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The 10 best places to buy cheap engagement rings online, for under £1000, £500 or £100 pounds
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We’ve compared the cost of a ¼ carat (0.25 carat) diamond engagement ring, but of course there are other factors that determine a diamond’s value (see our guide to what you need to know when buying a cheap engagement ring).
For those who haven’t read our guide, 0.25 carat is fairly small for a women's diamond engagement ring, but it can still make an impressive enough sparkle for those looking for a cheap option! There are plenty of cheap engagement rings available for under £1000, £500 or even £100 pounds if you are willing to compromise or buy second hand. |
My hand! (The one on the right)
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Amazon sell pretty much everything now, so it’s no surprise that they have a big range of cheap engagement rings in their jewellery section. Prices for a 0.25 carat engagement ring start from as cheap as under £200 (or even less if you don’t want the ring to be made from gold) and there are lots of engagement rings for under £500.
If you can push the budget up to about £500, you could expect to get a half carat (0.50 carat) engagement ring for your money. For £1000, Amazon offer a similar weight diamond, but in higher quality (i.e. a higher 'grade' diamond with fewer imperfections) or with higher quality metal (i.e. platinum or 18 carat gold instead of 9 carat). If you are on a budget, then you may feel that a 9 carat gold ring is perfectly good enough and that you would rather spend the money you have on getting the best diamond you can afford (or just save the money and spend it on the wedding...).
There's also a substantial range of gemstone engagement rings on Amazon, which is one way to make your budget go further. The most popular alternatives to diamond tend to be Red Ruby (from about £200 for 0.4 carat), Blue Sapphire (from £195 for 0.4 carat) or Green Emerald (from £120 for 0.4 carat).
I've generally found Amazon to have a decent returns policy, although I prefer buying from Amazon direct rather than from one of the Amazon Marketplace sellers.
Search for Amazon diamond engagement rings under £100
Search for Amazon diamond engagement rings under £200
Search for Amazon diamond engagement rings under £300
Search for Amazon diamond engagement rings under £500
Search for Amazon diamond engagement rings under £1000
Search for Amazon diamond engagement rings under £2000
Search for Amazon diamond engagement rings under £5000
If you can push the budget up to about £500, you could expect to get a half carat (0.50 carat) engagement ring for your money. For £1000, Amazon offer a similar weight diamond, but in higher quality (i.e. a higher 'grade' diamond with fewer imperfections) or with higher quality metal (i.e. platinum or 18 carat gold instead of 9 carat). If you are on a budget, then you may feel that a 9 carat gold ring is perfectly good enough and that you would rather spend the money you have on getting the best diamond you can afford (or just save the money and spend it on the wedding...).
There's also a substantial range of gemstone engagement rings on Amazon, which is one way to make your budget go further. The most popular alternatives to diamond tend to be Red Ruby (from about £200 for 0.4 carat), Blue Sapphire (from £195 for 0.4 carat) or Green Emerald (from £120 for 0.4 carat).
I've generally found Amazon to have a decent returns policy, although I prefer buying from Amazon direct rather than from one of the Amazon Marketplace sellers.
Search for Amazon diamond engagement rings under £100
Search for Amazon diamond engagement rings under £200
Search for Amazon diamond engagement rings under £300
Search for Amazon diamond engagement rings under £500
Search for Amazon diamond engagement rings under £1000
Search for Amazon diamond engagement rings under £2000
Search for Amazon diamond engagement rings under £5000
I like the Purely Diamonds website, which allows a lot of customisation - ideal if you know what you want, rather than if you know what your budget is. For a 0.25 carat diamond engagement ring, the lowest price I could find was as cheap as £799 with an extra charge if you wanted engraving (February 2024).
If you're on a tighter budget, for about £520 you can pick up a 0.15 carat diamond ring (read our beginners guide to cheap engagement rings for women for an explanation of grading)
The rings are made in the UK (in London if you're interested), and it is a family run company with a good range of simple engagement rings. The website claims that Purely Diamonds offer a discount of 60% from high street retailers, although I would say that is in comparison to big name jewellers like Goldsmiths when they don't have a sale on (during a sale, the prices are still a bit cheaper but I wouldn't say it was 60%).
If you want to veer from 'tradition' then (despite their name) Purely Diamonds do also sell gemstones, such as emerald, ruby and sapphire.
If you're on a tighter budget, for about £520 you can pick up a 0.15 carat diamond ring (read our beginners guide to cheap engagement rings for women for an explanation of grading)
The rings are made in the UK (in London if you're interested), and it is a family run company with a good range of simple engagement rings. The website claims that Purely Diamonds offer a discount of 60% from high street retailers, although I would say that is in comparison to big name jewellers like Goldsmiths when they don't have a sale on (during a sale, the prices are still a bit cheaper but I wouldn't say it was 60%).
If you want to veer from 'tradition' then (despite their name) Purely Diamonds do also sell gemstones, such as emerald, ruby and sapphire.
3. Etsy |
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Etsy is a big site specialising in handmade and vintage items, but it is a good place to search for bargain second hand diamond engagement rings in the UK if you don't have any luck with eBay.
Some of the items are more authentically 'vintage' than others and there do seem to be some items which are just 'used' which are being presented as vintage. Personally I'd either buy a second hand ring which has been worn for a week (there are lots of these on eBay), or go for the whole hog and get a proper vintage ring which looks different to something you'd buy today. You'll find Etsy is a good starting point for handmade engagement rings.
In my test search, I found a 9ct gold engagement ring with a 0.25 carat diamond for less than £100 (£100 plus postage to be precise). If you want something 'vintage' then there was a 0.25 carat diamond ring from the 1960s for £150 (February 2024).
For those on a tight budget, the 'vintage' route might just be a good way to persuade your future wife to accept a second hand ring!
Some of the items are more authentically 'vintage' than others and there do seem to be some items which are just 'used' which are being presented as vintage. Personally I'd either buy a second hand ring which has been worn for a week (there are lots of these on eBay), or go for the whole hog and get a proper vintage ring which looks different to something you'd buy today. You'll find Etsy is a good starting point for handmade engagement rings.
In my test search, I found a 9ct gold engagement ring with a 0.25 carat diamond for less than £100 (£100 plus postage to be precise). If you want something 'vintage' then there was a 0.25 carat diamond ring from the 1960s for £150 (February 2024).
For those on a tight budget, the 'vintage' route might just be a good way to persuade your future wife to accept a second hand ring!
- Search for Etsy diamond engagement rings under £100
- Search for Etsy diamond engagement rings under £300
- Search for Etsy diamond engagement rings under £500
- Search for Etsy diamond engagement rings under £1000
- Search for Etsy diamond engagement rings under £2000
4. SuperJeweler |
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SuperJeweler has a very USA feel to it, but they ship to the UK (for free) and have a UK customer service number. They’ve got a big range and you can get a ¼ carat (0.25 carat) diamond engagement ring for as cheap as 345 pounds – although you’ll obviously pay more for one that is a higher grade in terms of clarity and colour.
I like SuperJeweler because they give honest appraisals of their diamonds, rather than the usual waffly prose which some jewellers insist on. For example, one ring I saw listed included the phrase: 'Ok, so these are not the greatest diamonds in the world, but you want a nice diamond engagement ring at a fantastic price'.
The diamond in question was a 0.30 carat engagement ring in 14 carat white gold, which was in SuperJeweler's Clearance section for £1182, reduced from £1455. If weight (size) is the most important thing to you, then that's a very tempting offer.
It's sometimes hard to know how genuine 'clearance' discounts are, but there are very reasonably priced rings in the SuperJeweler Clearance section, so it's worth a rummage.
SuperJeweler has a 60 day returns policy, although the returns address is a USA one.
Remember though, if you are importing diamond rings from the US to the UK then you will need to pay import taxes, which generally means VAT at 20% plus a couple of percent customs duty. When I checked, SuperJeweler were advertising that they would pay duties and taxes for shipments to the UK (February 2024).
(Please note: bold links on this site are affiliate links, but we include good deals regardless of whether they have the potential to earn money for the site or not.)
I like SuperJeweler because they give honest appraisals of their diamonds, rather than the usual waffly prose which some jewellers insist on. For example, one ring I saw listed included the phrase: 'Ok, so these are not the greatest diamonds in the world, but you want a nice diamond engagement ring at a fantastic price'.
