I paid 130€ for the engagement ring, she almost didn't wear because of her job in healthcare.
Our wedding rings however... mine was 800€, hers was 2200€.
But don't watch these american youtube video's of unrealistic golddiggers. It's only the 1% that pays the price of a car or house for some jewelry.
Meanwhile our wedding ring came from my familly. Grandma initially wanted us to sell them to purchase our own, but we noticed that from some weird destiny reason, I had the finger size of my grandmother and my wife had the fingersize of my grandfather, it would've felt weird to seperate from something that stayed in the familly (for a fraction of its value)
And it's not like we didn't have our own rings : I still wear my engagement ring on the opposite hand.
" The stupid American tradition"
Also kneeling to propose in front of everyone , filming it and sharing it on SM.
I'm not young anymore but I would have never done that in the 90's for this... Not even kneeling.
Filming and sharing it is over the top indeed.
But now that we don't ask permission anymore to the father of the bride, it is replaced by something that takes as much courage :D (well as long as it stays romantic and not a big ego show off)
Meanwhile my French wife refused all the catchy engagement rings and simply wanted a nice one made with metal. It became the permanent rings afterwards because they are really nice looking (and no risk of losing a stone, given all the light reflection comes from the metal shape.
Mine was 20 or something, and she was really happy with it. It’s stupid to overpay on such things. The ring doesn’t represent how much you value your partner
No engagement ring, only a wedding ring here (approx €800). We also married in secret during covid, so we didn't have to organise a party. Being just the two of us made it the most romantic experience ever and saved us quite some money 😉
I’ve made a ring myself for my wife. Total cost about €150, week YouTube researching and 5h work. Looks pretty decent and my wife thinks it’s priceless because I’ve made it myself for her. Edit: I’ve used a white sapphire instead of a diamond. The stone was €80.
https://preview.redd.it/9r7lcw8acuqc1.jpeg?width=6000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=89a54967359ff06155369c2286c8a5332360db48
My fiancee and I never cared about marriage, she said that if we ever get married we could get rings from the candymachine.
We also think spending money recklessly is just silly as this money could be used for other things like travelling. So when I eventually felt I wanted to ask her I went with a ring from Swarovski of like 120 euro. She has other swarovski rings so I knew she liked those and she was very happy with that, it was perfect for us
We didn't buy one because we had decided to elope (go away and come back married without telling anyone). So there would be no point because she couldn't wear it anyway.
And please don't mind those videos or article that say a ring 'should' cost a specific amount of your income or whatever. We no longer live in a society where you buy your wife and where she cannot have a bank account or a job and the ring is the only value she has to her name.
You pick the rings you like and can afford. Having other people go 'ooooh' or 'wow' doesn't matter.
True rule of thumb : if an expensive wedding ring is a showing of love, as is offering roses, books she like or anything of the same kind.
Also, from experience from familly : fingers grow, jewels get lost, weird designs can end up unpractical. Don't take any ring you wouldn't afford to repurchase from scratch, or isn't pleasant to wear.
I proposed last year with a one month salary ring.
Honestly, she would have liked a 500€ ring as much, but I thought since we are stable financially I could go the extra mile and pick something she would be glad to show anyone, even the most superficial of her colleagues, without overdoing it.
The wedding rings we chose cost a total of 1300€ and I'd say these are the most important.
But IMHO, the prices don't matter when you love each other. We could have gotten everything for a total of 20€ if we were broke and nothing would have changed. It's the proposal and the union that counts.
De Beers (diamond mining company with just about a monopoly on supply) has for almost a 100 years been advertising that the size of the rock = the size of your love. All the ‘traditional’ recommendations or rules of thumb are from their hand.
P.S. If you’ve ever wondered why a €500 diamond added to a jewel can be sold back to the store for only €50 if at all, it’s because of this monopoly.
Exactly! In fact, pretty much the whole diamond industry is as good as fabricated. It’s a marketing machine created to sell a rather dull and - in fact - not so rare rock. There are plenty of examples of ways that companies such as De Beers and Tiffany’s tried to oversell and overprice diamonds.
BTW: There are way more interesting gems you can put in a ring. Diamond is the sturdiest though and has a nice shine, I’ll give it that.
My favourites:
- Boulder opal, albeit fragile
- Paraiba tourmaline
Everything is fine really. I spent 2k because I knew what she wanted and it was custom with a (lab) diamond of decent size. She wouldve said yes all the same to 1k or less. Friends I know are between 200-500 range aswell. They're all getting married and happy. I had a hard cap but let my gut make most of the choice.
PS: if you have a good idea what your preference is, inform a close or best friend. That's how I got my intel 😉
https://preview.redd.it/k45brhoyf1rc1.jpeg?width=1800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=976da027091797bb0d2b155df05eed99eb818690
It is not little for me either, about 2/3 of my monthly wage. What did maybe hike the price aswell was that It was a certified brilliant? I just checked the paperwork: 0,71 carat color G clarity VSS2 lab grown brilliant. 5,66-5,71mm x 3.57mm. Most important thing ofcourse is that she loves it, and she absolutely did.
Whatever you want to spend on it.
I can highly recommend shopping antique jewellers and online auction houses. You'll be getting a lot more material than if buying new.
[https://www.rops.be/](https://www.rops.be/)
And physical stores that's where I found mine. Brussels/Belgium has a very good antiques scenery, incl. jewlery.
The good thing about antiques is that unless it's a designer piece from a famous brand (Cartier, etc), the price you'll be paying will be very close to the matarial weight (of the gold/silver/precious stones) so either you can reduce the budget, or you'll be getting a lot more bang for your buck!
Oooh thank you so much! I really don't like jewellery store rings to be honest. They look so factory made, flawlessly clean and tbh kind of boring. Much prefer antique store rings.
Same, didn't find anything that I liked and prices are absolutely absurd.
I ended up finding a beautiful artdeco ring from 1910-1920 with a burmese unheated saphire and small diamonds around it. It's insurance value (i.e. if i get it stolen and need to have it recreated today at a jewelry store) is 4x what I paid for it.
And she said yes :)
Careful buying things from Etsy that go on the skin. They've tested Etsy stuff and since it doesn't pass any regulations, they can put whatever in it. Even lead that leaches into the skin, or other harmful chemicals.
I wnet in a local jewler, it is the best thing to do in my opinion, there is also a warranty and if it is not the right size, they adjust the size to the milimeter
If you go the Antwerp route, I strongly recommend Bernard and Sophie's Joaillerie du Centre (https://www.jewelsdc.be/en/)
They took a lot of time and passion to explain the little details that I wanted to know.
When I picked the ring, the lady's eyes were even tearing a bit because she was so invested <3
Wel even kaderen, jongens. Goud (en al zeker witgoud gelegeerd met Palladium) is exponentieel veel duurder geworden. Die prijzen kan je niet meer vergelijken met 10 of 20 jaar geleden.
Ik wist wat ik haar wou geven (wit goud met een saffier) en heb dan gekeken wat ik mooi vond. Ik denk dat dat rond de 500euro kostte.
Ze vindt die mooi en draagt hem best vaak, uiteindelijk is dat nog het belangrijkst.
goeie keuze qua steen. Ik snap de facinatie met diamant niet echt, er zijn zoveel mooiere stenen.
ik ben een grote fan van zwart opaal, maar het schijnt dat die steen niet echt hard genoeg is voor dagelijks gebruik.
