What is the average engagement ring cost - Based on values of a recent survey, the median is in the $1,000 to $2,499 range.  So keep that in mind.  Also, weddings are a big industry and a growing one. The Association of Certified Professional Wedding Consultants (ACPWC),  estimates current wedding spending at 120 billion a year and projects growth of 6.5% by 2009.  Also 75% of first-time brides receive a diamond engagement ring.

Even though an engagement ring is small in size, it can be threatening in cost, especially if you have limited funds in preparing for marriage. It may be difficult to find the right ring for a couple on a tight budget. It’s important to discuss all of your options with your partner before making a decision.

You don’t have to think twice before you prefer a diamond substitute to a original  diamond. Back at the beginning of the last century, the DeBeers company, faced with a glut of quality diamonds and a sagging market, devised a very successful advertising campaign linking diamonds with true love, and the diamond engagement ring as a “necessity” was born.

If you and your partner want a real diamond its time to start to look into some of your current options. The first one is overlooked a lot: resetting the stone existing in one of the two families. Often purchasing an engagement ring from a current owner, or accepting one that has been a family heirloom, will result in the price being lower than a new stone, or in the case of one handed down through the family, the important “something old” that the bride traditionally wears for her wedding.  When a ring is an outright gift and the setting is appealing, that kind of diamond will not break your budget.

If that does not work, you should try speaking to a jeweler with a long-standing reputation for quality work, and see if he or she can locate a reasonably priced stone of high quality for you. Your idea and the jeweler’s may not agree, but a proper jeweler will not cheat you like a fly by night fellow.

There are a number of ways you can find the stone you love and not break your budget and a good jeweler can help locate that stone either through estate sales, putting you in contact with other dealers or finding a stone that may have a small imperfection but otherwise is beautiful.

A reputable jeweler will be able to inform and educate you about diamonds more than any other source you can find. Lots of jewelers know about and may even discuss the price fixing that occurs with diamonds; they are not able to skirt the problem, but may suggest other beautiful, less expensive stones. Just think of these varieties of zirconium, Moissanite, and white topaz.

If you approach some experts, they will recommend some strong, fine unexpected alternatives. Don’t discount the advice that will be offered. Jewelers are never pleased to sell diamonds to people who do not appreciated their beauty regardless of the price the buyer paid. For a lot of people in this business who charge a markup, there is a tendency to feel they are guilty of gouging; however, one must charge enough to make a profit for what they themselves have paid out. It would be their pleasure to assist you in finding an option that will ensure them that they make money and keep their good name while keeping you satisfied.

Another possibility, though not really the best alternative, is to purchase one second hand from a pawn broker or a seller on Ebay. Quality control and a lack of quality assurances can be a serious problem. But if you review the seller’s feedback you can have more confidence in your purchase.