The diamond in question was a 0.30 carat engagement ring in 14 carat white gold, which was in SuperJeweler's Clearance section for £1182, reduced from £1455. If weight (size) is the most important thing to you, then that's a very tempting offer.
It's sometimes hard to know how genuine 'clearance' discounts are, but there are very reasonably priced rings in the SuperJeweler Clearance section, so it's worth a rummage.
SuperJeweler has a 60 day returns policy, although the returns address is a USA one.
Remember though, if you are importing diamond rings from the US to the UK then you will need to pay import taxes, which generally means VAT at 20% plus a couple of percent customs duty. When I checked, SuperJeweler were advertising that they would pay duties and taxes for shipments to the UK (February 2024).
(Please note: bold links on this site are affiliate links, but we include good deals regardless of whether they have the potential to earn money for the site or not.)
Diamond Heaven has shops in the jewellery quarters of Birmingham (postcode - B18 6LP) and London's Hatton Garden (postcode - EC1N 8DL) which has the advantage of speaking to a real person if you have a problem. However, they also sell online and offer 0.3 carat diamond engagement rings from about £784 (with options to upgrade to higher quality diamonds if you want).
If you are working to a budget for £1000 for your engagement ring then you could expect to get a 0.5 carat diamond ring from Diamond Heaven.
Another plus point about Diamond Heaven is that they allow you to choose which independent certification your diamond comes with. That can make quite a difference to the price you pay and is a good way to cut the cost of an engagement ring.
Diamond Heaven has free UK delivery on engagement rings and a 30 day returns policy.
If you are working to a budget for £1000 for your engagement ring then you could expect to get a 0.5 carat diamond ring from Diamond Heaven.
Another plus point about Diamond Heaven is that they allow you to choose which independent certification your diamond comes with. That can make quite a difference to the price you pay and is a good way to cut the cost of an engagement ring.
Diamond Heaven has free UK delivery on engagement rings and a 30 day returns policy.
6. F Hinds |
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Big name UK high street jewellers have a lot going for them, with many holding long established reputations and easy returns policies in case you get the wrong size or the wrong answer to the big question.
One of the bigger and better high street jewellers is F Hinds which has some cheap engagement rings if you shop during the sales or use a discount or promo code. I’ve seen F Hinds offering 0.25 carat diamond engagement rings for as cheap as £299 pounds but these are reduced from £999 pounds, which would be much more expensive than many of the standard prices from other sellers on this website (e.g. Diamonds Factory, Purely Diamonds or The Jewellery Channel). |
High street jewellers offer good deals during sales
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eBay is full of brand new cheap engagement rings, but there are also lots of 'preloved', secondhand and used cheap engagement rings on the site. I’ve seen nearly new 0.25 carat engagement rings selling for as cheap as under 100 pounds on eBay.
Whilst gold can be melted down and re-used (and so keeps its value), diamonds obviously can’t so buying used can be a good way to get a cheap engagement ring. Needless to say, there are lots of men and women out there who have unwanted engagement rings! For some, there is a stigma or perhaps superstition attached to buying second hand jewellery which significantly lowers the selling on price of a used diamond.
Bear in mind though that some of these engagement rings have never actually been worn, and the diamond rings which are 'used' have often only been worn for a few weeks or months. I decided to buy new because I could just about afford the ring I wanted, but second hand is where the bargains are to be had.
My advice would be to buy a second hand ring that comes with a certificate or a receipt (perhaps one which came from a high street seller) so you can be confident that you are getting what you paid for.
Search for diamond engagement rings under £100 on eBay
Search for diamond engagement rings under £200 on eBay
Search for diamond engagement rings under £500 on eBay
Search for diamond engagement rings under £1000 on eBay
Search for diamond engagement rings under £2000 on eBay
If you would rather buy a new engagement ring from eBay, my advice would be to choose from one of the long established jewellers which have an eBay store. The best value and consistently positively reviewed eBay jewellers I've found include:
Whilst gold can be melted down and re-used (and so keeps its value), diamonds obviously can’t so buying used can be a good way to get a cheap engagement ring. Needless to say, there are lots of men and women out there who have unwanted engagement rings! For some, there is a stigma or perhaps superstition attached to buying second hand jewellery which significantly lowers the selling on price of a used diamond.
Bear in mind though that some of these engagement rings have never actually been worn, and the diamond rings which are 'used' have often only been worn for a few weeks or months. I decided to buy new because I could just about afford the ring I wanted, but second hand is where the bargains are to be had.
My advice would be to buy a second hand ring that comes with a certificate or a receipt (perhaps one which came from a high street seller) so you can be confident that you are getting what you paid for.
Search for diamond engagement rings under £100 on eBay
Search for diamond engagement rings under £200 on eBay
Search for diamond engagement rings under £500 on eBay
Search for diamond engagement rings under £1000 on eBay
Search for diamond engagement rings under £2000 on eBay
If you would rather buy a new engagement ring from eBay, my advice would be to choose from one of the long established jewellers which have an eBay store. The best value and consistently positively reviewed eBay jewellers I've found include:
- Diamond Jewelry United eBay Store (London based, 10,000+ reviews, 0.45 carat diamond rings from £450)
8. Argos |
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You might not want to present your engagement ring in an Argos carrier bag but they do have some very competitive prices, particularly during January Sales/ Boxing Day Sales and Black Friday. At the time of writing (February 2024), a 1/4 carat diamond ring (0.25 carat) was available for as cheap as £499 and a 0.50 (1/2 carat) diamond ring was £1200. There are also often discount vouchers and promotional codes for Argos.
Argos also has a small range of engagement rings for anyone looking for an alternative gemstone, with ruby, emerald and sapphire. When I searched, a diamond and sapphire engagement ring was just £199 whilst a similar ring which combined diamonds and rubies was only £75. There were also some faux diamond engagement rings for under £50.
If you are working to a budget of £1000 then Argos has a decent selection of half carat (0.50 ct) 18 carat gold solitaire engagement rings (white gold or gold). A typical ring that I found was a colour J and clarity SI2, which is a reasonable grading but not the best.
Be aware that Argos's usually generous returns policy doesn't generally apply to jewellery.
Argos also has a small range of engagement rings for anyone looking for an alternative gemstone, with ruby, emerald and sapphire. When I searched, a diamond and sapphire engagement ring was just £199 whilst a similar ring which combined diamonds and rubies was only £75. There were also some faux diamond engagement rings for under £50.
If you are working to a budget of £1000 then Argos has a decent selection of half carat (0.50 ct) 18 carat gold solitaire engagement rings (white gold or gold). A typical ring that I found was a colour J and clarity SI2, which is a reasonable grading but not the best.
Be aware that Argos's usually generous returns policy doesn't generally apply to jewellery.
9. Littlewoods |
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Rather than spending hundreds of pounds with an unknown name - you may prefer to choose a name which has been around for decades in your search for cheap engagement rings. UK company Littlewoods isn't the high street presence it once was, but it still has a decent reputation and is a big retailer online.
When we searched, the cheapest diamond engagement ring with Littlewoods was going for as little as £276, although that was a '10 point' diamond, which might sound big but is actually just 0.1 carat. We tend to think that anything less than 0.25 looks a bit small, although of course your budget may not stretch that far.
The cheapest 0.25 carat diamond engagement ring on the Littlewoods website was going for a 9 carat gold ring and was going for around £325. Not the absolute cheapest, but also not the most expensive and certainly comparable to big name high street retailers.
The colour was H/I with a clarity of I2 or I3, so a pretty low grade diamond. When I searched, they had a range of about 70 diamond engagement rings to choose from.
When we searched, the cheapest diamond engagement ring with Littlewoods was going for as little as £276, although that was a '10 point' diamond, which might sound big but is actually just 0.1 carat. We tend to think that anything less than 0.25 looks a bit small, although of course your budget may not stretch that far.
The cheapest 0.25 carat diamond engagement ring on the Littlewoods website was going for a 9 carat gold ring and was going for around £325. Not the absolute cheapest, but also not the most expensive and certainly comparable to big name high street retailers.
The colour was H/I with a clarity of I2 or I3, so a pretty low grade diamond. When I searched, they had a range of about 70 diamond engagement rings to choose from.
