How much is an engagement ring worth?

Depends on how much you wanna spend, Good ones start from about £800 and upwards. But I know there are peeps who have bought one for £50 It depends on the size of your pocket In UK the average spend on an engagement ring is £1500

25 cents or however much it costs these days to get one out of the trinket machine.

How much it is worth depends on what level of golddigging status your fiance might be on.

I think one month salary is reasonable.

Wedding rings should mean something, and whatever that something is should clearly not be dictated by how much it costs. But then again it all depends on the individual. For me a wedding ring simply signifies that I am one with the woman I choose to share my lie with. ANd to others it should signal that I am no more willing or in need of social liaisons that might lead to intimacy. That I have that on lock. While I understand that the wedding ring industry has co-opted and corrupted the intent and meaning of this simple act, and both women and men have flocked, lock, stock and paycheck to the irrational idea of the more expensive the better. I think most of us will be better served if we begin to start seeing it for what it is. A frivolous expense. And to alley the unnecesary fear of being ham fisted, I'd rbe willing to promise my wife to spend that same amont of money on a yearly basis to go somewhere or do something of meaning to us, celebrating our union. A simple ring that embodies our love will do. Lets spend frivolously instead on us and the future, be that our kids or just saving the damn thing.

i think it all boils down to the love you have for your woman. That is the most important thing.If you feel you can afford a £1500 engagement ring, go right ahead and get it, otherwise cut your coat according to your size. Thanks.

Well, I think I'm one of those guys who think it's insane to spend a fortune on an engagement ring. For that special person in my life surely deserves the best from me. The mistake we make in life sometimes (especially when it comes to things we wear) is to equate price to "being better". After reading your article, I went to a jewelry store and got two catalogues. I used a marker to hide the price for the rings on one of these catalogues. I asked my girlfriend to pick one she likes...one she would love to have...and then the best 3 of the bunch. She did. Well, when I showed her the other catalogue that revealed the prices, she decides she want the most expensive one instead even though that particular one did not make the list she chose earlier. We argued about this for some time and I inffered she just wanted to be able to brag to her girls how much the ring cost. My question is this: should I spend a fortune on an engagement ring just for the bragging right of my fiancee? What value or RUI (return in investment) do I get from that? I spend money where there is value. I'm very generous but not stupid. Athletes do stupid things like spending a fortune on ridiculous stuff but we know most of them are not that smart.

I think we can get too hung up on symbolism. I didn't buy an engagement ring or even a wedding ring. These things aren't necessary at all. A life-long commitment to loving your partner in sickness and health and all that is far more important.. Many people of my generation are not even bothering to get married any more. That doesnt mean to say they are not committed to their relationship..

Its funny how men will spend N100,000 in a club buying bottles, but N300,000 is too much for a ring. Truth of the matter is that its based on what you can afford. However, people that are talking about investing, is your future wife not an investment? It is different when the gentleman in question cant afford more, but when he can and determines that there are better ways to spend the money than on an engagement ring, then he should question his attitude towards the potential fiance.

The most important thing is Love. Without love , a ring of one million naira makes no sense because it could be worn for even a month and later sold or buried.Ring or no ring a love based relationship will always survive.It also depends on the two people in the relationship, for me , if my guy proposes with just a gold ring of ten thousand or even twelve,i'll accept it with all happiness cos i know deep down inside of him, the love he has for me is more than a million US Dollars can buy and that is what will even keep us in the relationship and not the ring.But if a man is capable, you can always go for a ring that cost you a thing not necessarily your life investment after all we pay a price to sincerely love.

I am with Jeremy. A stupid ring is not a symbol of jack shit. I have always had rings and I wear them anyhow, on whatever finger that suits me. I don't think getting a "ring" when you are engaged is a big deal. Not at all. I have been buying beautiful rings for years. What will one more ring do for me? NOTHING. I am not the kind of person that will be reminded of any nonsense by merely seeing the ring on my finger. To be comitted to someone is so much more than a ring. All the married men chasing girls here and there, are they not proudly wearing their rings? Nobody even bothers to take it off these days... If the man insists on getting a "symbol" for our love, then it should be "something" that has a meaning for both of us. Even if it is the empty can of coke we drank when we first met... But left to me, I say forget all that crap...

