True or False: An expensive engagement ring is a good way for a man to impress a woman and show his love.?

Question

Isn't that whole 3-months-salary thing just something concocted by the jewelers who want to sell a more expensive ring?

Answer 1

Look, if it is affordable to the person and it's appreciated, great. Everyone is happy. I the guy can't afford it and is forced into it by a materialistic minded person, Bad Idea. Especially in this economy. You will be struggling financially at first as it is with out owing another 12,000,

Answer 2

FALSE: It is a way to show the woman how much she means to the man.

And the "3 months salary thing" is indeed a way for the jewelers to make more money. But, one weeks salary isn't very impressive, unless you're Donald Trump.  

Answer 3

Yes and no.  From the outside looking in, it seems that men do spend money to show how much they care for a woman so the more he spends the more he may feel good about it.  Plus, he doesn't want his woman to show other people and have them think he's broke or worse - CHEAP!  

As for the woman, she may not care for a big showy ring or how much was spent.  Unless, of course, she's a gold-digging hussy!  But we'll just assume she's not.

Take care!

Answer 4

False. My mister gave me a small engagement ring (the VERY one I wanted), but he would also give his life for me. Why would I think a man spending a lot of money on me loves me so very much? You can earn more money, but you only have one life.

Answer 5

False.  It shouldn't all be about the ring.  I think that the '10% of the man's salary' rule is a good one for an engagement ring.  Any less and he's a bit of a cheapskate!

Answer 6

False. Something nice and from the heart is more important. I would rather have that other say 3,000 for a wedding or honeymoon. The ring doesn't have to be 3 months salary, for most people that is way to much money.

Also I think when you can pay cash or close to it for a ring that is the time. There is no reason to take out large debt for a ring.  

Answer 7

False. Money has nothing to do with love. If someone can easily afford an expensive ring, it means very little because it was easy for them to do it anyway. If someone has to go into debt to afford an expensive ring, they're just being stupid and mismanaging their money, and a smart woman wouldn't want to marry him anyway.

Answer 8

The 3-months (now 4 apparently...) salary thing is about as genuine as the idea of a diamond engagement ring in the first place is.

There are some people for whom being given gifts is an expression of love. Just as there are some people who won't believe they are loved unless their partner says "I love you". However, there are very few people who care about the actual price tag. Not to say they don't exist, but society seems to work on the assumption that that's all any girl cares about.

If a guy has the disposable income, then yes, an expensive ring can be a good way to show that he really cares about the girl. But many women would prefer that he spend time rather than money. And few and far between (and sometimes not very financially stable) are the women who would appreciate a ring of any price that necessitated going into debt.

Answer 9

I think the answer to the question you posed is FALSE.

However, if a man brought me some tiny ring, anything less than 1/3 carat is unacceptable. 3x your monthly salary is for people who make loads of money. The average middle income family should spend $600-$2,000 on an engagement ring (my opinion).

Some people may think that's materialistic for me to say, but I'm being generous with 1/3. Really, anything less than 5/8-1/2 carat is unacceptable. ($800-$1,500)

If you can't afford to spend more than $600 on an engagment ring, you should really consider what your future fiance would consider acceptable. If you could get her a $150-$400 ring and she'd be happy you can try it and see how that works for you. She may be a girl that "size doesn't matter."

Answer 10

True. It is a good way to show he loves her.... but!! that doesn't mean he has to. It just means maybe he thinks she is worth all that money and deserves the best.. and hopefully she does.. otherwise it's a waste of money. You didn't say that the only way for a girl to know the man loves her is by buying an expensive ring.. you asked if it was a good way. and yes it is, but there are also many other good ways to show it.

Answer 11

the whole 3 months thing came up by debeers. I think the key is good quality because you will were it everyday for ever. I am not the type who wants to upgrade in 5 years.

Answer 12

FALSE: A man can spend a lot of money on an engagement ring then turn around and be abusive and cheat or even call the whole thing off. It doesn't mean that he loves you more or less, it could just mean he doesn't have a lot of money. If people put as much value on love, and forgiveness, and til death do us part; as they do on something as materialistic as how much the ring costs we probably wouldn't have such a high divorce rate.

