Buying Guide For A $15,000 Engagement Ring (2024)

If you are looking for a $15,000 diamond ring, you can rest assured that you will be able to find a stunning engagement ring within that budget. So long as you balance quality and value well, you’ll end up with a nice-sized rock in a setting that fits the diamond perfectly.

In this guide, we’ll help you set expectations for the size and style of the setting given your budget. We’ll help you figure out which qualities to focus on, where the best place to buy a $15,000 ring is and what style settings fit which diamonds.

Buying Guide For A $15,000 Engagement Ring (1)

Here’s what we’ll cover in this article:

Which size diamond ring can you get for $15,000?
What is the difference between a $15k and $10k diamond ring?
What to look for when buying a $15,000 diamond ring?
Where can I find the best deal when buying a diamond ring within a $15,000 budget?
What does a $15,000 engagement ring look like?
FAQs about 15k engagement ring

To help you with the diamond buying process we lean on our expertise and experience. The author of this article, our CEO, Mike Fried has over 20 years of experience in the diamond industry. Mike started from the bottom, sorting and evaluating hundreds of thousands of diamonds to learn every facet (pun intended) of diamond quality and value. Mike followed that up by spending years buying and selling diamonds on the wholesale market as well as selling tens of millions of dollars worth of diamonds to diamond retailers.

What Size Diamond Ring can I get for $15,000?

If your budget is around $15,000, you can get a center diamond that is between 1.70ct and 2.05ct depending on which shape and which setting style you prefer. Going with a round diamond for your center stone, you’ll be able to get a nice 2.01ct J color diamond like this, but that would only fit a solitaire setting. On the other hand, with a pavé or halo style setting, you’ll probably need an H or I color center diamond. So you’d be looking at something like this 1.71ct diamond stunner.

Proposing to your significant other should be a magical moment – one that she and you should never forget. A truly spectacular diamond engagement ring can help make that moment all the more special. If your budget for an engagement ring is as high as $15,000, you’ll be able to focus on personal style preferences, more so than simply figuring out what you can afford that fits your budget. In our article discussing how much should you spend on an engagement ring, we note that 15k is well above the average consumer.

Though you’ll be spoiled for choice with a budget this large, you should be aware of the best ways to distribute your budget, to ensure your ring actually looks like a $15,000 engagement ring. We usually recommend budgeting 15-20% of your budget for the setting. This obviously depends on what style setting you prefer.

Deal Alert: Get 30% off lab-grown diamonds during a limited time sale at James Allen.

How to Understand Diamond Pricing

Diamond prices are determined by the quality and size range. There is a standard wholesale price for each set (e.g. 2.00-2.49ct, H color, VS2 clarity). Then that price is calculated by weight. Prices fluctuate but have historically risen every decade. For more general info on the topic, check out our article on diamond prices.

That is more general information. You are looking for information on what you can get for $15,000 specifically. To make things easier, we’ve given you our pick in every shape that would fit that budget range.

$15,000 Engagement Ring Chart by Shape – Updated April 2024

ShapeRecommended DiamondPrice with $2,000 Setting
Round1.82ct I color VS1 clarity$14,150
Princess2.01ct H color VS1 clarity$14,350
Cushion2.10ct H color VVS2 clarity$15,060
Emerald2.00ct H color VS2 clarity$14,450
Pear1.74ct G color SI1 clarity$14,690
Oval1.70ct H color VS2 clarity$14,450
Radiant1.81ct H color VS2 clarity$14,850
Asscher2.00ct H color VVS2 clarity$14,730
Marquise1.60ct H color SI1 clarity$14,970

Differences Between a $15,000 Engagement Ring and $10,000 Engagement Ring

With a budget of $15,000, you’ve got a bit more room to play with in terms of setting and carat weight. While you can still afford a beautiful setting for a $10,000 engagement ring and under, you’ll have to drop a little lower in carat weight.

Instead of finding a 1.50-2.00ct diamond, you’ll be looking at a 1.20-1.30ct diamond.

What Qualities Are Best for a $5,000 Diamond Ring?

