point where it's too big. I think guys tend to put a bit more pressure than they should so it's easy to do a bit more than necessary.
15k
Everybody drippin until this mans shows up at your mall.
Edit lots of explicit language in this video.
My wife has simple tastes, and prefers quality over quantity. So I went to best high-street jeweler in country and bought absolutely highest quality diamond for my budget (10k). Size was perfect as well (no big rock, I think close to 1kt). Since it was on another city, I had to wait. She loved it. Nice fact is, that other girls know/infer the quality, from its limited size.
My view: Don't waste your money on expensive rings (may loose it, get stolen, etc.), as it is just a token or symbol. Get most for your budget, by findng-out/asking her what she prefers. Invest the balance in a nice honeymoon...better RoI from memories and bonding.
When randomly thinking about it, women tend to throw out huge sums of money and us dumbasses simply accept that as the norm. After doing a bit of digging, my GF fell in love with this ring. Way less than the initial £10-12K she was talking about. Same for the wedding dress - she thinks that you can't get anything decent for under £10K, but by the time we end up tying the knot, I'm sure she'll find something she loves for half that.
found it in the dumpster behind arby's
Way too expensive. Try $3k max. If she doesn't like it tell her to leave. Stop being a simp.
EDIT
This post just about captures everything I hate about modern society.
:\
Lol. My friends with the highest combined income (right near that top tax bracket that most interns can only dream of reaching) got a $1k ring for her, $15k into a Vanguard account, and topped off the down payment on their condo. Many of the people who can actually afford dumb shit like diamonds rarely burn their money on them
What in the actual fuck is this lol. You sound like a poor man's Gatsby. and by poor man's I mean like me compared to Jeff bezos.
No ring is my recommendation. The idea that one person has to spend thousands of dollars on something while the other just has to say yes is ridiculous to me.
Here's a hack I learned the second time around (on wife #2 now.) Get a uncertified diamond off a exchange, get a jeweler to set it in the ring, boom. Just having GIA certified basically adds 10x to the price.
Also depends on the size of the girl's fingers. Can't get a 1 carat ring if your girl played rugby in college.
4k
This thread confirms what I already knew.
Going to be single for life...
This thread confirms what I already knew.
Going to be single for life...
zero dollars
and on the wedding ring too. it's silicone. and mine's tatted on.
spending money on de beers diamonds lol
spending even more money on canadian "ethical" diamonds
lol lol
meanwhile, renting an apartment, leasing a car, and mortgaging your wedding
lol lol lol
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