10. H Samuel |
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H Samuel is probably the best known name in High Street jewellery in the UK with around 300 stores. Prices become much more competitive during Boxing Day sales/ January sales and Black Friday, so hold out for a big discount if you aren't in a hurry. At the time of writing (February 2024), H Samuel was offering a 0.25 ct solitaire diamond engagement ring for £399, although if you buy at the right time you'll find 1/4 carat rings for less than that.
The results - 10 of the UK's cheapest diamond rings
It is obviously worth saying that there is more to a diamond than its carat rating (i.e. the weight or size of the diamond). So, a rough comparison of 0.25 carat diamonds isn't comparing like for like. Also, prices are approximate as they do fluctuate somewhat, particularly second hand and on Amazon.
Anyway, here are 10 of the cheapest and best places to buy a 0.25 carat diamond single solitaire engagement ring in the UK in 2024:
and here are four others which weren't in our top 10, but which also had decent prices:
These prices are correct at time of searching (February 2024), and they will vary depending on exactly when you look, obviously! You might like to check out our guide to the UK's 25 cheapest diamond engagement rings.
As you can see, even amongst these lower priced online retailers, prices fluctuate quite significantly for fairly similar lower end engagement rings. Clarity and colour on these diamonds isn't perfect, but if you are on a tight budget it may be a corner you can cut. Unless you are marrying a jeweller with a magnifying glass of course...
Second hand prices are unbeatable, and you can easily buy a ring which came from a well known high street seller without even spending £100. But would your future wife be happy with a used ring (sorry, 'pre-loved')?
Anyway, here are 10 of the cheapest and best places to buy a 0.25 carat diamond single solitaire engagement ring in the UK in 2024:
- eBay - £52 (second hand, 0.25 carat diamond engagement ring, 9k white gold, worn for 'a few months' but 'like new' according to seller, clarity and colour not stated, unbranded and unboxed) or eBay - £80 (second hand, 0.25 carat diamond, 18k white gold, boxed, originally from Goldsmiths)
- Etsy - £100 (second hand/vintage, 0.25 carat)
- Amazon - £221 (0.25 carat diamond, I2 clarity, J colour, 9k white gold)
- Littlewoods - £289 (0.25 carat diamond, I2/I3 clarity, H colour)
- F Hinds - £299 (0.25 carat diamond, 9k white gold)
- SuperJeweler - £345 (0.25 carat diamond, I1 - I2 clarity, I-J colour, 14k white gold) - excluding import taxes.
- Argos - £380 (0.25 carat diamond, I2 clarity, I colour, 9k white gold)
- H Samuel - £399 (0.25 carat diamond, clarity and colour unknown, 9 ct white gold)
- Purely Diamonds - £799 (0.25 carat diamond, SI2 clarity, H colour, 9k white gold)
- Diamond Heaven - £784 (0.30 carat diamond, SI2 clarity, H colour, 18k gold)
and here are four others which weren't in our top 10, but which also had decent prices:
- The Jewellery Channel - £250 (0.25 carat diamond, I3 clarity, G-H colour, 9k white gold. Further cluster of smaller diamonds, totalling another 0.25 carat)
- Diamonds Factory - £285 (0.20 carat diamond, I1 clarity, H colour, 9k white gold)
- QP Jewellers - £435 (0.25 carat diamond, SI-2 clarity, K-M colour, 9k gold)
These prices are correct at time of searching (February 2024), and they will vary depending on exactly when you look, obviously! You might like to check out our guide to the UK's 25 cheapest diamond engagement rings.
As you can see, even amongst these lower priced online retailers, prices fluctuate quite significantly for fairly similar lower end engagement rings. Clarity and colour on these diamonds isn't perfect, but if you are on a tight budget it may be a corner you can cut. Unless you are marrying a jeweller with a magnifying glass of course...
Second hand prices are unbeatable, and you can easily buy a ring which came from a well known high street seller without even spending £100. But would your future wife be happy with a used ring (sorry, 'pre-loved')?
Here are some more cheap engagement ring sellers which we like, but which didn't quite make the top 10:
11. Goldsmiths
Goldsmiths is at the classier end of the high street jewellery market. Non sale prices for a 0.25 carat diamond engagement ring were about £700 when I looked For example, Goldsmiths sometimes offer a 10% or 15% discount if you give your email address when the option pops up on their website. There doesn't seem to be a discount or promo code in that case, but they send you a link which you can click through for money off to lower the price.
12. Ernest Jones
Ernest Jones is a mid to higher end high street jeweller, with a quarter carat diamond ring starting at £650 when I searched. Lots of their cheaper rings are 'cluster' or 'flower' rings, and you can pick up something decent for under £400 in that category. A cluster ring means that you are buying several small diamonds with a total weight (of 0.25 carat in this instance) rather than buying one single solitaire diamond.
When I searched, a 0.50 carat ring was £1350 but there was a 20% off offer on this item taking it down to £1080. Ernest Jones' cheapest engagement ring with a single 1 carat diamond was £4000. Strangely, clarity and colour wasn't specified on this ring either, despite it being a higher end engagement ring. They also do wedding and engagement ring sets (which save the hassle of trying to find two pieces of jewellery which look good together) and palladium engagement rings (an alternative to gold if you want something different)
When I searched, a 0.50 carat ring was £1350 but there was a 20% off offer on this item taking it down to £1080. Ernest Jones' cheapest engagement ring with a single 1 carat diamond was £4000. Strangely, clarity and colour wasn't specified on this ring either, despite it being a higher end engagement ring. They also do wedding and engagement ring sets (which save the hassle of trying to find two pieces of jewellery which look good together) and palladium engagement rings (an alternative to gold if you want something different)
13. Beaverbrooks
Beaverbrooks tends to target the higher priced end of the engagement ring market, but they do have offers and discounts on a regular basis so it is worth checking. Plus, they are an established and respected UK brand which counts for something and the 'luxury' name may appeal to some. The cheapest 0.25 carat solitaire diamond ring I could find at the time of searching was £1100.
14. Shining Diamonds
Shining Diamonds is another Hatton Garden based jeweller, which offers online diamond rings at pretty reasonable prices and the option to visit their showroom if you can get to London. My general conclusion after a bit of toggling various price options on their website is that they better on larger diamond rings than smaller ones.
So, the best price I could find for a 0.25 carat diamond engagement ring was £800 - which is one of the most expensive in our search for the UK's cheapest quarter carat ring. The quality of that ring was lower grade (I1 clarity, H colour, 18 carat gold ring), but upgrading was very simple. For example, switching to a VVS1 ring added another £220 whilst leaping from a colour H up to a colour D added just £30.
However, the cheapest 1 carat diamond ring at Shining Diamonds was £2049 (I1 clarity, colour H, 18 carat white gold) which is one of the top 10 cheapest options around if you exclude second hand rings and jewellery imported from the USA. Again, there are nice simple options to change the colour and clarity and see what difference it makes to the price. You can also see the extra cost of getting a GIE/IGI certificate, as opposed to getting a certificate from Shining Diamonds direct (it was an extra £40 when we searched for a 1 carat ring). So, worth considering if you are after big engagement rings.
So, the best price I could find for a 0.25 carat diamond engagement ring was £800 - which is one of the most expensive in our search for the UK's cheapest quarter carat ring. The quality of that ring was lower grade (I1 clarity, H colour, 18 carat gold ring), but upgrading was very simple. For example, switching to a VVS1 ring added another £220 whilst leaping from a colour H up to a colour D added just £30.
However, the cheapest 1 carat diamond ring at Shining Diamonds was £2049 (I1 clarity, colour H, 18 carat white gold) which is one of the top 10 cheapest options around if you exclude second hand rings and jewellery imported from the USA. Again, there are nice simple options to change the colour and clarity and see what difference it makes to the price. You can also see the extra cost of getting a GIE/IGI certificate, as opposed to getting a certificate from Shining Diamonds direct (it was an extra £40 when we searched for a 1 carat ring). So, worth considering if you are after big engagement rings.
15. Brillianteers
Brillianteers is based in the US, but you can get free delivery worldwide, although you do have the slight complication of paying import taxes.
When we searched in March 2024 their rings ranged from about £500 for a 0.30 carat diamond ring through to £4500 for a 2 carat diamond ring.
There's a good mix of white gold and yellow gold on offer. They also sell cubic zirconia rings which are a cheaper alternative to diamonds.
