He's asking someone to spend the rest of her life with him, and she might be concerned with how much you spend on the ring you're using as a prop? Honestly, as I sit here I'd consider their response to a cheap ring a good test of whether you were making the right decision about a wife.

That said, I adore my ring. Mostly because he went to the trouble of getting an old and trusted friend to make it for me. If I'd walked into a store, it's probably not one I'd have picked up....but now I wouldn't have any other. It's the one he gave me, and because of that it's absolutely perfect. If he managed to do it without breaking the bank, more power to him!