"A Practical Guide to Buying an Engagement Ring"

 I found this notion of buying a story profound:

When you’re buying an engagement ring, what you’re really buying is the story. The story of the moment your intention to share a life became public information.

It’s a social signifier that plays an important role in your conception of yourself, in you and your partner’s conception of your relationship, and in the outside world’s perception of you and your relationship.

...figure out the story that you want. (Do this with your partner if it makes sense in the context of your relationship.) Is the story romantic or matter-of-fact? Private, or worthy of a viral video? Is humor a part of your vision? Or is humor totally out of place in this context? Do you see this ring as being about your individuality, or about your participation in a common cultural institution? 

Then, taking your ideas about those questions, figure out what this ideal ring looks like: Do you want a ring that holds its own in the company of your friends’ rings? Do you want a ring that looks unlike anyone else’s? Do you want a classic ring? For many people, it’s important that the ring demonstrate a significant financial commitment to reflect the personal commitment that accompanies the ring. For other people, that’s just not the case. 

So after contemplating these questions, you’ve got some good ideas about: (a) the story you want to tell yourself (and others) about this ring, and your engagement, and (b) how much you care about this story and what financial sacrifices you’re willing to make to make that story a reality.

[http://apracticalwedding.com/2013/06/how-to-buy-an-engagement-ring]