When we searched in March 2024 their rings ranged from about £500 for a 0.30 carat diamond ring through to £4500 for a 2 carat diamond ring.
There's a good mix of white gold and yellow gold on offer. They also sell cubic zirconia rings which are a cheaper alternative to diamonds.
16. The Jewellery Channel
The Jewellery Channel (or TJC as it sometimes calls itself) has been going since 2006 in the UK and as well as selling diamond engagement rings on never-ending TV channels hosted by people with perfect teeth, they also sell diamond rings online at very reasonable prices. You can pick up a 0.25 carat diamond engagement ring from as cheap as £190 to £300 pounds in white gold or yellow gold.
They do decent offers and discount codes sometimes as well (for example, one ended recently where you got a £60 voucher off £125 if you spent £100 in the previous month. Simple eh?)
According to their own website, 98% of people said they would shop with them again and The Jewellery Channel has a 30 day money back guarantee, although I'm sure your proposal won't need it...
You can search by price categories, such as rings under £500 or over £500 and they also offer a good choice of alternative gemstones (tanzanite, emerald etc) if you are avoiding the traditional diamond engagement option.
Quite a few of the diamond rings sold by The Jewellery Channel are cluster rings, which means that they bunch together several smaller diamonds to create a 'total carat weight'. The result is often a cheaper engagement ring than a traditional single solitaire ring, as several small diamonds cost less than one large diamond. It isn't for everyone, but it may be something to consider if you are on a tight budget or just like the appearance.
They do decent offers and discount codes sometimes as well (for example, one ended recently where you got a £60 voucher off £125 if you spent £100 in the previous month. Simple eh?)
According to their own website, 98% of people said they would shop with them again and The Jewellery Channel has a 30 day money back guarantee, although I'm sure your proposal won't need it...
You can search by price categories, such as rings under £500 or over £500 and they also offer a good choice of alternative gemstones (tanzanite, emerald etc) if you are avoiding the traditional diamond engagement option.
Quite a few of the diamond rings sold by The Jewellery Channel are cluster rings, which means that they bunch together several smaller diamonds to create a 'total carat weight'. The result is often a cheaper engagement ring than a traditional single solitaire ring, as several small diamonds cost less than one large diamond. It isn't for everyone, but it may be something to consider if you are on a tight budget or just like the appearance.
17. Diamonds Factory
Diamonds Factory claim that their prices are 60-80% off 'store' prices. There certainly is a good sale section at the Diamonds Factory where I found a 0.30 carat diamond engagement ring for about £452.
If you are on a very tight budget, they also sell some their smallest diamond rings for around £200. The cheapest I could find was a 0.1 carat diamond in a 9 carat gold ring for £268 (I searched in 2024).
Diamonds Factory is a UK based retailer which runs from an office in Hatton Garden (London's jewellery quarter). Delivery is free, and is insured thankfully. They also guarantee that all their diamonds are 'conflict free' and have a showroom, which is good if you are nervous about buying engagement rings online.
If you are on a very tight budget, they also sell some their smallest diamond rings for around £200. The cheapest I could find was a 0.1 carat diamond in a 9 carat gold ring for £268 (I searched in 2024).
Diamonds Factory is a UK based retailer which runs from an office in Hatton Garden (London's jewellery quarter). Delivery is free, and is insured thankfully. They also guarantee that all their diamonds are 'conflict free' and have a showroom, which is good if you are nervous about buying engagement rings online.
18. Jewellery World
We've recently discovered Jewellery World and it seems well worth a browse for those on a pretty tight budget.
We quickly found a sub £300 diamond ring with a 0.25 carat ring (£295 to be precise). Admittedly the clarity and the colour weren't specified, but you've got to be realistic about what you expect with a £300 budget. It probably won't impress a master jeweller, but it will still give a good sparkle.
There are a few rings under £100 at Jewellery World although those tend to be alternative gemstones with a small amount of diamonds alongside. They also had some 9 carat white gold engagement rings with tiny diamonds for as little as £90 at the time of writing (the one I found was 0.03 carat, which is about as small as it gets but it is still technically a diamond ring).
If you're working for a budget nearer to £400, you can pick up a 0.33 carat ring at Jewellery World (9 carat white gold, J colour, SI1).
We quickly found a sub £300 diamond ring with a 0.25 carat ring (£295 to be precise). Admittedly the clarity and the colour weren't specified, but you've got to be realistic about what you expect with a £300 budget. It probably won't impress a master jeweller, but it will still give a good sparkle.
There are a few rings under £100 at Jewellery World although those tend to be alternative gemstones with a small amount of diamonds alongside. They also had some 9 carat white gold engagement rings with tiny diamonds for as little as £90 at the time of writing (the one I found was 0.03 carat, which is about as small as it gets but it is still technically a diamond ring).
If you're working for a budget nearer to £400, you can pick up a 0.33 carat ring at Jewellery World (9 carat white gold, J colour, SI1).
19. Aspire Diamonds
Aspire Diamonds is another engagement ring seller in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter. I've said before that my experience of these jewellery retail hubs (such as Hatton Garden) is that they offer lots of choice if you want to buy in person, but for lower grade diamond rings they are generally beaten on price by the cheapest online retailers such as Amazon who obviously don't have the same overheads.
Aspire Diamonds has a huge choice on their website, as you 'build' your engagement ring rather than buying from a small selection.
The cheapest 0.25 carat diamond ring we could find was £852 for a colour J, clarity SI2 diamond set in 9 carat gold.
Aspire Diamonds has a huge choice on their website, as you 'build' your engagement ring rather than buying from a small selection.
The cheapest 0.25 carat diamond ring we could find was £852 for a colour J, clarity SI2 diamond set in 9 carat gold.
20. Fraser Hart
Fraser Hart is a long established UK jeweller with more than 40 UK stores and free delivery on most diamond rings (everything over £200 when I checked). I found a 0.25 carat solitaure diamond in a 9 carat white gold setting for £600.
The website doesn't give significant level of detail on the clarity and colour of their lower priced rings unfortunately, but it's one to consider if you are looking for a jeweller with the luxury of easy returns at reasonable prices.
The website doesn't give significant level of detail on the clarity and colour of their lower priced rings unfortunately, but it's one to consider if you are looking for a jeweller with the luxury of easy returns at reasonable prices.
21. The Jewel Hut
The Jewel Hut regularly does offers and discounts, which make it a good option for cheap engagement rings. At the time of writing, Jewel Hut prices start as cheap as £99 pounds for an engagement ring with a (very small) diamond which is alongside a sapphire, ruby or emerald (see our guide to alternative gemstones). For about £200 - £300 you can pick up something which looks more like a traditional style diamond engagement ring with a single setting stone, or for about £725 you can pick up a quarter carat (0.25 carat) ring.
They're a well established UK brand, which has been round in one form or another for more than a century.
They're a well established UK brand, which has been round in one form or another for more than a century.
22. Gemondo
Gemondo is worth a look as part of your (seemingly neverending) search for an engagement ring that won't leave you broke/hungry for a month/in debt to some dodgy looking guy named Dave who you met in a pub. You can pick up an engagement ring with a tiny bit of diamond for as cheap as £100 pounds. They tend to sell alternative gemstones with some diamonds incorporated rather than just classic style diamond rings.
23. ROX
ROX has a few stores throughout the north of England and in Scotland (Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Newcastle, Liverpool and Leeds at the time of writing). It certainly isn't the cheapest jewellers around (the prices are more typical of 'high street' prices), but they do have a choice of about 40 rings in their 'engagement rings under £1000' category including a few diamond rings around £600. The website is nice and clear and easy to use so you can quickly get an idea of what you are getting.
ROX takes the approach of offering preset engagement rings rather than the build your own option which some online jewellers choose. The cheapest 0.25 carat diamond engagement ring I could find on Rox was £595 (clarity I and colour H, so not especially high grade).
ROX takes the approach of offering preset engagement rings rather than the build your own option which some online jewellers choose. The cheapest 0.25 carat diamond engagement ring I could find on Rox was £595 (clarity I and colour H, so not especially high grade).
24. QP Jewellers
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QP Jewellers has diamond engagement rings starting from as cheap as about £200 (although for that price you get a pretty small diamond) and you can pick up a 1/4 carat (0.25) diamond engagement ring for under £500 pounds. The company's UK base is in the North East and jewellery includes a certificate of authenticity and a lifetime warranty. They don't have high street stores, but QP Jewellers do have lots of positive reviews online.
