If you are looking for a $15,000 diamond ring, you can rest assured that you will be able to find a stunning engagement ring within that budget. So long as you balance quality and value well, you’ll end up with a nice-sized rock in a setting that fits the diamond perfectly.
In this guide, we’ll help you set expectations for the size and style of the setting given your budget. We’ll help you figure out which qualities to focus on, where the best place to buy a $15,000 ring is and what style settings fit which diamonds.
Here’s what we’ll cover in this article:
Which size diamond ring can you get for $15,000?
What is the difference between a $15k and $10k diamond ring?
What to look for when buying a $15,000 diamond ring?
Where can I find the best deal when buying a diamond ring within a $15,000 budget?
What does a $15,000 engagement ring look like?
FAQs about 15k engagement ring
Why you should trust us
To help you with the diamond buying process we lean on our expertise and experience. The author of this article, our CEO, Mike Fried has over 20 years of experience in the diamond industry. Mike started from the bottom, sorting and evaluating hundreds of thousands of diamonds to learn every facet (pun intended) of diamond quality and value. Mike followed that up by spending years buying and selling diamonds on the wholesale market as well as selling tens of millions of dollars worth of diamonds to diamond retailers.
What Size Diamond Ring can I get for $15,000?
If your budget is around $15,000, you can get a center diamond that is between 1.70ct and 2.05ct depending on which shape and which setting style you prefer. Going with a round diamond for your center stone, you’ll be able to get a nice 2.00ct J color diamond like this, but that would only fit a solitaire setting. On the other hand, with a pavé or halo style setting, you’ll probably need an H or I color center diamond. So you’d be looking at something like this 1.72ct diamond stunner.
Proposing to your significant other should be a magical moment – one that she and you should never forget. A truly spectacular diamond engagement ring can help make that moment all the more special. If your budget for an engagement ring is as high as $15,000, you’ll be able to focus on personal style preferences, more so than simply figuring out what you can afford that fits your budget. In our article discussing how much should you spend on an engagement ring, we note that 15k is well above the average consumer.
Though you’ll be spoiled for choice with a budget this large, you should be aware of the best ways to distribute your budget, to ensure your ring actually looks like a $15,000 engagement ring. We usually recommend budgeting 15-20% of your budget for the setting. This obviously depends on what style setting you prefer.
Deal Alert: Save 25% on settings at James Allen
How to Understand Diamond Pricing
Diamond prices are determined by the quality and size range. There is a standard wholesale price for each set (e.g. 2.00-2.49ct, H color, VS2 clarity). Then that price is calculated by weight. Prices fluctuate but have historically risen every decade. For more general info on the topic, check out our article on diamond prices.
That is more general information. You are looking for information on what you can get for $15,000 specifically. To make things easier, we’ve given you our pick in every shape that would fit that budget range.
$15,000 Engagement Ring Chart by Shape
| Shape | Recommended Diamond | Price with $2,000 Setting |
|---|---|---|
| Round | 1.72ct I color VS1 clarity | $15,510 |
| Princess | 2.01ct H color VS1 clarity | $15,620 |
| Cushion | 2.00ct H color VS2 clarity | $14,320 |
| Emerald | 1.80ct I color VVS2 clarity | $14,490 |
| Pear | 1.74ct G color SI1 clarity | $15,320 |
| Oval | 1.70ct H color SI1 clarity | $15,070 |
| Radiant | 2.00ct H color VS1 clarity | $14,610 |
| Asscher | 2.01ct H color VVS2 clarity | $14,990 |
| Marquise | 1.60ct H color SI1 clarity | $14,370 |
Differences Between a $15,000 Engagement Ring and $10,000 Engagement Ring
With a budget of $15,000, you’ve got a bit more room to play with in terms of setting and carat weight. While you can still afford a beautiful setting for a $10,000 engagement ring and under, you’ll have to drop a little lower in carat weight.
Instead of finding a 1.50-2.00ct diamond, you’ll be looking at a 1.20-1.30ct diamond.
What Qualities Are Best for a $5,000 Diamond Ring?
Let’s start with the setting – When considering which metal, 14K gold (white, yellow, or rose) is perfectly fine. You can get a lovely pavé/side-stone setting and even a halo setting if you want something other than the classic solitaire.
Diamond color – You should focus on a GHI color diamond in the GIA diamond color scale. If you are going with a solitaire setting you can drop the color down to J or even K to get a larger diamond.
Diamond clarity – Focus less on which grade on the diamond clarity chart and focus more on whether the diamond is eye-clean. Usually, you’ll find an eye-clean diamond in the VS2-SI1 range but you may find an SI2, though that is less likely with 2 carat diamond.
Diamond cut – Try to get the best-cut diamond possible. Diamond cut is the most important of the 4C’s. The better a diamond is cut, the more fire and brilliance it will have. And what is a diamond without that signature sparkle?
