Does the size of the bling count?

IN THE words of Beyonce, if you like it then you shoulda put a ring on it. But just how much should that ring be worth?

Men thinking of popping the question this Valentine’s Day can do so without worrying too much about their bank balance... the size of the bling does NOT count.

That’s according to two academics, London Business School’s Dr Gabrielle Adams and Professor Frank Flynn from the Stanford Graduate School of Business who analysed the correlation between the value of a gift and level of appreciation.

They found that, in reality, receivers don’t appreciate expensive gifts much more than inexpensive ones.

“Men seem to feel pressure to propose with a really expensive ring, thinking that it will signal thoughtfulness, when in reality their future fiancées don’t differentiate between more and less expensive diamonds” says Dr Adams.

“This isn’t simply a gender difference; it highlights the differences in how givers and receivers perceive the costs of gifts.”

By surveying engaged couples online, they found that men constantly thought the more they spent on their rings, the more their fiancées appreciated them. Fiancées, on the other hand, were not any more appreciative if the rings were more costly.

“The fact that the thought counts more than the price tag is important for people to realise, especially in these challenging economic times when people are really strapped for cash,” says Professor Flynn.

What do you think? Is it the thought that counts – or does the price tag matter too?

Pic credit: MR LIGHTMAN/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net