AW and a question (with a clicky poll)??

JustWonderin805

FI and I have been engaged for a while now, but I was wearing a simple band because we didn't have it in our budget to get an actual engagement ring. Well, to my surprise FI told me that we will be going ring shopping this weekend! 

He has the money in his savings account, and said that I can pick anything up to 3k-4k (total, with the wedding band, etc). I'm just wondering, is this an extreme price? I'm really simple with my tastes, and what I've been looking at online has been more in the 700-1,000 range. I asked a few friends and the responses have ranged from less than 500 to over 5,000. So that didn't help much. So tell me ladies, if you're comfortable sharing in the clicky poll, how much did you spend on your engagement and wedding band?

[Poll]

jschwind22

SS option please!

My wedding rings are family heirlooms- DH's great-grandmothers.  I actually had the set appraised last week when I was having some of the prongs redone and they are worth about $2000.  So we technically spent nothing, but they are worth quite a bit IMO.  Soooo, I fit nowhere in your poll lol!

JustWonderin805

jschwind22:

SS option please!

My wedding rings are family heirlooms- DH's great-grandmothers.  I actually had the set appraised last week when I was having some of the prongs redone and they are worth about $2000.  So we technically spent nothing, but they are worth quite a bit IMO.  Soooo, I fit nowhere in your poll lol!

I love family heirlooms that are passed down Sorry I forgot the S.S. I added it now! 

jlo62511

You can sometimes get a killer set, for an amazing price. Places like Gordon's or Zales can have some beautiful jewelry in their "pre-owned" section. It is NOT always  that they have been worn before, so definitely do the research.I found the wedding set of my dreams, originally $4,900, but was in the preowned case. The person who picked it out had put it on layaway, and decided they did not want it. They never even took it out of the store, and Gordons had to mark it down and consider it preowned. DH got it for $1,200.

Like I said, do some shopping. You would be amazed at the deals you can find!!!!! 

smscartozzi

Don't rule out "used" rings!  Mine is from a jeweler but was bought at an estate sale!  The wedding date engraved inside the ring was from 1901!!  I feel blessed to own a piece of someone's history and now it is a part of my own to pass down!  We saved some $ too because it appraised at twice what we paid for it.....and then bought a new band to match!  Just an idea if you like older decorative jewelry.

HBGroz6912

anastasiacarmen:

I believe the rule of thumb for engagement rings is 2 months salary.  Someone correct me if i am wrong.

DH got my ring on sale.  Its 2.5 TCW in white gold for $2,700.  You can get amazing rings on sale!

I heard 3 months salary. BUT no that's not what we did! We were younger with not a lot of money and my set was $2300. I love it and I said that maybe later in life I'd upgrade to a bigger diamond. Mine is like .65. But flawless and it's platinum.

HBGroz6912

jlo62511:

You can sometimes get a killer set, for an amazing price. Places like Gordon's or Zales can have some beautiful jewelry in their "pre-owned" section. It is NOT always  that they have been worn before, so definitely do the research.I found the wedding set of my dreams, originally $4,900, but was in the preowned case. The person who picked it out had put it on layaway, and decided they did not want it. They never even took it out of the store, and Gordons had to mark it down and consider it preowned. DH got it for $1,200.

Like I said, do some shopping. You would be amazed at the deals you can find!!!!! 

Holy I never knew you could do pre-owned? That's awesome! Wish I would of known, but then again I didn't pick mine and my husband would of never of known either. lol

LnR70707

The day of my wedding, I was wearing probably about 10K worth of jewelry (everything, not just rings), but we didn't pay that.  My "something blue" was a 1K ring bought for about $400, similar story for my earrings.   I don't know the exact value of my e-ring, but my wedding band was $1900 because platinum jumped in price right after DH bought my e-ring.   DH's band is white gold and was only $200.  Both have held up great.  Ultimately it is what makes you happy.

jlo62511

HBGroz6912:

jlo62511:

You can sometimes get a killer set, for an amazing price. Places like Gordon's or Zales can have some beautiful jewelry in their "pre-owned" section. It is NOT always  that they have been worn before, so definitely do the research.I found the wedding set of my dreams, originally $4,900, but was in the preowned case. The person who picked it out had put it on layaway, and decided they did not want it. They never even took it out of the store, and Gordons had to mark it down and consider it preowned. DH got it for $1,200.

