If you’re like me, you adore fancy jewelry. The question that plagues most of us is how to afford it. In a perfect world, we could get beautiful jewelry for a fraction of the original cost and wear it on every limb, earlobe and orifice. Affordable jewelry that looks decadent is not an easy find. Unfortunately, more often than not, the middle ground is cheap looking costume jewelry that may or may not stay its original color. 

It is generally agreed upon that a janky engagement ring is a no-no. But who wants to live out of their car or in their parent’s basement to afford a high caliber ring? 

You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Your ring can be drab and droll or you can be utterly destitute and #housepoor.

But there is a third option, you can purchase a look-alike engagement ring for a fraction of the cost of the original. Here are my favorites picks for truly marvelous and affordable rings that will still leave funds for you to pay your mortgage.

Oval Hexagon Gatsby Petite – Heidi Gibson, $4500

This ring is absolutely dripping with diamonds and has a .46 carat white diamond center stone that is further embellished with a diamond halo. The halo interestingly is made of white tapered baguettes, which isn’t something that I commonly see when viewing engagement rings. I love the delicacy of this ring and I daresay that there are allusions to nature? This ring to me is reminiscent of the sun when it’s drawn. The baguettes look like elongated rays of sunlight beaming from the oval diamond center. This ring is customizable and comes with other center stone options such as morganite and moissanite.

Vintage Moissanite Engagement Ring – NYFineJewelry, $622

If you want the same look without the hefty price tag, look no further than this ring. There is nothing that looks counterfeit or corny about this ring. The metal is virtually the same as the Heidi Gibson Gatsby ring. They both are set in 14k rose gold. This ring however can be customized to feature cubic zirconia, bringing the price down to less than $700. This ring is just as dramatic and illuminating but boasts affordability as well as shiny baguettes. 

Theresa Blush Sapphire Engagement Ring – Capucinne, $3820

Aren’t blush sapphires an absolute dream? I’ve talked before about Elle Woods being a childhood role model before and I think she would approve of this beauty. I love the trillion cut diamonds as side stones. But the real showstopper in this ring is the radiant cut 1.95 carat ceylon peach pink sapphire. This sapphire has everything I want in a stone. Cut, quality, charisma. The way the light bounces off of this stone is nearly blinding. I like the shape of this stone and also the size and I love the metal choice of 14k yellow gold. The Theresa ring can also be customized with 18k white, yellow or rose gold as well as platinum.

Soft Pink Sapphire Engagement Ring – Aurora Designer, $882

This look-alike ring features an emerald cut sapphire which differs from the radiant cut of the center stone of the Theresa ring. However, both sapphires are completely eye clean and the trillion cut white diamond side stones are nearly identical. The sapphire is a little more conservative at 1.25 carats but contains the exact same metal choice of 14k gold. This ring is just shy of $900 but is a strong competitor for the Theresa ring. As far as beauty they are neck and neck. 

Reyna Peach Sapphire Ring – Kristin Coffin Jewelry, $3275

I love the bold nature of this ring and the way that the peach champagne sapphire glitters as the center stone. This ring oozes brilliance and is absolutely saturated with vibrant color. The way the accent stones start robust and full and then taper to triangular points is floral to me. I feel like this ring looks like a flower fully in bloom. The Reyna ring is available with either conflict-free mined diamonds or lab grown diamonds as accent stones. You can choose from 14k white, rose or yellow gold as well as platinum and 18k yellow gold for the band. You can also customize the band with or without diamonds.

Mundo Ring (Pink) – Ruta Reifen, $1320

This ring has a 1.0 tcw or total carat weight. It features a 0.5 carat morganite that is surrounded with 0.5 carat halo of pink sapphires. It is worth noting that the Reyna ring features a 2.25 carat center sapphire, which makes the Mundo ring the more understated option. The Mundo ring has the same 14k yellow gold as the Reyna ring but of course offers an entirely different color scheme. I actually like the departure from the peachy-pink sapphire. I think that the morganite is an excellent alternative. It actually makes the ring look more chic and suitable for everyday wear. This ring is priced at just below $1400 which makes it nearly $2000 less than the Reyna ring.

Let me know in the comments below, is your attitude “go big or go home” or would you buy a look-alike engagement ring? What’s your opinion, are engagement ring dupes devious or genius?

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