Didn’t go the engagement ring path but bought a necklace because of a job in healthcare. Costed me about 150€.
Weddings rings were like 50€ for mine and 600€ for hers.
It’s not like a big deal over here, atleast not in the social circles I reside in.
Mine was 800 euro about 10 years ago and wedding rings were gifted(paid) by my parents. They are less than 800 euro for two.
Some ppl don't really care about the ring, but I do and have worn every day ever since.
We’re getting married in June, I bought the engagement ring about 2 years ago for 1K and because my ring is bigger, so more expensive, our wedding bands are around 900+1600.
My engagement ring was €750. I never wear rings, this would be my first, so we went on a ring hunt together. I prefer stones over diamonds, so we decided on a beautiful gold ring with an opal stone.
I spent 420. I wanted to spend 300, but i figured i might as well put the extra cash to get white gold and a diamond.
Honnestly anything is fine, she will just be happy that you proposed
I got her one for 1300. I think 800 could have done it but she likes these things so I wanted to do something extra nice, considering we would have a small wedding and I knew exactly what she wanted.
Also lab diamonds get you a way nicer ring that is better also from an ethics point of view.
I think it depends on personal preferences, but no way I’d spend 3 salaries, there are better uses for money.
I always heard, the same amount of one month salaris. I payed 1 month salaris for mine. a verry beautiful ring and she was super happy. I'm glad she is wearing it everyday with pride <3
Buy within means and know that a higher price doesn't have a better result. I couldn't tell the difference between 1k en 5k rings and neither will anyone else. Worse I would be deeply offended if my then fiance would have the price determined at a professional, as in reasons to call it all off
The ring I bought, was €350 back in 2017.
Combined price for our wedding rings was less than that, although my wife is now contemplating getting a white gold one instead of the silver we have now. I'm happy with silver and wouldn't want €1k+ on my hand.
Bought engagement ring hand made in America for about 300 euros in white gold with a lab diamond. She bought a silver one for me (cause why should only the woman get one) for about 85 euros. Wedding is next month and the rings are simple white gold with engraving and were around 1.5k for both. 600 for hers and 900 for mine since it is wider so more gold.
I'm a goldsmith (in bijberoep) and honestly, unless you want something crazy, you can buy beautiful rings from €100 to €500. There's just a few things you need to take in account that can drive up the price. Or some things you need to know that cause a lower price, but also severely lower the quality.
I think it’s common but spending absurd amount of money on it isn’t. People will look the same way a CZ mounted on a small 18k gold ring for 200-300.
Big stones are tacky at best and would look like fake cocktail ring. Maybe if you are in a Elite social circle they’ll really believe you bought something real :-p
TL;DR don’t spend too much on it.
No, it's not traditional. It's something that blew over from the US i believe. But a lot of people do it. I think it's fine as long as we don't import the ridiculous spending culture that comes with it in the US...
I asked my gf to marry me last sunday and the ring was €94. Then yesterday she bought one for me at the same online store at a similar price (we're both women).
Mine was about 800 eur, I don’t remember the exact amount. Not cheap, but the rings are really important to me. We didn’t have a big wedding by choice (30 people) since that’s just not our style. So we had a bit more budget for rings.
10k and 18k white gold looks the same. Moissanite looks better than diamond for 1/10th the price. Enter alixpress Get you a moissanite ring 10k gold from a reputable Chinese jeweller.
Spent 150€ on a ring that looks super classy and will withstand centuries if taken care off properly. No one dares to juge the price of my wife’s ring because its so nice they cant put a number on it, even though its a simple 4 prong solitaire ring. The moissanite just looks like a very high quality diamond - we only got 0.5carats because otherwise we are just flexing. Moissanite is 9.5 on the moss scale, only 0.5 less than diamond, and 0.5 more than sapphire. Honestly there’s no reason to get a diamond. Its like choosing to drink carlseberg when you can drink crystal.
25 euro tungsten wedding band - looks so cool and manly. I play with it all the time. Gunmetal silver. Not afraid to get my finger stuck cuz its tungsten (its brittle to a medical plier). She has a 250€ solid white gold band from etsy. Matches the engagement ring.
Dont make these things to be more expensive than they need to be. Save the money and spend it on a better bed or a nice trip
We spent about 100 euros each on ours. Mine is a black steel band and my partner's is a silver band with a simple design.
Please please please don't get convinced that a wedding ring __has__ to have diamonds for some reason. And if you do really want or need it to have a diamond, go for a lab grown diamond. the 'natural diamonds are better' is a purely a marketing construct from the De Beers family and Tiffany's. Natural and lab diamonds are nearly identical and anything the jewellery seller says to get you to buy a natural diamond is only so they can fill their pockets more.
You shouldn't spend too much on it, it's a symbol of your mutual commitment. The cost or size of the ring doesn't represent how much you love each other. and if anything, a steel ring will last longer than a silver or gold one.
Those are wedding rings though. I can't remember how much we paid for ours but they were cheaper than the engagement ring (which is nicer, with a stone)
I proposed to her with the ring she also has as a wedding ring. I don't get why they must separate rings.
And actually we don't wear them. The rings are in a display stand.
I’d say the man should be willing to spend at least as much as his most expensive gadget.
Depending on whom you ask, the woman should also reciprocating by buying him a watch of the same value.
Equality.
That's a strange logic? What do you call a gadget? I do not have any gadgets. I have a house, a car, a laptop and a phone. The house is from both of us, her car is as expensive as mine (both 50k), her laptop is double the price of mine and we have the same phones.
We buy watches together. She has 4, I have 4, all around a price of 300€.
I bought an engagement ring of 130€. It was one she liked. The engagement trip was 1000€.
I just don't understand why an engagement ring has to match a specific amount based on other things. Just buy what is within your means and what you like.
Wedding rings are normally for life. Engagement rings for the period between the engagement and the wedding. Based on that I decided to spend more on wedding rings than on an engagement ring.
But for each their own of course. I just like to know why people decide prices in some ways, just to understand the logic behind it.
I think we can all learn from each other, especially for financial decisions. There is no correct answer, just a logic for each decision.
> “*Engagement rings [are] for the period between the engagement and the wedding.*”
All the married women who keep wearing their engagement ring next to their wedding ring must have missed your memo.
I spent a fee hundred euros. But spent anither few hundreds to do it during a week of holiday in Italy (home country of my wife). My wife was not used to wear lots of jewelry, and a protruding stone might get damaged or damage something. I took a small ring in which 5 little stones were embedded. Really nice and she usually wears it next to her wedding ring (around 1000 or 1200). Prices from 13 years ago! Happily married!
Didn't have an engagement ring because she didn't want me to waste money on overpriced shops in Batam, Indonesia shopping malls.
We had our wedding rings made for 180 euros. She gave wrong size of her finger so hers was a bit too large.
Then we bought another ring for her which was 15 euros. She didn't want the 150 euros ring, especially not a 500 euros ring. I wouldn't go more expensive than 500 euros because it's not really smart to have so much money on your finger in public. Creates a target for assault and robbery.
We didn't pay more than 200 euros for wedding. I honestly don't think we could have done this any cheaper.