Like I said, do some shopping. You would be amazed at the deals you can find!!!!! 

Holy I never knew you could do pre-owned? That's awesome! Wish I would of known, but then again I didn't pick mine and my husband would of never of known either. lol

I did not know either. I was with a friend who was shopping for her wedding set, and I saw this one. DH was with us and saw me all googly eyed over it. I went back the next day to get the scoop, and it was gone. I was so sad. But was thrilled when he popped the Q, and it was the same ring!! Sneaky Sneaky! 

ChuggingWater

I would have whacked MH upside the damn head if he would have blown 3 months salary on a ring for me.  (We were saving for a house at the time.)  

YouMe&Bax

JustWonderin805:

FI and I have been engaged for a while now, but I was wearing a simple band because we didn't have it in our budget to get an actual engagement ring. Well, to my surprise FI told me that we will be going ring shopping this weekend! 

He has the money in his savings account, and said that I can pick anything up to 3k-4k (total, with the wedding band, etc). I'm just wondering, is this an extreme price? I'm really simple with my tastes, and what I've been looking at online has been more in the 700-1,000 range. I asked a few friends and the responses have ranged from less than 500 to over 5,000. So that didn't help much. So tell me ladies, if you're comfortable sharing in the clicky poll, how much did you spend on your engagement and wedding band?

 

My engagement ring is a family heirloom as well, but my wedding band is one dh and I bought. Altogether about 3k. 

jazzyexpo

DH got my rings on sale too. The engagement ring was 1 CTW, with a half carat center stone and half carat in smaller stones, in 14 carat gold and certified for $800 and I love it. The band was also on sale and it matches the smaller stones in my engagement ring, half CTW in 14 carat gold for $600.  

hopeful808

My engagement ring was about $2,000 our wedding bands were $180 together but they are titanium. But the metal matches my white gold e-ring quite well. I liked that the inside of our rings was a deep blue and they are handcrafted. I got them on etsy. 

TeamAwesomeBaby

A couple of great options if you can't find something you like in your price range:

1. Vintage - there are amazing estate/vintage diamonds out there, sometimes for great prices.

2. Other gemstones - What's your birth stone? You could get a beautiful gem for that price range.

3. Costco - they have fantastic prices.

4. Synthetic diamonds - they're identical to "regular" diamonds, but created in a lab rather than by a geological process. Think of them as diamond clones. They're a fraction of the price of regular diamonds but they sparkle the same.

 

Anyway, good luck! How exciting!! You'll have to come back and let us know what you end up getting.  

Nechie122

I actually have no idea what he spent! I only have a rough idea because we have a separate insurance policy for it.

BioGirl21

My ering was 800 and I got my wedding band off Ebay for 70. We were young and broke when we got engaged but even I we weren't I don't think I'd want something much more expensive. I plan on getting an eternity band to put on the other side of my Ering some time in the future, probably around our 5 year anniversary.

Guillerma

I think you've gotten some great answers here. The "rule" is 3 months salary, but I think in general it's much more important is that it's what makes YOU happy. Do you like big bling or are you a simpler type? Do you like yellow gold or would platinum make you happier? Do you even like diamonds, or maybe sapphires are your thing.

 I will caution you against choosing a diamond or even looking at diamond prices online, however. Quality can differ VASTLY between stones and that is where the cost lies. This is impossible to see online. Go to a trustworthy, reputable local jeweler and have someone educate you on the quality and type of stones, then find something that is "you." Don't compare it to what people on here or in real life are spending or have spent. Do what makes you feel beautiful and what makes you happy to have on your hand as a symbol of your love forever.

Good luck and congrats- how fun!!

MsCraftsy

SS- My wedding band is a "wrap" that has sapphires and small diamonds. I found it on sale for 60% off and it was 175.00 at zales .

My e-ring was an heirloom that I had remade (with permission) to put the diamond into a white gold solitaire setting since I don't wear yellow gold.It was the exact same setting just a different gold. That was 200.00. The original ring it's self was appraised at 1900.00 about 10 years ago. I haven't gotten it appraised since. =/ Bad me. I know, I need to get on that.

bewilderingstar

ChuggingWater:

I would have whacked MH upside the damn head if he would have blown 3 months salary on a ring for me. nbsp;We were saving for a house at the time. nbsp;

Exactly! MH knew better than to spend that much! I have a friend though who is dating an attorney and expects the 3mos rule for her ering. Something like 40 50k ring.... Seriously.

