Sure, an economic downturn may prevent a guy from buying, let’s say, a $140,000 Hot Wheels car, but a new survey says that same guy won’t blink when it comes to his engagement ring.

According to diamond merchants GemEx Inc., 62 percent of men and 60 percent of women say an engagement ring is always worth spending money on, to the tun of 1-3 months of the fiancee’s salary. In fact, 10 percent thought that the ring should account for 10 months’ salary. Ka-pow! The good news is, 41 percent of the women said they would help pay for the wedding ring.

MarketWatch unearths more details from the report, like:

  • Size doesn’t matter: Ninety-four percent of women and 90 percent of men say they would prefer a bright 3/4 carat diamond as opposed to a duller 1 carat diamond
  • Only 50 percent of men said they would be insulted if their fiancee asked to exchange her engagement ring
  • Eighty-four percent of women say their diamond ring represents more than an engagement–it’s a symbol of their style and personality
  • Eighty-five percent of women were surprised when their boyfriends proposed and 15 percent knew it was coming