Cost of engagement ring

[brightbluesky]

Recently had a chat with a colleague who is expecting a proposal soon, she said that she has been looking at rings for sometime, and was specifically only looking at rings that were 3k plus with as large a solitaire centre as possible...! She has made it clear to her boyfriend she is "worth it" and won't accept any less, her words, and he isn't to go anywhere near a high street jewellers or spend less than 3k!

For a moment I felt a pang of envy and the thought of owning such a rock, then I got a grip! my own ring is a white gold cluster and cost £700 in 2008. We went to look at different jewellers, and I picked out a handful of rings I loved. My husband then went pack and made the finally choice.

Cost didn't come into it. We didn't have a budget, just wanted to pick something that was durable and a bit unusual (I didn't want a solitaire).

Was the cost of your ring important to you? Or did you just go for something you loved too?

Photos welcome :)

Here's mine

Mine. Platinum with a small solitaire.

Pictured with the wedding band I will wear when we get married, also platinum/diamond.

I love them. Dainty, elegant, and suit my character and style nicely.

Can’t wait to be able to wear the wedding ring!

Mine was bespoke, and we paid the equivalent of 1800. Have recently had it valued at double that - mainly because we bought it in a “cheaper” country & got 40% off from the jewellers.

I tried on more expensive ones but didn’t love anything as much as this.

Sorry for sausage finger! It was a very hot day and my finger did not take well to the trying on of numerous rings!

My engagement ring cost just over £3.5k DH wanted to get a very clear, good quality diamond and went to look at loads in Hatton Garden, then chose the simple ring separately. He got very into researching diamonds. I asked DH not to go any higher than £4K as I felt it unnecessary.

Looking back... I rarely wear the ring due to my job and I'll be honest, I'd rather we had he majority of the £ in our savings account! It's simple, small and beautifully clear but for the money, not worth it. For me.

Cost not important no. We had a tiny intimate wedding too. I’m interested in my marriage to an amazing man.

My ring was made using the stones from my mums engagement ring so it’s very special to me. It’s beautiful but I’d happily have had something smaller.

Expensive and large doesn't mean nice but some think it does. Mine is classic. It was important to me that it was long lasting and wearable every day. Love it 17 years on!

I have a rock! It was expensive and possibly a bit flashy but I love it. Honestly, I'm not sure I'd have loved something cheap as much so whilst it's not important for me to say DH spent X on my ring, spending X allowed me to get what I want.

My actual engagement and wedding rings won't fit my swollen pregnant fingers but DH and the kids bought me this for Christmas so I've been wearing it on my ring finger instead 😊

No cost has very little input, intact cheaper the better, I knew I wanted white gold , and a twist in the design ... and he chose a beautiful ring ... I think it was about £1k ... in 2007 so a fair amount but he picked it based on what I liked... I also got an expensive wedding band .. about the same cost because of that twist most looked odd on my finger .. I would have preferred we spent less but by husband also said it was important I loved it as it was something I would be wearing forever ❤️❤️❤️ ( I am so spoilt )

Trying to send image again

Mine cost £120 a vintage 18K gold and diamond number, not big, not flashy but perfect for me at the time.

It's a big birthday this year and I've asked if we can look for a new ring for me, will have a bigger budget although I'm not keen to spend too much and it has to be 1950's or earlier.

My bestie has a gorgeous platinum and diamond monster, it was very expensive but her and her husband could afford it. I don't rate what i have compared to hers. i'm happy she got the ring she really wanted, she's happy I got what I wanted.

These are mine. They cost my husband absolutely nothing. All three are heirlooms from my family. Wedding ring was my great nans, eternity ring was my nans and engagement ring was my mums.

My mums engagement ring cost my dad about £300 in 1991. My grandad paid about £300 for my nans eternity ring in the 1960's. My great nans wedding ring would have been from the 1920's or so and I have no idea how much it would have cost, not very much I'm sure (compared to prices today).

I already had my nans ring as it was left to me when she died. And my mum has more than happy for me to have my great nans wedding ring (she had it as her eldest grandchild), and her ring from my dad.