Answer 13

Getting engaged isn't about how much money you can spend on your ring, it's about asking someone to spend the rest of your life with you. I proposed to my girlfriend about a month ago, and since it was a surprise, I bought the ring on my own. I picked out a ring that was more expensive than what I had planned, but I got it anyway because it was perfect for her, it had a little hidden message in it, and it meant something for us. I wasn't thinking about money, I was thinking about the meaning of the ring.

Answer 14

Could be either : A nice engagement ring is not a bad thing. The trick is to not go into debt for years , while getting something nice. Get what you can afford, just do not make the mistake of getting a cheep ring then blowing hundreds of dollars on your self , that would send a bad message. The big way to impress a good woman is by not putting her last, To talk her & show her you how much you care daily.  

Answer 15

i'm not a typical women i don't care how much it cost it's how you ask, where word choices ect...

the ring should be something special!  not something that your only buying for the price tag!

Answer 16

FALSE... the norm if you search is a man to spend 1/3 of his yearly salary on a ring...  I would much rather have something that he picked out and loved enough to have it be perfect for me.  

Answer 17

False.  It's a good way of showing the world how extravagant the man is.

A good way to show the woman his love is to treat her with love and respect, making her happy, laugh and work together to make the relationship last and not get stale.

Answer 18

False: it tells me that he is insecure and thinks the woman is materialistic.  

If he goes into debt for that expensive ring then it tells me he is not wise with spending money and has bad financial habits.

Answer 19

it depends on the kind of money he has, if money isnt really an issue then maybe not but if he buys her an expensive ring and has to work hard to pay for it etc...then it will show her that he really means he wants it

Answer 20

False:  If the guy hasn't already impressed her and shown her his love *before* the engagement ring comes out, then he shouldn't be proposing yet.

Also, if that's what she has to have in order to be impressed and know that her guy loves her, then she's materialistic and most guys would be stupid to marry a woman like that (although I know guys who will only date materialistic women, so go figure.)

Answer 21

False a £7 ring from Argos is just as nice, but as long as I know he loves me, the ring doesn't make a difference

Answer 22

False I say first look at her jewelry if she already wears big rings or alot of bling then yeah bigger might be better. But since I don't I wanted something small I mean to me I'd rather have a ring that suits me then some huge rock that I don't like.  

Answer 23

False. Personally I would prefer a cheaper ring like £150-£200 because I lose things easily.

Though, traditions stand that the engagement ring must cost 3 months wages.  

Answer 24

Hmmm... money vs love???

obviously i would chose love...!

it's not how the guy will impress his woman by picking out a really expensive engagement ring... it's about his commitment and how he realizes that he wants to spend his life with his woman...

if a woman wants an expensive ring... there's no other way to describe her than being materialistic and shallow!!!

Answer 25

Maybe.

If he can afford it and she likes stuff like that, it might be nice.

If he went into too much debt to buy it, just to impress her, then if she's got a brain she'll just see a guy that doesn't have much financial sense (not impressive) and may worry about how married life will be if he's so prone to buying things he can't really afford.

A big ring wouldn't impress me. Most people can't tell a real from a fake anyway. I'd rather spend the money on our honeymoon or starting off married life together, not some rock to put on my finger that will likely just get in the way.

Answer 26

FALSE

Why spend three months salary on a ring. I never under stand that at all. If the girls is all about the ring the you have a gold digger.

Answer 27

No and you are RIGHT about that x month's salary nonsense....you get what you can afford....it's a token gift anyway, not a long term investment you want that, buy real estate...lol

A guy can get a huge rock just to show off and treat his gal like c**p under his feet...rather have the modest ring (mine isn;t even a diamond but his & my birthstones) and get treated like a queen-and I am!

Answer 28

Both true and false, depending upon the woman. I've known plenty who demanded extremely expensive rings, and I've known some who wanted something more modest. There are even some who really just don't care because the ring is only a symbol to them.