There's also a nice easy-to-navigate section for those looking for a gemstone engagement ring other than a diamond, with the most popular alternatives listed at the top (ruby, sapphire and emerald tend to be the most popular for those who don't want a diamond engagement ring). QP Jewellers claims to have the UK's largest gemstone collection, which ain't bad eh? QP Jewellers has a 30 day money back guarantee, just in case things don't quite go to plan...although I'm sure you'll be fine. |
Diamonds aren't your only option for engagement rings
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25. Hot Diamonds
Hot Diamonds offer a great budget option for those who want a real diamond engagement ring, but are on a very tight budget. Most of their engagement rings are sterling silver (a cheaper alternative to silver) and the diamonds are tiny. However, it means you can get a pretty ring that is a genuine diamond ring for £45 pounds to under £100 pounds.
For example, when I searched Hot Diamonds was selling a diamond ring for just £50, with a 1 point diamond. That is effectively 1/100th of a carat, so very small.
It's a good option if you can only afford a cheap ring now, but might offer to purchase a more expensive one at a later date (a better and more responsible option than buying on credit in my view). After all, not everyone can magically find £1000 pounds of disposable income.
If you are working to an engagement ring budget of under £100 pounds then you might like to read our guide.
For example, when I searched Hot Diamonds was selling a diamond ring for just £50, with a 1 point diamond. That is effectively 1/100th of a carat, so very small.
It's a good option if you can only afford a cheap ring now, but might offer to purchase a more expensive one at a later date (a better and more responsible option than buying on credit in my view). After all, not everyone can magically find £1000 pounds of disposable income.
If you are working to an engagement ring budget of under £100 pounds then you might like to read our guide.
26. John Greed Jewellery
John Greed Jewellery has some interesting alternatives to the traditional engagement rings as well as a small number of classic solitaire style diamond rings.
Options include ruby, topaz and other gemstones - many of which are under £300. A quarter carat diamond engagement ring started at about £599 when we checked.
Options include ruby, topaz and other gemstones - many of which are under £300. A quarter carat diamond engagement ring started at about £599 when we checked.
27. TH Baker
TH Baker may be a slightly less familiar high street name for some people, but they have more than a dozen stores in the UK and a range of about 200 diamond engagement rings. When we searched, the cheapest quarter carat solitaire diamond ring was £495 although this was in the sale. The cheapest diamond on offer at TH Baker was £170.
TH Baker also has a second hand section, so you can get cheap second hand jewellery which comes with a guarantee.
TH Baker also has a second hand section, so you can get cheap second hand jewellery which comes with a guarantee.
28. Tru Diamonds
You may gather from the spelling of the word 'true' that Tru Diamonds don't actually sell authentic diamonds. In fact, they sell 'simulated' diamonds which they say 'are perfect ice-white in colour, flawless in clarity, perfectly cut every time and exactly the same sizes as conventional diamonds'.
In fact, they suggest that 'These amazing simulated diamonds look so real that no one will ever know.....unless you tell them'.
One massive difference is price. For example, they sell a version of 'Meghan's Royal Engagement Ring' for £149.
Now, I don't suggest that you try and pull a fast one on your girlfriend but if she is willing to accept something that looks valuable then Tru Diamonds is a good option.
Another option if you want to veer away from a traditional diamond is an alternative gemstone, such as a ruby or sapphire which are comparatively cheaper than diamonds.
In fact, they suggest that 'These amazing simulated diamonds look so real that no one will ever know.....unless you tell them'.
One massive difference is price. For example, they sell a version of 'Meghan's Royal Engagement Ring' for £149.
Now, I don't suggest that you try and pull a fast one on your girlfriend but if she is willing to accept something that looks valuable then Tru Diamonds is a good option.
Another option if you want to veer away from a traditional diamond is an alternative gemstone, such as a ruby or sapphire which are comparatively cheaper than diamonds.
29. Preloved
I'm a big fan of Preloved, particularly for things like furniture from nearby sellers. It is effectively a fixed price classified adverts website, but Preloved don't charge sellers and as a result don't offer the same guarantees that eBay offer. Buyers and sellers deal with each other direct, much like you would if you saw an advert in the local paper.
Preloved also don't have the range of diamond engagement rings that eBay offers. At the time of writing, my search for 'diamond engagement rings' on Preloved came up with about 300 results, whereas eBay returned 450,000 results.
However, sellers on Preloved are just private sellers rather than businesses (which have rather drowned out eBay in some areas). Sellers also aren't paying commission so you should in theory get better prices.
When I searched, I found a few good deals, such as a £1700 platinum diamond engagement ring with a 0.25 carat gemstone selling for £600 or a set of two H Samuel rings (a wedding band and a diamond engagement ring) which cost '£1000+' which are selling for £500.
Preloved also doesn't have the clever filtering options that eBay offers (eBay allows you to narrow down your diamond engagement search with things like style, clarity, cut and weight), so you need to do a bit more trawling and frequent returning with Preloved.
Personally, I think eBay is a better bet for engagement rings because of the range and buyer guarantees you get but Preloved might be worth a look too.
Preloved also don't have the range of diamond engagement rings that eBay offers. At the time of writing, my search for 'diamond engagement rings' on Preloved came up with about 300 results, whereas eBay returned 450,000 results.
However, sellers on Preloved are just private sellers rather than businesses (which have rather drowned out eBay in some areas). Sellers also aren't paying commission so you should in theory get better prices.
When I searched, I found a few good deals, such as a £1700 platinum diamond engagement ring with a 0.25 carat gemstone selling for £600 or a set of two H Samuel rings (a wedding band and a diamond engagement ring) which cost '£1000+' which are selling for £500.
Preloved also doesn't have the clever filtering options that eBay offers (eBay allows you to narrow down your diamond engagement search with things like style, clarity, cut and weight), so you need to do a bit more trawling and frequent returning with Preloved.
Personally, I think eBay is a better bet for engagement rings because of the range and buyer guarantees you get but Preloved might be worth a look too.
30. Blue Nile
Blue Nile is a big name in the online diamond business, with different versions of its website around the world. And whilst it doesn't come up as the cheapest engagement ring retailer around, it is certainly not the most expensive and you do have the added reassurance of buying from a big name.
You'll first of all pick your setting (i.e. what type of gold or platinum you want) and then choose your ring.
The cheapest ring I could find that fulfilled our criteria for comparison was a 0.30 carat diamond (colour J, clarity SI2) which was on 14 carat white gold. The final price for the engagement ring from Blue Nile came up at £356.
You'll first of all pick your setting (i.e. what type of gold or platinum you want) and then choose your ring.
The cheapest ring I could find that fulfilled our criteria for comparison was a 0.30 carat diamond (colour J, clarity SI2) which was on 14 carat white gold. The final price for the engagement ring from Blue Nile came up at £356.
31. Diamond Style
Diamond Style is another very low budget engagement ring option. As you might have guessed from the name, Diamond Style's engagement rings are not real diamonds, but they still look pretty and give a nice shine. Let's be honest, there's nothing quite like a well cut diamond for its ability to refract light, but prices start at £80 at Diamond Style.
As I've said before, if you are flat broke but want to propose, it might be a good option to buy an £80 ring from Diamond Style with the promise of a real diamond at a later date. Perhaps your girlfriend might forget about the promise of a diamond. Perhaps not.
As I've said before, if you are flat broke but want to propose, it might be a good option to buy an £80 ring from Diamond Style with the promise of a real diamond at a later date. Perhaps your girlfriend might forget about the promise of a diamond. Perhaps not.
32. Diamond Jewelery United
Diamond Jewelry United started out as an eBay seller but has now branched out to selling direct. They are London-based and are a good choice for those looking for good value larger carat diamonds. They didn’t have any 0.25 carat diamond rings when I searched, so we couldn’t compare like for like, but they did have a 0.5 carat diamond ring for £495.
The ‘Rock Botton’ sale section is worth a look.
Their eBay reviews are very good and are in the thousands.
The ‘Rock Botton’ sale section is worth a look.
Their eBay reviews are very good and are in the thousands.
