Engagement ring... for £700?!

creased-leach

wannabe_sybil wrote: »

My engagement ring cost £12.50 - yes, twelve pounds and fifty pence back in 1987, when all we could afford was a Ratners' special. The wedding ring was the same amount, and the way things worked out I ended up paying for both of them. :rotfl::rotfl:

We are still together. I lost the stone from the ring back in 1993, but I won't part with the setting, because it was bought with love.

What sort of jewellery does your loved one like? Does she like expensive jewellery and talk about it a lot or does she not like much jewellery at all, or like very plain jewellery? If you bring up the subject of someone else's engagement ring you may find out more about her opinion.

Good luck.

Mine cost about £16 I think- from argos

20 years on, and we're incredibly (if unconventionally) happy. I haven't worn my wedding or engagement rings for many, many years as it happens.

Filey

£700??? In debt ??? Are you mad???

Sorry to be a wet blanket and it's really sweet that you should want to make sacrifices for your loved one, but there are really pretty semi-precious stones that would equally well assure her of your devotion and look lovely on her finger and still have a bit left over towards mundane things like freeing yourself of debt and establishing a home. If of course that is what you want in the future.

I really hope you get married and live happily ever after, but keep your feet on the hground.

my_gorgeous_ellie-belle

My engagement ring cost £129, my OH bought it when we were 17. He still has the reciepts kept in the ring box to show that he paid a deposit and then paid it off bit by bit before picking it up, lol! He was working just 4hrs a week getting just £3.75ph (min wage) as we were both at college...we were both living in a hostel type shared house together and barely scraping by. So i tell you one thing, the cost really doesnt count, he worked hard to save even though it was such a small cost in comparison to now, plus we paid rent and kept ourselves fed. The ring is gorgeous too as he clearly searched a bargain - its white gold, with a diamond that is not your normal square set, more diagonally set if that makes sense, bought from a little independant jewellers. I love it even though i have far more pricier jewellry as we have done better as the years have passed - the cost doesnt matter at all!!!

x

JoolzS

My engagement ring cost, IIRC, £125 - it was from Freemans catalogue and I picked it out myself and it was paid for by monthly instalments. It now lives in a pot in our bedroom because half a stone and nearly 15 years make it uncomfortable to wear. Even a £10,000 ring couldn't get past half a stone and aging knuckles! I still look at it on occasion and it is my perfect ring

I would have been horrified if my now DH had spent more money than he (or we) could afford on my engagement ring. It's a trinket - nothing more. The "one month's salary" idea was originally put out by one of the diamond companies (possibly DeBeers) - it's just an advertising gimick that has lasted for a few decades. Incredibly brilliant for the originator and incredibly stupid for anyone who believes it.

Julie

charlies_mum

My engagement ring cost £18, 35 years ago, and we are still happily married. The cost of the ring isn't important, I would get a dress ring to propose, and then let her pick her own ring - it's all part of the fun.

Good luck

Evansangel

I read somewhere that a man should spend 3 months wages on an engagment ring! :eek:

Mine was £149 and i love it! I picked it and to me price doesn't matter as long as its one that i love.

To be fair, im happy just knowing i get to spend the rest of my life with him The ring is a bonus :rotfl:

xx

littlefeet_2

I'm sure that it's the jewelery companies that spread that 'one to three months salary' nonsense. :mad: I remember up until recently it was only a months salary that was supposed to be spent, now its up to 3!

My husband proposed with a plastic ring, he knew that I didn't want a traditional solitaire and he wanted me to get something that I was comfortable with wearing, and would survive in my job without too much damage.

DKLS

Evansangel wrote: »

I read somewhere that a man should spend 3 months wages on an engagment ring! :eek:
xx

Yup thats what I did, she wanted platinum which pushed the price up a touch as gold looks awful with her skin tone, we will soon be off to Brumns jewellery quarter to buy 2 platinum wedding bands.

For the Op, have you considered a antique ring?, You can pick up stunning rings very cheaply at antique fairs.

hundredk

Evansangel wrote: »

I read somewhere that a man should spend 3 months wages on an engagment ring! :eek:

OMG - are you sure that wasn't for the wedding:rolleyes:

thescouselander

My advice is to go for something you can afford - you can always buy a better one later on when you have more money.

Dont forget you might need to spend a good bit actually getting married so you'll need some money to cover that too.

As for the idea of spending 3 months wages on a ring - that is very old fashioned and doesn't happen that often any more (I also think its advertising propaganda from diamond companies etc). Apparently the average spend on an engagement ring in the UK is around £1200 - many people spend a lot less.