What is the 3 month ring rule?
Quick answer
The rule says you should spend three months' salary on an engagement ring. It was a De Beers marketing campaign from the 1930s, not a tradition. It started at one month, crept to two, then three by the 1980s, and it still has nothing to do with how much an engagement ring actually needs to cost.
What buyers actually do
Most Australian buyers settle on a number they can pay without taking on debt, then decide where the money goes inside that budget. Stone type, carat weight, metal and setting all move the price. Lab-grown diamonds and moissanite both stretch the budget a long way if visible carat size is the priority.
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