So how did my fiancé get a £1500 engagement ring for £350?

Well, let’s start from the beginning. We were out shopping for rings and I was picking out rings that were about £500 because I new his budget didn’t stretch very far and I wanted to be diplomatic. We were in Ernest Jones the Jewellers and I absolutely fell in love with this ring and just had to try it on. The problem was it was £1500, a month’s wages.

Now I know they say the average engagement ring should cost a months wages but who can actually afford to do that these days? With bills to pay and other expenses the average working man in his 20’s is lucky if he can save £100 a month. I knew there was no possible way I could have that ring so I told my then boyfriend not to worry because I didn’t expect anything that expensive.

He could see from my face that I loved it and he knew that if he proposed with a cheap ring I would be happy enough knowing that that was what he could afford and that he had done his best but that it would not be perfect and I wouldn’t be speechless or overwhelmed when he proposed.

He wanted to give me the ring I deserved, something that would remind me how much he loved me every time I looked at it and a ring I would want to show off and be proud to wear. So later that night he logged on to the internet and looked everywhere to find that ring at a price he could afford. After searching for a good hour or so for discount jewellers, cheap diamonds and discount Ernest Jones rings he ended up at a place he probably visits five times a day anyway.

You may have guessed it. Ebay…

My fiancé got the exact same ring that I had picked in Ernest Jones that was £1500 for just £350 on ebay. It was perfect in every way and I had no idea that it didn’t come straight from the store. The ring even came with a receipt showing the original owner had paid the full £1500.

For one reason or another many engagement rings are bought and never get used and the most common place they end up is ebay where you can pick them up for a fraction of the price.

There are a few simple rules to follow when shopping for rings on ebay, for example I would always purchase something you have previously seen in a store so you know the quality and real price. The majority of us aren’t jewellers and wouldn’t know the difference between a 0.15 carat diamond and a 1 carat diamond so it can be a bit risky to purchase a ring that someone claims is a 1 carat diamond unless you have seen that ring in a store and know that it is an exact match. If you can find a ring that comes with its original receipt that is always a bonus. If you seriously want to get a bargain engagement ring and see your girlfriends eyes light up when you propose check out my ebay buying guide before you make a purchase.

To take a look at some heavily discounted rings Click Here for rings available in the USA and Click Here for rings available in the UK