How Much You Should Spend on an Engagement Ring and Why

Jewelers often receive lots of questions from their customers about buying engagement rings. One of the most popular items involves the typical monetary amount they should spend on them.

This does not mean the expected cost of an engagement ring, but rather estimates your budget for this substantial investment. Jewelers are willing to work within the confines of your bank account, because they recognize that not all customers are the same.

For several years, jewelry experts have circulated the myth that you should devote three months’ salary towards buying an engagement ring. In this article, we glance at the truth behind this adage, discuss the expense you should actually plan to pay, and look at the things that determine this number.

Examining the Three Months’ Salary Rule

During the Great Depression, the diamond industry could no longer generate a profit in the face of the nation’s economic downturn. As a result, De Beers created a marketing campaign that would hopefully draw their customers back and inspire them to purchase diamond rings.

Since diamonds had not yet evolved into the standard gemstone for engagement rings, the company ventured the idea that diamonds were the most quintessential symbol of a man’s love. The campaign also encouraged gentlemen to save their paychecks for one month, so they could afford the ring. This figure eventually increased by another month, and in the 1980s, shoppers were setting aside three months’ worth of their salary.

Nothing is inherently wrong with using this rule as a guideline, but it shouldn’t weigh into your ultimate decision. Remember that it originated in an era when couples got married at a younger age, still lived with their parents, and carried fewer bills. If you choose this route anyway, we recommend sticking to the original one-month variation – or you could start at this number and work your way towards the suggested amount.

The Average Cost of an Engagement Ring

Jewelry experts have found that, on average, shoppers pay between $3,750 and $6,350 for an engagement ring. However, these prices account for a mediocre diamond with an approximate weight of a single carat that’s set in the most common metal. Higher-quality diamonds and settings will raise the cost.

You shouldn’t propose with a cheap engagement ring, especially if your girlfriend thinks that you were just trying to save money!

Because she is incredibly special, she deserves a more impressive piece of jewelry. But you don’t exactly want to break the bank, either. Instead, you should work to find a price that you can both accept.

Not sure how to do that? Here are a few things you should consider.

Your Financial Situation

You will run into several investments throughout your married life, such as a new house, a new car, and of course, starting a family. And it’s not ideal to find yourselves burdened with debt after you spent too much money on the engagement ring.

We suggest that you establish a budget along with your future wife, so that you’ll know the ideal price for her ring when you begin shopping. Then, bring up this number at the first meeting with your jeweler, and they can create a framework to choose your perfect engagement ring.

The Significance of the Engagement Ring

It’s no secret that your engagement ring will carry a symbolic meaning for you and your future spouse. After all, it represents your lasting love and commitment to one another. When you consider this fact, it might influence the amount of money you devote to this investment. As the old saying goes, you can’t put a price tag on happiness.

Your Fiancée’s Preferences

For your fiancée, her engagement ring will serve as the ultimate status symbol. She’ll obviously want to make everyone jealous when she flaunts her sparkler around family and friends. Among other things, you need to find out the shape of the diamond which she desires, the color of jewelry that fits her best, and the setting that matches her style. Have a casual conversation with her about these aspects, then bring these notes to the jeweler and let them search for the perfect engagement ring.

Come Visit Your Local Jeweler

We know that it can be emotionally and financially scary to buy an engagement ring. At Anne Dale Jewelers, we can put those fears to rest with our vast selection of diamonds and other gemstones. Meet with a GIA-certified gemologist and master craftsman who will help you decide on the best engagement ring for your budget and fiancée’s unique tastes. Browse our newly expanded gallery, or create a customized design just for you!

Stop by our new location at 829 Asbury Drive, or contact us at (985) 626-4266.


Local Jewelers: Getting the Most Value out of Purchasing a Diamond Engagement Ring

You have made the decision to ask for your girlfriend’s hand in marriage. Purchasing an Engagement Ring should be a joyful labor of love.

When you start gathering suggestions for the right jeweler, someone will probably bring up a national chain. After all, they have cornered the market with large-scale advertising campaigns and thus achieved global fame.

Before you get tempted to buy your engagement ring at these stores, please think about the shopping experience you will have, the ultimate quality of the jewelry displayed, and most importantly, the overall value you will receive.

In this article, one of the Northshore’s leading private jewelers will share the three most important factors that determine an engagement ring’s value and the reasons why local stores are more likely to consider them.

Price

When purchasing an engagement ring jewelry experts will attest to the fact that national chains mark up the prices on their inventory, but the quality won’t match the cost they demand.

You will find the most competitive prices at a local jeweler, because we take the time to develop a relationship with you. This means that we’ll learn about your budget and work around it until we find the most appropriate engagement ring for you. Plus, you’ll know that every piece of jewelry has been personally made for our customers.

Your engagement ring will possess its own unique story, just like the journey of your love.

Quality

Most of the merchandise sold by national jewelry chains – if not the entire stock – has been purchased in large quantities. You cannot guarantee that these exporters check the four C’s on each diamond, and you run the risk of ending up with a mediocre piece of jewelry.

Local jewelry stores are typically owned by GIA-certified professionals who understand what makes a good diamond. They believe that quality ranks above all other elements when choosing the right stones for their pieces. At our store, a gemologist will provide a curated selection of diamonds and take you through the grades on each one, so you can be sure that you’ll get a beautifully designed engagement ring.

Design

Because national jewelry chains buy their inventory from diamond manufacturers, the engagement ring designs are not truly original. Instead, they are mass-produced without giving any thought to the customers’ unique preferences. When thousands of people are wearing that same engagement ring, you don’t feel very special. You want something that has been created for you, rather than the hottest engagement ring on the market. If this sounds true, a local jeweler can design a customized ring for the proposal.

We are proud of the personal touch that goes into every piece we put in our showcases, because we value your experience.

Come Visit Us

At Anne Dale Jewelers, we want to help you find the engagement ring of your dreams.

We have been serving the Mandeville community for the past 40 years, and we treat our customers like our family. Our newly expanded engagement ring gallery features a wide variety of diamonds, and if you don’t see something you like, we can create the perfect ring for you.

Meet with a GIA-certified gemologist and master craftsman at our store. We will happily answer any questions, whether you haven’t started your search or you know exactly what you want.

Visit us at 829 Asbury Drive, or set up an appointment by calling (985) 626-4266 today.

At Anne Dale Jewelers, we want to help you find the engagement ring of your dreams. Choose something from our newly expanded gallery, or let us build a custom piece of jewelry for you. We have been serving the Northshore for 40 years, and we are very passionate about diamonds.

Set up an appointment with a GIA-certified gemologist today. Either visit our store at 829 Asbury Drive or give us a call at (985) 626-4266. Your experience matters to us!