- IGI-certified diamonds
- Triple Excellent standard
- Lifetime setting upgrades
- Free, fully insured shipping
- Made to order in Toronto
There is no rule for how much to spend on an engagement ring — and the one you have heard was invented to sell diamonds. The right number is what fits your life comfortably. The good news: lab-grown diamonds have changed the maths entirely, so a comfortable budget now goes much further.
Spend what fits your life — the "three months' salary" rule was a 1930s advertising invention, not a standard. Decide a comfortable number first, then get the most diamond for it. Lab-grown is how you buy a far larger, higher-quality stone at the same budget; Montare's floor is 3 carats at D–E / VVS / Triple Excellent.
Key takeaways
- The 'two to three months' salary' rule is a marketing slogan, not financial advice.
- Spend what is comfortable — there is no socially required amount.
- Prioritise cut first; it determines beauty more than size.
- Lab-grown buys a far larger, higher-grade diamond for the same money.
- Transparent, itemised pricing matters more than any budget rule.
The myth of 'months of salary'
The idea that you should spend a month's — then two, then three — salary on a ring did not come from etiquette or economics. It came from a diamond-marketing campaign in the 20th century, designed precisely to anchor spending to income. It worked brilliantly as advertising and persists as 'common knowledge'. Treat it as the slogan it is, not a benchmark.
What should actually set your budget
Two things: what you can comfortably afford, and what the person will love. Within that, the levers are the diamond's shape, carat, colour and clarity, plus the setting and metal. The most important is cut — a smaller, beautifully cut diamond outshines a larger, dull one. See why Triple Excellent matters and the overview in the 4Cs explained.
Every centre diamond is Triple Excellent, D–E, VVS and at least three carats — the hard calls are made for you.
Design your ringHow lab-grown changes the maths
This is the real shift. A lab-grown diamond is identical to a mined one but costs a fraction of the price — so the same budget buys a dramatically larger, higher-grade stone. A three-carat lab-grown diamond at a top grade can cost what a one-carat mined stone does at retail. We break the numbers down in what an $11,000 ring is really charging you for and in our guide to buying lab-grown in Canada.
A sensible approach
- Set a number you are genuinely comfortable with — ignore any 'rule'.
- Lock in cut quality first (Triple Excellent).
- Then choose the size and shape that fit the budget — lab-grown lets this be generous.
- Insist on transparent, itemised pricing: diamond, setting, metal, separately.
Why it matters at Montare
Our pricing is transparent and our standard is fixed — D–E, VVS1–VVS2, Triple Excellent, three carats minimum, IGI certified — so your budget goes to the stone and the craftsmanship, not to markup or a marketing rule. See exactly what your budget builds in the ring builder, or talk it through in a consultation.
Design your ring in minutes. Every centre diamond is D–E colour, VVS clarity, Triple Excellent cut and at least three carats — IGI certified, made to order in Toronto.
Open the ring builder →Frequently asked questions
How much should you spend on an engagement ring?
Whatever is genuinely comfortable for you. There is no required amount — the popular 'months of salary' figures are marketing, not guidance.
Is the 'two months' salary' rule real?
No. It originated as a diamond advertising slogan in the 20th century, not as financial or etiquette advice.
How much is a 3-carat lab-grown diamond ring?
Far less than a mined equivalent — a top-grade three-carat lab-grown stone can cost roughly what a one-carat mined diamond does at retail. Build one in our ring builder to see live pricing.
What is the average spend on an engagement ring?
Averages vary widely by region and source and are a poor guide. The better question is what you value — and lab-grown lets a modest budget buy a remarkable diamond.
See what your budget builds. Try the ring builder or book a consultation.
The Montare standard
Lab-grown · D–E colour · VVS clarity · Triple Excellent · 3ct minimum · IGI certified
Every ring is made to order in Toronto and backed by our lifetime setting upgrade, with free, fully insured shipping.
Design your ringBook a free consultation