Top 10 Diamond Engagement Rings for Under $3000

Presenting 10 stunning diamond engagement rings for under $3000 (make her say yes!)

Since you’ve found this ‘diamond engagement rings for under $3000’ article, you are probably asking yourself one (if not all) of the following questions:

What does a 3000 dollar engagement ring look like?
Is 3000 enough for an engagement ring (will she be happy)?
What are some affordable designer engagement ring brands?
How to save money when buying an engagement ring (without sacrificing style)?
What are some things to consider when buying an engagement ring?
What size diamond can I get for 3000?

For some, 3,000 dollars might not seem like a lot, and for other’s it might be too much, in any case, you are here reading this article, so you have a budget in mind.

There are tons of stunning diamond engagement rings on the market that won’t cost you more than $3,000. Thankfully, if you know where to look and how to shop, you won’t have to break the bank when it comes time to buy an engagement ring.

If your budget is around $3,000 for a diamond engagement ring, you might be surprised to know that you are right in line with the average couple here in America.

Average American Budget For Engagement Rings (Millenials will surprise you)

The average millennial couple from ages 18-34 spends around $3,000 on an engagement ring. This is a considerably lavish number when you take into account that the majority of millennials don’t even have $1,000 in savings.

With that being said, everyone has different spending and saving habits. No matter what your financial situation is, it’s not about showing love through how much money you spent. And more money doesn’t necessarily mean a better-looking ring. Thanks to designers and jewelry brands who understand the importance of affordable engagement rings, $3,000 can get you a really nice looking ring. If you shop intelligently, the options are limitless.

Below, we will go over a few tips for selecting an engagement ring (in an intelligent manner). We will also tell you about a few designer brands that offer incredibly stunning rings at affordable prices.

But first, we are going to share our current (2019) top 10 diamond engagement rings under $3,000.

Top 10 Diamond Engagement Rings Under $3000

1. Gabriel & Co. 14k White Gold Diamond Halo Engagement Ring Setting

2. Gabriel & Co. 14k White & Pink Gold Diamond Bypass Engagement Ring Setting

3. Gabriel & Co. 14k White Gold Diamond Straight Engagement Ring Setting

4. Gabriel & Co. 14k White Gold Diamond Straight Engagement Ring Setting

5. Simon G .40ctw Diamond Halo Engagement Ring Setting

6. Simon G 18k White Gold Engagement Ring Setting

7. Verragio 0.45ctw Diamond Engagement Ring Setting

8. Verragio 0.55ctw Diamond Engagement Ring Setting

9. Verragio 0.50ctw Diamond Engagement Ring Setting

10. Verragio 0.04ctw Diamond Engagement Ring Setting

Things to consider when buying an engagement ring with a $3000 budget:

Simple Setting

If you opt for a simple setting, such as a basic solitaire setting, for $3,000 you can get an engagement ring with a diamond that’s almost one carat.

Some people might not like the word simple when it comes to engagement rings. However, it shouldn’t have a negative connotation in this case. The simple solitaire setting is actually one of the most popular. It is the most classic and timeless setting option that exists. The reason the solitaire setting has remained uberly illustrious for over a century is that it allows a diamond to shine like no other setting.

Halo and Cluster Settings

If a minimalistic setting like the solitaire isn’t for you, you can go for an option that makes your diamond ring look even bigger.

The best part is, it usually doesn’t cost as much. Here’s why…when it comes to diamonds, it’s not about the total carat weight of all the diamonds. When considering value, a single diamond that weighs one carat will be more expensive than multiple diamonds that equal to 1 total carat in weight. Furthermore, as soon as you go past 1 carat on a single stone, the cost shoots up significantly. Therefore, a cluster or halo of diamonds can give you all the sparkle of 1 big diamonds but at a considerably lower price.

Halo settings take a centerpiece and encircle it like a halo of smaller round brilliant diamonds. Thus, the ring looks much bigger, in terms of diamond real estate. A cluster has the same effect, but instead, it takes multiple smaller-to-mid-size diamonds and clusters them together to make a centerpiece.

Both options are gorgeous and offer the appearance of lavishness without all the spend (of course, even single diamonds of 1+ carat diamonds use halo settings, as they can make even a big centerpiece diamond look bigger).

Color and Clarity

Another big factor in shopping intelligently is color and clarity. This might seem like a strange statement to make, but If you want to spend less, the goal should be to get the lowest quality diamond that still appears as gorgeous to the naked untrained eye as more expensive higher quality diamonds. At certain grades, you can’t tell the difference in color and clarity without a jewelers loupe, but the price increases a lot.

No one is going to notice that you have a grade or two lower when you are showing it off to them. Unless they grab a loupe and start inspecting it, and no one does that…

Here’s how this works. If you have a round diamond cut, then a J-color stone, which is the 7th down from a perfect D-color stone, is completely fine and it’s half the price of a D. A J diamond has a “near-colorless” classification on the diamond grading scale. However, to the naked eye, it’s going to look like an impeccably white diamond.

Note: different cuts will require different color grades to achieve the “perfectly white to the naked eye” look. For example, a princess-cut diamond will require a slightly higher grade, like an H or I-grade diamond. So, ask your jeweler what color grade will look completely white to the naked for the type of cut you are looking at.

