What Should My Budget Be For An Engagement Ring?

When you meet the right person and know you want to spend the rest of your life with them, the next step of buying an engagement ring can be a very scary experience for most people. Buying an engagement ring is the first real piece of fine jewelry that most people make in their lives. This, combined with the fact that diamond rings can be very expensive, creates a scary feeling for most people which makes purchasing an engagement ring much more stressful than it should be.

When you ask the public how much they should spend on an engagement ring, the majority will briskly reply “three months salary” without hesitation. That is the result of decades of incredible marketing efforts by some of the largest diamond companies in the world, creating an illusion that you have to spend much more on that first big purchase than you actually need to.

The real answer to the infamous question is: There is a perfect ring for any budget. 

Every person knows their finances and has an idea about how much they can actually spend on the purchase, but doesn’t know if that budget will allow them to get the beautiful ring their significant other has always dreamt about. Even the famous Elizabeth Taylor had a budget when buying jewelry, although hers may have been significantly more than most of ours.

The key is getting the most value out of the purchase is working with a custom jeweler that spends the time with you to provide education on everything there is to know about diamonds, ring designs, pricing and all of the options that you actually have. The perfect ring is not already out there in a jewelry stores showcase waiting to be selected, it should be custom made and designed for you based on what she is going to love and what you are comfortable spending. Working with a custom jeweler allows you to maximize your budget by being involved each step of the process, from personally selecting the center diamond or gem to designing the perfect ring, all the while staying within the budget you actually want to spend.

Creating and designing the perfect ring for you should be much less stressful than its cut out to be, which ultimately comes down to building a relationship and trust with the person you are working with. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and become educated. In a world where everyone is supposed to know everything because they can simply ask Google, don’t be afraid to ask a real person the questions you think might be stupid. Embrace the fact that this is one of the most exciting times in your life, and work with someone who is going to give you the respect, time and attention you deserve and ultimately create a beautiful ring with any budget you are working with.

Don’t let the experience be more scary than it already is. Find a custom jeweler you trust and start asking questions, you’ll be happy that you did.