ETA on my phone so its taking out the hyphens

hawkeyes32

JustWonderin805:

FI and I have been engaged for a while now, but I was wearing a simple band because we didn't have it in our budget to get an actual engagement ring. Well, to my surprise FI told me that we will be going ring shopping this weekend! 

He has the money in his savings account, and said that I can pick anything up to 3k-4k (total, with the wedding band, etc). I'm just wondering, is this an extreme price? I'm really simple with my tastes, and what I've been looking at online has been more in the 700-1,000 range. I asked a few friends and the responses have ranged from less than 500 to over 5,000. So that didn't help much. So tell me ladies, if you're comfortable sharing in the clicky poll, how much did you spend on your engagement and wedding band?

I say, if you like the ones in the 700-1000 range, get that. Don't feel like you need to spend more money just because he has it or because other people think that's how much you should spend. If your taste is suited toward a less expensive ring, get it and use the rest of the money toward your wedding/future baby etc.

 

kristykay123

Yay for jewelry shopping!

karda2011

My set was originally 2500 but it was on sale for 1200 and we got 20 off that for signing up for a Fred Meyer credit card. This year I got an anniversary band for 150 that was on clearance because it was discontinued. It was originally 900. So we spent 1200 ish for 3400 worth of rings. Check out the sales! Have fun shopping!

JilllyBean

I'm not sure where you live, but if you live near a major city, I would recommend going to a wholesaler in the jewelry district. My H went to a jeweler for mine and while I thought that sounded more expensive, they sell at wholesale prices. They are the guys that sell to Kay's, Jared, etc. Ask around for a reference as that is usually the only way to find someone. You can save a ton of money that way! I'd say half the price of retail. I know our jeweler partners with the retail guys in the same building so all our settings were half off too.

The 'pre owned' option sounds like a great idea too!  

HungryRunner76

I don't think that's an outrageous or extreme amount, but each couple is different. That amount is roughly what my set cost in my first marriage. The set I have now from my husband is a good deal more but he had more in savings and he worked with a neighbor who was a jeweler for a discount on the diamond and the setting.

Checkout Craigslist. I sold my set from my first marriage for a steal compared to the store value. A lot of people going through divorces are doing this these days. If they don't have paperwork, I would keep looking.

Here's the funny story behind it though: I searched for the guy interested in my ring on Facebook. I guess my logic was safety and curiosity. I saw we had a mutual friend a girl I went to high school with in another state. Well, once I met him I asked him about her and that was the girl he was going to propose to with my rings! They're happily married now. It makes me happy to see someone else get joy out of them.

Eta: to answer op's question, grammar, and to tell op congrats!!! Enjoy picking one out! :

rissa06

Nechie122:

I actually have no idea what he spent! I only have a rough idea because we have a separate insurance policy for it.

This. 

katharine25

My wedding ring was about under $500, and we figured we would upgrade me when we had more disposable cash. That 6 years ago and it's showing it's wear. It also 9 little diamonds so that contributed to the cost, but the setting isn't stellar. We put more money into his and had it custom made ... Which he then proceeded to lose on the beach on our honeymoon. I replaced his for our 1st anniversary. I would love to upgrade mine for our tenth. Maybe he'll surprise me...

DH's brother is a jeweler and made my engagement ring, which I adore. DH bought the diamond at cost, I have no idea how much.  We were broke then so it Definetly wasn't 2 months salary, though it would retail for a fair amount I imagine.

wearebirds

Like a pp said...I think its 3 months salary. However, that was back when people could actually afford to do that. DH and I probably still wouldn't be married if that were the case. I wanted to be married more than I wanted an expensive ring....not to say those pricey ones didn't whisper sweet nothings to me in the store. Haha. Eventually if I decide to DH is okay with me getting an upgrade so well see when we can actually afford that.

MarriedtoMrSunshine

DH bought the ring as a surprise, so I did no picking on that (and it is absolutely beautiful). That said, he picked out something much nicer than I would have.

Your FI sounds like a sweetie to surprise you this way. Just find something you're comfortable with. I'm sure you'll have lots of options in your price range.

