An engagement ring comes in virtually every price range, and there is no fixed price. You can find nice, simple rings from around 10,000 kroner, while a classic diamond ring typically lands somewhere between 15,000 and 45,000 kroner. The price is not determined by a single figure, but by the choices you make along the way: how large the diamond is, what shape it has, which metal the ring is made of, and how much work the design itself requires.

The American rule of thumb that the ring should equal several months' salary is less widespread in Denmark. Here, many take their starting point in what makes sense for their finances, and from there put their energy into finding a ring that suits the recipient's style. That makes the question of price more manageable, because once you understand what the individual choices cost, you can adjust up and down yourself until the ring hits both your budget and the look you want.

What determines the price of an engagement ring?

The price is built on four things that interact: the diamond, its size, the ring's metal, and the design itself. The diamond is often the largest single item, but the other three can quickly move the total price in either direction. Two rings that look alike from a distance can therefore cost vastly different amounts, depending on what they are made up of.

Longvé carries both lab-grown diamonds and natural diamonds, and the same design is often available in both variants. A lab-grown diamond has exactly the same physical and optical properties as a natural diamond and is produced under controlled conditions instead of being formed in the ground. For you as a buyer, this means you can choose between lab-grown and natural diamonds for the same design and let the choice follow your budget rather than changing the look of the ring.

How much does the diamond's size matter for the price?

The diamond's weight is measured in carats, where 1 carat equals 0.2 grams. Size is one of the factors that affects the price most, and it rarely rises evenly: a 1-carat diamond typically costs more than twice as much as two half-carat stones, because larger stones are less common. That is why a slightly larger budget is often clearly noticeable right here.

At Longvé, the solitaire rings range from small stones all the way up to several carats, so the price span is large within the same basic form. If you want a striking look without going all the way up in carats, a design with several stones can give a lot of visible sparkle for the money. Among Longvé's solitaire rings you'll find both modest and large center stones, and you can use the carat weight as the dial that controls the price most directly.

A half-carat center stone goes a long way in a simple setting, and the price difference between that and a full carat can make up a large part of the total budget.

The diamond's shape and how it affects the price

The shape of the diamond changes both the price and the entire look of the ring. The round brilliant is the most sought-after and often the most expensive at the same carat, because the most raw material is cut away to achieve its characteristic brilliance. If you choose a different shape, you can typically get a visually larger stone for the same amount.

Round and oval stones

A round solitaire ring sets a single round center stone in a claw setting and is the most classic choice. An oval stone covers a little more of the finger at the same carat and therefore often appears larger, without the price necessarily following. An oval solitaire ring is a good example of how the choice of shape alone can give more visible impact for the money.

Pear, cushion, and marquise

The other shapes each have their own character. A pear-shaped stone combines a round bottom with a pointed end, cushion-cut stones are square with soft corners, and marquise-cut stones are long and narrow. What they have in common is that they are often priced slightly lower than the round brilliant at the same carat. Longvé's solitaire rings are available in all of these shapes, including as a pear solitaire ring, so the shape becomes a real tool for controlling both price and look.

Gold or white gold and what the metal costs

The metal is the second major factor in the price. Longvé's engagement rings are made in 14K gold and 14K white gold, and in practice the two cost the same. The choice between them is therefore about color and style rather than economy: gold gives a warm, classic look, while white gold is cool and lets the diamond stand out more clearly against a neutral background.

The karat number of the gold tells you how large a proportion of pure gold the metal contains. 14 karat hits a practical level where the ring is hard enough to withstand daily wear while still retaining the richness and color you associate with gold. You can see the full selection in 14k yellow gold and 14k white gold respectively and use the color to tie the ring together with the other jewelry it will be worn with.

The design and the number of stones

Where the diamond and the metal lay the foundation, it is the design that determines how much work and how many stones are involved. A single center stone in a clean setting is the most budget-friendly starting point, while rings with several stones or closely set diamonds naturally lie higher.

A trilogy ring has three stones, a larger center stone flanked by two side stones, and gives more sparkle and width than a solitaire ring. A round pavé ring has many small diamonds set closely into the surface, which makes the ring sparkle across the entire band. If you want diamonds all the way around, an eternity ring is the most complete choice, and a half eternity ring with stones on the upper half of the band gives a similar impression at a lower price.

The more stones and the more setting work, the higher the price. That is why the design is often the place where you can most easily make adjustments if the diamond and the metal are already fixed.

How do you find an engagement ring for your budget?

The most manageable way to approach the price is to decide which of the four factors matters most to you, and let the rest give way. If a particular look is important, you can keep the shape and design fixed and adjust the carat weight. If size is decisive, an oval or pear-shaped stone can give more visible diamond for the money than a round one. And because the same design is available with both lab-grown and natural diamonds, you can reach the desired size and style within several price levels.

It is also becoming more and more common to choose two rings, an engagement ring and a wedding ring, worn side by side. If you're already thinking now about the rings matching, it can be an advantage to choose a simple engagement ring that works together with a later wedding ring, rather than putting your entire budget into a single piece of jewelry. Longvé's selected engagement rings bring the rings together in one place, so you can compare shapes, metals, and designs against your budget.