Too Big? Aniston's Engagement Ring Estimated At 10 Carats

Americans love big things. Big houses, big cars, big meals and apparently, big engagement rings. This past weekend, former "Friends" star Jennifer Aniston was spotted for the first time wearing her engagement ring from fiancé Justin Theroux.

The couple, who has dated for more than a year, was engaged on August 10, but this is the first time that Aniston’s bling has been captured by the paparazzi. And “bling” is quite the understatement for this piece of fine jewelry. Monstrous rock is more precise, as Aniston’s bauble covers her ring finger nearly up until her knuckle. Experts estimate that the ring is more than 10 carats in size and potentially worth $1 million.

Most soon-to-be engaged females hope for a sparkly diamond to show off to their friends and co-workers, but the vast majority of women hope their future groom purchases a ring that fits in a respectable budget. A ring that is comparable in size to the “genuine” cubic zirconium rings off a costume jewelry rack is far from our minds.

Clearly, someone in the position to propose to a world famous actress like Jennifer Aniston can afford a ridiculously-sized engagement ring, but where does that leave the rest of us? Is a multi-carat diamond ideal or is a simple setting and average stone acceptable?

My life is filled with married women who sport varied sizes of rings. Some cause my mouth to drop, while other blend in with the rest, but I can guarantee that to each of them, the sparkle and shine is simply perfect. Even if the diamond clarity has changed over the years, the meaning and the love is still present.

So do I aspire for a Jennifer Aniston-esque engagement ring someday? Not really. Do I instead hope for a spectacular ring with a unique stone and setting? Definitely. A flashy ring may get rave reviews from the girls, but a meaningful marriage is much more valuable than carats and cut. I hope Aniston and Theroux feel the same.

Now it’s your turn. If money was no object, what would your dream engagement ring look like? If you’ve been married before, do your hopes for a ring change? If you’re on the buying end of things, how do you plan on approaching the ring-buying process?