Frequently Asked Questions
Back in the day De Beers came up with a marketing idea that men should spend one month’s salary on an engagement ring, later they increased this to 2 month’s salary.
The truth is it doesn’t matter what the price is, it matters what you can afford.
There’s no use adding financial pressure to your relationship at an early stage. If you can afford one month, great, two months, awesome.
Whatever you are comfortable with spending, is the correct answer.
The bottom line with diamonds like any commodity comes down to scarcity?
The value of diamonds will be affected by supply and demand. The overall quality grading, or the 4 C’s (cut, carat, colour and clarity) are also taken into consideration.
The ring guide at the top of the page gives insight into the various styles matched to personality types.
This is important as you don’t want to give your traditional wife-to-be a ring that is too modern and make her feel out of place – or vice versa.
The average carat size in South Africa is a little over 0.5 carats with the average price of a ring between R35,000 – R40,000.
Getting the best value for money is always at the top of the list when it comes to purchasing an engagement ring.
Whether your budget is R20K or R200K you want to get a great diamond set in the perfect style for your partner.
At Grand Diamonds we purchase our certified diamonds directly from the diamond cutters which means you save 40% or more on average – the best prices on engagement rings in South Africa!
The four most popular band types are
- Platinum
- White Gold
- Rose Gold
- Yellow Gold
Gold comes in 14K or 18K and Platinum – being the rarer metal – carries a higher cost than the gold varieties.
The upside however on a platinum ring is it keeps its brilliant colour better and is extremely durable as a metal.
Some people say the best time to buy an engagement ring is after Valentine’s day as the period leading up to it sees diamond dealers inflating their prices.
At Grand Diamonds we do not operate in this manner. We offer the best prices on engagement rings year-round, thanks to our intimate relationships and purchasing power with South Africa’s leading diamond cutters.
Legal Ownership
The legal ownership of an engagement ring is a tricky discussion.Originally it was implied that if a man calls of engagement, the woman keeps the ring as she has endured public shame.In today’s times if the ring was given as a gift it is the property of the woman, but this is often difficult to prove.If the ring is given over Valentine’s Day or Christmas – traditional gift giving holidays – it is more clearly seen as a gift.
South Africa
In South Africa if an engagement is called off before marriage, the general rule is the recipient must return the ring to the giver, unless otherwise agreed.
In the case of a divorce the recipient will typically get to keep the ring as it was seen as a gift before marriage and excluded from the joint estate.
