In this blog post, the team at Life Line Wedding will cover the best engagement rings under $5000 for couples on a budget. From classic solitaires to modern halo diamond rings, we’ll explore a range of options for your budget and style.
We’ll go over what you should know when buying an engagement ring and how/where to find the perfect engagement ring for you that fits your style, budget, and helps make your special moment even more memorable!
This is the second part to our Best Engagement Rings For Couples On A Budget – Under $2500 blog post. You can check it out here if you haven’t done so already.
Our Favorite Rings Under $5000
Let’s take a look at some of our recommended engagement rings under $5000.
1. This GIA-Certified 1.1.0 carat VS1 Excellent Cut Round Diamond Three Stone Micropavé Diamond Engagement Ring from James Allen for $4550
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2. This Beautiful Engagement Ring with 0.95 Carat VS2 True Hearts Cut Round Diamond Thin Channel Set Diamond Center Stone from James Allen for $4850
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3. This Stunning Solitaire Style 0.85 Carat VS1 Excellent Cut Round Diamond Tapered Six Prong Engagement Ring from James Allen for $4810
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4. This Gorgeous 1.16 Carat VS2 Princess Cut Vintage Bezel Pavé Diamond Engagement Ring From James Allen from $4650
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5. This Attention-grabbing 1.07 Carat VS1 Very Good Cut Side Stone Diamond Twisted Vine Engagement Ring from James Allen for $4370
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6. This 1.15 Carat VVS2 Excellent Cut Diamond Halo Engagement Ring from James Allen for $4580
Click here to viewRelated: Types of Engagement Rings
Before You Buy
Before you begin to look around for an engagement ring with a budget of $5000, you can be certain you’ll have no troubles finding a beautiful diamond engagement ring perfect to you and your loved ones personal style.
Related: Best Engagement Rings Over $50000
The key thing to remember here is that you should purchase your diamond engagement ring from a trusted online retailer like James Allen or Clean Origin.
Why online? Glad you asked. On average, an online diamond retailer will charge you far less than a retailer with a physical brick-and-mortar store because they need to pay for rent, maintenance, utilities, electricity, and more for the upkeeping of the place.
By taking things online, stores like James Allen and Clean Origin have lower operating costs and can pass on those savings to consumers in the form of lower price tags on diamond engagement rings.
Similar to our last post for a budget of under $2500, we still recommend you stick to one carat or less. But at a $5000 budget, you can spend more on the cuts and settings.
For a budget of $5000, you can purchase a beautiful high quality one carat diamond with various engagement ring settings. At this price point, solitaire, pavé, side stone, and halo settings are the most popular styles.
Before we dive into that, let’s first shop smart and find ourselves a reputable jeweller.
How To Choose A Reputable Jeweller
As mentioned before, we’re ideally shopping online to get the most savings on our diamond engagement ring.
Now that we’ve established that, how can we really find a reputable brand to shop at?
When it comes to buying your diamond engagement ring at a reputable diamond jeweller, the most important thing to consider is trustworthiness. We’ve always recommended trusted brands like James Allen and Clean Origin to all our readers and have heard nothing but great things.
They’ll be able to provide you with the highest quality diamonds at price points that won’t break the bank.
When you consider their certifications, warranties, and customer support, you’ll realize both these companies have a long-standing track record of selling authentic diamonds and ensuring customers are getting what they pay for.
Related: James Allen vs Clean Origin: A Head-to-Head Comparison
For instance, James Allen goes above and beyond when giving each customer a high-definition 360-degree 40x-magnified view of every diamond on their site. Shoppers are able to view the diamonds in great detail and spot out any inclusions or flaws, from the comfort of their homes.
They take it a step further and offer a Virtual Try On feature where shoppers can try on various rings on their finger to see what it looks like on them. Pretty neat if you ask us!
Not convinced? Our James Allen review has everything you need to know and more.
On the other hand, Clean Origin takes pride in ethically sourcing all their diamonds from trusted international sources to ensure quality standards are met. They offer tons of educational content on their site to help shoppers make a well-informed buying decision.
Check out our Clean Origin review to learn more.
Finding your perfect engagement ring is easy when you shop at these reputable companies.
Where To Buy Your Engagement Ring On A Budget
Ah yes, now we get to the exciting part — it’s time to buy your engagement ring!
James Allen is a great place to start looking at their extensive collection of over 500,000 certified loose diamonds. As mentioned before, you can check them out in superior detail with their 360-degree high-definition tools and 40x magnification.
If you have any questions or concerns while shopping on their site, their friendly and knowledgable customer support team is available 24/7 via chat, phone, and email.
The folks over at James Allen have been kind enough to offer Life Line Wedding readers with a special offer: Get 25% off on wedding/anniversary rings PLUS get a free pair of diamond earrings with any purchase of $1000 or more. Visit James Allen for more details.
Related: James Allen vs Blue Nile – Which One Is Right For You?
Alternatively, if you’re looking to go further in ensuring a sustainable process, Clean Origin is a great retailer we’d suggest you take a look at.
They carry a large selection of lab grown diamonds which look identical to traditional diamonds with the same sparkle and brilliance, without risking environmental and social issues.
One thing to note is that Clean Origin doesn’t go on sale, but that’s for good reason. They already have the lowest prices possible for lab grown diamonds. We suggest you check out Clean Origin to see if they’re right for you.