In terms of clarity, the fewer the flaws inside the diamond, known as inclusions, the better the value. The clarity scale for a diamond ranges from Flawless (FL) to Inclusions (I1-I2). The mid-range of this would be “slightly included” (SI-1 or SI-2). When shopping for a bigger diamond in the $3,000 range, you can go for an SI-1 or SI-2. The majority of people aren’t going to see the imperfections. Even those with a trained eye will only notice if they inspect it very closely.

The final point to this tip is to consider the lighting conditions for both color and clarity. Jewelry stores are inherently bright, as they use full spectrum light designs to make rings shine more. This is ideal for high clarity and better color-grade diamonds. So you can see how amazing they shine. However, you will likely find that less expensive rings shine just as well in low (more normal) lighting conditions. So, take the ring to the corner of the store, or ask the jeweler to take it for a walk and get into a lower light to check it out. At Diamonds by Raymond Lee, you can simply ask us how it’s going to look in normal lighting conditions and we will make that happen for you, but some jewelers might not be so adamant on this as they are trying to upsell.

Carat Size

Carat size can get a little tricky. A traditional one-carat diamond can be significantly more than a 0.9-carat diamond. But, in fact, the size is very similar. Why does it cost more for only a .1 increase? Well, it’s due to diamond population. There are fewer diamonds at one-carat or heavier in the world. So, as the carat weight on a single diamond increases, the value doesn’t increase proportionally. For example, a 2-carat diamond is going to cost much more than 2 times the price of a 1-carat diamond due to the rarity of a single diamond of that size. So, because of diamond population, diamonds just under 1-carat are going to get you some good overall price savings. This is great for those on a budget, as the stone is still going to look like a one-carat stone.

Cut

If you are looking for a ring that shines like the sun, a near ideal cut will outshine a moderate-cut diamond twice its size.

This is a matter of personal preference, you can choose bigger but less shiny or smaller but shinier. There’s not much more to it…for some, size doesn’t matter (pun intended).

Shape

Standard round or princess cut diamonds are more expensive than cushion cut or oval-shaped diamonds. This is because a round cut diamond has more fire. In fact, they can be as much as 25-50% lower than round brilliant diamonds. So, consider an alternative shape like oval or cushion. They are not only more affordable, but they are also super easy on the eye. Plus, both cushion cut and oval shaped diamonds are hot, timeless looks.

Moreover, the shape and depth of oval and cushion-cut diamonds make the same carat size appear bigger (more elongated or wider).

Again, back to the tip above, you need to decide how important brilliance (shine) is to you.

Brand

Many high-end retailers have incredulously high markups. You pay a premium when going directly to places like Cartier or Tiffany & Co.

If you want the most bang for your buck (or diamond for your dollar we should say), then go with a local jeweler. The markups will be much less than high-end retailers.

At our retail jewelry, Diamonds by Raymond Lee Jewelers, in Boca Raton, Florida, we offer all of the top designer brands, including Cartier, Tiffany & Co., Harry Winston, and more, at a super competitive price.

With that being said, for the sake of this article and keeping rings under $3,000, we only chose designer brands that are stunningly impressive within this budget.

Why We Chose These 3 Designer Brands:

• Gabriel & Co.
• Simon G
• Verragio

All three designer ring brands have an incredible reputation and history. They have rings at a wide range of price points. They have tons of incredible options for gorgeous rings under 3,000 USD, which is why we selected rings from them for this feature.

About Diamonds by Raymond Lee in Boca Raton

Although we have some super expensive rings for sale at Diamonds by Raymond Lee in Boca Raton, we also devote ourselves to helping new couples keep within a reasonable budget. So, we have breathtaking rings at an affordable price too.

At Diamonds by Raymond Lee, if you are on a strict budget for a diamond engagement ring, don’t worry. You won’t have to skimp on style. We have myriad options of exquisite, brilliant, and dazzling diamond engagement rings for under $3,000 that won’t make you feel like your economizing. When everything is said and done, you’ll walk out of our showroom with an impressive, heirloom quality diamond engagement ring that is stylish, unique and worthy of flaunting in front of all your friends and family.

There’s no reason why you can’t land some nice rock and metal for $3,000 at Diamonds by Raymond Lee.

Final Tip for Buying a Diamond Engagement Ring

Be sure to have an open and honest conversation about engagement rings. A good relationship that’s long lasting is more about communication than it is about spending a lot on an engagement ring. Some men will be surprised to find out that their soon-to-be finance doesn’t want the most extravagant ring.

You need to consider style. If the plan is to wear this ring every day, get something that’s suitable. As great as a gaudy ring can be on some occasions, it’s not an everyday kind of style for many women.

Additionally, the engagement ring is not going to be worn every day, due to work or personal comfort, ask yourself, is it necessary to get an expensive, flashy diamond engagement ring?

However, if an extremely extravagant diamond ring means the world to you. And, as a couple, you can afford a very expensive ring. Then go for it. Do what makes you happy and what makes sense…find the sweet spot when it comes to this.

Lastly, for the men out there, here’s a nice tip within a tip: Take her to the jewelry store, have her try on some rings. Do this while being open about the price. You’ll get a good idea for what she wants and expects you to spend. Afterward, you can have a discussion about it or if her choices were in line with what you were ok to spend, then get the one she loved…and surprise her!

At this point, we can all safely agree that you can get a stunning ring for under $3,000. One that everyone will gush over. Out of all the rings you saw in this article, which one was your favorite?