Buying an Affordable Engagement Ring

It is certain that you feel the woman of your dreams is worth the very best, but often the guidelines of spending two month's salary are unrealistic for men in today's world. With rising rent, mortgage rates, insurance rates, car payments, and utilities, not every man can afford to shell out a full two months of his pay. This leaves men in a tricky situation. While they want to buy the largest and grandest engagement ring possible, often the expense outweighs the ultimate goal. Rather than letting guilt of buying a less expensive ring get to you, learn how to buy a ring that you can afford that will dazzle your girlfriend.

Traditionally, diamonds are considered the classic American gemstone for engagement rings. It's rather unusual considering that colored gemstones are more prevalent in many European countries. Think back to the late Princess Diana's engagement ring to Prince Charles. Her engagement ring was a large sapphire surrounded by diamonds. This is more typical of engagement rings overseas. Not all rings in your price range will obviously contain gemstones that large, but the general idea is to pick a gemstone that would appeal to your girlfriend. Diamonds are nice, but many women prefer a little color.

Start by asking your girlfriend, or her best friend if you want it to be a surprise, about her tastes in jewelry. You should find out if she prefers white gold or yellow gold and what carat she prefers. If you are asking a friend, she can give you a better idea of how important an expensive ring is to her. Ten carat is considered lower quality, but it doesn't bend as easily making it a more popular choice with women who wear their rings day and night. You should be able to find out favorite gemstones or if she is more traditional and would prefer a diamond. Some women are just as happy with cubic zirconia or other stimulated stones because they do not like the expense involved with diamonds. Other women prefer to be in on the choice for engagement ring. You should be able to discuss the budget with your girlfriend. If you cannot talk finances before marriage, you may run into problems during marriage. Do not let that fear keep you from being honest about what you can afford at this stage.

Keeping this in mind, check out the online discount jewelers like Jewelrytelevision.com or The Home Shopping Network's website. They offer some amazing engagement rings with diamonds and with gemstones that come in ten, fourteen, or eighteen-carat gold. The rings are already sized for you, so the additional waiting time and expense of having a ring sized properly is eliminated. If you want to be traditional, diamonds at these online stores are high quality and all rings are guaranteed for life. Look for matching sets that contain the wedding band and engagement ring in one. This can save you money and your girlfriend will appreciate having a matched set.

Estate sales are often a great place to look for quality, inexpensive jewelry. You can find some incredible antique rings for half the price of a modern engagement ring. Again, make sure this is something she would appreciate first.

Otherwise, look into gemstones. You can choose an engagement ring that contains her birthstone or a gemstone that has meaning that is more significant. If you are attracted to her blue eyes, sapphire, blue topaz, and aquamarine may be suitable choices. You can usually find quality blue topaz solitaire rings for under $200. This is true of many gemstones, so don't be afraid to look at something unique when it comes to an engagement ring.