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10 of the best engagement rings
Picking a decent engagement ring that you can afford can be overwhelming. How do you know if you are getting good value? What do all those gradings mean (cut? clarity? colour?).
We've picked out ten engagement rings which we think offer good value from reputable sellers. We've included a range of prices from £100 up to £20,000.
We've focused on classic style white gold solitaire diamond engagement rings, though of course there are other styles available.
We've picked out ten engagement rings which we think offer good value from reputable sellers. We've included a range of prices from £100 up to £20,000.
We've focused on classic style white gold solitaire diamond engagement rings, though of course there are other styles available.
1. Argos 0.05 carat diamond with 9ct white gold setting - £199
I'm a little hesitant to recommend this engagement ring from Argos, but if your budget is only around the £200 mark it is worth considering - with a few caveats.
Firstly, this is what's known as an 'illusion' ring. So, whilst it does include a proper diamond, the gemstone itself is absolutely tiny and is surrounded by less valuable materials. The actual diamond is about 0.015 carat, about half of the 0.25 carat which it pretends to be.
It's the equivalent of stuffing a sock up your sleeve and pretending you've got muscles, but if you are keen to propose and don't have a lot of cash, it's worth a look.
Firstly, this is what's known as an 'illusion' ring. So, whilst it does include a proper diamond, the gemstone itself is absolutely tiny and is surrounded by less valuable materials. The actual diamond is about 0.015 carat, about half of the 0.25 carat which it pretends to be.
It's the equivalent of stuffing a sock up your sleeve and pretending you've got muscles, but if you are keen to propose and don't have a lot of cash, it's worth a look.
2. Naava 0.25 carat diamond ring with 9 carat white gold setting - £250
If you're on a tight budget, I'd say this Naava ring is the best deal you will get without really cutting corners (such as buying second hand or buying a tiny diamond - see #1).
A quarter carat diamond is the smallest I think you can get away with without it looking tiny. The ring's clarity and colour ratings are not great ('IJ' refers to the the colour which is on a scale from D - Z with D as the best) but it is a genuine diamond from a reliable retailer for a very good price.
9 carat gold is less valuable than 18 carat gold (or platinum) but the appearance is similar, so it certainly won't look cheap.
OK, so this ring won't excite jewellers but you can genuinely say that it's a gold ring with a certified diamond for around £250 - which I think is outstanding value.
A quarter carat diamond is the smallest I think you can get away with without it looking tiny. The ring's clarity and colour ratings are not great ('IJ' refers to the the colour which is on a scale from D - Z with D as the best) but it is a genuine diamond from a reliable retailer for a very good price.
9 carat gold is less valuable than 18 carat gold (or platinum) but the appearance is similar, so it certainly won't look cheap.
OK, so this ring won't excite jewellers but you can genuinely say that it's a gold ring with a certified diamond for around £250 - which I think is outstanding value.
3. Naava 0.28 carat diamond ring with 18 carat white gold setting - £500
If you want a high quality diamond ring which looks delicate and you've got a budget of around £500 then I'd go for this one.
It is very similar to the £250 ring on Amazon (see #2) but it's got an important couple of upgrades which justifies the doubling in price.
Firstly, it is 18 carat gold rather than 9 carat. I once asked a jeweler to explain why I should pay for 18 carat and their only response was that it was more gold. There's a little more to it than that, but you are essentially upgrading so that you can say it is more valuable.
Perhaps more importantly, the diamond is better quality with a whiter colour and fewer imperfections . Honestly, you will get a decent sparkle from either but on paper this one is better.
It is very similar to the £250 ring on Amazon (see #2) but it's got an important couple of upgrades which justifies the doubling in price.
Firstly, it is 18 carat gold rather than 9 carat. I once asked a jeweler to explain why I should pay for 18 carat and their only response was that it was more gold. There's a little more to it than that, but you are essentially upgrading so that you can say it is more valuable.
Perhaps more importantly, the diamond is better quality with a whiter colour and fewer imperfections . Honestly, you will get a decent sparkle from either but on paper this one is better.
