The Best Engagement Rings Under $5000 (Make Her Say Yes!)
Conventional wisdom dictates that a guy should spend 2-3 months’ salary on an engagement ring. And if you go by the guidelines, the cost of a diamond ring can go as high as $10,000 to $20,000 depending on your income.
However, you don’t have to break the bank in order to buy a breathtaking diamond ring nor do you have to follow the rules established by jewelers that make you spend more.
In today’s article, we will showcase some of the very best engagement rings for under $5000 (in our opinion). We will also reveal insider tips to shopping smart and help you get the best bang for your buck…
Popular Designs For Engagement Rings Under $5000
With a budget of five thousand dollars, you can explore a variety of designs and still get a good quality engagement ring. Below, we’ve rounded up 10 of the prettiest engagement rings with a variety of different metals, diamond sizes and shapes.
Scroll down to check them out and feel free to click on the images to see full details!
#1 – Floating Halo Diamond Engagement Ring
An elegant setting created by Blue Nile, this platinum setting flaunts a halo that accentuates the size of the center stone. The micropave diamonds on the shanks add another dimension of sparkle to the ring too.
FYI, I’ve recently purchased this ring design from Blue Nile. I’ve also written an indepth review of the ring’s craftsmanship and appearance. If you are interested to see close up pictures and learn about the entire shopping process, click this link…
#2 – Tiffany Inspired 6 Prong Solitaire Ring With 0.90 ct Round Diamond
This knife edge solitaire ring design combines an evergreen design with low pricing. At the time of writing, the 6 prong setting costs only $240 and offers superb value for money. Simple, classy and affordable!
#3 – Floral Halo Diamond Engagement Ring For Less Than 5K
This dainty ring has a 0.84ct H color internally flawless round diamond that is surrounded by a floral motif. When seen from a distance, it resembles a bouquet of flowers on your finger and is bound to attract compliments from people. If you are looking for a unique 5k diamond ring, this is definitely one to put on your shortlist.
#4 – Heart Shaped Halo Engagement Ring in 14k Rose Gold
This gorgeous ring boasts a lovely heart shape halo that encircles a 0.82 carat diamond. Besides adding sparkle to the ring, the halo also serves to highlight the outline of the center stone and accentuates its shape appeal.
#5 – Petite Vintage Pavé 5K Diamond Ring
A fusion of nature and vintage inspiration, this alluring ring features a 1 carat Asscher cut diamond that is held securely with 4 prongs. The intertwining leaf design on the shank is finished with a lovely milgrain edge.
#6 – Hand-Engraved Micropavé Diamond Engagement Ring For $5000
This 14k white gold ring takes inspiration from the vintage era and showcases a hand engraved motif. On the sides of the ring are pave melee diamonds that add a layer of brilliance and sparkle. The detailing on this ring is fantastic as well and you can see the expertly handmade milgrain edges.
#7 – Petite Solitaire Engagement Ring With 1ct Marquise Diamond
Sometimes less is more. This petite solitaire design from Blue Nile utilizes a beautiful frame to secure the center diamond. In this manner, the basket enables the diamond to capture light effectively from the surroundings.
#8 – Three -Stone Ring With 0.80 Ct Diamond And Baguette Sidestones
One of the most popular multi-stone ring designs in today’s market, this classic 3-stone ring design features baguette sidestones on the shanks and carries symbolic meaning. The wire basket is custom made to fit the center stone and secured with ball prongs.
#9 – Petite Pave Crown Princess Cut Diamond Ring in Platinum
This demure 5k diamond ring features pave melees both the prongs and basket to create a 360° array of sparkle. To add even more bling, the center stone is also accented with diamonds on the shanks for a display of fireworks!
#10 – Blue Nile Studio Emerald Vintage Fleur de Lis Halo Engagement Ring
This spectacular halo engagement ring features an emerald cut diamond that is surrounded by 20 round melees. The highlights of the ring are the hand-carved Fleur de Lis motifs and this is topped off with milgrain accents for the center stone.
Insider Tips to Shopping Smart And Getting Better Quality
Having been in the industry for years, let me tell you that one of the biggest mistakes consumers make is to buy a preset or off-the-rack diamond ring. While doing so may seem “convenient”, it usually results in a compromise on quality and selection.
On top of that, there is an obscurity in prices since the cost of different ring components has been “bundled” together. Factors like these enable unethical jewelers to overcharge or push subpar goods from their inventory.
The bottom line is, you should avoid preset engagement rings or “ready-to-ship” options. Instead, you should ONLY be looking at building your own ring based on a loose diamond selection and setting of your choice.
And don’t worry, it is actually a pretty straightforward and fun process. So, if you have a budget of $5,000 for an engagement ring, let me show you the smart way for shopping.
First of all, you need to determine exactly what you want and figure out your recipient’s preferences. These questions should help you piece things together…
- Is there anything that your recipient specifically wants?
- What type of diamond shape/color/clarity/size do you intend to get?
- Do you have a realistic budget for the purchase?
- Do you have any leeway to spend more than $5,000 for the diamond ring?
- What kind of setting do you have in mind?
- Is there any special symbolism that you require for the ring? e.g. D/IF
Balancing the Cost of the Center Stone and Setting Design With $5,000
Let’s face it, most of us have a limited budget to work with. Determining ring specifications before hitting the stores will prevent you from wasting time running around in circles and save you a lot of frustration. More importantly, it also helps you avoid unnecessary upsells and keeps you focused on the task at hand.
If your recipient wants a Tiffany inspired solitaire ring setting, this knowledge will enable you to work backward and calculate how much of your budget would be left for the center stone. Let me illustrate this by using one of the best 6 prong solitaire settings from White Flash that costs $1,600.
