blue nile

The average diamond engagement ring costs $3,500, but those prices don't appear to deter those in love. Still, you don't have to overspend en route to "I do." Soon-to-be-wed DailyFinance reporter Ross Urken did his homework before hitting the jewelry store, and shares what he learned.

The stock market's recent bounce has a lot of folks looking for a piece of the action. And with retail stocks shooting up faster than average, but still cheaper than a year ago, some analysts say now's the time to buy them. They're wrong. Here's why:

Step aside, old-fangled computers: Mobile computing has taken over. And although this shift has been coming for a while, it's not too late for investors to buy into the trend.

Bad economy be damned: Americans still want to get hitched in style, and that means dropping lots of dough. With reality shows and movies putting all sorts of extravagant ideas into the heads of brides- and grooms-to-be, now's the time to invest in these wedding-related companies.

Valentine's Day has come and gone, but an expected boost in sweetheart-holiday spending could still help a few stocks show your portfolio some love over the longer term. Here are the bull and bear cases for three companies that stand to see at least some benefit from Cupid's arrow.

Retailers should be swooning this year: Spending for the lover's holiday is forecast to top $18.6 billion, a 5.8% jump in spending over 2010. That amounts to about $125 per person who buys a gift for that special someone.

Blue Nile's stock hasn't gained as much ground as Amazon's stock in the last six months. And Blue Nile may have a much easier road ahead, making it a better way to play the scorching online sector than Amazon.

For the luxury retailers lucky enough to make it through the steep recession, business is looking good again. And investors should consider taking a look at their stocks ahead of what might turn out to be an unexpectedly strong holiday season for high-priced goods. On Wednesday, jeweler Tiffany...