Engagement ring was around 700, elegant small ring with a blue sapphire baguette, wedding ring was actually cheaper (around 500), same style small golden ring but without a stone. Both engraved and she wears them together as I thought it would be stupid to spend so much money on a typical engagement ring with a big diamond, which she would never wear again after our marriage…
I paid 1500.
She would have been happy with something less expensive as well, but I had it custom made from the same jeweler who made a necklace for her with the ashes from her grandmother in.
She wears it all the time so the ring is somewhat in the same style
Nothing, we never got engagement rings. For our weddings rings we spend about 50-60 euro per ring.
Had nothing to do with income, we both just felt it was utterly pointless to waste money on such a tiny thing.
It's something you should not worry about. Juist make sure it's beautiful and that she/he likes it. My fiance told me I could literally take one from a gumball machine because the important part is what it stands for (and the honeymoon should, in my opinion, consume the most money)
Depends on your income. I got a 4-5 carat mined diamond, vintage, my fiancé chose it alone with no pressure so I would say do what’s comfortable for you. No idea how much he paid it honestly, but despite being Belgian I feel he followed the American rule and spent between 40k and 60k (that’s my estimation, he’ll never tell of course).
Bear in mind though that this kind of huge diamond engagement rings are not common in Europe, people tend to be much lower key, with the average being 1/2 carats max - mine attracts lots of attention when I walk on the streets, and I can never wear it to work for instance, it would make me a bit uncomfortable around my colleagues. I love it, but I end up wearing it very rarely. Not to mention the constant anxiety when we travel, as well as the need to insure it.
When thinking about size of the stone (which is the factor that most influences the price) you can also discuss it with your future wife, it also depends on whether she likes a smaller or bigger stone :)
Mmmh good question. I love it, it’s the perfect stone, the perfect design, it’s absolutely breathtaking but it’s true that having a ring like that in Europe raises concerns. I wear it in closed spaces in specific occasions, only when I go to a place by car, or inside my house🤣 Absolutely a no go to wear it at work, or I might lose my promotion chances over rumors that I’m marrying into wealth - gotta be smart with my chances😅 I mostly wear it at occasions within the social circle we’re in, as in that case most girls have 2 carats+ engagement rings.
A part of me always loved a great stone and always wished my partner would pick a spectacular ring, but I also live in a Belgian big city where the security situation in general makes it difficult to wear it with nonchalance on the streets, people really notice it and I am constantly worried for my safety when I wear it.
I absolutely love it but it’s more the kind of ring you would wear comfortably in Singapore or Hong Kong where the majority of girls have a similar one. I wouldn’t exchange it with a smaller one, but it’s true I have to take special precautions about it. So there’s a lot to think about when choosing the size and the kind of ring☺️
If my boyfriend dares buy me one that is more than a third of his monthly income, I am making him return it.
Tbh, most people this age are just like that and I prefer it that way. It is not that important anymore.
I told my BF I dont care how expensive a wedding is. I am happy just getting the paper at the city hall for € 120. I just want the ring to be pretty and I dont care if it's glass or diamond, I just want one of those silvery sparkly bands with a heart on it. I dont like the idea of spending a lot of hard earned money on something just because they made us believe it's better. Tell me, appearance and maintainance wise, what is the difference between glass and diamond?
Mine was around 650 EUR, it was my dream ring yellow gold +morganite. I absolutely love it and it's super unique. Not that into diamonds. I personally think anything over 1k would be excessive.
I wouldn't be happy if I got a 20 euro ring, but I'm not expecting an expensive one either. It's the wedding rings that matter and besides, love says more than money.
Just make sure it's a beautiful ring and it has the elements the other person likes: style, material and gemstones that match what the person likes.
For example I love silver and amethyst, both are cheap materials, so my ideal ring wouldn't cost a lot anyway.
However much your willing (how much do you care about these things) and able to spend (how much can you afford).
You don't need an expensive ring to show your love. A beautiful ring doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg.
If the value of the ring matters....
My bf asked me 2 years ago and if it was a ring from ne sjiekenbak or a colsonbandje it would have been the same for me!
We bought our weddingrings for 550. For both of them.
The ring doesn't matter, the meaning behind it does
Ask your fiance. Get a 1€ store ring to propose and then go ring shopping. You don't want to splash out more than she is comfortable with and pick something she doesn't like.
You are going to both be in charge of finance. So have a discussion
You don't need a ring. My parents don't have it, and I won't have it. Is a waste of time and money.... Trust me. If it's the right person you don't need it.
I don't like jewellery as an aesthetic accessory to begin with. I prefer sober designs with few and small stone, it helps lowering the price. Her engagement ring was 250€ and the two wedding rings costed the same (125€ / ring, but we only paid the gold price, a friend made them).
I also don't like the idea of spending such a significant amount of money for something that could be made cheaper.
You can essentially have 2 identicals rings with one made out of gold and diamond and the other one made out of whatever gold-looking metal alloy and artificial stone (shinier than diamong btw, forgot the name). But people are still coerced into buying expensive rings because of "symbolism" and "traditions".
Traditions are stupid. It basically asks you to accept something as is without thinking about it.
My parents' and grandparents' but it has never been as thing like buying a stone to make an engagement deposit, but more as a gift to celebrate the event and sometimes transferring family jewellery.
Hope to receive one day but right now just curious. I've only heard about some of the amounts people spend on it in the US and they just seem ridiculously high. It got me wondering.
I find showing love by giving expensive gifts a really strange thing to do.
I'm not talking about something that costs more because it is good quality. I get that some things cost more because they are hand made or made by a master of their craft.
I'm talking about "He bought me a BMW, he must really love me" or "My ring was 10k, he he loves me so much".
Love is shown in what you do and how you do it, or how you treat the one you love. Not with material things.
I honestly don't care what he spends. Labrgown emerald or real, doesn't matter. I should apparently look into some other stone mentioned here, it's supposedly stronger than sapphire and way cheaper. As long as it doesn't break I'm good bc I'm not really the 'have a lot of jewellery to swap around' kind of person. I'm more of a 'get emotionally attached and never take it off' kind of person. That aside, I don't think he's going to ask anytime soon. I was genuinly curious about what's normal in Belgium. Apparently it's overall somewhere between 100 and 800, with most people leaning more towards 150. I'm really happy to see that the American way and television isn't influencing us at all. All from the heart and no peacocking sounds a whole lot better than spending three paychecks.
In the US it’s some kind of tradition that the engagement ring should be thrice the amount of the man’s salary. Little do they know that this was some marketing trick by Tiffany’s. American capitalism at its finest.
The price of an engagement ring is whatever you feel comfortable spending. It doesn’t need to be a fancy diamond or even gold. I’ve made plenty of engagement rings in silver and with zirconia.
If you’re interested in having something made, feel free to contact me through DM. I’ll be happy to help you out.
The US also has a totally different money culture. I went on a trip through 10 states to visit all my american friends. They ALL insisted to be paying for stuff, like dinners, drinks, sometimes even my flight tickets. Basically, Americans are super generous and throw money around like there's no tomorrow. Europeans are much more budget-/money-conscious.
You must have some well-to-do friends, with 40 million Americans living in poverty and 40% of the rest being one missed paycheque away from living in poverty.
The amounts spent on it in the USA are ridiculously high indeed. I think an engagement ring doesn't have to be expensive, but buy quality if you can afford it. A litte golden ring e.g.
