To be honest, I don't see the point in a really expensive ring! I know a girl who got a 4 carat and to me, it doesn't look that great! It almost looks fake to me. I would rather have something that is very nice with good clarity. I also think heirloom rings (like your great-grandmother's engagement ring) are very nice too.

I've hinted (ok, basically told) my SO that if he decides to propose, I want him to use my grandmother's diamond, but have it set in something different/more modern (it's an OLD ring)...but I think it is very special, plus it isn't a conflict diamond.

Whatever the hell you feel like spending.

I was lucky. Perhaps it's from my wife's very humble small town upbringing, but she fell in love with a ring that was around $600. She casually mentioned it to me. I went out the next day and bought the thing. I waited about a year to propose, but still... she loved/loves the ring.

When I'm through with school and doing pretty well, I'll be able to look like a hero again when I upgrade it.

1ct
 

A girl I dated said she wouldn't marry me if I didn't spend at least 20. She was a snatch but I always thought wedding rings were like 500 bucks. The lucky girl in my life is gonna get an onion ring.

-Rudey
--Onion ring ladies!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. No seriously.

Actually, this isn't necessarily true. I just think that if people go into it with what they have to spend, they're going to get taken for a ride.

My boyfriend and I have been discussing this stuff a bunch later. I have told him that I just want a really nice diamond thats it, he can get me a small one or bigger one - but just make sure its good quality because you can always change/upgrade it later down the road for like an anniversary.

This is a little off topic...

We have just been talking about money situations lately, and I don't see how some people our age (Mid-20s) can afford to get engaged, get a house, and get married without their parents basically doing it for them. We both come from families (my parents will help some) that we will be paying for all of this pretty much on our own.

We both have really good jobs, and have been saving money, but feel like we are choosing a house or getting married now. Of course, everyone would rather see us get married first, but I hate wasting money living in seperate apartments.

hmm.
 

When my fiance got my ring he wen to a family friend who got him a good deal. The 1 ct he was looking at was 12k..just the diamond. Really good quality diamond, expensive retail place. I didn't say it was right, just what he told me.

Laboratory created diamonds are significantly cheapter, too.

Expensive retail place...ding, ding, ding! He paid too much, sorry. Never pay retail! :p

I have 1.5 plus some side stones to make the whole thing just over 2cts, set in platinum - whole thing was less than 10K. Now, it's not a "perfect" diamond (no one aside from a jewler with his scope thingy is ever going to know that from looking at it), but all the stones in the the ring are very good quality. My husband went to the diamond district in NYC, but even when he went to a local jewler in town he saw a flawless 1 ct, it was still less than 10K mounted in platinum.

Yes, and in whatever size, color, shape, stone, setting you want.

Seriously, even though I have a diamond/platinum ering that I like very much, don't do what everyone else is doing just because it's the "thing" to do. I've seen some gorgeous non-diamond erings that are just as meaningful (if not moreso) and less expensive.

nope