Let’s start with the setting– When considering which metal, 14K gold (white, yellow, or rose) is perfectly fine. You can get a lovely pavé/side-stone setting and even a halo setting if you want something other than the classic solitaire.

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Is it the J color for $3,420 or the G color for $5,850?

Diamond color –You should focus on a GHI color diamond in theGIA diamond color scale. If you are going with a solitaire setting you can drop the color down to J or even K to get a larger diamond.

Diamond clarity –Focus less on which grade on thediamond clarity chartand focus more on whether the diamond is eye-clean. Usually, you’ll find an eye-clean diamond in the VS2-SI1 range but you may find an SI2, though that is less likely with 2 carat diamond.

Diamond cut –Try to get the best-cut diamond possible.Diamond cutis the most important of the 4C’s. The better a diamond is cut, the more fire and brilliance it will have. And what is a diamond without that signature sparkle?

Diamond certification –Make sure the diamond you purchase has aGIAcertificate. As we explain in ourdiamond certification guide, avoid any other certificates or appraisals.

“Cut quality is the factor that fuels a diamond’s fire, sparkle and brilliance. The allure and beauty of a particular diamond depends more on cut quality than anything else.” Gemological Institute of America (GIA)

Where to Buy a $15k Engagement Ring

The best place to get a $15,000 engagement ring is from a reputable online jeweler. Online vendors are generally able to offer the best range, as well as value for money, due to their business model which requires lower overhead costs to run.

There are several online jewelers that have established themselves as leaders today in the field of diamonds, engagement rings, and other fine jewelry. Here are the vendors we recommend you go to for a $15k diamond ring:

James Allen

James Allen offers a great selection of high-quality, GIA and AGS-certified diamonds, as well as a range of beautiful settings in different styles. Their commitment to the customer experience is second to none, with top-of-the-line tools to allow you to inspect diamonds online, paired with excellent customer service.

Shopping at James Allen also allows you to use their 30-day return policy, so you don’t need to stress out if you bought the right ring.

Blue Nile

Like James Allen, Blue Nile also offers a large and diverse range of both diamonds and settings. Blue Nile are known in particular for their inventory size, which is simply the best out there. Their diamonds come with grading certificates from the GIA, and their diamond search tool makes it easy to sift through over 400,000 diamonds to pick out the perfect centerpiece for your $15,000 ring.

Brian Gavin Diamonds

Brian Gavin Diamonds is known for one thing, above anything else – high-quality cuts. The diamonds you’ll find in their collections are the best you’ll get in terms of fire, brilliance, and proportion. They also carry a more than adequate range of settings to help you cap off the perfect diamond ring.

With a budget of up to $15,000, you can afford to make a bit of a splash, so for a truly one-of-a-kind cut, consider a diamond from Brian Gavin Diamonds.

$15k Diamond Ring Inspiration

Your options for a $15,000 engagement ring are just about endless, so it can be tough to know where to start your search. Here are some of our favorite picks as well as our readers’ favorite choices.

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Buying Guide For A $15,000 Engagement Ring (9)
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$15,000 is a significant budget for an engagement ring, meaning you’ll have plenty of options to choose from when it comes to diamonds and settings. In fact, this budget puts you well within the top seven percent of couples when it comes to engagement ring spending.

As American Express explains: “A one carat engagement ring typically costs around $5,500, but most couples spend over $6,000—and 7 percent spend over $10,000.” American Express

FAQs ABout $15,000 Diamond Rings

Is $15,000 a good budget for a diamond ring?

Absolutely. You can get a stunning engagement ring for $15,000. There will be plenty of flexibility letting you choose any style setting and various shapes for the center stone without having to compromise on size or quality.

What is the best $15,000 lab grown diamond engagement ring?

You can get a very nice 3 carat lab grown diamond with a budget of $15,000 and will have enough left over to get any style setting you like.

Email Our Experts for Assistance With Buying an Engagement Ring

With a $15,000 engagement ring budget, you can afford to buy a truly stunning, one-of-a-kind diamond ring. You’ll have your pick of settings, from flashy vintage settings to simple solitaire rings, and a huge range of diamonds to choose from, up to or slightly above 2 carats.

