Buying Guide: Engagement Rings Under $5,000

In 2024, US buyers spent an average of about $5,000 on their engagement ring. With that budget, you can not only afford a detailed mounting but also find primary diamonds of nice size and quality. 

Engagement Rings With a Single Primary Diamond

The mounting style that to-be-weds favor most often is the timeless solitaire setting. This simple setting is both minimalistic and eye-catching in that there are no side stones or other ornamentation to distract from the primary gem which is lifted above the band to allow light in and create superior sparkle.

Blue Nile offers beautiful solitaire settings at starting at just over $500, leaving you with almost $4,500 for a diamond. That investment will get you a natural gem weighing about a carat with impressive color, clarity, and cut grades.

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Have Fun With Mountings

For those who are looking for a ring with more embellishments, Blue Nile has many settings priced around $3500. When mountings have lots of fine details and additional stones, you don't need a big primary gem to make the ring look substantial. 

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^{The Ritz Emerald Halo Diamond Engagement Ring without a primary diamond costs $3,680. Even if you choose to mount the smallest diamond the setting will accommodate (0.2 cts.), the ring still will be very impressive.}

The Best of Both Worlds

If you want the style of your engagement ring to show off both the primary diamond and the mounting equally, you can split your $5,000 budget. Investing about half of your money in a modestly sized diamond and devoting the other half to a setting with lovely ornamentation allows you to get a beautiful, balanced ring. 

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^{This Dot Dash Split Shank Diamond Engagement Ring in 14k yellow gold can be paired with this 1.01 ct, H color, VS1 radiant cut diamond for a total of $4,510.}