Buying Engagement Rings for $3,000 to $5,000 – A Guide

You want to buy something to really wow your soon-to-be fiancé with a budget of $3000-$5000?  

As a guide, at the lower end of the range, you’ll be able to buy a good quality diamond that weighs in at just below 1.0 carat. At the top end, you should be looking at a diamond above 1.0 carat weight.

Now take a look at some tips and tricks to get a good value diamond for your money.

#1- Under a Carat Weight (0.75 - 0.95 CTW DIAMONDS)

With $3000 dollars to spend on an engagement ring, your best bet is to look for a diamond in the region of 0.85 - 0.95 carat weight as a solitaire or one-big-piece rock. Visually, it won’t look much different from a 1 carat weight diamond – but it will be far more affordable and will allow you to allocate more of your budget to other aspects of the ring.

You still want to have a bigger size diamond? Well, think about this. The average size of a 0.75 diamond is 5.8mm in diameter. Compare that with the average diameter of a 1.00 carat round diamond which is around 6.4mm (a mere 0.6mm difference) and it’s easy to see why choosing a smaller carat weight diamond can free up more of your budget for aspects that will make a difference, without scrimping too much on the size of the center stone.

This fabulous luminous single row halo round brilliant cut diamond engagement ring features a 0.95 carat weight diamond in total featuring a 0.50ct center diamond beautifully enhanced with smaller stones. It combines sophistication and sparkle and would adorn any finger elegantly. 

#2- Do not sacrifice Carat Weight over the cut 

The four major factors in determining the aesthetic qualities of a diamond are cut, color, clarity and carat weight , collectively known as the 4Cs. 

When buying an engagement ring for under $5000, cut quality is particularly important. This refers to the quality of the angle, proportions and facets. And it’s these factors that give a diamond its brilliance. If you buy a poorly cut diamond, you simply won’t get the sparkle that girls’ dreams are made of. Compromising on carat weight and focusing on cut quality will help ensure you choose a stunning gemstone that will reflect the light just the way she wants it to.

For GIA certificated diamonds, you should look for those with a cut grade of Excellent. If it is an AGS certificate, it should be Ideal cut. Both will give you the eye-catching light reflection you expect.

#3- LOOK FOR EYE CLEAN DIAMONDS

Color and clarity are phrases you will hear a lot when shopping for diamond engagement rings. Color actually refers to how colorless the stone is, while clarity is indication of imperfection or blemishes. Forget about a perfect diamond with no imperfections and focus on a stone that is eye-clean. If blemishes are not visible to the naked eye, they are not worth worrying about. Spending less on those aspects of the ring that are not noticeable, will allow you to spend more on those that are.

#4- THINK OUTSIDE THE CENTER STONE

If you want maximum bling for your buck, you may want to consider a multi-stone or halo setting. With additional, smaller stones to enhance the centerpiece of the ring, you can choose a smaller stone which will be cheaper. The outer stones serve to make the center stone bigger, so the chances are that you’ll lose nothing visually and the ring will provide the joy and brilliance you want from it.

#5- YOU BETTER SHAPE UP

While we’re on the subject of ‘implying’ size in a smaller diamond, it’s worth noting that fancy cut stones are a good way of doing just that.  Emerald, oval and marquise diamonds are slightly elongated which makes them look bigger than a round stone of the same carat weight. If it’s the look you’re after and not the actual weight of the stone, this could be the way to go.

                                                                      Beth Behfar, Jewelry Blogger