So all they cost was the price of resizing and cleaning.

happymummy I love yours. That history, and the memories tied to them, is absolutely priceless.

I’m a bit teary at that! - I’m missing my grandmother today and was just thinking that I ought to take the ring she gave me in and have it melted down and made into a pendant (it’s too small for me to wear these days).

I dont think cost = beautiful but mine did cost about 6k 10 yrs ago & is insured for more. However its not a rock, main stone 1ct but because it’s a emerald cut DH paid extra for a great cut, colour, clarity etc as that cut always sparkles less than a solitaire for example. I’d rather small & sparkly then big & dull.

@spanishwife

I feel the same about wedding dresses, why do girls who wear matalan and tesco clothes suddenly get a £2k dress?!

Er probably cos matalan and tesco don’t do wedding dresses?

I would have been first in line for a Matalan wedding dress!

@Pinkyponkcustard but you can buy high street wedding dresses, or second hand etc. If you can't afford expensive clothes why just splurge on one item for one day? I just find it strange, always have always will.

I agree with @spanishwife.

Me and now DH have ok jobs and pre-kids and wedding had a bit more to spend. I have always bought expensive bags and shoes for my own money because I love it (and treating myself ok bonus days... we work in sales).

While I definitely did not have a figure in mind when it came to cost, I knew exactly what style I wanted ring wise (large Centre diamond and two smaller next to this - emerald cut). When he asked me what's important for me in the ring, I told him the style and also that I would prefer as big as possible (within his budget) middle diamond, but don't need the best quality (think VS1) as it really can't be seen with the naked eye anyway!

Very very happy with the result, 2 carat middle stone and two half carat on the sides, platinum setting. It cost 12k GBP in the end but is valued more in the UK (we live abroad).

As wedding present I gave him a Rolex so he also has something! So it's give and take :)

PS big does not always equal tasteful

When we were looking for wedding rings in the Brum jewellery quarter, I asked one jeweller who typically bought the rings with the massive rocks.

Travellers , apparently.

I wasn’t bothered about an engagement ring particularly. I didn’t really want one but it was bought for me. Cost was irrelevant. In fact, I hardly wear it - maybe a couple of times a year. So it’s a bit of a waste. My wedding ring belonged to my grandma.

I think it depends on his budget. For some folks three grand is a lot, for others not so much, so do you know his budget?

My ring was expensive but it was within my husband's budget, we picked it together.

I'd have found it odd if he had bought me a cheap ring when he could afford way more, or if he went the other way and bought something he couldn't afford.

I bought him am expensive yves st Laurent watch, which is now an antique and worth even more due to its rarity and condition (Got engaged 27 years ago) and our daughter wears it and it looks fantastic on her wrist as i so unusual. It's lovely it's now getting some use again by her.

This is mine and our wedding rings from our wedding photos and then one from my phone.
I adore my rings but not because they were expensive - but because of what they represent. We were lucky enough to afford 'fancy' rings but if things were different I don't think I would think any less of cheaper rings.

Cost is unimportant (as long as it can take a lifetime of wearing daily). What matters is that it is right for the person wearing it.

Cost totally unimportant!

When we got engaged I was on a year out between uni and teaching college, working in a care home. Dh was a medical student.

He couldn't afford much, obviously, but we really wanted to get engaged. So off we popped to Ratners (remember them? If you don't, they were definitely the Lidl of the jewellery shops).

I got a 9ct gold, cubic zirconia solitaire. It cost £27 and I loved it then and I love it now, though it doesn't fit right now. It's my engagement ring and it brings back such happy memories of when we were young and had nothing but each other.

Your colleague is BU and grabby - it's not a good look. It's a ring. It's what it symbolises that is important!

And the commitment stands - it's our silver wedding this year!

I ❤️ all the rings on this thread, and all the stories.

We’re finally getting married this year (been together a long time) and I’m really looking forward to it.

💐to all, and here’s to many happy years to come!