A wedding may be a romantic scenario that every girl has fantasized about countless times since she was a little girl, but a proposal is the most ritualistic scenario that many girls and boys in love have been looking forward to with great anticipation. When you think it's time to move on to the next stage of your relationship - the proposal, have you ever been confused about how much to spend on an engagement ring to show your true love for her/him? How much to spend on the engagement ceremony to create an unforgettable proposal for your beloved one?

You may have read online, in various forums, magazines, or from others about the “three month salary rule” and the “two month salary rule” for engagement rings. These engagement ring spending rules consider spending a quarter or a sixth of your annual salary on your fiancée's proposal ring to be the sincerest way to show your love. This means that if your annual income is $80,000, you should spend $20,000 on an engagement ring under the three month’s salary rule, or about $13,333 under the two month’s salary rule.

In fact, those so-called rules for engagement rings are considered outdated marketing techniques. How much should you spend on an engagement ring is entirely up to you and your personal wishes. You are not required to follow these engagement ring cost rules. If you want to know exactly how much you should spend on an engagement ring to meet your fiancée's expectations, then you can look at the average engagement ring cost in your area, understand the factors that affect the engagement ring price, and determine it in relation to your financial budget and personalized needs.

Average Engagement Ring Cost

When you decide to purchase your unique engagement ring, check the average engagement ring cost in your area to set a starting financial budget in your mind.

Based on current data disclosed in the jewelry and wedding market, the average engagement ring cost for Americans is in the range of US$5,000-US$6,000; the average engagement ring cost for Brits is around £1,500-£2,500; Singaporeans is S$1,000-S$3,000; Malaysians is around RM6,065.25.

Noteworthy, the above figures are only the national average engagement ring cost, and the engagement ring price varies from region to region. According to data research from The Knot, the Mid-Atlantic has the highest average spend at $7,900. Midwesterners lagged behind, with their engagement ring price worth an average of $5,200. In regions such as New England, the Southwest, and the Southeast, the average cost is $7,400, $5,500, and $5,300, respectively.

Darry Ring heart diamond engagement ring and ring box

Factors Affecting the Engagement Ring Price

Once you have a preliminary idea of the average engagement ring cost in your local area, you probably have a budget in your mind for your diamond engagement ring. But you should also consider some of the factors that affect the engagement ring price to determine how much to spend on an engagement ring.

● The 4C's of the Diamond

There is nothing more valuable than a sparkling diamond on an engagement ring. The jewelry market measures the value of a diamond based on the 4Cs of cut, color, clarity, and carat. The 4C's is a recognized method of grading diamonds, created by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).

1. Cut:

The diamond cut rating applies only to round diamonds and is essentially about the degree to which the facets of the diamond interact with light. Diamond cut grades are rated primarily by brilliance, fire, and scintillation, i.e. the brightness of the reflected light; whether the diffusion of white light exhibits flashes of all colors in the spectrum; and the degree of scintillation emitted by the diamond when the light source is moved. The excellent diamond cut has the best brilliance, sparkle, and light dispersion. They have the highest light return and price tag due to their rarity.

2. Color:

The color grades in the 4C’s are for white diamonds. White diamonds are graded from D (colorless) to Z (light yellow) in color, with grades D - F being colorless ice white. Grades D - F represent the rarest color and the most expensive. Grades G - J, on the other hand, are virtually colorless. The more the color grading system leans toward Z, the more yellowish the diamond will appear.

In addition to white diamonds, there are also black diamonds, red diamonds, blue diamonds, green diamonds, and pink diamonds. Depending on the rarity of the color, the engagement ring price will be higher.

3. Clarity:

The clarity of a diamond refers to whether inclusions are clearly visible inside the diamond when viewed through a 10x loupe. Depending on the number of visible inclusions in a diamond, clarity grades can be classified as Flawless, Internally Flawless (FL/IF), Very Very Slightly Included (VVS1/VVS2), Very Slightly Included (VS1/VS2), Slightly Included (SI1/SI2) and finishing with Included (I1, I2 & I3). Technically, an engagement ring with an internally flawless diamond is the rarest and has the highest cost.

4. Carat:

The carat is the unit of measurement for the weight of a diamond and one carat equals 0.2 grams. The larger the diamond, the rarer it is, and therefore the higher the engagement ring price will be. Although there is no limit to the weight of a diamond, diamond engagement rings of 0.6 carats - 3 carats are the most popular, according to data disclosed by the jewelry market.

The price of a diamond engagement ring is not fixed and each couple has a different 4C combination than others. Most importantly, you need to combine your expectations for your engagement ring to make up your 4C combination and refer to the average engagement ring cost in your local area to determine how much you should spend on an engagement ring.

DR Engagement Rings

Choosing an engagement ring is a big decision that requires a lot of thought and consideration. If you are considering a unique diamond proposal ring and engagement ceremony for the love of your life, then the DR engagement ring is the right choice for you. As a high-end jewelry brand, Darry Ring is committed to guarding your sacred love with only one diamond ring customized for the love of your life. Not only that but DR is also devoted to providing you with a diamond engagement ring at affordable prices, including DR Heart Collection, Forever Collection, True Love Collection, and so on.

If you still have more questions about how much to spend on an engagement ring, Darry Ring welcomes you to make inquiries at any time.