alwayswondering Posted June 7, 2005 Posted June 7, 2005 hey, I was just wondering about the "average" engagement ring or if there is such an average, in relation to karat size and price. My friends all have huge rocks with a huge price tag, 2 karak solitaires in the price range of $6000 and my boyfriend is not even close to being that wealthy. We were thinking something along the lines of a one karat three stone ring in the price range of $1500 to $2000. Just wanted some input.......never been married or engaged before, does it really matter down the road if we get what we can afford or go broke paying for a bigger one, is it really gonna matter several years down the road? Need input from experienced people, I am not materialistic at all and would be happy with a piece of glass, but I don't want a ring that you have to get out the magnifying glass to see either or have people calling him cheap behind his back. thanks.
HokeyReligions Posted June 7, 2005 Posted June 7, 2005 Who cares what others think! Get what makes you happy. Some people have rings with no stones in them. The ring is just a symbol and to judge what to get based on others just seems silly. You don't base your relationship on others do you?
billybadass36 Posted June 7, 2005 Posted June 7, 2005 If your friends have 2 carat solitaires that they bought for $6,000, then the diamonds they have aren't of very high quality. I'm not going to advise you on diamond quality because there's SO much to know, but there are plenty of good sites that can do that for you. pricescope.com is one that is not itself a commercial site that has a good tutorial on the basics. My experience is that you'll do a lot better and avoid sales tax if you purchase from a reputable online dealer. That said, if you had to choose between quality and size, ALWAYS go for quality in this order: CUT, color, clarity, carat weight. I would never buy anything but ideal cut round diamonds. When you get to lesser cut diamonds, they compromise light return for carat weight, and they're not nearly as "sparkly". If you go for an ideal cut, G-I Color, SI1 clarity, you can do okay in your price range. Click around at various online retailers to see what's in your price range. Size should be the least important factor for you, though, IMO. PM me if you want some referrals.
New_Wife Posted June 7, 2005 Posted June 7, 2005 I had the perfect ring picked out. It was divine. He had taken the money out of his retirement to pay for it. Meanwhile, back on the homefront, the dog I had saved up for arrived at the airport, and we picked her up. She was sick. She had lung worm, pnemonia, was about 20 lbs underweight, severely dehydrated, malnourished and had other parasites. She couldn't even hold down water. She just trembled. You could see every bone she had. We didn't own her six hours before her breathing becamse so labored it was clear she was going to die. We ran her to the emergency vet hospital - where she kept her little nose in my neck the whole time, making her baby whimpers in my ear. The confirmed that she was, in fact, a very very sick doggie who would likely die if we didn't leave her there on Hard Core IV treatment for a few days to rehydrate & clear some of the infections & parasites out. My fiance (at the time) looked at my tears & the estimate for her care (nearly $2K) and told me that he had the money, but I wouldn't get my ring. It was my choice. It took me less than 1/2 a second. Today that dog is 65 lbs, and she's spoiled rotten. The most loyal thing you've ever seen, but she does get into puppy trouble like any dog. The fiance is my husband. I won't tell you what ring I got. Do you know why? Because I got the man that loved me & my little kids that much. Whether I got a big ring, little ring, or no ring will never top that. Hope it helps.
