The last thing I want to talk about is how much ring to buy and how much to spend on it. In terms of size, carat weight is not the most important, I promise you. Of the four C’s (cut, color, carat, and clarity), cut is the most important one. Cut refers not only to the shape of the diamond (round, princess and emerald are popular cuts), but the quality of the finished stone. An excellent cut makes a diamond sparkle and makes a smaller stone seem larger. Poor cuts do just the opposite. Most guys automatically want to get the biggest rock they can afford, but the problem is diamond prices increase exponentially with the size of the solitaire. Given that everyone has a finite budget, it’s a mathematical inevitability that if you max out your budget on carat weight, you will suffer in other areas. I really recommend using your money to find a balance with an emphasis on cut. If you insist on really icing her out, consider adding carat weight in the form of smaller diamonds, either next to the solitaire or lining the band. A half carat’s worth of tiny diamonds costs a lot less than a single stone of equal weight.It’s well documented that the idea of spending two months’ salary on a ring was perpetuated by none other than the diamond industry. To me, it’s complete bullsh*t. I see a lot of girls engaged to guys my age with enormous rocks on their fingers, and it baffles me. Sure, the guys might (read: probably) make more money than I do, but after going through it myself, I have a rough idea what rings cost, and some of them are staggering. Maybe they could afford it, but more than likely, they went into an assload of debt. I kind of get it, because as men we’re wired to believe that more = better. Plus, a bigger ring serves as a status symbol for both us and out fianc
