Engagement Ring Spending Guideline

The tried and true engagement ring spending guideline is that you should spend the equivalent of two month’s of your salary on your engagement ring. In today’s world, this may or may not be financially feasible in your particular circumstances.

You certainly don’t want to skimp on the most important piece of jewelry you will ever buy. You want to make sure your fiancé to be is swept away by your proposal and by the engagement ring you present to her when you ask for her hand in marriage.

Traditions may come and go, but some things never change. Deep down, most women want their man to sweep them off their feet and make them feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. Start your engagement off right buy following the traditional engagement ring spending guideline as closely as your finances permit.

Of course, while following the engagement ring spending guideline, you will want to make sure you get the most bang for your buck. The markup on jewelry can be high. There is a good chance that you will be able to purchase a much higher quality diamond engagement ring if you do some shopping around. Definitely learn about engagement ring pricing.

There are many different places that are eager to sell you the perfect engagement ring. Chances are there are at least five jewelry stores in your hometown alone. Add to that the jewelry stores in your surrounding communities, plus the almost endless number of jewelry stores that can be found on the internet (try BlueNile, they are great!), and you can quickly see how important it is to shop around.

Your spending guideline will ultimately determine the quality of diamond engagement ring you can afford, but you may be surprised at the beautiful engagement ring you can find while still staying within your budget.

Diamonds are rated on the four C’s – clarity, cut, carat and color. The clearer and lighter the diamond, the better the quality and the higher the cost will be. You should take some time to educate yourself on the rating system used in the engagement ring business. BlueNile has many excellent guides exactly for that purpose. Knowing what you are looking at when shopping for your engagement ring will help you stick to your engagement ring spending guideline.

It is also important to consider the setting of your engagement ring. Settings are available in 18 karat gold, 24 karat gold, white gold, sterling silver and platinum. The different types of settings will all come at different prices of course.

You should look at your engagement ring spending guideline and try to determine what type of engagement ring you want before you start shopping. Having an idea of the style of engagement ring you are looking for and the size of the diamond you can afford will help you to stay within your spending guideline.