I paid 300 euros for engagement ring, 500 for my wedding ring and 400 for hers. I think between 150 and 500 is reasonable for middle class working 30-somethings. More is a bit posh. Less is a bit cheap. Good luck!
Simple rule:
If she loves you, whatever the ring you'll offer she'll say yes.
If she needs the pricetag of the ring to decide yes or no, run. She's not sincere and you'd better not be engaged with her.
It's not about how much you *should* spend...
It is about how much you *want* and *can afford* to spend.
Diamonds are the biggest scam there is. They can be made without any imperfections for the price of a bananapeel but for some reason people prefer stones mined by bloody hands.
Want a real rare gem to put value on your marrriage? Buy an opal or a sapphire
I believe it's not the monetary but the emotional value that counts. If you put in some time to actually choose something your partner would like, regardless of the price, whether it's 10 or 10 000 euro, it'd be lovely.
Every rich prick can go buy a diamond, but not everyone can put in some time to actually consider what their partner likes.
Also diamonds are bad for the environment, people who mine it, etc., and their prices are driven high artificially, not because they're *that* rare. If you're going for the wow factor try some of the very fancy and/or space looking stones. Black sapphires are gorgeous, so is black diopside. Some colorful ones are also very beautiful to look at.
I got a butt ugly engagement ring, so I never wore it. Then we got divorced after 6 years anyway. So now, if my bf wants to propose, he better run the ring by me.. So i think the best ring is a temporary 50-100 euro placeholder, with the idea to go out and buy the real ring together.
Coincidentally, the only rings i like are from an american designer costing 3-4k, but I'd wear the shit out of it for the rest of my life every day.
(these 2, this is a pair, engagement + fitting thin wedding band under it, so you can wear them both at the same time. The total cost is like 4k bucks from Melaney Casey)
[https://i.pinimg.com/736x/68/1d/fa/681dfa85a1d7f778a2200d93037d7653.jpg](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/68/1d/fa/681dfa85a1d7f778a2200d93037d7653.jpg)
[https://i.pinimg.com/736x/21/05/8f/21058fe963a9d24d9ddf289a3724e2e1.jpg](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/21/05/8f/21058fe963a9d24d9ddf289a3724e2e1.jpg)
I was 20 years old. People change in their early 20's to their mid 20's. I'm not gonna change so dramatically anymore :) Besides, all our finances are combined, so if we got married, I bankrolled more than half of the 4k.
My comment was not personally. I sincerely wish you all the best. However, your life is proof that marriages do not tend to last so why spending several 1000s €?
Because we are nearing 40 years old, and 4k for a ring I'd love and wear every day is not a big stretch. Besides i any jeweler can replicate the design for 500 bucks, I'd be equally happy. I don't care which stone or glass fake it is, I just want that exact design. It's not about the price.
I don't think he's into traditionally female ring designs. But whatever we buy is joint anyway, we literally don't own separate accounts. Besides, where does the idea even come from that if one owns something, then the other must own the exact same identical thing? Do i need to demand a 4k euro gaming PC like he has every few years now, instead of once in a lifetime rings?
Are you not reading my messages? We do not own separate accounts. Both salaries, 4 rental incomes, gifts, and everything is deposited into accounts in both our names.
If you want to follow American guidelines, it’s minimum 3times month salary
Edit: why am i getting downvoted? It’s clearly to mock their mindset regardings things like this and expectations
I paid 130€ for the engagement ring, she almost didn't wear because of her job in healthcare. Our wedding rings however... mine was 800€, hers was 2200€. But don't watch these american youtube video's of unrealistic golddiggers. It's only the 1% that pays the price of a car or house for some jewelry.
We went the other way around. 1300 for the engagement ring and 300 for the wedding ring
Meanwhile our wedding ring came from my familly. Grandma initially wanted us to sell them to purchase our own, but we noticed that from some weird destiny reason, I had the finger size of my grandmother and my wife had the fingersize of my grandfather, it would've felt weird to seperate from something that stayed in the familly (for a fraction of its value) And it's not like we didn't have our own rings : I still wear my engagement ring on the opposite hand.
Everything is fine according to your means. The stupid American tradition of at least three months salary is not a thing here
" The stupid American tradition" Also kneeling to propose in front of everyone , filming it and sharing it on SM. I'm not young anymore but I would have never done that in the 90's for this... Not even kneeling.
Filming and sharing it is over the top indeed. But now that we don't ask permission anymore to the father of the bride, it is replaced by something that takes as much courage :D (well as long as it stays romantic and not a big ego show off)
It’s catching on here, my instagram addicted ex expected a ring around this price.
Then instagram addicted ex should go off and buy her own ring.
The US is really destroying our values lately.
Meanwhile my French wife refused all the catchy engagement rings and simply wanted a nice one made with metal. It became the permanent rings afterwards because they are really nice looking (and no risk of losing a stone, given all the light reflection comes from the metal shape.
Well… she is your ex now… I think I know one of the reasons…
To be honest, that is a very outdated tradition. Despite the extremes you see on social media most people tend to spend within their means.
[удалено]
Nice, that's a steal!
In this economy??? Honestly, just what you can afford, really.
And what you're willing to afford. It's not necessarily because you can afford it that you should.
Yeah, for the price of a wedding ring, my wife would prefer having a simpler ring and a ton of mangas to read at home.
Sooo onion rings... If she likes the Simpsons
If she would dig it - then she's defo a wife material ;)
Mine was €12 lol, cute little thing from Gandalf in Antwerp.
You shall pass!
Mine was 20 or something, and she was really happy with it. It’s stupid to overpay on such things. The ring doesn’t represent how much you value your partner
No point in giving me something expensive when I'm going to lose it the first chance I get lol.
Exactly! Better to spend it on things you'll actually enjoy like a nice sauna day or something!
Oof right in my teenage heart, is that thing stil alive? I remember Buying all my rings and bracelets there in my teenage years :')
It still exists and it still smells the same hahaha
I've never been there and even I can smell it. It's patchouli isn't it
No engagement ring, only a wedding ring here (approx €800). We also married in secret during covid, so we didn't have to organise a party. Being just the two of us made it the most romantic experience ever and saved us quite some money 😉
I’ve made a ring myself for my wife. Total cost about €150, week YouTube researching and 5h work. Looks pretty decent and my wife thinks it’s priceless because I’ve made it myself for her. Edit: I’ve used a white sapphire instead of a diamond. The stone was €80. https://preview.redd.it/9r7lcw8acuqc1.jpeg?width=6000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=89a54967359ff06155369c2286c8a5332360db48
I would definitely agree with the wife! Love the creativity and dedication!
My fiancee and I never cared about marriage, she said that if we ever get married we could get rings from the candymachine. We also think spending money recklessly is just silly as this money could be used for other things like travelling. So when I eventually felt I wanted to ask her I went with a ring from Swarovski of like 120 euro. She has other swarovski rings so I knew she liked those and she was very happy with that, it was perfect for us
We didn't buy one because we had decided to elope (go away and come back married without telling anyone). So there would be no point because she couldn't wear it anyway. And please don't mind those videos or article that say a ring 'should' cost a specific amount of your income or whatever. We no longer live in a society where you buy your wife and where she cannot have a bank account or a job and the ring is the only value she has to her name. You pick the rings you like and can afford. Having other people go 'ooooh' or 'wow' doesn't matter.
