Germans are smarter.
Easier to give up a 500 ring when it all goes South, and save the good ring for deals that actually work.
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How much to spend on engagement ring?
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Germans are smarter.
Easier to give up a 500 ring when it all goes South, and save the good ring for deals that actually work.
As the OP was made back in 2007, he's probably divorced by now and is gnashing his teeth in the angst of hindsight.
KGB
KGB
I spend 5 quarters to get that crane to lift the ring out of the box. Took me twenty tries, an.
Cracker Jacks used to offer a semi-decent ring.
Then there is always the perennial stand-by, a cigar ring.
About cultural/"cultural" differences
This thread actually got me to register here on the forums
Anyway, I'm from Finland, and here the whole ring-thing is quite different.
First of, the engagement ring itself is most often just a plain golden ring. Or plain titanium ring, like a couple me and my wife know.
And they (because it's for both of them at the same time) usually bought by the one making the proposal (even to this day it's more often than not the man).
Our's were about 500 for the pair of them. I could've bought more expensive ones, but they would've been wider and thus not so elegant. (My wife fully approved my decision and sense of style)
The actual wedding ring here in Finland is the "one with rocks". But nowadays it's quite often selected by the bride herself. Again, there might have been more expensive ones my wife would've liked, but she was very satisfied with one costing about 1000. And actually payed a quarter of it herself! The one thing she WAS concerned was that we would get a certificate for the diamonds not being blood diamonds. (I wouldn't have paid for blood diamonds either...) Also it's getting more and more customary for the fiancee to have a second ring too, but I haven't seen any men having the double ring combination, which is the way that women wear the engagement and wedding rings. (And it's on their left hand...)
And about the wedding itself. We saved and payed for it ourselves. It's not yet uncommon for the parents of the bride to pay for it, but quite often it's payed by the couple by themselves if they aren't that young and have jobs. (As we both had and still have...) And it's in no way unheard of to have the folks of the fiancee to pay for the wedding. I know a couple of that sort. The reason was obvious: the parents of the fiancee were clearly better of than the other parents.
Don't know if this post has any real value or usefulness to anyone, but just an interesting side note about small differences in cultures, that are superficially the same.
This thread actually got me to register here on the forums
Anyway, I'm from Finland, and here the whole ring-thing is quite different.
First of, the engagement ring itself is most often just a plain golden ring. Or plain titanium ring, like a couple me and my wife know.
And they (because it's for both of them at the same time) usually bought by the one making the proposal (even to this day it's more often than not the man).
Our's were about 500 for the pair of them. I could've bought more expensive ones, but they would've been wider and thus not so elegant. (My wife fully approved my decision and sense of style
)The actual wedding ring here in Finland is the "one with rocks". But nowadays it's quite often selected by the bride herself. Again, there might have been more expensive ones my wife would've liked, but she was very satisfied with one costing about 1000. And actually payed a quarter of it herself! The one thing she WAS concerned was that we would get a certificate for the diamonds not being blood diamonds. (I wouldn't have paid for blood diamonds either...) Also it's getting more and more customary for the fiancee to have a second ring too, but I haven't seen any men having the double ring combination, which is the way that women wear the engagement and wedding rings. (And it's on their left hand...)
And about the wedding itself. We saved and payed for it ourselves. It's not yet uncommon for the parents of the bride to pay for it, but quite often it's payed by the couple by themselves if they aren't that young and have jobs. (As we both had and still have...) And it's in no way unheard of to have the folks of the fiancee to pay for the wedding. I know a couple of that sort. The reason was obvious: the parents of the fiancee were clearly better of than the other parents.
Don't know if this post has any real value or usefulness to anyone, but just an interesting side note about small differences in cultures, that are superficially the same.
I spent £27 on my wife's engagement ring. We had very little money back then and she already had a diamond ring her mother gave her for her 18th I think. Anyway we got married on the cheap (about £2000 for a church wedding and reception). That was 16 years ago and we are still happily married and have a beautiful 10 year old girl. I have many friends whose loan or overdraft for their wedding lasted longer than the marriage. The rule of thumb as with everything else in life is don't spend more than you can afford. If she loves you the price of the ring is irrelevant.
Multiply the size of your happy zone (in inches) by 5% of your monthly income and then multiply that number by how much your fiancee cares about material possessions on a scale of 1 - 10 (one being not at all). I think that's the most accurate formula science has given us.
Ex: (6 *200)*7= $8,400
Ex: (6 *200)*7= $8,400
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Shouldn't it be (12 - size of your happy zone), just to compensate?
That means some of us would have to pay nothing, also
I'd say to get whatever you like the best.
Just because something is more expensive it doesn't mean you'll like it better.
Just because something is more expensive it doesn't mean you'll like it better.
Shouldn't it be (12 - size of your happy zone), just to compensate?
