Our top 5 places to buy engagement rings under £500
You can easily spend thousands of pounds on an engagement ring, but a budget of £500 pounds still gives you a few options. Here’s our top 5 places to buy cheap engagement rings under £500:
1. Amazon Jewellery
Amazon work on tiny margins, meaning that their engagement ring range is pretty reasonably priced compared to a lot of the big name jewellers. My advice is to narrow down your search so that you are buying direct from Amazon, otherwise you end up with a baffling range of jewellery from dozens of third party ‘marketplace’ sellers. With a budget of £500 you could expect to pick up an engagement ring from Amazon with a weight of up to 0.50 carat (1/2 carat).
My main frustration is that there often isn’t a huge amount of detail in the descriptions for diamond engagement rings on Amazon (such as details on the diamond’s cut, clarity and colour), although their returns policy is generous.
My main frustration is that there often isn’t a huge amount of detail in the descriptions for diamond engagement rings on Amazon (such as details on the diamond’s cut, clarity and colour), although their returns policy is generous.
2. eBay
“Will you marry me? – The ring’s from eBay”. Perhaps not the best words for your proposal, but if you don’t mind buying a second hand engagement ring then your £500 goes much further on eBay than it does on a new ring. There are, of course, thousands of retailers selling new engagement rings through eBay but the real bargains are in the private second hand market.
I’ve seen diamond engagement rings which were originally sold for £1500 to £2000 by Beaverbrooks, Goldsmiths , Tiffany and Co and H Samuel selling for under £500 on eBay. Many of them are only worn for a few days or weeks, leaving some poor chap with a big hole in his pocket…
My advice? Pay a little bit more to buy a ring which was originally purchased from a retailer you’ve heard of and which has paperwork. If they’ve still got the receipt and a grading certificate it’s a fair sign that they’ve looked after it and are a trustworthy seller.
I’ve seen diamond engagement rings which were originally sold for £1500 to £2000 by Beaverbrooks, Goldsmiths , Tiffany and Co and H Samuel selling for under £500 on eBay. Many of them are only worn for a few days or weeks, leaving some poor chap with a big hole in his pocket…
My advice? Pay a little bit more to buy a ring which was originally purchased from a retailer you’ve heard of and which has paperwork. If they’ve still got the receipt and a grading certificate it’s a fair sign that they’ve looked after it and are a trustworthy seller.
3. Argos
I've noticed a bit of snobbery online about Argos jewellery, but their prices are genuinely very low, particularly when there's a sale on. Argos rings tend to be lower grade, but are a good size (or weight if we're being pedantic, as that's what the carat rating refers to). If you are marrying a jeweller then you might want to buy something higher grade, but if not then you'll find that Argos is a good option.
For example, I've seen 0.5 carat diamond engagement rings selling for as little as £360 on Argos.
Take note though, Argos's generous returns policy isn't quite as flexible if you are purchasing jewellery. Obviously they are very good if something is faulty though.
For example, I've seen 0.5 carat diamond engagement rings selling for as little as £360 on Argos.
Take note though, Argos's generous returns policy isn't quite as flexible if you are purchasing jewellery. Obviously they are very good if something is faulty though.
4. SuperJeweler
Number four on our list of the top places to buy engagement rings for under £500 is a name that you might not have heard of. SuperJeweler is bigger in the USA, but does deliver to the UK for free and has a UK customer services helpline.
I've seen 0.5 carat diamond engagement rings selling for under £450 - you won't see a price like that in the high street!
A rummage through the SuperJeweler Clearance section is particularly satisfying, and feels much like the bargain bins that they used to have in Woolworths (keep digging and you might just find a copy of What's the Story Morning Glory on Cassette for £1.99).
(Please note, some of the 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've seen 0.5 carat diamond engagement rings selling for under £450 - you won't see a price like that in the high street!
A rummage through the SuperJeweler Clearance section is particularly satisfying, and feels much like the bargain bins that they used to have in Woolworths (keep digging and you might just find a copy of What's the Story Morning Glory on Cassette for £1.99).
(Please note, some of the 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).
5. QP Jewellers
This little gem (pun intended) is based in the North East and makes our top 5 places to buy engagement rings under £500 because of a) its low prices and b) its easy to use website. For under £500 you can expect to pick up nice 0.30 carat diamond engagement ring.
QP Jewellers also offer a certificate of authenticity and a lifetime guarantee - hopefully to match the length of your marriage!
QP Jewellers also offer a certificate of authenticity and a lifetime guarantee - hopefully to match the length of your marriage!