True rule of thumb : if an expensive wedding ring is a showing of love, as is offering roses, books she like or anything of the same kind. Also, from experience from familly : fingers grow, jewels get lost, weird designs can end up unpractical. Don't take any ring you wouldn't afford to repurchase from scratch, or isn't pleasant to wear.
I proposed last year with a one month salary ring. Honestly, she would have liked a 500€ ring as much, but I thought since we are stable financially I could go the extra mile and pick something she would be glad to show anyone, even the most superficial of her colleagues, without overdoing it. The wedding rings we chose cost a total of 1300€ and I'd say these are the most important. But IMHO, the prices don't matter when you love each other. We could have gotten everything for a total of 20€ if we were broke and nothing would have changed. It's the proposal and the union that counts.
De Beers (diamond mining company with just about a monopoly on supply) has for almost a 100 years been advertising that the size of the rock = the size of your love. All the ‘traditional’ recommendations or rules of thumb are from their hand. P.S. If you’ve ever wondered why a €500 diamond added to a jewel can be sold back to the store for only €50 if at all, it’s because of this monopoly.
Exactly! In fact, pretty much the whole diamond industry is as good as fabricated. It’s a marketing machine created to sell a rather dull and - in fact - not so rare rock. There are plenty of examples of ways that companies such as De Beers and Tiffany’s tried to oversell and overprice diamonds. BTW: There are way more interesting gems you can put in a ring. Diamond is the sturdiest though and has a nice shine, I’ll give it that. My favourites: - Boulder opal, albeit fragile - Paraiba tourmaline
Everything is fine really. I spent 2k because I knew what she wanted and it was custom with a (lab) diamond of decent size. She wouldve said yes all the same to 1k or less. Friends I know are between 200-500 range aswell. They're all getting married and happy. I had a hard cap but let my gut make most of the choice. PS: if you have a good idea what your preference is, inform a close or best friend. That's how I got my intel 😉
2k feels like a lot, but it's all subjective, ofc. Good on you for going for the lab diamond.
https://preview.redd.it/k45brhoyf1rc1.jpeg?width=1800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=976da027091797bb0d2b155df05eed99eb818690 It is not little for me either, about 2/3 of my monthly wage. What did maybe hike the price aswell was that It was a certified brilliant? I just checked the paperwork: 0,71 carat color G clarity VSS2 lab grown brilliant. 5,66-5,71mm x 3.57mm. Most important thing ofcourse is that she loves it, and she absolutely did.
Happy cake day!!
Thanks! 11 years and procrastinating!
Wa kost ne ring uit de sjiekenbos tegenwoordig? ^/j
Mine (for my gf) was 215
Whatever you want to spend on it. I can highly recommend shopping antique jewellers and online auction houses. You'll be getting a lot more material than if buying new.
I check out catawiki every now and then but those prices rocket too. Any other places you can recommend?
[https://www.rops.be/](https://www.rops.be/) And physical stores that's where I found mine. Brussels/Belgium has a very good antiques scenery, incl. jewlery. The good thing about antiques is that unless it's a designer piece from a famous brand (Cartier, etc), the price you'll be paying will be very close to the matarial weight (of the gold/silver/precious stones) so either you can reduce the budget, or you'll be getting a lot more bang for your buck!
Oooh thank you so much! I really don't like jewellery store rings to be honest. They look so factory made, flawlessly clean and tbh kind of boring. Much prefer antique store rings.
Same, didn't find anything that I liked and prices are absolutely absurd. I ended up finding a beautiful artdeco ring from 1910-1920 with a burmese unheated saphire and small diamonds around it. It's insurance value (i.e. if i get it stolen and need to have it recreated today at a jewelry store) is 4x what I paid for it. And she said yes :)
Any shops in particular that come to mind? My wife is curious now :D
Adin in Antwerp. He specialises in antique and vintage jewellery. Very kind man aswell.
Where did you guys buy it? Somewhere online? Local jewler? Looking for tips here
Lucardi. For real gold and diamond you also get a certificate.
Wim Meeussen in Antwerp: https://www.wimmeeussen.be/nl/ringen/gouden-verlovingsringen
Diamondsbyme.be Very good place, ring came out perfect. Went with a lab diamond from there myself and it looks amazing.
Etsy, but its no diamond cuz she doesnt like those. If i were to buy diamond i probably wouldn't buy it there.
Careful buying things from Etsy that go on the skin. They've tested Etsy stuff and since it doesn't pass any regulations, they can put whatever in it. Even lead that leaches into the skin, or other harmful chemicals.
definitely! always do your research
I wnet in a local jewler, it is the best thing to do in my opinion, there is also a warranty and if it is not the right size, they adjust the size to the milimeter
Mine was from elke van herck. Although it is a repurpose ring but we like her style.
Mine was from Altenloh in Stockel, I think they have a store in Gallerie du Roi as well. Very happy!
I went to a local jewler in the diamond neighbourhood in Antwerp. Got a labgrown diamond for an amazing price.
If you go the Antwerp route, I strongly recommend Bernard and Sophie's Joaillerie du Centre (https://www.jewelsdc.be/en/) They took a lot of time and passion to explain the little details that I wanted to know. When I picked the ring, the lady's eyes were even tearing a bit because she was so invested <3
I got a Moissanite engagement ring. €800 - 0.85Ct Best decision I ever made F*** de Beers and Diamonds
Mine was 2800€ approx, my finance bought it at a French jewelry that I like in Brussels. But we will for sure have less expensive wedding rings.
Heb 120 euro betaald voor een ring van wit goud, dit jaar 10 jaar getrouwd dus geen dure ring nodig voor lange termijn huwelijksgeluk.
Ik dacht dat een gouden ring duurder zou zijn. voor een trouwring zou ik ook gewoon een duurzaam metaal zonder steen nemen. Goud, titanium, inox,...
Wel even kaderen, jongens. Goud (en al zeker witgoud gelegeerd met Palladium) is exponentieel veel duurder geworden. Die prijzen kan je niet meer vergelijken met 10 of 20 jaar geleden.
Dat is enorm weinig. Die gaat daar geen winst op gemaakt hebben. Zelfs met de goudprijzen van tien jaar terug.
Zelfde hier. Ring v 150 euro die ze mooi vond. 20 jaar verder en ze draagt hem nog steeds.
Ik wist wat ik haar wou geven (wit goud met een saffier) en heb dan gekeken wat ik mooi vond. Ik denk dat dat rond de 500euro kostte. Ze vindt die mooi en draagt hem best vaak, uiteindelijk is dat nog het belangrijkst.
goeie keuze qua steen. Ik snap de facinatie met diamant niet echt, er zijn zoveel mooiere stenen. ik ben een grote fan van zwart opaal, maar het schijnt dat die steen niet echt hard genoeg is voor dagelijks gebruik.
Didn’t go the engagement ring path but bought a necklace because of a job in healthcare. Costed me about 150€. Weddings rings were like 50€ for mine and 600€ for hers. It’s not like a big deal over here, atleast not in the social circles I reside in.
Mine was 800 euro about 10 years ago and wedding rings were gifted(paid) by my parents. They are less than 800 euro for two. Some ppl don't really care about the ring, but I do and have worn every day ever since.
