How much does a cheap diamond ring cost?

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There's a lot of false information circulated around regarding how to tell natural diamonds from manufactured ones. Notice I didn't say real and fake diamonds. Manufactured diamonds are just as real as one found in mines - and the processes that form them are the same - the only difference is natural diamonds are formed slowly over time in the ground, whereas manufactured diamonds create the same process in a lab, and it's faster. Natural and manufactured diamonds have the same composition, and can have the some variations in composition - therefore they also have all of the same properties. Things like luster or temperature differences are myths. Properly cut, they're both just as shiny. Manufactured diamonds sold as jewelry are required to have ID information etched into them microscopically. That's the only way most jewelers can identify a natural from a manufactured. Other than the etched info, it's basically impossible to tell the difference without a special machine, of which there are only three in the world, and they are quite stationary and can't be moved. Jewelers REALLY don't want people to know all that.

I paid $100 for a wedding ring with a manufactured diamond, brand new. 1/2 carat center piece in a white gold band with another 1/2 carat of diamond bedazzling on either side of it. It glittered like crazy and she loved it.

The fact I didn't know that just proves my point and I will never understand the whole 'expensive rings and weddings' thing as long as I live. There are so many more tangible things that money can buy (especially that I don't exactly live in a well off area) and any woman who doesn't get that would not have been someone I would have been too interested in. How can you build a life together when you start off with massive debt (I know far too many people who do).

The thing is, when she tells all her girl friends that she's engaged, the first thing they're going to say to her is "show me the ring!" It's nice to have something to show them. It's a sort of status symbol for women.

Even if your gf doesn't care about the symbol, at least some of her friends likely will, therefore lack of said symbol could lead to embarrassment on her part.

Manufactured diamond in the hundreds sounds promising.

Good luck and congratulations!

Given how generous she has been, I would suggest you get her what you think she actually wants.

That being said, it would be worth looking at some antique jewellery. I got my wife an original Art Deco ring (she finds the big rock type tacky). It was a couple of thousand and doubled in value meanwhile. It's a good investment, the craftsmanship superior and each is unique. They look something like this:

I guess it would really depend on the thrift shop, there are like some smaller ones with nicer jewelry..but perhaps not the big ones ones that get tons of random daily donations.

I wouldn't exclude thrift shops from the search, sure. But from my experience with various used-goods avenues, the jewelry that winds up in thrift stores tends towards the mundane end of the scale. But auction houses tend to buy up (not sure about the word here) Sterbhus, bulk purchasing a whole home after a person has died to sell the pieces individually. That seems like a good place to look for nice jewelry.

And Pawn shops because jewelry is one of the first things you pawn if you need some money quickly (high value, but little practical utility), so that should be a good option.

I don't get it either, there is no reason to spend that kind of money on a little trinket. That's like 3 months of rent for me and my boyfriend.

Yeah auction houses and Pawn shops may be better.

Though one time I did find an odd sort of thrift shop, where they seemed to have a lot of high end stuff and they were selling it to donate proceeds to breast cancer I think. But places like that are probably far and few between, I think they did mention a lot was donated from like estates and things so it certainly was not a regular thrift store. I bought a ring there for 30$ I liked it and seemed like money would go to a good thing. But it was a hot summer day and I had been outside walking which makes my hands swell a tiny bit...just enough the ring fit at the time but when I walked back home and had been there long enough to cool off it didn't fit anymore.

I still have it, but I don't know what to do with it.

Take it to a jewelry shop. They can probably take it in so it fits for a small fee.

Ten karat gold is “sturdier” than fourteen. If its a wide band that’s going to be worn all of the time, I would go with the ten. But, if it is a more delicate style band, that might be worn as part of a set, I would choose ten or eighteen karat. The better quality gold is softer. Ive had rings warp, having regular pressure on the, e.g. while driving!

The unique style ring is a very good idea! Do you know what her birthstone is?

$3,000 on a ring, you can use it on your wedding & the reception.

Am I the last to not know about karats & wedding band? I know karats are diamonds.

It's pretty confusing, because it's apparently two separate measurements with pretty much the same name (carats/karats), where carats is a measuirement of the mass of a gemstone and karats is a fractional measurement of the purity of gold.

Gold. I guess gold is ok for an engagement ring. For our wedding rings I was thinking of getting steel ones.

Don't get steel....get platinum if you want something steel-like.

24-karat gold is "pure" gold.

I would bet that most women wouldn't mind a 1-carat diamond ring.

By the way, I might seem materialistic---but I'm not.

I don't even own ANY sort of ring----not even a crackerjack ring.