I guess the basket ball players should spend two months salary for an engagement ring............. around four five of million dollars(a la Kobe for cheating). Personally, I do not believe there should be a value put on these things. The man should buy a beautiful ring that he can afford without going broke and the woman should accept it if she loves him. After all they are about to go into a "till death do us part" journey. That way he can have the money to plan the marriage on time and not have to wait for years to regroup. There should not be a monetary value to the ring. Just beautiful and presentable............ and affordable.

It means a lot to the lovers of symbols but little to that of reality. If that is what it is all about. Then a life is worth been spent to get an engagement ring for the lovers of symbols, but how easier does it depriciate in the days of little attention. I care less. A Kobo of love is not in the market of any relationship again. it is all about the days of the men of Egypt.

I think the whole argument is bizarre. In an era of gender equality why is the question one sided. Do sisters want to eat their cake and have it? By the way why spend so much on a ring that is merely symbolic? What is engagement? How many engagements have gone awry and never made it to the 'promise land'? Well for me it is a partnership and I will be willing to spend nothing on that. My partner should know that ring or not, I love her and I think that is the most important. If she thinks otherwise, then she should propose and give me the engagement ring.

I once got an expensive jewelry gift for christmas from my Dad, it was so nice that I rarely wore it, only for special occasions, and one day the houseboy stole it, and like that it was gone. The amount of money spent on an engagement ring is completely completely irrelevant. I would rather spend money on having a good time (i.e bottles at a bar, lol) than on Jewelry that could possibly be stolen (regardless of how careful you are) I rather my fiance spend that money on our wedding, honeymoon, car, house, future kids school fees, etc... The engagement ring was just meant to show that one was "engaged", not the fiance's financial standing. and food for thought, if your wife-to-be gets visibly upset because she feels like you did not spend adequate money on her, is that the kind of woman you want to spend the rest of your life with? (this is assuming that the guy is not being ridiculously cheap)

Well, I think its smartest to stay within your means. Whats the point in buying ring that'll make you unnecessarily uncomfortable afterwards because you are certain that with all the hard times in naija,some ruffian will snatch it off your finger someday...but if you have the money, why not? But trust me, i'll rather invest the dough in something else. any nice looking ring works for me. But by the way, why so uch attachment to a ring? Lots of peeps wear rings that cost a fortune and still cheat like crazy on their partners!

When you decide you want to get married be aware of the three rings: 1. engagement Ring 2. wedding Ring 3. suffeRing no matter how much you spend on the first two, the third will be the most expensive!!

The question is - is a ring that important?

@chenna, when ur father gave u the piece, u loved it and guided it jealously. that it got missin was not the case but that u appreciated it to guide it and cherish it while u had it and now that u no longer had it. it the feelin behind it that matters and how the person recieving it feels about having it.

buying an expensive ring dosen't matter,what matters is LOVE,u may spend all u've got buying an expensive engagement ring yet the love is not real,thats nonsense.marrage is not about engageing your lady with an expensive ring,its all about TRUE LOVE.pls people let us give our ladys the BEST OF OUR LOVE cos they are worth it.

Its all a matter of how much is in your pocket? But pls don't spend what you will use in taking care of your family just to buy an engagement ring else....................

I agree with chinwe's view, jeremy said it all

An engagement to marry presupposes a commitment for life to a particular partner. The value of that commitment cannot truly be weighted in any currency. Prince Charles' engagement and marriage to late Lady Diana in the UK remains arguably the most expensive public show the world has known in this regard. The lessons from that glamourous yet hollow exhibition of pecuniary propelled 'love' should inform the wise on how and with what to determine the worth of a marital commitment.

An engagement to marry presupposes a commitment for life to a particular partner. The value of that commitment cannot truly be weighted in any currency. Prince Charles' engagement and marriage to late Lady Diana in the UK remains arguably the most expensive public show the world has known in this regard. The lessons from that glamourous yet hollow exhibition of pecuniary propelled 'love' should inform the wise on how and with what to determine the worth of a marital commitment.

