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Original poster

Engagement ring

194 replies

EagerGreenShaker · 27/02/2026 13:45

If your partner was to propose to you today, roughly how much would you expect them to spend on an engagement ring?

i get that the value of a ring is not important and most people would be happy with any ring at all but just curious as to what people would say for they would expect a partner to pay on a ring you would love

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
Tryagain26 · 27/02/2026 16:00

Didimum · 27/02/2026 15:51

I’m already married, but I would expect £3-4k. It’s based on income and known outgoings however, so it’s very specific to the individual. How do we know your partner’s circumstances?

To me that seems a complete waste of money. In fact I'd be annoyed if anyone spent that much money on a ring for me.
But everyone is different so it's a meaningless question really

Crushed23 · 27/02/2026 16:00

I’m technically engaged but no ring yet. I don’t really care about how much he spends I just want a pretty ring that’s very ‘me’.

He’s talking about Tiffany’s and Jessica McCormick and wanting a natural stone, and keeps saying things like “you only do this once” so he’s probably going to spend far too much on it.

Edit: just to add, he/we are by no means rich, he just likes nice things and romance, plus has very generous parents/grandparents 😝

Hadalifeonce · 27/02/2026 16:02

I would rather money be put towards buying a house.

SpeedwellBlue · 27/02/2026 16:04

Mine was £350 in 1999. That would be about £787 today I think. It was everything I wanted.

Hadalifeonce · 27/02/2026 16:05

Mine cost £2.50 in 1998

Tintackedsea · 27/02/2026 16:08

Just as the first time I’d like to choose it together. I really wish I had any spare money because my original one doesn’t fit and I miss having a nice ring.

tarheelbaby · 27/02/2026 16:09

After he proposed*, I encouraged my fiancé to go to some jewellery shops on his own and see what he liked and look at the prices. We then went round the shops together and chose one that we both liked which suited his budget. It was a memorable and enjoyable day for us both. It was roughly 2 mos' salary for him but he also had plenty of savings so could have spent more and certainly vetoed the 30K ring ...

Some people think it's greatly significant that the proposer should be able to (magically?) choose a ring the recipient will adore. Equally, if you are starting a partnership, it is important to agree on important purchases as a team.

*We had discussed marriage a bit but it was important to him to propose; he did not want me to propose to him. We went for a lovely lunch and then to a local garden well known for its roses where he surprised me by popping the question.

HoppityBun · 27/02/2026 16:11

Calculate by how much you will be devalued on the marriage market if he breaks the engagement and tell him to get a ring from that amount.

Alternatively, choose an antique one together that you both like for about £200. Get two nice wedding rings for you both.

Everlil · 27/02/2026 16:13

Retro12 · 27/02/2026 15:20

@VickyEadieofThigh I would want more romance than that myself

I think whatever he can afford, no point getting into debt for it, but to make a conscious decision and think about what would suit me.

Depends how you do it, we did this and it was very romantic!!

I don’t think the traditional getting on one knee, bringing out a ring the person wearing for the rest of their life has never seen is romantic. I think it’s unimaginative, lazy, and boring personally - but each to their own!!

Marriage is a partnership, respecting each other. I think it should be what you can both afford, but we share everything (money, housework, childcare, etc.).

CharlotteStreetW1 · 27/02/2026 16:14

Didimum · 27/02/2026 15:51

I’m already married, but I would expect £3-4k. It’s based on income and known outgoings however, so it’s very specific to the individual. How do we know your partner’s circumstances?

It's not an application for universal credit!

NovemberMorn · 27/02/2026 16:14

BatchCookBabe · 27/02/2026 14:50

You're going to get a bunch of posters come on here soon @EagerGreenShaker and tell you that they didn't even HAVE an engagement ring, and they were happy just to have their partner's LURRVVVE! 😆

I don't need to have a lot of money spent, but it would have to be gold, with a solitaire diamond.

.

Edited

That made me laugh.😁
Actually I didn't get one because we were skint. I managed to waddle to the jewellers after marriage, when I was 7 months pregnant, husband had managed to save enough to get me a gold and solitaire diamong ring....which I loved.
This was 50 years ago.

I haven't been able to wear it over the last few years because arthritis, so it was just sitting in a jewellery box ...lonely.
Recently my grandson got engaged, I offered my own ring, which he was happy to accept, and now his fiance wears it with pride.

