Question for dudes, how much to pay for engagement ring?

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Tick

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So ... want to tie the knot ... but how much should I be paying for an engagement/wedding ring? How much did others here pay? Have heard the 'two months salary' 'guide' but that is just marketing, right? Who can really afford that in these times.
 
i think it's a good bet that they if they really are a good choice, they wouldnt care how expensive the ring is. Rather look at how it looks rather than just the price tag.
 
I spent R 4.5K in 2004. It all depends on looks I think, also there's no point in going for something huge when you have a petite fiance. My wife, is not a very large person and I looked at getting her a ring with a single 1 carat diamond but when I saw the diamond, the whole thing would have looked too big for her hand anyway. Aethetics is what counts but a baseline I think is :

18ct gold.
Diamonds are a girl best friend.
Comfort? Is it only to be worn before the wedding ring or does it form part of the wedding ring.
Aesthetics
NO CUBICS!
 
Try to find a reputable jeweller, avoid the retail stores at all costs! I basically got half off by going to a private jeweller. The tricky part of course is the reputable thing...
 
This was discussed in my office recently for some REALLY arb reason..... and the women all said 2 months of your gross salary.
 
Spend whatever you want to on a ring you think she will like. Who cares how much it costs? If she loves you she won't. I'm not sure I even agree with the whole thing of the man buying the woman a ring.
 
Can't go wrong with a Platinum Band & Princess Cut Diamond.

Depending on your budget, you can go look at a ring for say R30k or R40K, then, you tell the jeweler that you like that ring & you only have 15 or 20k & then he will make it a little cheaper. He will put in a smaller diamond & the clarity might not be VVS2 or something like that, it would be 2 or 3 grades lower. It will still look clearer to the naked eye though so don't worry.

:)

Good Luck
 
Wedding rings are big risks: Stolen, lost, breakup and the chance she might just saying no. There is no real investment value in it at all. My suggestion is choose a ring that would look good on her and go with that if you can afford it. If you can't afford it, keeping looking around as you save up till you get enough for a ring you [and she] likes.

And really, if the price of the ring matters to your future fiance, you should really consider what type of person she is.
 
If you are prepared to sacrifice the surprise element then ask her. I had inside info from my wife's sister on what the ring should look like (my wife happened to draw her "dream" ring for her sister) and of course the size wasn't difficult either cause she had other rings lying around which I could covertly inspect at times. I was therefore able to make the proposal completely a surprise. Talking about "that day" gets her in the mood quickly ;)

If you don't spend "enough" she may think you don't value her much. That's just the way it works. There's no making up later in getting a 2nd (better) ring cause the 1st one is from that special moment when you proposed.

I also used a private jeweller - saved a ton. Just ask around.

The size and pricetag of the ring is an issue if you take into account the crime problem in SA. Insurance on a wedding ring is expensive. The other day in Stellenbosch a woman was walking in die Boord (an upmarket suburb) during the day and a man came and ripped her ring off her finger. She had to get stitches.

The other thing is you also need money for the honeymoon, so you have to try and balance the two.

Some may say why waste so much money at the beginning setting you back for months (years?). I think there's a place for building unforgettable memories which you can go back to when the tough times in your marriage comes. So we slept on a matrass on the floor for a few months and used a bar fridge. What amazed me is how quickly you find people who want to "store" their furniture at your place.
 
ToxicBunny said:
This was discussed in my office recently for some REALLY arb reason..... and the women all said 2 months of your gross salary.
Click to expand...

At risk of derailing this chaps thread, I need to rant...

This is part of the reason I have not popped the question yet after 9 years! The act of marriage no longer holds the meaning it is supposed to. It is now more about female friends, before even asking anything else, wanting to see the ring. Screw what the guy said, or what he did, or how stoked you both are... nope the first thing is "let's see the ring". It has become a little contest to see who has got the bigger ring, as if that equates to how much he loves you.

Two months salary?! And they even have the gall to stipulate gross! Fsuk them! Since when does the person getting the "gift" dictate the value? What happened to symbolism? Does a higher price all of a sudden make it more symbolic? It has just become another big commercial money spinner. Magazines, the media, movies, "peer pressure", they all hook you into believing that you need to spend a fortune.

Interesting to note that as the price of a wedding has increased so too has the divorce rate!
 
Diamonds are a particularly stupid modern tradition. By buying them you are essentially funding one of the slimiest businesses in the world. But if you must buy a ring get the cheapest you can find that you actually like. If she cares about the size or cost drop her off the nearest pier, preferably in shark-infested waters.

ToxicBunny said:
This was discussed in my office recently for some REALLY arb reason..... and the women all said 2 months of your gross salary.
Click to expand...
What a bunch of gold diggers.
 
I payed R13K few months back for a 0.5ct diamond and 18ct white gold ring.
Wivey was happy with it.
2 months salary story is overkill...
 
Whats up with all these people saying you must spend as little as possible? To each his own I say! Dont judge others for spending more, and same goes the other way around, dont judge others for spending less. Just get what you can afford. A R1k ring would mean the world if you only earn R2k p/m, whereas a R50k ring would mean zilch if you earn R100k p/m.
 
Have a ring made. It will be unique, which will make her happy.
Spent what you can afford. There will plenty oppertunities later in life to expand on the ring collection.

If you don't know what type of ring she would like, you could:
1. Ask her straight out what she likes, or
2. Point at seemingly random rings in displays, and then listen carefully to what she says about it.

/end 2c.
 
Archer said:
Whats up with all these people saying you must spend as little as possible? To each his own I say! Dont judge others for spending more, and same goes the other way around, dont judge others for spending less. Just get what you can afford. A R1k ring would mean the world if you only earn R2k p/m, whereas a R50k ring would mean zilch if you earn R100k p/m.
Click to expand...

Seeing as though we are now having a go at each other in this thread as a result of our opinions, let me have a go too!

Can you not see how this is a load of bullcrap!?! Why would a R50k ring mean nothing just because someone earns a lot more? What happened to the symbolism? Why should the price even be factored into the equation?

And then let's analyse your example further. The chap earning R2k spent half his salary on a ring and you say it means the world. The R100k earner spends half his salary and you say it means nothing?!?! You see how stupid this entire discussion of cost is?

I'm siding with the guys who say dump the bitch if she is not satisfied with whatever you get her. And if her friends make comments tell them to take a hike too!
 
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