Honestly nowadays people put too much into the price. It is reasonable to spend approximately $1500.00, but it totally depends on what you can afford. Sometimes people can't afford to spend so much, if you know your girl well enough to propose tha you should also know what she would like and wether or not cost matters to her. Personally my Fiancee nows me well enough to have bought me a simple solitaire and hit was way beyond my wildest dreams. Absolutely gorgeous and I love it and him more than I can say.

Depends on how much you are willing to spend. There is no hard and fast rule about it. Just be urself and do ur thing the way u want to do it, shikena. Anybody that has a problem with that might as well go take a swim in d lagoon

No amount can quantify the love I have for her but spending and putting so much, probably going broke because of an engagement ring is never worth it. I'll give you a ring to show my love, commitment and faithfulness. Then if she complains about the ring, she does'nt worth my time and care.

It all depends. An engagement ring is just a marker that says, na my own be this o, insha Allah. It is like a corner block or a beacon on an undeveloped plot of land. The type of beacon and the price you pay for it depends on the estimated worth of the plot. For instance you may want to pay N500,000.00 or more for beacons/corner blocks on a(an) New Haven/Asokoro/Maitama/Ikoyi/VI plot. On the othe other hand N10,000 to N15,000 can do for an Akure or Ogbomosho plot. As a marker, your engagement ring is telling other men: you can look, touch and chop but you can't have her all to your self cos someone has beaconed "her" already. You now ask yourself, what is a fair price for such a marker? That's the right price to pay...

I believe real marriage is based on love and not materialism. I agree with Jeremy. If you give her an expensive ring and still cheat on her, of what use is the ring?

200, 100, 500, 1,000,000, How do you want it? it depend on your choice. but tell me If she collect an expensive ring and still cheat on her, what is the importance of the ring? think twice.

....to me no amount is too much to buy an engagement ring but it still depends on how much my man can afford but the most important thing to me is the LOVE not the ring

When you really get to the depth of this issue, you will find out that many women are MINERS (Goldiggers) at heart. They will tell you that the cost of the ring does not matter, and they will tell you about how the glitz and money is not their primary concern. But show them a wiff of it, and a very very good majority would sniff you down like a prowling dog.

People tend to say if you really love someone you will do anything to make that person as happy as possible at all times.<br> After reading the posts above and discussing with people from other races and societies, I have realised that the underlying fact is the way you think your pocket size, the way your faince, her friends, her family and the general society where she lives would react to the ring impacts on how much you would be willing to spend. <br> In naija, a lot of girls of marriageable age just wants to get married or engaged at least....preferrably with someone they love. Those that fall in this school of thot doesnt care about the cost of the ring or the size of the stone on it! however in Yankee, where one of the first thing her friends will ask after the screams and shrieks is "how much is it", "Let me see' then someone will take the ring and start holding the stone towards the light checking for the diamond clarity, light reflection and ..bla bla bla, a "Cheap Ass Ring" (expression used by my colleague) would certainly make your fiancee unhappy.<br> So in summary, I guess the right prize will depend on how you want her to feel in the midst of family and friends when you are not there...assuming you really care about her feelings offcourse.!

What then happens to the ring, you bought with 3x your monthly salary, if the engagement does not lead to the altar?

All this talk of its the love that counts, its the marriage that counts..we all know that....no one is foolish enough to think its a ring that matters the most...the love, and all is the main thing that matters..its a given..so it has nothing to do with engagement ring or teh price..if your wife to be wants a nice, expensive ring, and the man can afford it, what is the big deal there? Afterall dont you love the said wife? Isnt the point also to make her happy? if of course the man can afford what she wants, then thats a different matter..Men can spend millionsss on a car, they do so cos its their taste and can afford, so why cant they use that same mentality on their woman? the bottom line is most men are just slefish...they just think its not worth spending such a huge amount on a ring...but i can bet if its something that was of value to them, they wont even bat an eyelid!

I am amazed by some of the things I am seeing written here. For one, I don't think the cost of the ring should matter. The UK has an average of 1500 pounds I read, and they have way higher proportion of broken marriages. It must also be that expensive to discourage their serial monogamy. The cost does not matter. Just get something that looks good and will last that you can afford. I have been married for 16 years and the ring I bought then was no big deal. I have since bought more expensive ones as the years have gone on. Where you start is no indication of how long it will last or where you will end up.