Notmycircusnotmyotter · 27/02/2026 16:15

It's not "expect" as such but knowing what he earns and from what we've been talking about, around £15k

Notmycircusnotmyotter · 27/02/2026 16:17

We'll choose it together for sure.

TsunamiTsunami · 27/02/2026 16:17

My engagement ring was £1000 in 2009. I truly would not want dh to spend more than that on a ring. I don't even wear mine that often as it catches on things

NovemberMorn · 27/02/2026 16:20

TsunamiTsunami · 27/02/2026 16:17

My engagement ring was £1000 in 2009. I truly would not want dh to spend more than that on a ring. I don't even wear mine that often as it catches on things

That is my pet hate.
Could you ask a jeweller to change the setting? sometimes the claws are too pronounced.

Loopylalalou · 27/02/2026 16:22

BatchCookBabe · 27/02/2026 14:50

You're going to get a bunch of posters come on here soon @EagerGreenShaker and tell you that they didn't even HAVE an engagement ring, and they were happy just to have their partner's LURRVVVE! 😆

I don't need to have a lot of money spent, but it would have to be gold, with a solitaire diamond.

.

Edited

I don’t have an engagement ring. I didn’t want one. I’ve only ever worn the one ring, my wedding ring, and that took some getting used to.

ProfessorBinturong · 27/02/2026 16:23

My ring¹ was £10 from Camden market. That was a while ago, so almost £20 in today's money.

It suited my style perfectly at the time, still does, and I love it. And don't have to worry about insuring it or the risk of losing thousands of pounds if I'm careless taking my gloves off.

¹ Not actually an engagement ring, but near enough.

OrlandointheWilderness · 27/02/2026 16:24

I firmly picked mine - budget wasn’t even discussed tbh, I found it years ago! It’s a silver band with a rough cut sapphire. It has engraving on the band that is very special to us - it’s the engraving off a silver pigeon shotgun which is the gun I learnt with and my DPs gun. It was £280 and I absolutely adore it.

YourLoyalPlumOP · 27/02/2026 16:25

EagerGreenShaker · 27/02/2026 13:45

If your partner was to propose to you today, roughly how much would you expect them to spend on an engagement ring?

i get that the value of a ring is not important and most people would be happy with any ring at all but just curious as to what people would say for they would expect a partner to pay on a ring you would love

I wouldn’t care if it cost 50p

i love tha he picked it for me.

girljulian · 27/02/2026 16:25

I'd never dare wear anything that cost more than about £200, so. That.

NovemberMorn · 27/02/2026 16:26

girljulian · 27/02/2026 16:25

I'd never dare wear anything that cost more than about £200, so. That.

'Dare'?

Seeingadistance · 27/02/2026 16:26

VickyEadieofThigh · 27/02/2026 14:50

I think getting married should be the result of discussion between the couple, not after some arcane "proposal" by a man and accompanied by a piece of jewellery.

If the couple agree to get married and think a ring should be bought, they should buy it together and pay what they can jointly afford.

This.

We seem to be going backwards in terms of equality. My parents are in their late 80s/early 90s and marriage was something they talked about and mutually agreed upon. Then they went ring shopping together - my DF would have paid for the ring as he was the higher earner and sexist traditional in that respect.

When I got engaged, again it was something we discussed together. We went ring shopping together and it was paid for from the joint account we'd already set up for household expenses as we were living together at the time.

Too many women post on here about passively waiting for a proposal and then being presented with a ring they don't even like but feel they need to wear.

Paganpentacle · 27/02/2026 16:27

BatchCookBabe · 27/02/2026 14:50

You're going to get a bunch of posters come on here soon @EagerGreenShaker and tell you that they didn't even HAVE an engagement ring, and they were happy just to have their partner's LURRVVVE! 😆

I don't need to have a lot of money spent, but it would have to be gold, with a solitaire diamond.

.

Edited

We didn't get engaged, just married.

MirrorMirror1247 · 27/02/2026 16:27

I'm divorced now, but my engagement ring was £750, and it was in a sale! As long as I loved the ring, I wouldn't have any expectation about how much it should cost. I'd probably want to choose it myself though as I'm quite picky.