Big rock? Engagement ring price and divorce rate could be related

Economics professors from the university surveyed 3,000 people who are married – or were married – and found that people who dropped some serious dough were more likely to end up in divorce court.

Men who spent $2,000-$4,000 on an engagement ring were 1.3 times more likely to end up separated. And if the wedding cost $20,000 or more, women were 3.5 times more likely to get divorced.

>> Read more trending stories

The Knot says the average wedding in the U.S. costs about $30,000, and the average cost of an engagement ring is about $5,500.

So, is that why the U.S. divorce rate is about 50 percent? Have the researchers at Emory cracked the code? We just need to stop spending so much money, right?

BOB VAN DILLEN FOR HLN: "She's got a toilet clogger on her left hand."

ROBIN MEADE: "And we've been married forever, just ask my husband. Forever. ... Maybe it's just that thinking that people who focus on the material stuff don't have a solid relationship to begin with, too."

VAN DILLEN: "So, the Kardashian wedding was like, what? $80 million?"

Our favorite response out of all of this comes from Mamamia, seemingly suggesting Beyonce needs to update her hit "Single Ladies" song — "If you liked it then you shoulda put a moderately priced ring on it." (Video via Sony BMG Music Entertainment / Beyonce)

The study does say couples who spent $1,000 or less on the wedding were much more likely to stay married. It also notes high attendance was linked to longer marriages, too.

This video includes images from Kansas City Photography.