You've probably heard all kinds of figures for this... 2 months' salary, 3 months' salary... do you really need to spend so much money on a ring, no matter how important the occasion?
The honest answer is... it depends on your situation.
Spending 2 months' salary is a suggestion started by deBeers, not a tradition. It's very generous to spend so much on a ring to tell the woman you love how much she means to you, but it is by no means an absolute requirement. There are plenty of reasons why spending a different amount may be more reasonable in your situation.
If money is tight, as it is for many young couples, spend what you can afford. There are beautiful engagement rings out there for less than $1000. Don't be ashamed if you honesty cannot afford a huge rock.
The best way to determine how much you should spend, aside from what you can afford, is what kind of statement do you want the ring to make and what will look good on her hand?
A 1-carat solitaire diamond may actually be too big for some women's taste; just right for most others. But size, as they say, matters only so much. In the case of diamonds, quality matters far more.
Let's look at that 1-carat diamond again. If you're buying a diamond of that size, you NEED a GIA certification on it. Such a diamond is too valuable to purchase without having some facts about it.
In general, the whiter the diamond is, the better. Now, if your fiancee-to-be prefers colored diamonds, by all means, go with her preferences. But if she is more traditional in her diamond tastes, you want to avoid color. This means you want it to be rated as close to the D through F range as you can get, although G through J are nearly colorless and quite good as well. But there's still another very important quality you will want to consider.
Clarity in a diamond is vital. If you can easily see flaws in a diamond, you may want to consider getting a somewhat smaller diamond with fewer flaws for the same money. See my discussion on the 4Cs for more explanations. In general, you will want at least a SI2 or better diamond.
As you are probably not a trained gemologist, you may not notice flaws in the cut directly, but they have a huge impact in how your diamond diffracts light, and therefore how much it will sparkle on her hand. A GIA report on a diamond will tell you a great deal about the cut that you may not understand, but go back to that discussion of the 4Cs for a quick explanation.
For most people, it is better to get a good combination of high quality characteristics than it is to just get a big rock when it comes to buying an engagement ring. Keep that in mind and keep your options as to size open when you are purchasing an engagement ring.
You may want to consider buying an unmounted diamond and buy the mounting separately. Mondera makes this easy to do, as they offer loose diamonds and a wide range of mountings. Diamonds are always outside their settings when rated by the GIA, so if the diamond has a rating, you can be assured it has been examined carefully and completely, allowing you to purchase even a set diamond with complete confidence.
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