JustWonderin805

Thanks for the info, ladies! I'll definitely look into the pre-owned section of the jewelers.

I'll update you with pictures as soon as we find something  

angelsnight

I voted SS...if bought on it's own my ring was pretty pricey (more than I would have been comfortable with him spending) but he bought it in stages.  MH was engaged before we met, so when he was ready to propose to me, he used the upgrade option from the original ring to get mine.  So he paid one amount when he proposed to the X, and then about the same amount for mine, but my ring was twice as valuable as the original.

My wedding band does have stones in it, but it was very inexpensive in comparison....I'm embarrassed to say where we got it, but I love it and it goes beautifully with my engagement ring and I wanted to spend much much less on that one.

Edit: I guess my response isn't helpful at all without the prices.  My ring if bought on its own was about $3000, but the original ring was about $1500 and he paid another $1500 years later to upgrade to mine.  My wedding band was less than $300.  I say get what you like and screw the "rules".  If what you want is much less than what he saved, use the extra money for a honeymoon!

amandarins

Pick something that you love within DH's budget.....if you are way under, it won't matter if it's what you love!

coraggiosa

I would just like to chime in and say one thing - my sister used to work for Zales, and she said that there were much better quality diamonds at the outlet Zales stores. She said it was something about the outlet shopper being more informed about what they were buying. 

That being said, we didn't do an engagement ring, as they aren't a part of DH's culture. We have matching wedding bands, however, which I absolutely love.  

ColinTheRobot

MH bought my engagement ring online for $250. I strictly forbid he gives me diamonds (although he doesn't like them either) so he found me a beautiful opal. I really love it. We bought our wedding bands on Etsy - the pair were $160. I love them.

daisyrose85

That's so exciting! Best of luck shopping this weekend! I hope you find your dream ring

 

My ring was fairly expensive (in my eyes anyway) for what it looks like, because it was very important for me that it be a conflict-free diamond. 

 

I'm not too big on jewelry, and I think if I were doing it over again right now, I'd probably go for just a very plain band. It's funny how your tastes can change! 

MesmrEwe

amandarins:

Pick something that you love within DH's budget.....if you are way under, it won't matter if it's what you love!

This is by far the best piece of advice!!! 

I've got  "the ring", then the PG ring, then the after Baby Bling Ring, and the new addition..  The important thing is that you love your ring.  Pick your diamond first, then decide on the setting.  I would also highly encourage you to work with a small local jeweler instead of one of the big guys.  Price wise, you really do come in right around the same.  We also found by working with our local jeweler that the service after the sale was superior.  For me, my finger has done some massive changes in size since I purchased our wedding/engagement set and the prices have skyrocketed since then.  You only get a limited number of resizings before the integrity of the ring gets called into question hence why I've just gone with a new ring when I had a full or more size change. 

One thing no one else has mentioned, Cubic Zerconia (sp?) is also an option for the center stone.  It allows you get a bigger stone without breaking the bank. 

 

NicoleRich105

Just because he's offering you the choice of up to $4K, doesn't mean you have to spend it! My fiance had told me just browse and let him know what I liked... He didn't give me a price range to stay within- but I wasn't about to go and break his bank despite that. Ultimately I don't think it should matter what other people spent on their rings, I know I personally didn't care- I picked my ring because it's what I liked and wanted. Mine is a bridal set purchased at Zales- the whole set was $3,000 (though I had seen it on sale for $2,500 at one point), so it wasn't the most expensive set, and the diamond quality is typical/average- but I take care of my set and it shines and sparkles like nobody's business on a sunny day! It's 2 carats and I literally get compliments on it still a few times a month from complete strangers, which is pretty impressive to me (he proposed 12/25/11).  Like PP's said, keep an eye out for sales and pre-owned. You may find a great deal and something unique; I just hope you don't feel like you need to compete with what other people have spent on their rings. It's all about what you like and want to wear the rest of your life!

J9bondgirl

I put $3-4k, but I honestly don't know. DH picked it out himself, and I never wanted to ask! I know he was credit approved up to 10k, but would NEVER spend that much.

swoodso464

I honestly have no idea how much he spent.  He was in school for both purchases, so money was tight.  more than $1000 sounds like a lot to me, but I really have no idea what is standard.