4. F Hinds 0.25 carat diamond ring with 9 carat gold setting - £550
This F Hinds diamond ring is a good choice if you are working to a £500 budget, but would rather have the option of returning your ring to a store if necessary.
I've generally found F Hinds to be one of the cheapest high street jewellers.
At the lower end of their range they don't give a lot of detail about the diamond's grading, so you can assume it will be a fairly cheap diamond - but for £500 that's not surprising. The sparkle won't be quite as impressive as the Naava ring above (#3) but the simplicity of being able to return to a shop is worth it for some people.
This option is a quarter carat diamond in a 9 carat white gold setting.
I've generally found F Hinds to be one of the cheapest high street jewellers.
At the lower end of their range they don't give a lot of detail about the diamond's grading, so you can assume it will be a fairly cheap diamond - but for £500 that's not surprising. The sparkle won't be quite as impressive as the Naava ring above (#3) but the simplicity of being able to return to a shop is worth it for some people.
This option is a quarter carat diamond in a 9 carat white gold setting.
5. Ernest Jones 0.25 carat diamond ring with 9 carat white gold setting - £800
This Ernest Jones ring is similar in diamond size and ring setting to the Naava ring featured at number two in this guide, with a simple solitaire 0.25 carat diamond and a 9 carat white gold setting.
Of course, one advantage this ring has is that it comes from a high street jeweller which offers the option to take it back to the shop rather than trusting your purchase to Postman Pat.
The other major advantage is that Ernest Jones is a respected and established jeweller, you might not feel the same romance from buying a diamond ring from an Amazon warehouse.
As I said above, 0.25 carat was the minimum sized diamond that I personally wanted when I was searching. Anything smaller looked a bit too tiny. I also decided that 9 carat gold was fine for me, since there really isn't much advantage over 18 carat gold which costs twice as much.
One other thing - you'll find that Ernest Jones do sometimes do sales and special offers, so if you aren't in a hurry hold on for a discount.
Of course, one advantage this ring has is that it comes from a high street jeweller which offers the option to take it back to the shop rather than trusting your purchase to Postman Pat.
The other major advantage is that Ernest Jones is a respected and established jeweller, you might not feel the same romance from buying a diamond ring from an Amazon warehouse.
As I said above, 0.25 carat was the minimum sized diamond that I personally wanted when I was searching. Anything smaller looked a bit too tiny. I also decided that 9 carat gold was fine for me, since there really isn't much advantage over 18 carat gold which costs twice as much.
One other thing - you'll find that Ernest Jones do sometimes do sales and special offers, so if you aren't in a hurry hold on for a discount.
6. Naava 0.41 carat diamond ring with 18 carat white gold setting - £1000
This is a fantastic value diamond engagement ring if you are working to a budget of around £1000 - I reckon you'd pay twice as much if you walked into most jewellers on the high street.
For a start, it's a good weight - 0.41 carat is not huge and showy but it doesn't look tiny and cheap either (unless you are proposing to big foot).
Secondly, the grading of the diamond is very good for the money with the colour being just one below the top rating possible and the clarity pretty decent too.
Finally, it is an 18 carat gold setting which is one up from the cheaper 9 carat gold option.
If you'd rather have platinum which is more hard wearing and doesn't tarnish, then you might consider this Naava ring instead which has a slightly smaller diamond.
For a start, it's a good weight - 0.41 carat is not huge and showy but it doesn't look tiny and cheap either (unless you are proposing to big foot).
Secondly, the grading of the diamond is very good for the money with the colour being just one below the top rating possible and the clarity pretty decent too.
Finally, it is an 18 carat gold setting which is one up from the cheaper 9 carat gold option.
If you'd rather have platinum which is more hard wearing and doesn't tarnish, then you might consider this Naava ring instead which has a slightly smaller diamond.
7. Naava 0.75 carat diamond with a platinum setting - £1800
There's nothing wrong with 9 carat gold or 18 carat gold, but for durability you can't beat platinum. Add a large 0.75 carat diamond and you've got a gorgeous piece of jewellery which deserves its place on our list of the best engagement rings.
The only compromise with this ring is that the clarity and cut of the ring is average (the colour is I/J).
If you want a higher graded ring you'll pay about twice as much (see this alternative).