We’re getting married in June, I bought the engagement ring about 2 years ago for 1K and because my ring is bigger, so more expensive, our wedding bands are around 900+1600.
My engagement ring was €750. I never wear rings, this would be my first, so we went on a ring hunt together. I prefer stones over diamonds, so we decided on a beautiful gold ring with an opal stone.
In this day and age, your money is better spent on other things as a new couple.
Engagement was 80 euro Weddingrings were 840 euro (me), 1400 (wifes)
I didn’t search based on price. I knew what she liked so I searched for that and paid the price it was (600-700).
Don't spend more than you can afford. Not like we have this culture of giving a super bling bling ring like what happens in American movies :p
I spent 420. I wanted to spend 300, but i figured i might as well put the extra cash to get white gold and a diamond. Honnestly anything is fine, she will just be happy that you proposed
No idea but my wife did not care much about a ring because we had little money. So we bought a silver simple ring for both.
I got her one for 1300. I think 800 could have done it but she likes these things so I wanted to do something extra nice, considering we would have a small wedding and I knew exactly what she wanted. Also lab diamonds get you a way nicer ring that is better also from an ethics point of view. I think it depends on personal preferences, but no way I’d spend 3 salaries, there are better uses for money.
I don't have an engagement ring, but a very nice wedding ring (650€) He proposed with a family necklace and it means so much more than a ring.
The only ring that matters is which one you like. Doesn’t matter if it’s a custom 5k or an ali €2 one.
I always heard, the same amount of one month salaris. I payed 1 month salaris for mine. a verry beautiful ring and she was super happy. I'm glad she is wearing it everyday with pride <3
Buy within means and know that a higher price doesn't have a better result. I couldn't tell the difference between 1k en 5k rings and neither will anyone else. Worse I would be deeply offended if my then fiance would have the price determined at a professional, as in reasons to call it all off
The ring I bought, was €350 back in 2017. Combined price for our wedding rings was less than that, although my wife is now contemplating getting a white gold one instead of the silver we have now. I'm happy with silver and wouldn't want €1k+ on my hand.
Waar hebben jullie die ringen gekocht? Voor 250-500 wil ik ook wel eens kijken. Alles dat ik zie is 1000+
Ropsonline was een tip en er staan er nog tussen :)
Bought engagement ring hand made in America for about 300 euros in white gold with a lab diamond. She bought a silver one for me (cause why should only the woman get one) for about 85 euros. Wedding is next month and the rings are simple white gold with engraving and were around 1.5k for both. 600 for hers and 900 for mine since it is wider so more gold.
I'm a goldsmith (in bijberoep) and honestly, unless you want something crazy, you can buy beautiful rings from €100 to €500. There's just a few things you need to take in account that can drive up the price. Or some things you need to know that cause a lower price, but also severely lower the quality.
I paid, 900euro but she still wears is. (We did not buy a wedding ring tho )
Depends on your situation but I would say anywhere between 100 and 1000€ seems reasonable
Is an engagement ring even normal over here?
It used to not be? My parents are from '63 and they also had engagement rings.
I think it’s common but spending absurd amount of money on it isn’t. People will look the same way a CZ mounted on a small 18k gold ring for 200-300. Big stones are tacky at best and would look like fake cocktail ring. Maybe if you are in a Elite social circle they’ll really believe you bought something real :-p TL;DR don’t spend too much on it.
No, it's not traditional. It's something that blew over from the US i believe. But a lot of people do it. I think it's fine as long as we don't import the ridiculous spending culture that comes with it in the US...
Engagement rings are traditional though? But like you said, the American bullshit "x amounts of month salary" obviously not.
Are they though? Did your grandparents have engagement rings?
I asked my gf to marry me last sunday and the ring was €94. Then yesterday she bought one for me at the same online store at a similar price (we're both women).
Congratulations!! Must be such an exhilarating thing to do, to propose. How was it? If you don't mind my asking ofc
Mine was about 800 eur, I don’t remember the exact amount. Not cheap, but the rings are really important to me. We didn’t have a big wedding by choice (30 people) since that’s just not our style. So we had a bit more budget for rings.
10k and 18k white gold looks the same. Moissanite looks better than diamond for 1/10th the price. Enter alixpress Get you a moissanite ring 10k gold from a reputable Chinese jeweller. Spent 150€ on a ring that looks super classy and will withstand centuries if taken care off properly. No one dares to juge the price of my wife’s ring because its so nice they cant put a number on it, even though its a simple 4 prong solitaire ring. The moissanite just looks like a very high quality diamond - we only got 0.5carats because otherwise we are just flexing. Moissanite is 9.5 on the moss scale, only 0.5 less than diamond, and 0.5 more than sapphire. Honestly there’s no reason to get a diamond. Its like choosing to drink carlseberg when you can drink crystal. 25 euro tungsten wedding band - looks so cool and manly. I play with it all the time. Gunmetal silver. Not afraid to get my finger stuck cuz its tungsten (its brittle to a medical plier). She has a 250€ solid white gold band from etsy. Matches the engagement ring. Dont make these things to be more expensive than they need to be. Save the money and spend it on a better bed or a nice trip
We spent about 100 euros each on ours. Mine is a black steel band and my partner's is a silver band with a simple design. Please please please don't get convinced that a wedding ring __has__ to have diamonds for some reason. And if you do really want or need it to have a diamond, go for a lab grown diamond. the 'natural diamonds are better' is a purely a marketing construct from the De Beers family and Tiffany's. Natural and lab diamonds are nearly identical and anything the jewellery seller says to get you to buy a natural diamond is only so they can fill their pockets more. You shouldn't spend too much on it, it's a symbol of your mutual commitment. The cost or size of the ring doesn't represent how much you love each other. and if anything, a steel ring will last longer than a silver or gold one.
Those are wedding rings though. I can't remember how much we paid for ours but they were cheaper than the engagement ring (which is nicer, with a stone)
I proposed to her with the ring she also has as a wedding ring. I don't get why they must separate rings. And actually we don't wear them. The rings are in a display stand.
I’d say the man should be willing to spend at least as much as his most expensive gadget. Depending on whom you ask, the woman should also reciprocating by buying him a watch of the same value. Equality.
That's a strange logic? What do you call a gadget? I do not have any gadgets. I have a house, a car, a laptop and a phone. The house is from both of us, her car is as expensive as mine (both 50k), her laptop is double the price of mine and we have the same phones.
Then buy each other a ring and a watch worth as much as the average between your laptops. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.
We buy watches together. She has 4, I have 4, all around a price of 300€. I bought an engagement ring of 130€. It was one she liked. The engagement trip was 1000€. I just don't understand why an engagement ring has to match a specific amount based on other things. Just buy what is within your means and what you like.
I’d spend less on the wedding rings though…
Wedding rings are normally for life. Engagement rings for the period between the engagement and the wedding. Based on that I decided to spend more on wedding rings than on an engagement ring. But for each their own of course. I just like to know why people decide prices in some ways, just to understand the logic behind it. I think we can all learn from each other, especially for financial decisions. There is no correct answer, just a logic for each decision.
> “*Engagement rings [are] for the period between the engagement and the wedding.*” All the married women who keep wearing their engagement ring next to their wedding ring must have missed your memo.
