Determining Your Engagement Ring Style & Budget

An engagement ring is one of the most permanent purchases you may ever make—it’s something you hope to keep for the rest of your married life, and something that you will likely want to wear every day. For that reason it’s critical that you think about what kind of style you might want, and make sure you set a budget that will allow you to purchase your dream ring without putting yourself into debt that will also last a lifetime.

A Timeless Classic

The prong-set solitaire is a diamond look that will never go out of style, so if you want to know that your ring can stand the test of time, stick with the classic.

A No-Frills Option

If you’re not interested in the frilly over-the-top diamond settings, or you are more of an active person and having a large diamond would get in your way, think about a setting where the diamond is flush with the surrounding metal. This reduces the chance that your diamond will snag or scratch when you’re out on your latest adventure.

The Not-Round Option

Fortunately if you don’t like the round-cut diamond, you have plenty of other choices these days. They include the princess cut and emerald cut (rectangle with rounded corners), both of which still offer a beautiful design to stand the test of time without going round.

Vintage Love

Vintage rings have made a huge comeback in recent years, and you can either find a jewelry maker that has vintage-inspired designs, or you can check out antique jewelry websites to get a truly unique piece.

Sticking to the Budget

No matter what kind of diamond you get, you want to make sure you don’t break the bank on your purchase, but also that you get the most ring possible at the most affordable price. Some strategies for getting the most for your money include:

• Choosing a halo setting, with a center stone encircled by smaller stones, which can make a smaller center diamond look bigger
• Add a band to your engagement solitaire to increase the size of the entire ring
• Consider something besides a diamond for the center stone—sapphires (in hues of blue, green, orange, pink, purple, and yellow), emeralds, or other options can get you the look of colored diamonds at a lower cost
• Line the band with smaller diamonds to give the entire ring more bling without needing a larger center diamond
• Go just below a setting size—for example, a 0.9 instead of a 1.0 carat diamond—since diamond costs can jump significantly at the carat and half-carat marks
• Choose a gold or white gold band over platinum

Whatever your diamond ring style, make sure you get exactly what you are looking for and don’t settle until you find just the right one. After all, it will hopefully be a once-in-a-lifetime purchase.