That means some of us would have to pay nothing, also
Don't question the science!!
Exactly. Don't pay an arm and a leg for an engagement ring. Sometimes the cheaper ones are just as nice as the more expensive ones. Spend the rest of the money on something useful like a new Mac Pro
(btw I'm a girl and would rather have a Mac Pro than an expensive engagement ring )I always thought the rule-of-thumb was a months money.
My only advice to anyone buying rings, either diamond or gold, is never buy on the high street.
The lack of knowledge, here in the UK, is abysmal. I studied the subject before heading off with me other-half, and read up on the "Four C's" and wanted to discuss the 'spec' of the diamond.
I might as well have been speaking Swahili. In several mainstream, national jewellers, I couldn't get the info I requested and almost got queried as to why I wanted to know. Simply astounding. Its like I wanted something secret.
Later the next year, we went as a couple to buy wedding rings. A similar experience.
So...
We went to the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham, where there is street after street of actual jewellery manufacturers. I looked at the way they sell the gold rings and they know whats in their kit. Why? Because they're making it.
The worth of a gold ring is all about weight. An alien concept to high street jewellers so it would seem.
A story for you...
Two years ago, my wife lost her wedding ring. Was gutted. We had the receipt and the ring details so we thought it was an easy job to go into town, and trail about for a ring to the same spec.
She had a white gold ring of 4.5g.
Not one jeweller of ten understood the concept of worth by weight. Staggering. Several didn;t even have jewellery scales, or understood the significance of wanting to know the weight, The best quote I could get was £800.
We went back to the original dealer and had them remake the same ring....£225.
Shocking markup.
Never, ever buy a ring from the types of main street, city centre chainstore jewellers. Seek out an actual jeweller. Know your subject.
My only advice to anyone buying rings, either diamond or gold, is never buy on the high street.
The lack of knowledge, here in the UK, is abysmal. I studied the subject before heading off with me other-half, and read up on the "Four C's" and wanted to discuss the 'spec' of the diamond.
I might as well have been speaking Swahili. In several mainstream, national jewellers, I couldn't get the info I requested and almost got queried as to why I wanted to know. Simply astounding. Its like I wanted something secret.
Later the next year, we went as a couple to buy wedding rings. A similar experience.
So...
We went to the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham, where there is street after street of actual jewellery manufacturers. I looked at the way they sell the gold rings and they know whats in their kit. Why? Because they're making it.
The worth of a gold ring is all about weight. An alien concept to high street jewellers so it would seem.
A story for you...
Two years ago, my wife lost her wedding ring. Was gutted. We had the receipt and the ring details so we thought it was an easy job to go into town, and trail about for a ring to the same spec.
She had a white gold ring of 4.5g.
Not one jeweller of ten understood the concept of worth by weight. Staggering. Several didn;t even have jewellery scales, or understood the significance of wanting to know the weight, The best quote I could get was £800.
We went back to the original dealer and had them remake the same ring....£225.
Shocking markup.
Never, ever buy a ring from the types of main street, city centre chainstore jewellers. Seek out an actual jeweller. Know your subject.
Shouldn't it be (12 - size of your happy zone), just to compensate?
That means some of us would have to pay nothing, also
This makes much more sense. If it is over 12 that means she would be paying you.
I've heard three months pay is pretty standard. I would go with that. Just make sure you work your finances out.
My guess would be that three months' pay, as encouraged by DeBeers who only stands to make a ton of money off that recommendation, is actually not really affordable for a lot of people.
Three month's gross pay? I couldn't afford to spend three months' gross pay on a ring, no way. That's like a full year of savings, and that's if you're diligent enough to save 25% of your salary, which is more than the 15% that financial experts like Suze Orman recommend you save. If you save 15% of your salary, that's close to two years of savings for an engagement ring.
Nevermind the wedding ring or the wedding.
Get what you can afford without going broke or going into debt. The most important day of your life isn't your wedding day, it's the day the two of you sit down and hammer out a realistic budget. I've seen so many people start out $30k in the hole just for a wedding, what a stupid way to start your life and a nice prerequisite for a divorce.
Get something nice, with clarity to the naked eye. This is hardly an investment.
And tell those idiots with the jeweller's loop to go .... themselves.
And tell those idiots with the jeweller's loop to go .... themselves.
wow i cant believe this thread 5 years ago and its still going, My wife and I have been married almost 3 years now
Well that it is better than hearing that you have been divorced for 2
Go to a pawn shop, you can easily get a beautiful ring in 3k to 4k range.
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Broker at Cash Pawn
Just realized this thread was started in 2007. Is the OP still married?
It all boils down to what can you afford. If you are starting out new, would you rather spend $6k on a ring or on furniture or maybe a down payment on a house?
It all boils down to what can you afford. If you are starting out new, would you rather spend $6k on a ring or on furniture or maybe a down payment on a house?