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Engagement & Wedding Ring Cost Calculator
Diamond cost by carat, a metal band priced by weight, and an optional (very optional) salary rule of thumb.
Pricing a ring: carat, cut, clarity, color and metal
A diamond's price is driven mainly by the "4 Cs" — carat weight, cut quality, clarity and color grade — and price per carat rises faster than weight, since larger, cleaner, whiter stones are rarer. Rather than model each of the 4 Cs individually, this calculator asks for the price-per-carat figure jewelers quote once cut, clarity and color are factored in; use a jeweler's quote, an online loose-diamond search, or a lab-grown diamond price (which runs far lower per carat than a natural stone) for that number.
The metal band is priced separately using its weight and the current market price of gold per gram, plus a setting and making fee that covers the jeweler's labor to cut, shape, polish and set the stone — commonly somewhere around 15–25% of the base metal value. You'll also see an old — and entirely optional — guideline below: the idea that an engagement ring should cost "two to three months' salary." That guideline came from a 20th-century De Beers ad campaign, not any financial rule, and plenty of couples spend far less (or prioritize the money elsewhere) without it meaning anything about the relationship. It's shown here purely as a reference point, not a target.
Frequently asked questions
Is the two-to-three-months-salary guideline something I should actually follow?
No — treat it as a piece of marketing history, not a budgeting rule. It's shown here only so couples who've heard the phrase can see the dollar figure it implies and decide for themselves whether it's relevant. Plenty of couples spend a fraction of that and put the difference toward a house down payment, travel or savings.
Why does price per carat need to be entered manually instead of calculated?
Diamond pricing isn't linear — a 2-carat diamond of a given quality costs far more than twice a 1-carat diamond of the same quality, and price also swings heavily with cut, clarity and color grade. Rather than build an inaccurate pricing model, this calculator lets you enter the real per-carat price a jeweler quotes (or that you find for a comparable stone) so the total stays accurate.
How much cheaper are lab-grown diamonds?
Lab-grown diamonds are chemically identical to natural diamonds but typically cost roughly 60–80% less per carat, and that gap has been widening. If you're comparing options, run this calculator twice with each price-per-carat figure to see the difference in total ring cost.
Does the metal price change often?
Yes — gold, platinum and palladium prices move daily with commodity markets, sometimes by several dollars per gram in a single week. Check a current spot price before finalizing your budget, and re-check it again close to your purchase date.