33. Chapelle Jewellery
Chapelle Jewellery has the definite advantage of being online and on the high street. Although having said that, their shops aren't really on high streets - they tend to be in those discount shopping outlets where you also find cheap M&S trousers and jacket potato stands. Price wise, Chapelle is pretty decent. At the time of searching (2024) it was offering a 1/4 carat solitaire diamond set in a 9 ct white gold ring for under £500 pounds (reduced from £750 pounds).
34. Macys
In case you didn't know, Macys is a huge department store in the USA but they are very geared up to ship engagement rings to the UK. Their website shows prices in UK sterling and the sale diamond rings are relatively cheap.
A lot of Macys cheaper engagement rings are cluster diamond rings, meaning you get a decent total weight of diamond, rather than one larger diamond (it is cheaper to buy several small diamonds than one larger diamond as a general rule).
When we checked in 2024, an 1/4 carat engagement ring at Macys started at about £550 pounds.
Please remember that imported jewellery which is coming from the US to the UK is subject to import taxes. That works out as VAT (which is currently 20%) and customs duty which varies but is a smaller tax. However, as far as I can tell, Macys include the import duties in your total bill, so you won't need to pay anything to HMRC yourself.
A lot of Macys cheaper engagement rings are cluster diamond rings, meaning you get a decent total weight of diamond, rather than one larger diamond (it is cheaper to buy several small diamonds than one larger diamond as a general rule).
When we checked in 2024, an 1/4 carat engagement ring at Macys started at about £550 pounds.
Please remember that imported jewellery which is coming from the US to the UK is subject to import taxes. That works out as VAT (which is currently 20%) and customs duty which varies but is a smaller tax. However, as far as I can tell, Macys include the import duties in your total bill, so you won't need to pay anything to HMRC yourself.
35. Hugh Rice
Hugh Rice specialises in higher quality engagement rings rather than cheap and cheerful options. You can expect to pay about £1250 for their lowest price rings (about 0.25 carat) or a little more if you want one with a grading certificate.
One of their main selling points is that you can pay for the ring monthly over several years without paying interest.
One of their main selling points is that you can pay for the ring monthly over several years without paying interest.
36. The Fine Jewellery Company
The Fine Jewellery Company is based in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter. When we checked, there was a choice of about 50 diamond engagement rings, ranging from £100 to £3000.
They also have a second hand jewellery section of antique and vintage rings, which is worth a rummage. We found a 9 carat gold cluster diamond rings going for £225. It's also worth checking for discount codes, as they sometimes do 10% off.
They also have a second hand jewellery section of antique and vintage rings, which is worth a rummage. We found a 9 carat gold cluster diamond rings going for £225. It's also worth checking for discount codes, as they sometimes do 10% off.
37. 5ine Jewels
5ine Jewels is based in southern England and has a huge range of diamond rings.
I like it because you can very easily choose the grade of diamond you are looking for by moving their sliders up and down. If you're new to diamond ring buying then you may prefer the smaller choice that high street jewellers offer, but if you've got an idea of what you want then it's ideal.
After a few minutes tinkering with the sliders and drop down menus we found a low grade 0.20 carat solitaire diamond ring for about £500, or you can obviously upgrade to a higher quality ring.
I like it because you can very easily choose the grade of diamond you are looking for by moving their sliders up and down. If you're new to diamond ring buying then you may prefer the smaller choice that high street jewellers offer, but if you've got an idea of what you want then it's ideal.
After a few minutes tinkering with the sliders and drop down menus we found a low grade 0.20 carat solitaire diamond ring for about £500, or you can obviously upgrade to a higher quality ring.
38. Laings
Laings of Glasgow has a small selection of diamond engagement rings under the £1000 mark. Generally, they target the higher end of the market, but there are some lower priced options.
When we searched, we found an 18 carat white gold ring with a 0.25 carat diamond for £795.
When we searched, we found an 18 carat white gold ring with a 0.25 carat diamond for £795.
39. Wedding Rings Direct
Wedding Rings Direct is a UK based retailer (Brighton to be precise).
For £500, I could buy a 0.23 carat diamond on a 9 carat white gold ring. Not the absolute cheapest we've found, but might be worth a look.
For £500, I could buy a 0.23 carat diamond on a 9 carat white gold ring. Not the absolute cheapest we've found, but might be worth a look.
40. The Beautiful Company
Besides their rather elegant name, The Beautiful Company also offer pretty good prices.
A 0.25 carat diamond (colour H, clarity I - so lower end of the range) on a 9 carat gold ring was under £500 when we checked (£492 in 2024).
The company has been going for more than a decade and is based in Preston, UK.
A 0.25 carat diamond (colour H, clarity I - so lower end of the range) on a 9 carat gold ring was under £500 when we checked (£492 in 2024).
The company has been going for more than a decade and is based in Preston, UK.
41. The Diamond Ring Company
The Diamond Ring Company makes our list because it has a really easy to use website, which allows you to choose exactly what you want to spend your money on. They've also got a really big range, so it's easy to find a lower grade diamond that is still a decent weight if you decide that's what you want.
At the time of writing (2024), The Diamond Ring Company offer an 18 carat gold diamond ring (SI2, D colour) which is 0.28 carat for under £700.
Much like Diamond Heaven, you can visit The Diamond Ring Company in London's Hatton Garden, which features a seemingly endless row of jewellers with brightly lit windows. As I've said elsewhere on the Cheap Engagement Rings Guide, my personal experience is that Hatton Garden offers competitive pricing on high quality engagement rings, but there isn't much available under £1000 for those looking for a lower quality or smaller diamond ring.
The Diamond Ring Company has a 30 days returns policy.
At the time of writing (2024), The Diamond Ring Company offer an 18 carat gold diamond ring (SI2, D colour) which is 0.28 carat for under £700.
Much like Diamond Heaven, you can visit The Diamond Ring Company in London's Hatton Garden, which features a seemingly endless row of jewellers with brightly lit windows. As I've said elsewhere on the Cheap Engagement Rings Guide, my personal experience is that Hatton Garden offers competitive pricing on high quality engagement rings, but there isn't much available under £1000 for those looking for a lower quality or smaller diamond ring.
The Diamond Ring Company has a 30 days returns policy.
42. Gumtree
Gumtree is a good classified ads alternative to preloved with private sellers interacting with private buyers. A search for 'diamond engagement ring' brings up about 250 results (at the time of writing, March 2024) so it is much smaller than eBay but still enough to have a rummage.
Much like Preloved, Gumtree doesn't charge sellers for the basic buying service so you should in theory be more likely to get a bargain than you would on eBay.
You need to feel confident you are getting what you are paying for, so I would look out for something with some kind of certificate or original receipt.
I found plenty of cheap engagement rings on Gumtree, including a £600 H Samuel diamond ring selling for £200 pounds.
Much like Preloved, Gumtree doesn't charge sellers for the basic buying service so you should in theory be more likely to get a bargain than you would on eBay.
You need to feel confident you are getting what you are paying for, so I would look out for something with some kind of certificate or original receipt.
I found plenty of cheap engagement rings on Gumtree, including a £600 H Samuel diamond ring selling for £200 pounds.
43. John Lewis & Partners
Hmm, I wouldn't say there's a huge range of diamond rings at John Lewis & Partners, but you might be curious enough to have a browse.
When I searched there were about 50 diamond rings, but most of them were modern designs rather than the traditional single diamond solitaire engagement ring that many people look for.
In fact, I only found a couple that were traditional style engagement rings, and they were certainly towards the pricier and luxury end of the market. A 0.25 carat diamond ring was £850.
When I searched there were about 50 diamond rings, but most of them were modern designs rather than the traditional single diamond solitaire engagement ring that many people look for.
In fact, I only found a couple that were traditional style engagement rings, and they were certainly towards the pricier and luxury end of the market. A 0.25 carat diamond ring was £850.
44. BiggerDiamonds4Less
As the name might suggest, BiggerDiamonds4Less specialises in larger diamonds,. However, if you are looking for a reasonably priced bit of bling, they were selling a 0.25 carat (1/4 carat) diamond ring for just £500 (£439 to be precise). A 1 carat diamond ring was just under £2500.
45. Not On The High Street
If you're looking for an unusual or quirky engagement ring then Not On The High Street is one of the best websites we've found.
It offers artsy individuals and small jewellers a place to sell engagement rings, many of which are handmade.
