Melissa Colgan

We've all been there: Your friend gets engaged and asks you to be a bridesmaid. So thrilling! Until you remember that you'll be marching down the aisle in a bridesmaids dress, and suddenly images of Fritz Bernaise are dancing in your head. Breathe easy--it doesn't have to be that way.

Today is Valentine's Day and that means love is on the brain. For many people it also means that rings are on the brain--more specifically engagement rings. And while the tradition of giving a women a ring upon betrothal is nothing new--a lot has changed in the world of engagement rings, according to Martha Stewart jewelry expert Melissa Colgan. For instance, the old "rule" that an engagement ring should cost the equivalent of three months of the man's salary is a thing of the past--and so is picking out a rock without your fiance's stamp of approval, for that matter.