Engagement Rings for the Broke and Bougie

This idea came to me while I was in the house because with social distancing, where else would I be? So many people are spending so much money on engagement rings and I thought it would be fun to challenge myself to find engagement rings that even a broke college student could afford. So my ring budget was set to less than $1000. What can you get with $1000 these days? 1/10th of a car? 2 ridiculously expensive bottles of wine. A plane ticket to Australia?

Well here are my top picks for engagement rings that are pretty but won’t cost you a pretty penny.

Aquamarine Floating Ring – Misa Jewelry, $995

You know the dazzling way that sunlight bounces off of water? You get all of that and more when you pair yellow gold with a stone as striking as aquamarine. In my opinion, the perfect size for a solitaire engagement ring is between 1.5 and 2 carats. This 1.74 carat aquamarine ring is smack dab in the middle and I love how it’s evoking water.

The pale blue tones make me think of laying poolside with a mojito and a bottle of sunblock. I think it’s very serene how the ring is peppered with white round brilliant diamonds. There’s something dreamy about this ring, it’s untraditional in its setting and really does appear to float. This ring is striking the right balance between affordability and affluence and I’m here for it. There’s something transfixing and visceral about staring into a calm body of water and getting lost in your thoughts. This ring is like a portable lake that you can just stare into and be soothed by.

Winter Forest Blue Topaz Ring – Vasa New York, $985

I love the cool elegance of this blue topaz ring and it’s aptly named. The first time I saw it, it made me think of Frozone from “The Incredibles” and his different ice creations throughout the film. This ring makes me think of a snowflake under a microscope. (One of the few enjoyable parts of advanced chemistry was viewing the intricacy and delicacy of ice crystals under a magnifying lens.)

This 8×6 mm blue topaz stone is set on a band paved with champagne diamonds and honestly I can’t look away from it. This ring is beautiful enough to be a family heirloom and is petite both in stature in price. This ring doesn’t look inexpensive and I adore the unexpected color combination of ice blue and rose gold. And last but not least, you don’t have to sacrifice durability for affordability. Blue topaz is graded at an 8 out of 10 on the Mohs hardness scale, making it a jewel that won’t be easily scratched. You can wear this ring with confidence!

Let me know what you think in the comments below. If you had a spare thousand dollars, would either of these rings tickle your fancy?