The Cheap Engagement Rings Guide
  • Home
  • Buying guides
    • 10 things you need to know when shopping for cheap engagement rings online
    • 7 ways to save money on engagement rings
    • Frequently asked questions about engagement rings
    • Where to buy conflict free diamonds, ethical engagement rings and non blood diamonds
    • The beginners guide to gemstones for engagement rings
  • Top 10
    • 10 of the best places to buy cheap engagement rings for under £1000, £500 or £100
    • 10 Best Places To Buy Cheap Mens Wedding Rings In Gold, Silver, Platinum or Palladium
    • 10 of the best engagement rings
    • Expensive Engagement Rings - 10 Of The Best Places To Buy Top Quality Diamond Rings
    • Amazon engagement rings
    • Unusual engagement rings
  • Shop by budget
    • Second Hand Diamond Rings
    • Cheap Engagement Rings Under £50
    • Cheap Engagement Rings Under £100
    • Cheap Engagement Rings Under £200
    • Cheap Engagement Rings Under £300
    • Engagement Rings Under £500
    • Engagement Rings Under £1000
    • Our Top 5 Places To Buy Engagement Rings Under £500
  • Shop by diamond carat
    • The UKs 25 Cheapest 0.25 Carat Diamond Engagement Rings
    • 1 carat diamond engagement ring price test
    • How much does a 2 carat diamond ring cost?
  • Cheap weddings
  • Blog
  • About us
    • About/disclaimer
    • Privacy policy
    • Press/PR

Can I get engaged on a budget of £100?

4/11/2016

 
Ring being placed on a finger at a wedding
There was a newspaper story a few years ago asking if marriage had become something for the middle classes.

One article quoted academics in Virginia as saying "Marriage is becoming a distinctive social institution marking middle-class status."

Honestly, I'm not sure if I agree with that and it's worth noting that there was another
article a couple of years later saying that middle classes were 'turning away from marriage'.

Whatever, the truth of those studies, I do think it's true that the cost of getting engaged stops some people from proposing. Raising £1000 just isn't achievable for some people - I know I'd have struggled to find that amount of money when I was in my early 20s when I was earning a pittance and living away from home for the first time.

So, what if you can only afford an engagement ring costing £100? What can you actually get for your money.

The bad news is that you won't be able to afford a high quality, decent sized, brand new diamond ring. Although, I suspect that is stating the obvious somewhat.

However, a budget of £100 does give (at least) four options:


1. Buy a second hand diamond engagement ring

Diamond rings plummet in price once they've been worn by someone else, even if it was only for a few days before things all went wrong...

The depreciation is worse than a sports car, as a percentage of its original cost. 

For example, I've found several diamond rings with a high street value of about £500 which have gone for £100 on eBay.

​If you're patient, you might even find one from a big name jeweller (Ernest Jones, H Samuel etc) which hasn't even been worn.

Etsy is also worth a look for preloved rings.

2. Buy a tiny diamond

If you don't fancy a second hand ring, you could just about get an authentic diamond ring for £100.

In reality, the diamond would be tiny. 

We found a diamond ring with a 0.10 carat for £95 on Amazon. Generally I advise people to look for a diamond of at least 0.25 carat, but if your potential spouse likes dainty jewellery then it's an option.

I'd avoid this option if your girlfriend has massive hands...

3. Buy a 'faux' diamond

There are several alternatives to diamonds, which look similar to the real thing (unless you are a master jeweller) but which cost a fraction of the price. 

Diamond Style or Tru Diamonds are good places to start. Tru Diamonds reckon that their £100 simulated diamonds would cost £8500 if they were the real thing.

It's up to you whether you tell your girlfriend that it's not real...

4. Don't buy a diamond ring

What a shocker eh? 

Lots of people don't choose diamond rings at all. Historically they never did, until a diamond company carried out one of the most successful marketing campaigns in history.

You can get Blue sapphire, Green emerald or Red ruby rings for well under £100.

Good luck, I hope she says yes...

Comments are closed.

    Author

    A bargain hunter's thoughts on buying diamond engagement rings without bankrupting yourself

    This site uses cookies - see our privacy policy. Ads & links in bold may give us a small payment from the seller, at no cost to the buyer. However, this never affects our views - if we like it, we recommend it.

    Archives

    November 2017
    June 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016

Buying Guides

Best retailers
Unusual rings
Beginners' guide
Saving money
Expensive rings
Wedding bands
Conflict-free
Gemstones
​Second hand
​Cheap weddings
​Diamond FAQ

Shop by budget

£50 rings
£100 rings
£200 rings
£300 rings
£500 rings
£1000 rings

Shop by carat

0.25 carat
1 carat
2 carat

About

About us
Press/PR
Blog
​Privacy policy
​Disclaimer
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. However, we maintain full editorial control and only recommend based on merit rather than whether they offer commission.
​© COPYRIGHT 2022. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.