The 31 Best Affordable Engagement Rings of 2022 (2023)

FAQs

What is considered an affordable engagement ring? ›

General Rule: You should spend at least 2 months salary on the engagement ring. If, for example, you are making $60,000 per year, you should spend $10,000 on the engagement ring.

The most popular diamond cut for engagement rings is round brilliant. Round brilliant-cut diamonds are the quintessential sparklers due to their outstanding light performance and universal shape that works in an endless number of setting styles.

Gold is a timeless, traditional option for engagement rings. At one time, yellow gold was the standard for engagement and wedding rings, but in the mid-90s, it went out of style. That's when white metals, like white gold and platinum, became the popular choice for modern brides.

How Much Should an Engagement Ring Cost? A one carat engagement ring typically costs around $5,500, but most couples spend over $6,000—and 7 percent spend over $10,000.

Average Engagement Ring Cost

While $6,000 is the national average cost of a ring, the spend per couple varies. Our study found that roughly one-third of all respondents are spending between $1,000 to $4,000 on their engagement ring. In fact, 8% of ring shoppers are spending under $1,000.

According to a study done by The Knot in 2021, the average engagement ring diamond was 1.5 carats. 50% of those who participated in the study purchased rings between 1 and 2 carats. Only 25% of rings were over 2 carats. In this study, they found that diamond size was not as important as the cut and shape of the stone.

The average total carat weight for an engagement ring in the U.S. hovers just over 1 carat, at 1.08 carats. The range of 1.0 to 1.9 carats is by far the most popular, but there are noticeable peaks at the 0.70 – 0.79 range, the 0.90 – 0.99 range and the 1.50 – 1.59 range.

The marquise cut is the ultimate in elegance. Its oval shape meets in pointed ends, resembling the hull of a ship — this cut is also known as the Navette cut (meaning "little boat" in French). In addition to being unique, this cut is also great for someone looking to create the illusion of elongated hands.

Wondering which diamond shapes look the largest per carat? The four shapes that look the largest per carat are (in order of which looks the largest): marquise, pear, oval, and emerald diamonds.

What carat diamond is most popular? ›

1.00 Carat

Because it's the most popular weight, diamonds experience a price jump at 1.00 ct. The price jump is especially high for round diamonds, and, at this weight, you'll get the most savings by choosing a fancy shape.

Small grains can get wedged in the setting of your engagement ring, which can loosen the prongs and make your rock susceptible to falling out. And, if you're using sunscreen, the product can cause build up on your diamond—just like the beauty products you use in the shower.

"Make sure you're taking off your ring during all hand-heavy activities (yes yogis, no downward dog in your engagement ring)," Lanore says. "I advise against gardening, cleaning dishes, moving furniture, and exercising with an engagement ring.

With a budget of $1,000 or less, you'll be looking at diamonds in the range of 0.40 to 0.60 carats. This may sound low, but it's definitely enough to make a gorgeous ring.

It's known as the "three months' salary" rule, and it implies that a buyer should put three months of their salary toward a sparkler for their future spouse. For context, The Knot 2021 Jewelry and Engagement study found that the average cost of an engagement ring in the US is $6,000.

Statistically, a round diamond cut sparkles the most out of all diamond shapes. It's the diamond's ability to reflect light within exact proportions. All brilliant fancy shapes can give excellent sparkle if the round diamond isn't for you.

Which diamond cut has the least sparkle? Baguette is the worst diamond shape in terms of brilliance. This shape makes a diamond sparkle less, even if it has an ideal cut.

Because diamonds reflect white light, colorless diamonds produce the best sparkle and fire. In fact, the more color a diamond has, the less likely it is to reflect white light. And as a result, will produce less sparkle. A D-color diamond is the highest quality, and will offer the greatest sparkle.

Who buys the man's engagement ring? ›

Tradition has it that each person pays for the other person's ring. So in a traditional wedding, the groom or his family would pay for the bride's ring, and the bride or her family would pay for the groom's ring.

Study: Average Engagement Ring Cost. Men spend an average of $5,225 on an engagement ring. Surprisingly, most women think it's too much. See what this study revealed.

In general it's perfectly safe to wear your engagement ring every day. However, if you are doing any kind of rough work such as cleaning or gardening, sports or the gym. It's not advised to wear your rings in bed as the diamonds may loosen or catch on bedclothes and remove before showering.

Tip #1: Standard & Average Sizes

The 1.0 carat center stone used to be the most desired size chosen for engagement rings, however, more recently we are seeing this shift towards a slightly larger stone, with couples choosing diamonds averaging 1.25 to 1.50 carats.

Is a 2 Carat Diamond Considered to be Big? The average carat weight for a diamond engagement ring is about 0.9 carat, meaning a 2 Carat Diamond is definitely considered big. With 2 carat engagement rings, the diamond is noticeable and eye-catching.

For the average person in the U.S., any diamond at least between 2 and 2.4 carats is considered “big,” i.e., way more than enough.

5-Carat Diamond

According to Landau, there's no such thing as too big a diamond—but she knows they're not for everyone. "It's so personal and it ultimately comes down to your lifestyle," she says. "To some, a 5-carat ring is so big it looks fake.

A 1.5-carat diamond can cost anywhere between $5,000 and $35,000. The cost depends on the quality of the stone and how well cut it is. In general, the best value to be somewhere between $8,000 and $12,000.

While this may seem small, a 1 carat diamond is absolutely big enough to draw attention. Size and carat weight should be a consideration for your ring, but you should also focus on choosing a well-cut diamond.

Moissanites or white sapphires are most comparable to a diamond. While there are visible differences, these gems will look the closest to a diamond while offering a more affordable price. These stones are also high on the Mohs scale of relative hardness, making them suitable for everyday wear.