The Vatche U-113 is the best Tiffany style ring design in the market.
With a budget of $5,000 for the engagement ring, it leaves you $3,400 ($5000 – $1600) for the center stone. With some simple math, you know exactly how much you can spend on the center stone and this helps you narrow down the available options immediately.
Simply by using search filters, you can instantly narrow down diamond choices for cherry picking.
On the other hand, if you found out that your recipient expects a 1 carat diamond for the proposal ring, then your priority in budget allocation would be geared towards the center stone. In this case, the leftover balance from your budget would go towards the setting.
To illustrate this, let’s say you shortlisted the following 1ct princess cut diamond from James Allen which costs $4,140. With a budget of $5,000, this would leave a balance of $860 ($5,000 – $4,140) for the setting.
With this information in hand, you can now narrow down the available setting designs that cost around $860. See the screenshot below…
Contrary to what some people may think, building your own ring on a five thousand dollar budget is pretty straightforward and well worth the effort. Not only does it allow you to cherry pick the best diamonds, but it is also an enjoyable experience to handpick the ring for a loved one.
Summary – A $5000 Budget is More Than Enough For a Beautiful Ring
As you can see, the perfect engagement ring doesn’t have to cost a fortune. If you shop smart and approach the purchase with a practical mindset, it is possible to buy a stunning ring for under $5,000.
Remember to think of her personal style and preferences before deciding what to buy. And as a reminder, sometimes less is better. The key is to strike a balance between your budget and expectations.
Good luck with the ring shopping and if you have any questions or need help with a selection, feel free to drop me an email or leave a comment below!
Related Articles
About The Website
Leave A Comment
Latest Posts From Our Blog
Join Us On Social Media!
Visit The Gallery For Ideas!
14 Comments
I am looking for Tiffany engagement rings under 5000 and found a couple of sellers on eBay who are offering authentic rings on the secondary market cheaply. Can you help me take a look and offer some comments?
For a 5000 engagement ring budget, my advice is to look at non-branded goods so that you can stretch your dollars. Buying on eBay opens you up to alot of scammers who prey on unsuspecting consumers because they think they are getting a cheap deal. When a listing says a “genuine” Tiffany ring is on offer, let me tell you that this is a blatant misrepresentation in most cases. If you want to buy a branded piece, go straight to the original store and pay the premium. That’s a better way to do things.
I want to thank you for all the hard work placed into your website and for doing a blog post on the best engagement rings under 5000. If I want to save money and get a bigger carat diamond, is it true that fancy shapes are cheaper than rounds?
You are right about the observation that fancy shapes cost less per carat if you do the calculations. Rounds are more expensive for a reason and that’s because they use up more rough material compared to other shapes. As I mentioned in my other posts, another method to bring down the cost is to go lower in color and clarity.
Would you have any idea what kind of engagement ring can I get for 5000 if I walk into Cartier? My girlfriend loves the brand but I am apprehensive of the high prices there.
For 5k, you can probably get a 0.5ct diamond ring from Cartier. You need to understand that there is a huge brand premium on their prices. I actually helped a friend shop at Cartier and he fully understands that he can get a similar ring for half the price they charge. This write up here contains a detailed experience of the purchase:
https://beyond4cs.com/reviews/cartier/
For a 5000 engagement ring budget, you can easily get a 0.7 to 0.8 carat diamond ring with better quality elsewhere.
Currently, we are working with a jeweler for a small engagement ring around 5000. They offered us an EGL diamond with J color/SI1 clarity for less than $3000. The setting is very similar to the 3 stone baguette ring in your post but he is using trilliant sidestones instead. Would you be able to help me assess the quality of the diamond if I sent you the EGL certificate?
EGL diamonds are a scam and a blatant rip off to misrepresent the goods that are sold. I can guarantee you that this diamond be significantly worse than J SI1 if the same stone was graded by a reliable lab like GIA. Let me tell you that the 5k engagement ring you intend to commission with this jeweler will not be worth it and you actually end up paying more! If you are looking a small diamond engagement ring, there are much better places to get better mileage for your money.
The jeweler told us that EGL is as good as GIA and that the certificate is just a piece of paper. We’ve seen the stone in person and it looks lovely. But we are having second doubts now that you warned us of it.
Just do a quick Google search on EGL scams or EGL lawsuits. You will find plenty of examples on why the laboratory eventually closed doors after getting banned from the industry’s trading network, Rapaport.
You mentioned that we should avoid premade rings. What do you think of the preset diamond rings from James Allen and Blue Nile? I’ve seen a couple of 5k diamond ring designs that seem to be good value for money.
Most preset engagement rings are mounted using diamonds with mediocre cut quality. This applies to BOTH online and offline retailers. Even though I am a proponent for online shopping, I would not recommend buying pre-set rings from either company.
For people who are “lazy” or simply can’t be bothered to put in the extra effort, you will likely end up with a mediocre ring or overpay for inferior quality. Do a little reading up on Beyond4cs.com and you should be able to create your own ring with better quality.
Great information! I have some unanswered questions. I am looking at cushion cut engagement rings under 5000 from some of the vendors you listed above. I need the ring urgently for an upcoming proposal next week. What do you think of these diamonds?
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.01-carat-h-color-si1-clarity-sku-3036002
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.03-carat-h-color-si1-clarity-sku-3532232
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.00-carat-g-color-si1-clarity-sku-3137367
Any help you can offer would be appreciated.
Ditch option #1 and #2. They are either not eyeclean or not well cut. The 3rd stone is a great choice as it has strong light return and well dispersed inclusions. Go for that!