While you have a lot of flexibility at this price range, you still want to take note of how to get the best value for your money, and ensure your $15k diamond ring lives up to its price tag. For that, we’ve outlined the recommendations above, which will help you make the best purchase possible.

And if you find out you want to spend more money on the ring, check out our guide on a 20k engagement ring.

For more assistance in picking out the right diamond or the perfect setting, contact us and we’ll be happy to aid you in your search.

Here are more specific budget topics to browse:

  • What are the most affordable engagement rings?
  • How much should you spend on an engagement ring?
  • What are diamonds worth?
  • The best engagement rings for $1,000
  • The best engagement rings for under $2,500
  • The best engagement rings for $3,000
  • The best engagement rings for $5,000
  • The best engagement rings for $10,000
  • The best engagement rings for $20,000
  • The best engagement rings for $25,000

Buying Guide For A $15,000 Engagement Ring (13)

James Allen James Allen is the leader in online diamond sales. Their imaging technology is the same as inspecting a diamond with a jeweler's loupe. They have the largest exclusive loose diamond inventory online and fantastic prices. They also have the nicest collection of lab-created diamonds online.

What we love about them:

  • No questions asked returns within 30 days of shipment. James Allen will send you a paid shipping label to return the ring.
  • Lifetime Warranty
  • Free International Shipping
  • Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
  • Provide insurance appraisals
  • One free resizing within 60 days of purchase
  • Free ring inscriptions
  • Best-in-class high quality imagery of all diamonds in stock
  • 24/7 Customer Service
  • Best-in-class packaging

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Blue Nile Blue Nile is the largest and most well-known internet jewelry seller. They have a very large exclusive online inventory. Their high-quality images are catching up to James Allens' and their prices are amazing.

What we love about them:

  • No questions asked returns within 30 days of shipment. Blue Nile will send you a paid shipping label to return the ring.
  • Lifetime Warranty
  • Free Shipping
  • Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
  • Provide insurance appraisal
  • One free resizing within the first year of purchase
  • High quality images of about half of their diamonds
  • 24/7 Customer Service
  • 100% credit towards future upgrades (must be at least double in value)
  • Best in class fulfillment

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Buying Guide For A $15,000 Engagement Ring (18)

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About the author

Mike Fried Mike Fried has over 25 years experience in the diamond industry working with Leo Schachter Diamonds, Moshe Namdar Diamonds, and joining The Diamond Pro in 2007. He is recognized as an industry expert and has been quoted in publications such as Us, People, Page Six, The Next Web and more.

Buying Guide For A $15,000 Engagement Ring (2024)

FAQs

Buying Guide For A $15,000 Engagement Ring? ›

If your budget is around $15,000, you can get a center diamond that is between 1.70ct and 2.05ct depending on which shape and which setting style you prefer. Going with a round diamond for your center stone, you'll be able to get a nice 2.01ct J color diamond

color diamond
Colorless diamonds. The majority of mined diamonds fall between white and pale yellow or brown; what is known as the normal color range. Diamonds of more intense color (usually yellow, but in some cases red, green or blue) are termed fancy color diamonds. Black diamonds are also fancy color diamonds.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Diamond_color
like this, but that would only fit a solitaire setting.

What is the formula for buying an engagement ring? ›

It's known as the "three months' salary" rule, and it implies that a buyer should put three months of their salary toward a sparkler for their future spouse. For context, The Knot's 2023 Jewelry and Engagement study found that the average cost of an engagement ring in the US is $5,500.

What is a realistic amount to spend on an engagement ring? ›

While engagement rings are a pricy investment, the usual cost tends to be below $10,000, with a national average of $6,000, according to The Knot's 2022 Jewelry and Engagement Study.

What is the golden rule for engagement ring prices? ›

The 3-Month Salary Rule:

This is one of the most popular engagement ring cost rules, stipulating that one must shell out the equivalent of 3 months' gross or net salary for purchasing an engagement ring.