Diamond certification – Make sure the diamond you purchase has a GIA certificate. As we explain in our diamond certification guide, avoid any other certificates or appraisals.
“Cut quality is the factor that fuels a diamond’s fire, sparkle and brilliance. The allure and beauty of a particular diamond depends more on cut quality than anything else.” Gemological Institute of America (GIA)
Where to Buy a $15k Engagement Ring
The best place to get a $15,000 engagement ring is from a reputable online jeweler. Online vendors are generally able to offer the best range, as well as value for money, due to their business model which requires lower overhead costs to run.
There are several online jewelers that have established themselves as leaders today in the field of diamonds, engagement rings, and other fine jewelry. Here are the vendors we recommend you go to for a $15k diamond ring:
James Allen
James Allen offers a great selection of high-quality, GIA and AGS-certified diamonds, as well as a range of beautiful settings in different styles. Their commitment to the customer experience is second to none, with top-of-the-line tools to allow you to inspect diamonds online, paired with excellent customer service.
Shopping at James Allen also allows you to use their 30-day return policy, so you don’t need to stress out if you bought the right ring.
Blue Nile
Like James Allen, Blue Nile also offers a large and diverse range of both diamonds and settings. Blue Nile are known in particular for their inventory size, which is simply the best out there. Their diamonds come with grading certificates from the GIA, and their diamond search tool makes it easy to sift through over 400,000 diamonds to pick out the perfect centerpiece for your $15,000 ring.
Brian Gavin Diamonds
Brian Gavin Diamonds is known for one thing, above anything else – high-quality cuts. The diamonds you’ll find in their collections are the best you’ll get in terms of fire, brilliance, and proportion. They also carry a more than adequate range of settings to help you cap off the perfect diamond ring.
With a budget of up to $15,000, you can afford to make a bit of a splash, so for a truly one-of-a-kind cut, consider a diamond from Brian Gavin Diamonds.
$15k Diamond Ring Inspiration
Your options for a $15,000 engagement ring are just about endless, so it can be tough to know where to start your search. Here are some of our favorite picks as well as our readers’ favorite choices.
$15,000 is a significant budget for an engagement ring, meaning you’ll have plenty of options to choose from when it comes to diamonds and settings. In fact, this budget puts you well within the top seven percent of couples when it comes to engagement ring spending.
As American Express explains: “A one carat engagement ring typically costs around $5,500, but most couples spend over $6,000—and 7 percent spend over $10,000.” American Express
FAQs ABout $15,000 Diamond Rings
Is $15,000 a good budget for a diamond ring?
Absolutely. You can get a stunning engagement ring for $15,000. There will be plenty of flexibility letting you choose any style setting and various shapes for the center stone without having to compromise on size or quality.
What is the best $15,000 lab grown diamond engagement ring?
You can get a very nice 3 carat lab grown diamond with a budget of $15,000 and will have enough left over to get any style setting you like.
Email Our Experts for Assistance With Buying an Engagement Ring
With a $15,000 engagement ring budget, you can afford to buy a truly stunning, one-of-a-kind diamond ring. You’ll have your pick of settings, from flashy vintage settings to simple solitaire rings, and a huge range of diamonds to choose from, up to or slightly above 2 carats.
While you have a lot of flexibility at this price range, you still want to take note of how to get the best value for your money, and ensure your $15k diamond ring lives up to its price tag. For that, we’ve outlined the recommendations above, which will help you make the best purchase possible.
And if you find out you want to spend more money on the ring, check out our guide on a 20k engagement ring.
For more assistance in picking out the right diamond or the perfect setting, contact us and we’ll be happy to aid you in your search.
Here are more specific budget topics to browse:
- What are the most affordable engagement rings?
- How much should you spend on an engagement ring?
- What are diamonds worth?
- The best engagement rings for $1,000
- The best engagement rings for under $2,500
- The best engagement rings for $3,000
- The best engagement rings for $5,000
- The best engagement rings for $10,000
- The best engagement rings for $20,000
- The best engagement rings for $25,000
What we love about them:
- No questions asked returns within 30 days of shipment. James Allen will send you a paid shipping label to return the ring.
- Lifetime Warranty
- Free International Shipping
- Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
- Provide insurance appraisals
- One free resizing within 60 days of purchase
- Free ring inscriptions
- Best-in-class high quality imagery of all diamonds in stock
- 24/7 Customer Service
- Best-in-class packaging
What we love about them:
- No questions asked returns within 30 days of shipment. Blue Nile will send you a paid shipping label to return the ring.
- Lifetime Warranty
- Free Shipping
- Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
- Provide insurance appraisal
- One free resizing within the first year of purchase
- High quality images of about half of their diamonds
- 24/7 Customer Service
- 100% credit towards future upgrades (must be at least double in value)
- Best in class fulfillment
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