Engagement Rings - How Much to Spend

The day a man asks a woman to marry him is without a doubt a momentous day for both of them. The entire event is usually well thought out, arranged and choreographed by the groom to be. He will plan where, when and how he will set the stage for the proposal. At the moment of asking, "Will you marry me?" he will open the velvet covered box and present his beloved with what should be an everlasting symbol of his love and devotion. As if there aren't enough doubts and stress in doing this, the man must also worry about the specifics of which ring to buy. It is generally thought to be the custom these days that men should spend two to three months salary on engagement rings to present to the women they hope to marry. Diamond rings can range in price from hundreds of dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars. There are several factors which determine the cost. These include the quality based on colour, cut and clarity; and the size called carat. Carat as it applies to gems is a measure of weight and is actually two tenths of one gram. When choosing a ring, a man must consider these factors as they apply to his fiancée. Will she prefer the biggest stone he can afford even if it is not of such a high quality? Would she rather have a ring that is of excellent clarity and colour but somewhat smaller?

Since there is such a wide variety of engagement rings there is something to please every woman. This presents many choices all of which can fit into the budget the groom to be has decided upon. Also available and becoming more popular, are synthetically created diamonds which allow for the purchase of a larger stone of better quality. These gems are made the same way as they form in nature but the process takes place in a laboratory in a much shorter period of time using a combination of high heat and high pressure. There is also the possibility of buying a "manipulated" diamond which produces several brilliant colours without the high cost of those occurring naturally. This involves subjecting less desirable coloured diamonds to irradiation followed by the application of intense heat. Engagement rings can be made of silver, yellow gold, white gold or platinum, depending on personal taste. The most traditional setting is one of a solitaire diamond held by prongs. This is considered the classic type of ring for a marriage proposal so it is always a safe choice if the preference of the bride to be is not known. Lately, there have been more and more rings being designed with accent stones on either side of the central diamond. These might be sapphires, rubies, or emeralds. Or they may be smaller, but very high quality white diamonds to add brilliance to the total appearance of the ring. Whichever is decided upon, the love and devotion signified by the ring is a promise that will last forever.