* Custom Designed. Possibly one of the smartest ways to achieve the engagement ring of your dreams is to consult a custom jeweler. Take the photos with you and explain what it is about the engagement ring you particularly love. A custom designed engagement ring will not have the same price tag as a jewelry house that is famous for providing jewelry to stars and heiresses. Realistically, that jeweler’s stamp on the inside of the ring can play a large part in the final costing.

Custom jewelers will be able to guide you through the process of tailoring the engagement ring to your own budget. Several of the options that they will raise with you will be the following:

* Lesser Diamonds. Most celebrity engagement rings have over the top sized diamonds of exceptional quality. Many of the diamonds on display are almost too large to be practical for daily activities. A smaller collection of diamonds will bring down the price tag dramatically. If you aspire to the larger sized diamonds, you may have to select diamonds of lower color or clarity. Subtle changes in these areas can also effect the final cost significantly.

* Less Expensive Metals. Many celebrity engagement rings are made from platinum. If you love that look why not try for rhodium plated white gold? Don’t forget however that the white gold will need to be regularly re-plated to maintain that luxy look. Palladium engagement rings can be an excellent alternative as they have a very similar appearance to platinum, do not require plating, are hypoallergenic, and best of all, are much less costly than platinum.

* Other Stones. If you have your eye on Mariah’s pink diamonds, or Heidi’s yellow diamond, you may be able to obtain a very similar appearance by substituting that expensive colored diamond for a precious gem of very similar tinting. Sapphires come in both beautiful shades of pink and yellow, while other stones such as topaz and citrine are available in various yellows.