Unique Wedding Tips

Are you planning to buy your significant other an engagement ring? Are you wondering how much to spend on that engagement ring for her? Here is a 5 step way to figure out how much to spend on an engagement ring.

Step #1

Figuring out how much to spend on an engagement ring is not an easy task. Each woman is different and each woman wants something different. They will almost always be modest so the first rule of thumb is to go a little larger than what they think they are getting. If they think they are getting a half carat, then bump it up to a three quarter carat diamond. This will ensure she is happy.

Step #2

The price of the ring is only part of what you need to look at. The real price tag is the value. She does not need to know exactly what you spent, but the value is going to be on the appraisal so she will know that. There is nothing wrong with getting a $3,000 ring for $1,000. That is called smart shopping.

Step #3

Figure out what she thinks the value of her ring should be and make sure the ring is worth more than that. If she will be satisfied with a $2,000 ring, then make sure you get at least a $2,500 ring. It is always good to go above and beyond when it comes to her diamond engagement ring. This does not mean you have to spend $500 more than what she expects the value to be, that is up to you.

Step #4

Forget the 2 months salary rule right now. That was just intelligent marketing on the part of DeBeers about 15 years ago. If you make $4,000 a month, then you are talking about spending $8,000 on a diamond engagement ring. Most people that make $4,000 a month cannot afford to spend two months of their salary on a ring. Maybe getting a ring that is worth $8,000 would be a good idea if you can get a great deal and spend around $3,000. Trust me this can be done and we will talk about that a bit in step 5.

Step #5

Spend what you know you can afford and get a great diamond engagement ring that she will love. Your goal is to make her happy and make sure she says yes so you need to get her what she wants and go a little above what she is expecting. Trust me what she is expecting and what she wants are two different things. You need to find these out and then do some creative shopping using online discounter like eBay. Avoid the mall jewelry stores and make sure to get prices from more than just a couple stores. There are a ton of great deals out there and the more patient you are the better your chances of getting a ring that will appraise for twice what you spend.

You now have 5 steps to help you figure out how much to spend on an engagement ring. This is just a short guide and you should always take your soon to be wives feelings and opinions on this matter very seriously. After all she is the one that will be wearing it for the rest of her life.

An engagement is a promise to marriage, and also the period of time between proposal and marriage – which may be lengthy or trivial. During this period, a couple is said to be affianced, betrothed, engaged to be married, or simply engaged. Future brides and bridegrooms are often referred to as fiancées (brides) or fiancés (grooms).

Long engagements were once common in formal arrangements of marriage and it was not uncommon for parents betrothing children to arrange such many years before the engaged couple were old enough to marry.

Engagement rings

Customs for engagement rings vary according to time, place, and culture. An engagement ring has historically been uncommon, and when such a gift was given, it was separate from the wedding ring. Romantic rings from the time of the Roman Empire and from as far back as 4 AD often resemble the Celtic Claddagh symbol (two hands clasping a heart) and so it is thought that this was used as some symbol of love and commitment between two people.

In the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and many other countries, an engagement ring is worn on the fourth finger of the left hand. This tradition is thought to be from the Romans, who believed this finger to be the beginning of the vena amoris (“vein of love”), the vein that leads to the heart. The custom in Continental Europe and other countries is to wear it on the right hand.

In other countries from South America, like in Argentina, man and woman use each one ring, and these are generally very similar to the wedding rings, with the difference that they are made of silver instead of gold. In Norway, both men and women wear an engagement ring. In Brazil they are always made of gold, and there is no tradition for the engagement ring. Both men and women wear the wedding band on their right hand while engaged, and after they marry, they shift the rings to their left hands.

In the modern era, some women’s wedding rings are made into two separate pieces. One part is given to her to wear as an engagement ring when she accepts the marriage proposal, and the other during the wedding ceremony. When worn together, the two rings look like one piece of jewellery.

Engagement parties

Some engagements are announced at an engagement party, traditionally hosted by the bride’s parents. These parties are given in the family’s usual style of entertainment. Traditionally, engagement parties were normal parties at which a surprise announcement of the engagement was made by the father of the bride to his guests. Therefore, it is not a traditional gift-giving occasion, as none of the guests were supposed to be aware of the engagement until after their arrival.

In modern times, engagement parties often celebrate a previously publicized engagement. Whether presents are given at these engagement parties varies from culture to culture.

Many couples do not have an engagement party, and instead use other ways to inform their friends of the upcoming nuptials.

Basically, engagement rings have three parts:

The band is the part of the ring that goes around the finger. Bands are made of silver, platinum or gold.

The setting is the part of the ring holding the stone. On some rings, the setting is pronged, while other settings are more “invisible.”

For many, the stone is the most important part of engagement rings. The size and the shape of the stone is usually a matter of budget. The bigger the stone, the more expensive it’s likely to be. When one generally speaks or hears of engagement rings, it’s usually assumed that the stone on the ring is a diamond. This isn’t always the case, and doesn’t even have to be the case, but it’s a good assumption. Diamonds are the stones most often associated with engagement rings. Choosing the type of stone is easy, choosing the size (or carat) and shape of the stone is a whole other story.

The different cuts of diamonds for engagement rings are as follows:

Round — The most popular style for rings. Round goes with just about any setting and is supposed to be the best shape to show off the stone’s brilliance.

Princess — A square diamond which looks bigger than differently shaped diamonds of the same weight.

Emerald Cut — This rectangular diamond is considered the most sophisticated of all the shapes.

Marquis — Although it’s also round, it looks longer than a round or oval cut diamond because it’s pointed at two ends.

Pear — The pear shape is almost rounded at the top but pointed at the bottom. The pear doesn’t look very good as a single stone set into a ring. This shape is recommended for other types of jewelry, such as necklaces or earrings.

Oval — This cut is similar to the round cut, but looks bigger because of its shape. This shape works best with larger stones.

It’s okay not to know what type of ring to purchase. Doing some research beforehand helps. If you have any questions or aren’t sure which diamond is right for you, don’t be afraid to ask the jeweler. If he’s reputable, he’ll be more than happy to share his expertise with you.