When we searched, Not On The High Street had a range of about 3000 rings of which about 250 were diamond rings.
The cheapest diamond rings on Not On The High Street start at under £100 (don't expect much for that money from an independent seller) with the most expensive diamond rings costing in excess of £5000.
There aren't many traditional solitaire diamond rings on Not On The High Street though, so try one of the others on this list if that's what you are after. The cheapest 0.25 carat solitaire ring we found was £750.
It offers artsy individuals and small jewellers a place to sell engagement rings, many of which are handmade.
When we searched, Not On The High Street had a range of about 3000 rings of which about 250 were diamond rings.
The cheapest diamond rings on Not On The High Street start at under £100 (don't expect much for that money from an independent seller) with the most expensive diamond rings costing in excess of £5000.
There aren't many traditional solitaire diamond rings on Not On The High Street though, so try one of the others on this list if that's what you are after. The cheapest 0.25 carat solitaire ring we found was £750.
46. Cash Converters
The pawn shop that I occasionally frequented had a rather ashtray-esque smell, which was more than a little off putting. Buying online from somewhere like Cash Converters may be the answer if you fancy getting a second hand diamond ring deal, but don't fancy the pong.
When I searched for 'diamond ring' I found more than 2000 results on Cash Converters. There are some auctions, but in the 'instant buy' section, prices ranged from a very reasonable £30 for a 0.1 carat diamond ring in a 9 carat gold setting, through to £5000 for a 1.5 carat engagement ring in a platinum setting.
The cheapest second hand 0.25 carat diamond ring that I could find was just under £100 (£96 to be precise) and was in a 9 carat gold setting. There were also lots of engagement rings under 200 pounds.
When I searched for 'diamond ring' I found more than 2000 results on Cash Converters. There are some auctions, but in the 'instant buy' section, prices ranged from a very reasonable £30 for a 0.1 carat diamond ring in a 9 carat gold setting, through to £5000 for a 1.5 carat engagement ring in a platinum setting.
The cheapest second hand 0.25 carat diamond ring that I could find was just under £100 (£96 to be precise) and was in a 9 carat gold setting. There were also lots of engagement rings under 200 pounds.
47. 77 Diamonds
77 Diamonds isn't the cheapest site we've found, but it is easy to navigate and to create your own customised ring with the exact specifications you are after.
We searched for a classic solitaire engagement ring, with a 0.25 carat diamond (SI1 clarity, colour E) and it came up at £700. However, it was an 18 carat gold ring, which always bumps the price up significantly compared to a 9 carat. Downgrading to 9 carat gold didn't seem to be an option in this instance.
We searched for a classic solitaire engagement ring, with a 0.25 carat diamond (SI1 clarity, colour E) and it came up at £700. However, it was an 18 carat gold ring, which always bumps the price up significantly compared to a 9 carat. Downgrading to 9 carat gold didn't seem to be an option in this instance.
48. Lloyds Family Jewellery
LLoyds Family Jewellery has a useful filtering feature so you can choose your exact price bracket (such as £400 to £599.99 for example).
There are plenty of cheap smaller diamond rings in the £200 - £400 category, generally with diamonds that are about 0.15 to 0.20 carats. If you can jump up into the next price band (£400 to £600), you'll be able to pick up a 0.25 carat gold ring for about £500.
Lloyds Family Jewellery also offer a lot of so-called 'illusion engagement rings' where a number of smaller diamonds are clustered together to (apparently) 'give the look of a large single...diamond'.
So, for example, at the time of writing they were offering a cluster ring with diamonds totalling 0.30 carat which supposedly appeared to be 1.25 carats, for £460. Obviously a 1.25 carat ring would cost a lot more (certainly over £1000, probably significantly more).
There are plenty of cheap smaller diamond rings in the £200 - £400 category, generally with diamonds that are about 0.15 to 0.20 carats. If you can jump up into the next price band (£400 to £600), you'll be able to pick up a 0.25 carat gold ring for about £500.
Lloyds Family Jewellery also offer a lot of so-called 'illusion engagement rings' where a number of smaller diamonds are clustered together to (apparently) 'give the look of a large single...diamond'.
So, for example, at the time of writing they were offering a cluster ring with diamonds totalling 0.30 carat which supposedly appeared to be 1.25 carats, for £460. Obviously a 1.25 carat ring would cost a lot more (certainly over £1000, probably significantly more).
49. Warren James
Warren James is a high street retailer with a pretty big presence nowadays. It has almost as many stores as H Samuel, which is probably the biggest name in high street jewellery in the UK.
The target for Warren James is certainly the cheaper end of the engagement ring market, although they do have some diamond rings that are slightly pricier.
When we searched, in 2024, we found a 0.25 carat diamond engagement ring at Warren James selling for £370 (9ct gold), with free delivery. The clarity was I1-I2 (I stands for inclusions) and the colour was H-I. It had a rather high RRP of £750 (have a look at our comparison league table of the UK's cheapest 0.25 diamond rings and you'll see that is a bit on the pricey side).
They go under the brand of 'pure brilliance' and say that it comes with a 'Gemmological Certificate issued by a Leading Independent Diamond Grading Laboratory'. It does not say which lab, but unless you are a real nerd that doesn't really matter.
Warren James describes itself as a jewellery outlet.
The target for Warren James is certainly the cheaper end of the engagement ring market, although they do have some diamond rings that are slightly pricier.
When we searched, in 2024, we found a 0.25 carat diamond engagement ring at Warren James selling for £370 (9ct gold), with free delivery. The clarity was I1-I2 (I stands for inclusions) and the colour was H-I. It had a rather high RRP of £750 (have a look at our comparison league table of the UK's cheapest 0.25 diamond rings and you'll see that is a bit on the pricey side).
They go under the brand of 'pure brilliance' and say that it comes with a 'Gemmological Certificate issued by a Leading Independent Diamond Grading Laboratory'. It does not say which lab, but unless you are a real nerd that doesn't really matter.
Warren James describes itself as a jewellery outlet.
50. Abelini
Abelini is a Hatton Garden based jeweller which has a big range of diamond engagement rings in a number of different styles.
Rather than picking from a selection of pre-made diamond rings, you custom make your own ring depending on what style of metal you want and what quality of diamond you afford.
When we checked, the cheapest 0.25 carat solitaire diamond ring we could find was £294. Admittedly that was the lowest grade diamond they had available and was a 9 carat gold setting, but it was easy to upgrade if you decide you want a diamond with a higher clarity or carat.
Rather than picking from a selection of pre-made diamond rings, you custom make your own ring depending on what style of metal you want and what quality of diamond you afford.
When we checked, the cheapest 0.25 carat solitaire diamond ring we could find was £294. Admittedly that was the lowest grade diamond they had available and was a 9 carat gold setting, but it was easy to upgrade if you decide you want a diamond with a higher clarity or carat.
51. Samara James
Samara James isn't especially cheap, but I thought it was worth a mention as it is a fairly big retailer in the diamond engagement ring market and some of the higher grade diamonds are competitively priced. The absolute cheapest ring I could find on the site cost more than £1000, so clearly this isn't the place for anyone trying to stick to an engagement budget of under £500, £300 or even £100.
For your £1000, you'll get a 0.3 carat diamond ring in an 18k gold setting with small inclusions (SI2 clarity) and a colour of H. However, Samara James is worth a look if you are hoping to buy a very high quality diamond ring without bankrupting yourself. For around £1600, I found an 'internally flawless' 0.3 carat diamond with a colour grading of D. That's not an unbeatable price, but it is quite unusual to find a diamond classed as internally flawless somewhere around the £1500 budget.
For your £1000, you'll get a 0.3 carat diamond ring in an 18k gold setting with small inclusions (SI2 clarity) and a colour of H. However, Samara James is worth a look if you are hoping to buy a very high quality diamond ring without bankrupting yourself. For around £1600, I found an 'internally flawless' 0.3 carat diamond with a colour grading of D. That's not an unbeatable price, but it is quite unusual to find a diamond classed as internally flawless somewhere around the £1500 budget.
52. Costco
I wouldn't naturally associate Costco with diamond rings, so I was a little surprised to find them selling an engagement ring with a price tag of £16,799.99. Admittedly it was a 2 carat diamond, but I don't imagine they get many customers coming to them with that sort of money.