All I want is for my boyfriend to have put thouGht, time & effort into the ring that he will give me to propose marriage. In Australia it is said 15 000 average price. I don't want to know what he spent, hopefully he has planned it so that he has funds without me knowing&saved enough for me to be pleasently supprised at his effort!

Believe me, most of the people that commented on this have said it all. But does it also mean that when a man can afford something, he should not give his fiance something worthwhile?

Everyone seems to be of the opinion that love is what matters but I say, love your woman but Invest on her. Surprise her if need be. let her feel you care enough to spend some money on her ( that is if you have it o!). If you can buy that cute ride for millions of naira, you can afford to spend way less than that to please your woman.

The engagement ring should match a guy's income. Twice-thrice his monthly salary is just about right. If the salary is low then the ring should match that but if it's high then the ring better match that too. If a guy at all believes in the whole ring thing (which I very selfishly believe in), then he shouldn't be cheap about it. An engagement ring is presumably a one-time spend so it really shouldn't break the bank if a guy takes it seriously enough to save for. Now Ladies please consider this - would it be acceptable for your guy to claim "Sorry...not yet...I'm saving up for the ring" :-)

let me quote you "As far as I know, some guys spend extreme amounts of money on women they do not even love!"... Lie of the century!!!! No man shares enough time, much less money on a woman he doesn't love. Get your facts right.

Dear Mr. Martlaw-x, in response to you. To set the record straight, this is an opinion piece that is not based on fact ( since you said and i quote " Get your facts right"). I also remember saying that I am speaking my mind and that readers should speak theirs and perhaps enlighten me. So my dear, you are entitled to your opinion. Also, yes! I have seen men that spend outrageous sums of money on women they only care to sleep with. Thanks for that anyway.

i wouldn't expect my fiance to do that for me we've been engaged since he asked me at xmas and i still dont have a ring almost 7 month later even though i did go get him a real expensive diamond ring right away. the ring isnt everything even though i have to admit something would be a whole lot better than nothing but to some men ie my fiance other things are equally important and should come first. not sure what though as his only other commitments seem to be purchasing expensive sports equipment and lessons to accompany that and the lataest games consoles newest games ipods etc (yes all for himself!) oh we do have a child on the way too but he didnt buy anything for the baby yet either so for girls who complain about not having a big flashy expensive ring - shut up whining and grow up the ring doesnt have to be expensive something is better than a whole lotta nothing its the thought that counts and your lucky enough in the first place if ypur partner cares enough to put that thought in. your not ready to be engaged or married if your so materialistic all you care about is the amount of cash someone will throw at you

Nick in case noone's told you before please hear this HE'S NOT THAT INTO YOU. Otherwise he'll give you a ring. Although you shouldn't bother too much about the ring as there far more issues with this guy i.e. He'd rather spend on his toys than on stuff for the baby? True something's better than nothing but this guy seems to be giving nothing.

I guess when women start buying engagement rings for men then they will understand that not everyone can afford diamonds and stuff. A man should buy what he can afford.

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I think spending an amount that requires the man to save in advance (so possibly 1-2 months' salary, depending on financial commitments) is a good guideline. That way, it requires a lot of thought in terms of whether this is really right on his behalf before making this proposal / promise. However, other commitments need to be considered. I am not a gold digger, however, I would be upset if my boyfriend proposed with a ring of a value less than 1 months salary because we are in a good financial position (recently bought hose and he still has savings equivalent to 6 months salary. Additionally, he has a watches and golf clubs at value of 2 weeks salary each - I would feel he didn't value me if he could spend this on himself but not something to symbolize our relationship) I know we are very lucky, but think this perspective is also important.

Kudos guys!I've read all wot u guys said.but d fact remains dat d ring shld be based on love&if d lady truly luvs d guy,she shouldn't expect a ring he can't afford.pls guys,dont take advantage of ur lady's love by buying just any kind of ring thinkin she would accept it bcos she luvs u.she's ur life time investment.so,close ur eye & spend d money,she's worth more dan dat.give her sth she wuld appreciate d rest of ur lives 2geda.u guys are too much,kip it up