For any man, picking an engagement ring is a task fraught with peril and uncertainty. Many women will say that they want to choose their own ring. But for many men, this takes away the fun, romance, and surprise that should be part of a proposal.
The proposal should be about the fact that you want to marry that special someone, and not about them getting a ring that goes just right with their favorite dress! Having said that, she is going to have to wear the ring for most of her life (if she knows what is good for her) so you want it to be one that she will love.
Asking some vague but pointed questions well in advance will really help you here. You need to figure out whether she likes white or yellow gold, the kind of style she is into, and even the type of stone. What is her opinion on lab grown diamonds? (that’s a risky one, but lab diamonds are getting to be very good quality indeed).
Of course, you will need to be careful not to overdo the questions. Piece together the facts over a period of time and she will be none the wiser. The big question, once you’ve decided on the type of engagement ring is how much to spend.
They say it should be two months’ salary, but it’s anyone’s guess as to whether this is net, gross, or after you pay the bills and mortgage. A very basic guide is – you can get a simple ring from a commercial jeweler for around $1000.
There are nice examples at this price range, so don’t worry if this is as far as your budget stretches. For $2000, you can get a nice ring with a significant diamond from a commercial jeweler or a smaller but beautiful ring from a boutique store or manufacturing jeweler.
For over $3000 you can get many impressive examples, so it’s just a matter of shopping around until you find the right one!