What is an acceptable amount to pay for an engagement ring? ›

We have all heard of the saying 'an engagement ring should cost 3 months' salary' and although this is a great way to set a goal for saving there is no set rule for this.

What is the 3 month rule for ring? ›

Earlier, people spent their three-month salary on engagement rings as it was a popular notion. The cost of living back in the day was indeed much lower, and people could afford to spend 3 months' salary on a ring. However, times have changed and millennial couples don't generally follow this rule.

How do I estimate the value of my ring? ›

An experienced jeweler is the best way to assess the value of your piece. During this process, known as an appraisal, the jeweler will evaluate several factors such as the materials used to craft the jewelry, the age of the piece, quality, and other existing conditions.

Is $15000 too much for an engagement ring? ›

If your budget for an engagement ring is as high as $15,000, you'll be able to focus on personal style preferences, more so than simply figuring out what you can afford that fits your budget. In our article discussing how much should you spend on an engagement ring, we note that 15k is well above the average consumer.

Is $10 000 enough for an engagement ring? ›

Perhaps one that offers a bit more than just a diamond? If so, then $10,000 is an excellent budget to work with. You may have heard by now that $10,000 engagement rings are becoming more and more popular. The average of spending $5,000 on your engagement ring may soon be a thing of the past.

Is $20,000 too much for engagement ring? ›

According to tradition, the amount you choose to spend on an engagement ring should approximate the amount of your monthly salary times two. By this measure, anyone who earns $2,000 a month should be looking at models in the $4,000 range. For someone earning $10,000 a month, a $20,000 ring would be about right.

Is $6,000 too much for an engagement ring? ›

Average cost of an engagement ring

In 2022, couples spent an average of about $6,000 on an engagement ring, according to The Knot 2022 Real Weddings Study.

Do couples buy engagement rings together? ›

Making the decision to get married together has also led 75% of couples to choose an engagement ring together, with 28% of these couples saying both people were 'very' involved in the process. Gone are the days of shopping for an engagement ring on your own—this 100-year tradition seems to be at an end.

What is the carat rule? ›

Using stricter rules than normal mathematical rounding, GIA rounds up the diamond's weight only when the last digit in the thousandths place is a 9. For example, a diamond that weighs 1.128 ct would be rounded down to 1.12, while one that weighs 1.129 ct would be rounded up to 1.13.

Is $5,000 dollars good for an engagement ring? ›

Absolutely! A $5,000 can get you a beautiful, high-quality diamond and setting. You can easily buy a 2-carat lab diamond or in some cases even a 2.5-carat lab-grown diamond ring with this budget. It all comes down to the quality of diamond that you choose.

Is 20k engagement ring worth it? ›

When you have the budget for a $20,000 diamond ring, you're going to be able to afford a more beautiful engagement ring that 99% of those you'll see in your day-to-day life. This budget is more than enough to splash on a flashy setting, a one of a kind super ideal cut diamond, or a huge diamond 2ct or higher.

Is 25k a lot for engagement ring? ›

The common recommendation is to spend three months' salary on an engagement ring. Like I said, some of my friends make six figures a year. While $25,000 sounds incredible to spend on jewelry, it's more incredible to expect someone making $3,000 a month to spend $9,000 on an engagement ring.

What is the 3 month salary rule for engagement rings? ›

The three-month rule stems from a marketing campaign the De Beers diamond company ran in the 1930s that sold the idea that true love and commitment could only be shown if a man spent a month's salary on his wife's ring.

How much should I spend on an engagement ring if I make 100000 a year? ›

Three months' salary looks very different for different people. Think about it. If you make $100,000 a year, you're supposed to spend $25,000 on an engagement ring. If you make $200,000, the ring clocks in at $50,0000.

Is $30,000 a lot for an engagement ring? ›

Diamond cut, weight, and quality are the biggest factors in an engagement ring's final cost. With a $30000 budget, you can easily find a ring with an impressive diamond of high color and clarity grades. However, the wide range of options available for this price may be overwhelming.

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