💍 How to Know If You’re Overpaying for Your Engagement Ring in Singapore

If you’re reading this, you probably don’t buy into the old-fashioned idea that an engagement ring should cost one to three months of your partner’s salary. Good — you’re already thinking smarter.

If you’re looking for a trustworthy jeweller in Singapore to craft your engagement ring, you can always contact us here for honest advice and transparent pricing.

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Understand the Ingredients Behind Your Engagement Ring

Just like cooking, it’s important to understand the ingredients before you start creating.

An engagement ring may look simple, but it’s the result of combining three key elements:

1. Metal

2. Gemstone

3. Workmanship

Let’s break down each component and see what truly drives the cost of your ring.

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1️⃣ Metal: The Foundation of Every Ring

Engagement rings can be made from gold, platinum, or silver — each with different values and properties.

Common alloys include 18K gold, 14K gold, and S925 silver. The current market price of these metals is publicly available, but what most people struggle with is estimating how much metal their ring actually needs.

A classic six-prong solitaire ring typically weighs around 3 to 5 grams of metal, depending on ring size and design. Bulkier or more intricate designs (especially with platinum) may require 1–3 grams more.

On average, most engagement rings use about 4 grams of metal.

For example:
If your ring is made from 18K white gold, and the base gold price is about S$120 per gram, you can roughly estimate:

4g × (110% × $120) = $530 SGD

(The 110% factor accounts for processing and alloying costs, since jewellers don’t buy raw gold at spot prices.)

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2️⃣ Gemstone: The Sparkling Centrepiece

Beyond diamonds, you can choose many different types of natural coloured gemstones — sapphires, emeralds, rubies, and more.

But for easy comparison, let’s use a 1-carat lab-grown diamond as an example, since lab diamond prices are much more transparent and standardised.

At Zenlove, we offer top-grade lab-grown diamonds at some of the best value in Singapore.

1ct Lab-Grown Diamond (D Colour, VVS2, Ideal Cut): ~S$550

(Lab-grown diamond prices vary by quality and certification, but this is a realistic estimate for premium quality.)

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3️⃣ Workmanship: The True Value-Add

After selecting your materials, the next cost driver is workmanship — the skill and time it takes to bring your design to life.

This includes wax modelling, casting, stone setting, polishing, and plating. There’s no universal benchmark, but generally, the more intricate the design and the more stones to set, the higher the workmanship cost.

At Zenlove, our workmanship fees typically range from 15%–30% of the material cost.

So for a simple 1ct solitaire ring, workmanship might cost around S$150.

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💰 Total Estimated Price

Putting it all together:

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What This Means for You

This is a realistic benchmark price for a classic lab-grown diamond engagement ring in Singapore. If you’re being quoted significantly higher for a similar design and quality, it’s worth asking why.

Every ring is unique, but understanding the ingredients helps you make an informed, confident decision — and ensures you’re not overpaying.

If you’d like a free quote or to discuss a bespoke design, book an appointment or send us a DM here. Our team will walk you through the process transparently, step by step.