Remember, shopping on a budget doesn’t mean you’re sacrificing on quality. Use these resources to find your perfect engagement ring and get exactly what you’re looking for while maintaining a smart budget.
Creative Ways To Save Money Without Sacrificing Quality
There’s four main factors to consider when looking for creative ways to buy an affordable diamond ring without skimping out on the quality:
Buy online
Avoid Readymade Engagement Rings
Go With Excellent or Ideal Cut Diamonds
Find GIA Certified Diamonds
Buy Online
At this point, we’ve probably mentioned this a million times! Buying online versus a local jewellery store carries plenty of benefits if you’re on a budget.
On average, you’ll typically be spending 30 to 40% more at a physical brick-and-mortar engagement ring store as opposed to an online shop. Simply put, this is due to the fact that these stores need to pay for the physical maintenance of the place (rent, utilities, etc.). And you guessed it…online stores don’t need to. So those cost savings are passed onto the consumer.
Avoid Readymade Engagement Rings
This one always surprises people when we tell them. Readymade rings are essentially the ones you find on the shelf or in the display case at a store. They come pre-made with the diamond and setting in place.
In our experience, you’ll almost always get a better deal when you custom make your ring with a loose diamond and your own setting.
For beginners, you can still take a look at some readymade rings to get an idea of what a good engagement ring looks like. But once you understand it better, then we recommend making your own to be more personable and unique.
Stores like James Allen and Clean Origin make this process super simple by laying out the steps in an easy-to-use engagement ring builder tool.
Go With Excellent or Ideal Cut Diamonds
There are four main factors that determine the appearance of a diamond – cut, clarity, carat, and color (also known as the 4C’s). If you’re on a budget, priority should be on the cut of the diamond.
The cut quality is especially important as this is what is responsible for the bright angles, attractive proportions, and the brilliant sparkle of the diamond. A diamond with an Excellent or Ideal cut will have a high-quality look to it with a bright, sparkly appearance.
More specifically, an Excellent or Ideal cut certified by the GIA will give you the best value on your diamond ring. These cuts are known for their ability to reflect light well and look shiny.
Find GIA Certified Diamonds
Diamonds are typically certified by a gemologist at the GIA to ensure they’re high-quality. They’ll take into account their various characteristics like color, clarity, cut quality, size ratios, and more. The GIA certification, also known as the dossier, will provide all this relevant information.
However, it’s key to remember that not all diamond labs are equally reputable. You’ll come across various types of diamond certifications like IGI which typically have looser restrictions. But if you reside in North America, GIA certifications are comparably stricter and as a result, you can be confident your diamond ring has the highest quality diamond.
As we’ve mentioned before, IGI certified diamonds have looser restrictions but shoppers in Europe and Asia will have a hard time finding GIA certified diamonds locally (unless they shop online). As a result, there’s no harm in going with an IGI certified diamond, but if you have the option, go with GIA.
You can learn more about the differences between GIA and IGI certified diamonds here.
Bonus: Find Near-Perfect Diamonds With Good Color
The color and clarity of a diamond are also important factors in the appearance of a diamond. A diamond ring that with a 1.00 carat weight, is graded D on the color grade, and a Flawless clarity grade, can on average cost you anywhere from $20,000 to $30,000.
On the other hand, an I color grade diamond with a clarity grade of VS2 on average costs $3000-$5000. Not only are these diamonds nearly identical, you’re also saving over $15,000!
Keep in mind that under professional magnification, the second diamond will have more flaws and inclusions. But to the naked eye, these flaws and inclusions are not noticeable in normal lighting conditions.
So instead of focusing heavily and spending more money on having a high color and clarity graded diamond, focus on more impactful qualities of the diamond like more carat weight and a better cut instead.
How To Care For Your Engagement Ring
Taking care of your engagement ring is essential to the longevity for many years to come. To maintain the beauty of your engagement ring and the center diamond, we recommend you take your ring for occasional cleanings and inspections. You can do this from any local jeweller or from the store where you purchased your engagement ring.
For extra protection, we strongly recommend you pick up some insurance on your diamond rings and look into each vendor’s specific warranty policy. This kind of coverage will protect you from having to replace or repair your ring if anything happens.
One of our favorite warranty policies is from James Allen. They offer lifetime warranty which includes free prong tightening, rhodium plating, re-polishing, and cleaning services.
To keep your center stone sparkling between cleanings, grab a soft bristle toothbrush and gently scrub it with some warm soapy water. You can check out our detailed guide to cleaning your engagement ring at home for more tips and tricks.
And always remember to take your diamond engagement rings off before any physical activity that involves using your hands like gardening, exercising, swimming, or any other activity that might cause dirt and residue to build up on your stunning diamond ring.
Although warranty and insurance policies can differ from company to company, taking the extra step to check on specific company policies can save you from headache and give you a peace of mind knowing you’ll be protected if anything happens to your engagement ring.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you shop smart, $5000 is more than enough for a beautiful diamond engagement ring. At this price point, you can get a high quality one carat diamond and a gorgeous setting. The key to remember here is to stay within your budget if your finances are a priority. Take into account your income and any expenses to figure out how much you can really spend on an engagement ring.
Yes absolutely. At $5000, you can pick from multiple settings like side-stone, halo, solitaire, and pavé along with an eye-clean loose diamond. We recommend shopping smart by visiting online stores like James Allen and Clean Origin to ensure you’re getting the highest quality diamond ring at an affordable price within your budget.