I personally don't care. My engagement ring is vintage from the 1930's and has a very small diamond in an illusion setting, which was popular at the time. It cost all of $300.

Answer 29

False.   A man should have already proved his love to a women.  The ring should not do that.

However, I see no problems with big expensive rings.  I love, love jewelry.  A big expensive ring would just be an added bonus to getting engaged to the man I love.   But, I would never base my answer on the size of the ring.

Answer 30

False, for me.  If I've decided that I want to marry him, he's already impressed me in innumerable ways.  I also know he loves me.  A ring is just a symbol.  

In fact, I would have been upset with my husband if he had spent a lot of money on a ring.  I'd have killed him if he spent two or three months worth of salary on one, because that would have been frivolous and irresponsible.  The diamond industry has every interest in getting men to spend as much as possible on a ring.  My husband and I have every interest in using our money wisely.

Answer 31

Interesting question. There are a couple of different ways to look at this depending on your girl's personality type. Generally, it's not about money.

First of all, let's make one thing clear: she likely will never know how much the ring actually cost you. It's pretty bad form to tell your fiancee how much you spent on her ring.

What she WILL know is how much it appraises for when she goes to insure it or whatever. So if you're going to spend this kind of cash, I suggest you get it independently appraised prior to purchase (since jewelers tend to appraise their own stuff a bit higher than independents do).

So, that said, it totally depends on your woman. Some women are more materialistic/egotistic, while others are more emotional. It really IS all about knowing her.

I'll try to give you a breakdown here into the categories I see:

1) Is your girl really into the emotional aspect of your relationship? Does she love you for you? Is she more concerned with the two of you and not so much about what anybody else thinks?

I think most women fall into this category. Especially ones that are more well-grounded and have pretty decent self-esteem without being arrogant.

Here, what really matters is EFFORT and not expense.

That said, some women in this category DO think that how much a guy is willing to spend indicates how much a man loves them. Generally, though, this is because the amount of money you spend is directly related to how long and hard you had to work for the ring. Effort, right?

If, however, you really went out of your way to find a ring that was uniquely her and it was less expensive, whether traditional or non-traditional, I think that would count just as much or more so than an expensive ring. In my opinion, most women would likely prefer this because you put a lot of effort and thought into it. Personally, it would be the most meaningful for me.

2) Is your girl really into impressing others?

I know this sounds a little superficial, but there are two pieces to this:

First, some women really are materialistic and just want to know they have something that THEY consider impressive on their finger.

Second, some women are very concerned about what their peers think about them. Women are often judged by other women based on their engagement ring. It's usually behind their backs, but trust me, it happens. A LOT. If this sort of thing would bother her/crush her ego, then you'll have to consider that. Because she will be wearing this (hopefully) for the rest of her life, and during that time some people will continue to judge her (at least partially) based on the ring. I don't think they should, but they do. It's not necessarily ideal, but it doesn't necessarily lessen her feelings for you. She may love you to pieces, but if her ego is a little fragile, this could bother her over time.

If this is your girl, then:

a) Is she into impressing the masses or just the people who know their stuff?

If she is into impressing the masses, then expense doesn't matter so much as size. Most people automatically associate larger size with higher cost, and that tends to be what gets the "oohs" from them. The funny thing is that you can get a much bigger stone of lower quality (not BAD quality, just lower) or a smaller stone with a larger surface area (but cut not as deeply) for much less money than a tiny, perfect stone.

If she is more a couture type and wants to impress the people who know their stuff, then she'd probably appreciate something smaller of better quality and cut and a band with special details like engraving or the like.

3) Is your girl really all about money?

I think this is unlikely, but it happens. And if so, then yes, she'll want a ring that appraises for a lot and will associate its cost with how much you love her. Umm... I'd also be a little worried about marrying her in this case. If she's really all about money, it likely won't last. Like I said, most women really aren't like this, though.

Conclusion:

In the end, the ring IS a symbol of your love for her. One that she'll wear every day for the rest of her life. Whatever you choose should show her that you KNOW her and love her for what you know, regardless of which category she falls into. And that's what most women really want.