Purpose of Engagement Rings
An engagement ring represents a man's desire and ability to support a wife & family. Rings are used because they pair well with a wedding band, are worn on the ring finger of the left hand because it's close to your heart. But people don't always wear the same earrings everyday, bracelets can sometimes get in the way.
Engagement rings were not always the custom. It was the diamond industry who brainwashed society into believing that if he really loved you, he would buy you a diamond ring to entice your hand in marriage. Though looks silly but it is now ingrained in our society.
In many cultures they do not use rings but necklaces or bracelets. Some even give other types of gifts like furnishings for the home or livestock, or even sums of money. The engagement ring is more of a western tradition.
Searching for the Best Engagement Rings
Beautiful rings are easy to come by. The proper way to shop for a ring is first to know your budget. Do not look at rings that are not within your budget because that is when you get carried away and extend yourself beyond your financial means. So, save your money, as planned. When you have reached your savings goal, that is the time to begin looking at rings. If you want to, in the mean while, Google " engagement rings " just so you can get an idea of what certain rings cost. This may give you a good idea of how much money you need to be saving for the ring you would like to purchase.
You may find that the cost of rings is more than you anticipated. If that is the case, then save as much as you can and perhaps finance the rest. It is never a good idea to spend more than you can comfortably afford. Some say you should spend a percentage of your yearly salary or three months worth of your income. However, that is all crap because who can save a third of their income in one year to buy a ring these days when the world is in a financial crisis. Spend what you can easily afford.
There are many places in the market where you can buy excellent quality engagement ring. Diamond engagement rings at a lower price from an authentic online jewelry store because they're capable of offering the same engagement rings at a reduced price. The price is low because they do not have to pay some overheads like money for the location, store, taxes etc. then you want to save some hard earned money, buying from an online jewelry is the best thing to do.
The local mom and pop jewelry shops that have been around a while with a good reputation are better. You can usually find unique pieces and for good deals. A lot of times when you go to big name stores like a Tiffany, etc all you are doing is paying for the name.
After you do some research on diamonds and the 4 C's, go to a shop that carries GIA certified diamonds. That was you know what you are getting and that everything is graded on the same scale. That was you can compare and contrast different diamonds apples to apples and prices out different rings at different shops, where jewelers might have different mark-ups. By knowing the GIA grades you can intelligently purchase a ring and shop around.
Ask your married friends where they got their rings. It's best to go to local reputable jewelers rather than buying online. Wedding jewelry is too important to buy without looking someone in the eye and getting a certified appraisal.
Average Price of an Engagement Ring
Usually the engagement ring has a diamond, but the wedding band may or may not. You also don't have to buy the band when you buy the engagement ring. The price of the rings depends on the quality of the diamond and other jem stones. Also, stay away from mall jewelry store, they are a rip off. The most important thing to consider before you buy a ring though, is to make sure that you will have enough money left over to pay for a good turnout. You have a fifty percent chance of needing that some day.
Get it through an independent jeweler. Do not go to a chain store jeweler. You will pay so much more for so much less. Even if the deal sounds good, don't do it.
A person bought a .71 carat diamond (not quite 3/4 carat) from one of the chain stores. He paid $5,000. He went to a jeweler and bought a .84 round solitaire for $3,400. Luckily, he could return the first ring. Ask around. Stay away from chain store jewelers. So many stones are cut in where the shank of the stone is longer in proportion than the top. This adds weight to the stone but you get less refraction (sparkle).
The diamond you buy doesn't have to be set in platinum. Your girlfriend just might be allergic to the elements that go into making yellow gold. White gold is made up of gold and nickle, which makes it white. Find out if she is allergic to white gold too.
Platinum is about 50 times stronger than gold. The higher the content of gold, let's say, 18 kt vs 14 kt, the softer the gold because gold is a soft material. Better take the bride-to-be shopping for the wedding band. If she likes the companion ring to her solitaire, great. If not, she'll get to pick the ring she wants. Platinum is very expensive, but it also cannot be resized. If you and your fiance are planning on having children, you might want to consider silver since it can be resized easily.
As for pricing, engagement rings can be just about as expensive as you want them. The bulk of the price generally does not come from the ring itself, but from the stone (or stones) that you put on it. For 1/4 carat diamond solitaire (one stone) ring, it could cost you $800 to $1200 dollars depending on the dealer and the band type, especially with platinum as your metal of choice. When you start getting up to 1 carat's worth of diamond, the stone alone can cost between $1,500 and $2,000. Bands usually don't cost much more than $1,000 unless it's designer made or is very complex.
Generally the engagement ring has a diamond, and the wedding band does not. There a lot of dealers that will sell an engagement ring and a wedding band as a set, and the wedding band will have smaller stones around it. The prominent diamond that sticks way out there and grabs attention usually only goes on the engagement ring. If you don't buy a set, like many people do, there is nothing socially awkward about going to buy a wedding band later.
What should be the cost? Normally it is 15% of your yearly income. A lot of girls don't care about size-I hope-they are just more content knowing they are loved. The wedding band is either plain or has a few diamonds and the engagement ring they wear when you get engaged and at the wedding you give her the wedding band. You can buy them at the same time- a lot of them come in sets- the engagement as well as wedding band. Give her the diamond before marriage and the band during the wedding ceremony. You can also get her a silver set. [Read: How to Propose a Man of Your Choice]
Basically the old rule is, 2 months salary, and you should buy the engagement ring for her, find out what she likes. Ask her mom, friends, sisters. They will tell you.