HokeyReligions Posted June 7, 2005 Posted June 7, 2005 Originally posted by New_Wife I had the perfect ring picked out. It was divine. He had taken the money out of his retirement to pay for it. Meanwhile, back on the homefront, the dog I had saved up for arrived at the airport, and we picked her up. She was sick. She had lung worm, pnemonia, was about 20 lbs underweight, severely dehydrated, malnourished and had other parasites. She couldn't even hold down water. She just trembled. You could see every bone she had. We didn't own her six hours before her breathing becamse so labored it was clear she was going to die. We ran her to the emergency vet hospital - where she kept her little nose in my neck the whole time, making her baby whimpers in my ear. The confirmed that she was, in fact, a very very sick doggie who would likely die if we didn't leave her there on Hard Core IV treatment for a few days to rehydrate & clear some of the infections & parasites out. My fiance (at the time) looked at my tears & the estimate for her care (nearly $2K) and told me that he had the money, but I wouldn't get my ring. It was my choice. It took me less than 1/2 a second. Today that dog is 65 lbs, and she's spoiled rotten. The most loyal thing you've ever seen, but she does get into puppy trouble like any dog. The fiance is my husband. I won't tell you what ring I got. Do you know why? Because I got the man that loved me & my little kids that much. Whether I got a big ring, little ring, or no ring will never top that. Hope it helps. OK, you made me cry. Hug your dog for me. No cold stone is worth more than a warm cuddle.
ConfusedInOC Posted June 7, 2005 Posted June 7, 2005 Originally posted by New_Wife Because I got the man that loved me & my little kids that much. Whether I got a big ring, little ring, or no ring will never top that. You know, all I've ever wanted in my life was to be with a woman who felt that way about me. I'll keep praying for her.... Great story.
SexKitten Posted June 7, 2005 Posted June 7, 2005 i don't like animals, so i would have gone for the ring. but i still wouldn't demand that it be doorknob size. honestly, tngirl, unless you're millionaires, the bigger the diamond, the more quality you sacrifice. then you just have a big diamond that allows the many imperfections to be seen even more easily. i'd rather have a smaller (smaller, not small) near perfect gem than a big ugly mess on my finger. some rings are so big they're tacky. my mother's is like that, and people look at her like she's a snob, even though she's the farthest thing from it...not to mention that she obviously didn't buy it for herself.
melina Posted June 8, 2005 Posted June 8, 2005 Well, I guess I have been somewhat lucky as my ring cost about USD 22 000. It's a 1.76 carat and very good 3 Cs. I NEVER even expected a ring. not common here. But my man somehow thought it was important and surprised me with it. I am NOT materialistic! Always going for the "mentally challenging" jobs and never for the money etc. The same for guys. I would have never chosen my boyfriend because he has a good income. But .... (shame on me). IT IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL RING on the planet and I love it! The way I see it is that I will still be wearing it when I'm eighty years old. It will always remind me of the day when my boyfriend went down on his knees and asking me that question.
jellybean Posted June 8, 2005 Posted June 8, 2005 To New_Wife, That's a really sweet story....thanks for sharing.
Mz. Pixie Posted June 9, 2005 Posted June 9, 2005 I may get something thrown at me, but why not tell him to invest in a good CZ Ring? I told my bf not to purchase me a diamond. It's not a question of affording it, but I did all that the first time around. It doesn't make the marriage last any longer. I told him I'd much rather have a vacation or something for our home than to spend $6,000+ on something like that right now. Lots of times the only person that can tell is a jeweler with a loop. Only you and he have to know the difference.
millefiori Posted June 9, 2005 Posted June 9, 2005 Most people seem to equate the prize or size of the diamond with the affection their soon-to-be spouse is supposed to feel for them. I wonder though if a woman who at this point is still so insecure about her man and his truthful devotion to her if she's really ready to marry him.
SexKitten Posted June 9, 2005 Posted June 9, 2005 Originally posted by melina Well, I guess I have been somewhat lucky as my ring cost about USD 22 000. It's a 1.76 carat and very good 3 Cs. I NEVER even expected a ring. not common here. But my man somehow thought it was important and surprised me with it. I am NOT materialistic! Always going for the "mentally challenging" jobs and never for the money etc. The same for guys. I would have never chosen my boyfriend because he has a good income. But .... (shame on me). IT IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL RING on the planet and I love it! The way I see it is that I will still be wearing it when I'm eighty years old. It will always remind me of the day when my boyfriend went down on his knees and asking me that question. if your ring was 22000 dollars, and it's not even two carats, you got majorly ripped off.
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