What is the prettiest diamond? ›

What are the least expensive/most affordable diamond Cuts? Carat-per-carat, emerald and Asscher cuts are the least expensive. Because they are step-cut, there is less waste when these diamonds are cut off of the rough stone, which is going to cost the same no matter how it gets cut.

The smallest looking diamonds cuts are the Asscher, princess and cushion cuts. Because of their square length-to-width ratio, these diamond shapes all have a small diameter and surface area relative to their carat weight.

Round brilliant cut diamonds are easily the most expensive diamond shape. In part, that's because round is the most popular diamond shape. More than half of all the diamonds sold today are round diamonds. This incredible popularity means that diamond miners and retailers can charge more for such an in-demand shape.

Diamond color is important: Most diamonds used in engagement rings are near-colorless with hints of yellow or brown. All things being equal, the more colorless a diamond is, the rarer it is, and this rarity will be reflected in its price.

Near colorless diamonds, (G, H, I, and J grades,) are the best value in diamonds. G color is just one step down from the truly Colorless tier, so it still appears very colorless. H color is another good “near colorless” choice and is, in my opinion, the last color grade where yellow or brown is not visible face up.

The average women's ring size is 6 and the average men's ring size is 8½ Guessing your partner's ring size correctly can be done with a little common sense. If you have a petite partner, it's likely that their hands are smaller with slender fingers, so try starting at a size 4 or 4½ for women, and around a 7 for men.

Sudden extreme temperature changes can cause damage, however. Diamonds can chip or fracture from hard impact, especially in areas where the carbon atoms are not tightly bonded. These areas, called cleavage planes, are the major source of damage to diamonds (figure 2).

When washing your hands with gentle soap and warm water your engagement ring is totally fine; no need to stress about taking it on and off. You should definitely be taking your engagement ring off to apply hand sanitizer, however.

We recommend finding a safe spot to leave your ring each night, like a ring dish or jewelry case. It might feel strange to take off your ring, but doing so will help you protect its beauty.

Should you take your engagement ring off at night? ›

The answer is that it's not recommended. Sleeping with your engagement ring on can put unnecessary pressure on your ring, which can bend prongs. Prongs that become loose a recipe for disaster – you don't want to lose the diamond(s) in your ring. Added pressure can also bend the shank, making your ring not-so-circular.

Every Two Weeks to Remove Daily Dirt

To maintain the look of your ring and keep germs at bay, you need to gently clean your ring every two weeks. This cleaning can be done within 20 minutes with just a bowl, dishwashing soap and a soft toothbrush to give the diamonds and metal band a gentle scrub.

In broad terms, an engagement ring is given as an 'absolute gift' and, as such, belongs to the person to whom it was given. The law takes no account of which partner calls off the engagement so, regardless of who broke off the relationship, the ring does not have to be given back.

After your wedding ceremony, you will continue to wear your engagement ring along with your wedding band. So, yes. Feel free to stack on the jewels and show that stunner off!

You should take your ring off when you shower, wash your hands, cook, clean, or do any other activity that may damage your ring or get your ring dirty. Especially if you're wearing your engagement ring every day, tiny bits of products like hair spray, moisturizer, or hand soap may deposit on your ring.

Kaleidoscopic color. Move over, minimalism; technicolor brights are taking over, as diamonds share their throne with a rainbow of precious and semi-precious stones with eye-catching hues that bring joy to fingers, lobes and necks.

Insider spoke to experts about the engagement ring styles everyone will be wearing in 2022. Experts say two-stone and oval engagement rings are going to be popular. Other rings that will be on trend this year include pear and emerald-cut diamonds.

According to our study, the average engagement ring size is 1.5 carats. Roughly half of all engagement rings fall between 1 and 2 carats, with just 25% of rings sizing above two carats.

What is the newest trends of 2022? ›

2022 Fashion Trend: Voluminous Silhouettes

From oversize shirting to ballooned silhouettes and a continuation of the puff sleeve trend, dresses and tops will retain their volume through the end of the year.

Statistically, a round diamond cut sparkles the most out of all diamond shapes. It's the diamond's ability to reflect light within exact proportions. All brilliant fancy shapes can give excellent sparkle if the round diamond isn't for you.

The four shapes that look the largest per carat are (in order of which looks the largest): marquise, pear, oval, and emerald diamonds. Among these shapes, oval diamonds are a top choice among those who want a classic-style engagement ring, yet want to maximize the size of their engagement ring's center diamond.

Lab Grown Diamonds are just as real as diamonds that are mined from the earth. They have shape, size, color and clarity grades, just like Natural Diamonds. Both Natural and Lab Grown Diamonds have the same physical and chemical properties and both come with diamond certifications.

What ultimately makes a good investment is a diamond that is very rare. The larger the diamond, the rarer it is in nature, so high carat weight is one way to find a rare stone. But perfect color and clarity are also rare, no matter the size of the stone.

A one carat diamond is a good size for an engagement ring. It is big enough to display all the visual properties we want from a diamond (scintillation, brilliance, fire) but is also a manageable size; let's not forget, you want to wear your diamond ring with comfort and ease, every single day.

Is a 2 Carat Diamond Considered to be Big? The average carat weight for a diamond engagement ring is about 0.9 carat, meaning a 2 Carat Diamond is definitely considered big. With 2 carat engagement rings, the diamond is noticeable and eye-catching.

For the average person in the U.S., any diamond at least between 2 and 2.4 carats is considered “big,” i.e., way more than enough.

What's a decent carat size? ›

Tip #1: Standard & Average Sizes

The 1.0 carat center stone used to be the most desired size chosen for engagement rings, however, more recently we are seeing this shift towards a slightly larger stone, with couples choosing diamonds averaging 1.25 to 1.50 carats.