Personally, I think this one offers better value and it will certainly make an impressive sparkle but if you can afford it you might want to upgrade.
The only compromise with this ring is that the clarity and cut of the ring is average (the colour is I/J).
If you want a higher graded ring you'll pay about twice as much (see this alternative).
Personally, I think this one offers better value and it will certainly make an impressive sparkle but if you can afford it you might want to upgrade.
8. H Samuel 2/3 carat diamond with an 18 carat white gold setting - £3850
H Samuel is one of the few big jewellers which sells diamond engagement rings with palladium settings, but I’ve chosen this more conventional gold setting for our guide to the best engagement rings.
This ring has a sizeable 2/3rd (0.66) carat diamond, which is well above average. Of course, H Samuel is a familiar name on the High Street which means you can opt for free delivery (to avoid being spotted by your future mother-in-law whilst shopping) and then easily return it if you need to.
My advice is to look out for a discount with H Samuel, you’ll often find they are offering 10% or 20% off diamond rings if you aren’t in a hurry to buy.
This ring has a sizeable 2/3rd (0.66) carat diamond, which is well above average. Of course, H Samuel is a familiar name on the High Street which means you can opt for free delivery (to avoid being spotted by your future mother-in-law whilst shopping) and then easily return it if you need to.
My advice is to look out for a discount with H Samuel, you’ll often find they are offering 10% or 20% off diamond rings if you aren’t in a hurry to buy.
9. Goldsmiths 1 carat diamond with an 18 carat white gold setting - £6000
I’m of the opinion that you shouldn’t be guilted into spending more than you can afford on an engagement ring.
However, if you want to live up to the ‘tradition’ created by diamond manufacturers that you should spend one, two or even three month’s salary on an engagement ring then you might consider something like this classy ring from Goldsmiths.
A one carat ring is exceptionally large, and will make a big impression.
If you’re spending that kind of money I’d expect an 18 carat gold setting or platinum – you wouldn’t want to get a really nice diamond and then go for a cheap 9 carat gold setting (it'd be the equivalent of drinking fine wine from a plastic cup).
Clarity and cut are good on this ring, although not exceptional. You’ll find that large diamonds which are also high grade are very rare. You generally need to choose between size and quality, or find a balance somewhere in the middle.
However, if you want to live up to the ‘tradition’ created by diamond manufacturers that you should spend one, two or even three month’s salary on an engagement ring then you might consider something like this classy ring from Goldsmiths.
A one carat ring is exceptionally large, and will make a big impression.
If you’re spending that kind of money I’d expect an 18 carat gold setting or platinum – you wouldn’t want to get a really nice diamond and then go for a cheap 9 carat gold setting (it'd be the equivalent of drinking fine wine from a plastic cup).
Clarity and cut are good on this ring, although not exceptional. You’ll find that large diamonds which are also high grade are very rare. You generally need to choose between size and quality, or find a balance somewhere in the middle.
10. Beaverbrooks 1.51 carat diamond ring with platinum setting - £40,000
If you can afford to splash the cash, Beaverbrooks is a good place to look with several rings in the £10,000 plus category.
If you're spending this amount of money, I would expect to see these four things:
This ring ticks all of those for me.
Is it worth the money? Well, high priced diamonds are funny things. Three half carat diamonds are worth much less than one diamond which weighs 1.5 carats, so you can expect to buy a significant amount for one.
You will find large diamonds cheaper than this one, but its price is enhanced by being sold by a well-known luxury jeweller.
If you're spending this amount of money, I would expect to see these four things:
- a platinum setting, since it is the most expensive generally
- a large diamond of at least 1 carat, or ideally closer to two carats
- a high grade diamond (this ring is a colour E which is one off the top rated D colour)
- a seller with a reputation for luxury, so that you will gain some extra kudos for the box which it comes in
This ring ticks all of those for me.
Is it worth the money? Well, high priced diamonds are funny things. Three half carat diamonds are worth much less than one diamond which weighs 1.5 carats, so you can expect to buy a significant amount for one.
You will find large diamonds cheaper than this one, but its price is enhanced by being sold by a well-known luxury jeweller.