Respect the Ring
Engagement rings for women (of the diamond-less sort) go way back to the Roman or even Egyptian ages. They went on the left finger because that was thought to be the way to the heart.

And now, when you see  engagement rings for woman wearing a ring you know she’s married.

Unlike needlessly expensive diamonds, that’s a tradition I respect.

Figure Out What You Want

Once we’d successfully de-brainwashed ourselves of the need to get a brand new expensive engagement rings for woman  and a ring for me, we set about thinking about fundamentally what we wanted. (Your fundamental needs may differ from ours, but hopefully this will give you some ideas.)

It Has to Have the 4 Ds
Forget the 4 Cs of diamonds. Our engagement ring’s stone needed the have the 4 Ds:

 

Day-in-day-out-wearable. It has to be practical so Kim can wear it whenever and wherever. Kim felt a low-set, clear stone met this criterion.
Durable. It better last at as long as our marriage.
Dazzling. Kim wants it to stand out from her other rings.
Descriptive. The ring should tell a story, which is important enough to be a whole separate need.