Their selection is a little bizarre really and whilst they didn't offer much in the below £500 category when I looked, there were a few engagement rings under 1000 pounds. Also, some of the larger rings were fairly competitively priced, so it might be worth a browse if you are in the market for a 1.0 carat or 2.0 carat engagement ring.
Most of their cheaper rings, which were in the £600 - £1000 bracket and tended to have a cluster of smaller diamonds (often described as 'TCW' or total carat weight) rather than one big diamond, which is much more valuable.
Their selection is a little bizarre really and whilst they didn't offer much in the below £500 category when I looked, there were a few engagement rings under 1000 pounds. Also, some of the larger rings were fairly competitively priced, so it might be worth a browse if you are in the market for a 1.0 carat or 2.0 carat engagement ring.
Most of their cheaper rings, which were in the £600 - £1000 bracket and tended to have a cluster of smaller diamonds (often described as 'TCW' or total carat weight) rather than one big diamond, which is much more valuable.
53. Diamond Rocks
Diamond Rocks isn't the absolute cheapest online jeweller we've found, but the design your own ring option is a good way to play around with different grade diamonds to see how it affects price. The cheapest 0.25 carat ring I could find was £635 (18 carat white gold, colour F, clarity SI2). However, you can actually get a bigger diamond for less money, because people like to buy diamonds which are a nice neat number (such as 0.25 carat, 0.50 carat or 1 carat).
See our guide to 10 things to need to know when shopping for cheap engagement rings online for more tips on money saving.
See our guide to 10 things to need to know when shopping for cheap engagement rings online for more tips on money saving.
54. The Diamond Store
The Diamond Store is an online only seller, but it has won various awards and has a slick website. The cheapest 0.25 carat diamond in the standard rings section that I could find was £499. However, their sale section had quite a few bargains, with diamond rings starting at around £159.
If you're in the market for a 1 carat diamond engagement then you'd need to fork out about £2700 at The Diamond Store for their cheapest single solitaire ring. That's not a bad price, but it isn't the cheapest 1 carat diamond ring on the market.
If you're in the market for a 1 carat diamond engagement then you'd need to fork out about £2700 at The Diamond Store for their cheapest single solitaire ring. That's not a bad price, but it isn't the cheapest 1 carat diamond ring on the market.
55. Compare The Diamond
Compare The Diamond used to be called Diamond Geezer before it had a name change. The cheapest 0.25 carat (1/4 carat) diamond 18 carat white gold engagement ring I could found was about £750.
56. Elma Jewellery
Online UK retailer Elma Jewellery has a small range of engagement rings (they mostly sell other types of jewellery), but the prices are really good if they happen to sell the kind of ring you are looking for. For example, I found a budget quality quarter carat diamond ring for £432 (9 carat white gold ring, H colour, I1 clarity).
57. Queensmith
I bought my wife’s engagement ring from Queensmith (or Vashi as it was known at the time). At the time of writing, from under 600 pounds, Queensmith offer 0.25 carat rings in 18k white gold.
If you buy a cluster diamond ring, remember that the total carat weight is the combined weight of all the smaller diamonds in the ring, which has a lower value than one large diamond.
If you buy a cluster diamond ring, remember that the total carat weight is the combined weight of all the smaller diamonds in the ring, which has a lower value than one large diamond.
58. Glamira
Glamira's website certainly looks classy but it did take me a while to narrow down exactly how cheaply I could find a quarter carat diamond engagement ring, as it seemed keen to default back to alternatives to diamonds. Anyway, once I cracked it, I was able to find a 0.25 carat diamond ring for £756 (colour H, VS clarity, silver ring).
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59. QVC
QVC don't seem to offer many 'conventional' diamond engagement rings, but they do have quite a few rings to choose from if you are after something a bit more unusual or quirky for your proposal. Prices for their diamond rings range from about £100 to £1000.
If you're on a very tight budget, consider QVC's Diamonique rings which they claim is 'beautiful jewellery at a fraction of the cost of real diamonds'.
If you're on a very tight budget, consider QVC's Diamonique rings which they claim is 'beautiful jewellery at a fraction of the cost of real diamonds'.
60. Tiffany & Co
OK, so I'm well aware that Tiffany's is not the first place to look for cheap engagement rings. However, this page has grown somewhat to encompass lots of mid price and some more luxurious jewellers and I thought it would be worth including Tiffany's for comparison.
The cheapest diamond engagement ring I could find on Tiffany's was about £4000 (colour I, VVS1 clarity).
A 1 carat ring starts from £12,100 (see our 1 ct price guide for a comparison).
The cheapest diamond engagement ring I could find on Tiffany's was about £4000 (colour I, VVS1 clarity).
A 1 carat ring starts from £12,100 (see our 1 ct price guide for a comparison).
61. Steven Stone
Steven Stone is certainly not a billy bargain el-cheapo engagement ring seller. Instead it is targeted at the higher end of the market. I've included it because it is worth considering if you are working to a budget of £1000 and want a ring which is of a higher quality or a diamond of a greater weight than some of the cheaper online jewellers we recommend on this site.
So, what do you get for your money? The cheapest ring we could find was about £695, but for that money for get a reasonably sized diamond which is pretty decent quality, and you get it in an 18 carat gold setting (rather than the cheaper option of 9 carat which some jewellers offers). Steven Stone has a simple build your own option where you choose your ring setting and diamond, so for that money you could choose between white gold, yellow gold or rose gold.
So, what do you get for your money? The cheapest ring we could find was about £695, but for that money for get a reasonably sized diamond which is pretty decent quality, and you get it in an 18 carat gold setting (rather than the cheaper option of 9 carat which some jewellers offers). Steven Stone has a simple build your own option where you choose your ring setting and diamond, so for that money you could choose between white gold, yellow gold or rose gold.
62. Serendipity Diamonds
Serendipity Diamonds is an Isle of Wight based jeweller which also has an extensive online shop. Obviously the Isle of Wight is an English county with UK trading laws, so there are no tax complications as I imagine there might be if you were buying from the Isle of Man.
Anyway, after bit of searching around I found a 0.20 carat diamond engagement ring for about £350. Admittedly, it was Palladium rather than gold, and it was an SI2 clarity diamond, but that's still a reasonable price if you're on a tight budget.
For comparison, the cheapest 0.25 carat diamond ring I could find on the site was £520 which was an 18 carat white gold ring.
Anyway, after bit of searching around I found a 0.20 carat diamond engagement ring for about £350. Admittedly, it was Palladium rather than gold, and it was an SI2 clarity diamond, but that's still a reasonable price if you're on a tight budget.
For comparison, the cheapest 0.25 carat diamond ring I could find on the site was £520 which was an 18 carat white gold ring.
63. Gold Boutique
Gold Boutique targets the higher end of the engagement ring market with most rings ranging from £1000 - £5000, but there are some engagement rings in the sub-£1000 category, and several around £1000. It's a UK based jewellers, and they offer a big - but not a ridiculously huge - range of about 800 rings.
The cheapest engagement ring I could find was just under £500 which was a 0.20 carat diamond ring, with two further smaller diamonds (SI-S2 clarity, colour G-H, 9 carat white gold). They didn't seem to do many of the more traditional single stone solitaire diamond rings with most designs including several diamonds or other gemstones (sapphire, ruby etc).
If your budget is around the £1000 mark you can expect to get a 0.50 carat diamond engagement ring from Gold Boutique. For that money grading tends to be around the mid-way mark, which explains why they aren't quite as cheap as some sellers offer lower quality diamonds.
Worth a look if you want an engagement ring which is affordable - but not cheap as chips.
The cheapest engagement ring I could find was just under £500 which was a 0.20 carat diamond ring, with two further smaller diamonds (SI-S2 clarity, colour G-H, 9 carat white gold). They didn't seem to do many of the more traditional single stone solitaire diamond rings with most designs including several diamonds or other gemstones (sapphire, ruby etc).
If your budget is around the £1000 mark you can expect to get a 0.50 carat diamond engagement ring from Gold Boutique. For that money grading tends to be around the mid-way mark, which explains why they aren't quite as cheap as some sellers offer lower quality diamonds.
Worth a look if you want an engagement ring which is affordable - but not cheap as chips.
All information and prices on this page are correct at the time of searching. Prices do go up and down with frequents sales and reductions, particularly in the high street jewellers, but this guide will hopefully help you decide where to start.