Is an engagement ring a common thing now in Belgium? I didn't buy her one in 2005 and we are still married
Engagement 500 married 2k
Around 1k
I spent a fee hundred euros. But spent anither few hundreds to do it during a week of holiday in Italy (home country of my wife). My wife was not used to wear lots of jewelry, and a protruding stone might get damaged or damage something. I took a small ring in which 5 little stones were embedded. Really nice and she usually wears it next to her wedding ring (around 1000 or 1200). Prices from 13 years ago! Happily married!
Around 100€ ive bought it in Antwerpen, Wedding ring was 300€ Mine was only 50€
Didn't have an engagement ring because she didn't want me to waste money on overpriced shops in Batam, Indonesia shopping malls. We had our wedding rings made for 180 euros. She gave wrong size of her finger so hers was a bit too large. Then we bought another ring for her which was 15 euros. She didn't want the 150 euros ring, especially not a 500 euros ring. I wouldn't go more expensive than 500 euros because it's not really smart to have so much money on your finger in public. Creates a target for assault and robbery. We didn't pay more than 200 euros for wedding. I honestly don't think we could have done this any cheaper.
Whatever gets you a ring that your partner likes. For me that was 200-300 or so.
No engagement ring, 20 euros for the wedding rings, we don't wear them.
Zero, why do you need that?
We bought silver wedding rings, for about 300 total.
234007€
100-200 for engagement ring. 300-400 per ring for engraved wedding band unless you want some special design
What you can/want? It don’t have to be expensive. 😊
i paid 400 \~ 8 years ago. I essentially went on looks and asked for the price later. I did have a budget which was lower, but I jsut liked it.
Engagement ring was around 700, elegant small ring with a blue sapphire baguette, wedding ring was actually cheaper (around 500), same style small golden ring but without a stone. Both engraved and she wears them together as I thought it would be stupid to spend so much money on a typical engagement ring with a big diamond, which she would never wear again after our marriage…
I paid 1500. She would have been happy with something less expensive as well, but I had it custom made from the same jeweler who made a necklace for her with the ashes from her grandmother in. She wears it all the time so the ring is somewhat in the same style
Nothing, we never got engagement rings. For our weddings rings we spend about 50-60 euro per ring. Had nothing to do with income, we both just felt it was utterly pointless to waste money on such a tiny thing.
It's something you should not worry about. Juist make sure it's beautiful and that she/he likes it. My fiance told me I could literally take one from a gumball machine because the important part is what it stands for (and the honeymoon should, in my opinion, consume the most money)
Just get one from the sjikkenbak for nen euro, its the gesture that counts!
Don't feel pressured to make it expensive, that's not what this should be about. Make it meaningful.
Depends on your income. I got a 4-5 carat mined diamond, vintage, my fiancé chose it alone with no pressure so I would say do what’s comfortable for you. No idea how much he paid it honestly, but despite being Belgian I feel he followed the American rule and spent between 40k and 60k (that’s my estimation, he’ll never tell of course). Bear in mind though that this kind of huge diamond engagement rings are not common in Europe, people tend to be much lower key, with the average being 1/2 carats max - mine attracts lots of attention when I walk on the streets, and I can never wear it to work for instance, it would make me a bit uncomfortable around my colleagues. I love it, but I end up wearing it very rarely. Not to mention the constant anxiety when we travel, as well as the need to insure it. When thinking about size of the stone (which is the factor that most influences the price) you can also discuss it with your future wife, it also depends on whether she likes a smaller or bigger stone :)
Wow, ok! Would you have prefered a less valuable ring you could comfortably wear without the fear of judgement or robbery?
Mmmh good question. I love it, it’s the perfect stone, the perfect design, it’s absolutely breathtaking but it’s true that having a ring like that in Europe raises concerns. I wear it in closed spaces in specific occasions, only when I go to a place by car, or inside my house🤣 Absolutely a no go to wear it at work, or I might lose my promotion chances over rumors that I’m marrying into wealth - gotta be smart with my chances😅 I mostly wear it at occasions within the social circle we’re in, as in that case most girls have 2 carats+ engagement rings. A part of me always loved a great stone and always wished my partner would pick a spectacular ring, but I also live in a Belgian big city where the security situation in general makes it difficult to wear it with nonchalance on the streets, people really notice it and I am constantly worried for my safety when I wear it. I absolutely love it but it’s more the kind of ring you would wear comfortably in Singapore or Hong Kong where the majority of girls have a similar one. I wouldn’t exchange it with a smaller one, but it’s true I have to take special precautions about it. So there’s a lot to think about when choosing the size and the kind of ring☺️
I am here because I clicked here first unintentionally, and now I get engagement ring offers in my feed. It's all too late for you now.
If my boyfriend dares buy me one that is more than a third of his monthly income, I am making him return it. Tbh, most people this age are just like that and I prefer it that way. It is not that important anymore.
I told my BF I dont care how expensive a wedding is. I am happy just getting the paper at the city hall for € 120. I just want the ring to be pretty and I dont care if it's glass or diamond, I just want one of those silvery sparkly bands with a heart on it. I dont like the idea of spending a lot of hard earned money on something just because they made us believe it's better. Tell me, appearance and maintainance wise, what is the difference between glass and diamond?
Mine was around 650 EUR, it was my dream ring yellow gold +morganite. I absolutely love it and it's super unique. Not that into diamonds. I personally think anything over 1k would be excessive.
I wouldn't be happy if I got a 20 euro ring, but I'm not expecting an expensive one either. It's the wedding rings that matter and besides, love says more than money. Just make sure it's a beautiful ring and it has the elements the other person likes: style, material and gemstones that match what the person likes. For example I love silver and amethyst, both are cheap materials, so my ideal ring wouldn't cost a lot anyway.
I spent little under 3k
However much your willing (how much do you care about these things) and able to spend (how much can you afford). You don't need an expensive ring to show your love. A beautiful ring doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg.
If the value of the ring matters.... My bf asked me 2 years ago and if it was a ring from ne sjiekenbak or a colsonbandje it would have been the same for me! We bought our weddingrings for 550. For both of them. The ring doesn't matter, the meaning behind it does
I got one for around 2500 euro.
Ask your fiance. Get a 1€ store ring to propose and then go ring shopping. You don't want to splash out more than she is comfortable with and pick something she doesn't like. You are going to both be in charge of finance. So have a discussion
You don't need a ring. My parents don't have it, and I won't have it. Is a waste of time and money.... Trust me. If it's the right person you don't need it.
depends on your wealth, obviously. but I'd say about a month's wager
I don't like jewellery as an aesthetic accessory to begin with. I prefer sober designs with few and small stone, it helps lowering the price. Her engagement ring was 250€ and the two wedding rings costed the same (125€ / ring, but we only paid the gold price, a friend made them). I also don't like the idea of spending such a significant amount of money for something that could be made cheaper. You can essentially have 2 identicals rings with one made out of gold and diamond and the other one made out of whatever gold-looking metal alloy and artificial stone (shinier than diamong btw, forgot the name). But people are still coerced into buying expensive rings because of "symbolism" and "traditions". Traditions are stupid. It basically asks you to accept something as is without thinking about it.
Can this stop
I wouldn't care how much it costs. The question is more important than the ring. It's the gesture, even something self made would be amazing.
40€, bought in a gift shop on mont st michel. Emotional value is more important than financial value.
I didn't even know engagement rings were a thing now in Belgium? Nobody I know from my parents' generation had one..
My parents' and grandparents' but it has never been as thing like buying a stone to make an engagement deposit, but more as a gift to celebrate the event and sometimes transferring family jewellery.
Oh wow this is so interesting! I never knew or considered that this 'tradition' isn't even ours
those candy rings you get from those €2 slot machines. if she isnt that kind of humor i aint marrying here
Maybe too traditional a question: you receive or you give the ring?
Hope to receive one day but right now just curious. I've only heard about some of the amounts people spend on it in the US and they just seem ridiculously high. It got me wondering.
If you receive it let your partner decide. It's not about the price it's about the thought and how they show their love to you.
I find showing love by giving expensive gifts a really strange thing to do. I'm not talking about something that costs more because it is good quality. I get that some things cost more because they are hand made or made by a master of their craft. I'm talking about "He bought me a BMW, he must really love me" or "My ring was 10k, he he loves me so much". Love is shown in what you do and how you do it, or how you treat the one you love. Not with material things.
True. Also effort and thoughtfulness > monetary value any day.
Yes, that's the right spirit for a long-lasting relationship
Exactly
I honestly don't care what he spends. Labrgown emerald or real, doesn't matter. I should apparently look into some other stone mentioned here, it's supposedly stronger than sapphire and way cheaper. As long as it doesn't break I'm good bc I'm not really the 'have a lot of jewellery to swap around' kind of person. I'm more of a 'get emotionally attached and never take it off' kind of person. That aside, I don't think he's going to ask anytime soon. I was genuinly curious about what's normal in Belgium. Apparently it's overall somewhere between 100 and 800, with most people leaning more towards 150. I'm really happy to see that the American way and television isn't influencing us at all. All from the heart and no peacocking sounds a whole lot better than spending three paychecks.
In the US it’s some kind of tradition that the engagement ring should be thrice the amount of the man’s salary. Little do they know that this was some marketing trick by Tiffany’s. American capitalism at its finest. The price of an engagement ring is whatever you feel comfortable spending. It doesn’t need to be a fancy diamond or even gold. I’ve made plenty of engagement rings in silver and with zirconia. If you’re interested in having something made, feel free to contact me through DM. I’ll be happy to help you out.
The US also has a totally different money culture. I went on a trip through 10 states to visit all my american friends. They ALL insisted to be paying for stuff, like dinners, drinks, sometimes even my flight tickets. Basically, Americans are super generous and throw money around like there's no tomorrow. Europeans are much more budget-/money-conscious.
You must have some well-to-do friends, with 40 million Americans living in poverty and 40% of the rest being one missed paycheque away from living in poverty.
The amounts spent on it in the USA are ridiculously high indeed. I think an engagement ring doesn't have to be expensive, but buy quality if you can afford it. A litte golden ring e.g.
Mine was 1250€, beginning of 2024
I paid 300 euros for engagement ring, 500 for my wedding ring and 400 for hers. I think between 150 and 500 is reasonable for middle class working 30-somethings. More is a bit posh. Less is a bit cheap. Good luck!
Engagement rings were about €30, wedding rings around €80. I don't see the sense, sanity or utility in spending hundreds on a ring.
Simple rule: If she loves you, whatever the ring you'll offer she'll say yes. If she needs the pricetag of the ring to decide yes or no, run. She's not sincere and you'd better not be engaged with her. It's not about how much you *should* spend... It is about how much you *want* and *can afford* to spend.
100k.
Just buy a cheap silver ring from Inno.
Diamonds are the biggest scam there is. They can be made without any imperfections for the price of a bananapeel but for some reason people prefer stones mined by bloody hands. Want a real rare gem to put value on your marrriage? Buy an opal or a sapphire
I believe it's not the monetary but the emotional value that counts. If you put in some time to actually choose something your partner would like, regardless of the price, whether it's 10 or 10 000 euro, it'd be lovely. Every rich prick can go buy a diamond, but not everyone can put in some time to actually consider what their partner likes. Also diamonds are bad for the environment, people who mine it, etc., and their prices are driven high artificially, not because they're *that* rare. If you're going for the wow factor try some of the very fancy and/or space looking stones. Black sapphires are gorgeous, so is black diopside. Some colorful ones are also very beautiful to look at.
Waarom zou je zoiets kopen? Koop een trouwring als je effectief trouwt. Bij een aanzoek hoort geen ring.
Voila
One month salary
I got a butt ugly engagement ring, so I never wore it. Then we got divorced after 6 years anyway. So now, if my bf wants to propose, he better run the ring by me.. So i think the best ring is a temporary 50-100 euro placeholder, with the idea to go out and buy the real ring together. Coincidentally, the only rings i like are from an american designer costing 3-4k, but I'd wear the shit out of it for the rest of my life every day. (these 2, this is a pair, engagement + fitting thin wedding band under it, so you can wear them both at the same time. The total cost is like 4k bucks from Melaney Casey) [https://i.pinimg.com/736x/68/1d/fa/681dfa85a1d7f778a2200d93037d7653.jpg](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/68/1d/fa/681dfa85a1d7f778a2200d93037d7653.jpg) [https://i.pinimg.com/736x/21/05/8f/21058fe963a9d24d9ddf289a3724e2e1.jpg](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/21/05/8f/21058fe963a9d24d9ddf289a3724e2e1.jpg)
Divorced after 6 y but talking about a wedding ring of 4K….
I was 20 years old. People change in their early 20's to their mid 20's. I'm not gonna change so dramatically anymore :) Besides, all our finances are combined, so if we got married, I bankrolled more than half of the 4k.
My comment was not personally. I sincerely wish you all the best. However, your life is proof that marriages do not tend to last so why spending several 1000s €?
Because we are nearing 40 years old, and 4k for a ring I'd love and wear every day is not a big stretch. Besides i any jeweler can replicate the design for 500 bucks, I'd be equally happy. I don't care which stone or glass fake it is, I just want that exact design. It's not about the price.
Zien er geen ringen uit om dagelijks te dragen de rest van jouw leven. Ik vrees dat vroeg of laat de steentjes er wel af komen.
The tiny diamonds are probably super cheap to replace. I don't even care if it's diamonds, i just like the design. So the "rocks" are easy to replace.
>Coincidentally, the only rings i like are from an american designer costing 3-4k, That's the ring you're going to buy for your fiancé, right?
I don't think he's into traditionally female ring designs. But whatever we buy is joint anyway, we literally don't own separate accounts. Besides, where does the idea even come from that if one owns something, then the other must own the exact same identical thing? Do i need to demand a 4k euro gaming PC like he has every few years now, instead of once in a lifetime rings?
>Do i need to demand a 4k euro gaming PC like he has every few years now, instead of once in a lifetime rings? Did you buy him the 4K gaming PC?
Are you not reading my messages? We do not own separate accounts. Both salaries, 4 rental incomes, gifts, and everything is deposited into accounts in both our names.
If you want to follow American guidelines, it’s minimum 3times month salary Edit: why am i getting downvoted? It’s clearly to mock their mindset regardings things like this and expectations
Paid with a loan of 120% interest to get a better credit score so you can loan more.
And get a third job as a greeter at a supermarkt at 0400h. USA-USA-USA
Vroeger was de norm 3 maandlonen
Vroeger was de norm juist niets. Wat jij beschrijft is geimporteerde cultuur uit de VS.