If I'm ever lucky enough to meet a woman in my life, how many carats should the diamond engagement ring have?

Answer 1

That totally depends on how much you can afford at the time, and if you want to go into debt for it or not.

Answer 2

To be honest, much of it has to do with personal taste. I was told that an engagement ring should be about 2 to 3 months salary. At the time, that would have made the ring run about $8K to $12K. I love my wife, but lets be a bit realistic. I had bills to pay and a wedding to help save for. As others have mentioned, there are 4 C's: cut, color, clarity and carat. The "cut" refers not only to the shape, but the depth of the cut of the resulting diamond. The shape of the diamond will affect the price a bit as some shapes results in more "waste" than other shapes. To an extent, with some cuts, you are paying for diamond you don't get. The depth of the cut is huge on how the diamond sparkes and looks in the end. Don't underestimate the importance of this "C" A carat is a unit of mass that is equal to 0.2 grams (you may hear the term "point" as well. A point is 1/100th of a carat or 2 mg). Diamonds of the same carat are not all equal. A 1 carat diamond of one shape and depth may look much smaller than a 1 carat diamond of another shape and depth. Clarity is a measure of the amount of imperfections in a diamond. There is a grading scale that that ranges from flawless to imperfect. The closer a diamond is to flawless, the more expensive it will be. Here is a list of the clarity values: FL - "Flawless" no inclusions at 10 x magnification IF - "Internally Flawless" no inclusions at 10 x mag. - small blemishes VVS-1 - "Very Very Small" inclusions hard to see at 10 x magnification VVS-2 - "Very Very Small" inclusions. VVS1 better than VVS2 VS-1 - "Very Small" inclusions visible at 10 x mag. - not naked eye VS-2 - "Very Small" inclusions VS1 is better grade than VS2 SI-1 - "Small" or "Slight" Inclusions or "Imperfections" may be "eye clean" SI-2 - "Small" or "Slight" Inclusions or "Imperfections" visible to naked eye SI-3 - Inclusions large and obvious, little or no brilliance I1 to I3 - Imperfect, with large Inclusions, fractures, and flaws Finally, the color. Just like clarity, there is a grading system for the color of a diamond. This system is much easier. A colorless diamond is rated a "D" and a yellow/brown diamond is rated a "Z". A diamond can be rated anywhere between those two values. As a rule of thumb, the closer to "D" the diamond is, the more expensive it is (though this is not always the case). Still confused? Don't worry, I was too at first. These are the 4 major variables that you have to put together to find the perfect diamond. Back in 2000, I believe I paid about $2K for a 0.6 carat diamond, VS-1, E color rating (I think), and I don't recall the cut. For the same money, I could have walked away with a 1.1 carat diamond, VS-2, J color, in the same cut. Personally, I felt the smaller diamond looked better in the mount my wife chose and I wanted a smaller, more flawless diamond over a larger diamond of lesser quality. In the end, the diamond, the mount, and the accent diamonds cost me about $5K. Try on a few rings to get a feel for the size that looks best on you. If you are petite with slender hands, a 1 carat diamind might look very gaudy on you. On the other hand, if you are a "larger" person, a 1 carat diamond may look proper proportion on your hand. There is no right or wrong answer here. There is no substitude for goign out and looking at diamonds and rings. You may decide the size of the diamond is important. Others like me think the quality is more important. But to answer your question on what is "reasonable", IMHO 0.5 to 1 carat in weight will work for most women. 1 to 1.5 carats may look fine in some mounts on some women. Anything larger than 1.5 carats just don't look right to me. Good luck and best wishes.

Answer 3

The size of the ring does not define how much you love her. Why not let her help you pick it out, but something that you can afford. I would have been happy with a tiny tiny diamond from my hubby, just knowing that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me was enough for me. We actually designed my engagement ring together.

Answer 4

It depends on what you can afford and what kind of woman she is. Some women just want a wedding band Also remember it's just a ring......you can't live on it, eat it, ride it, or send the kids to college on it. Don't tie up a lot of money or put yourself in debt for a ring.

Answer 5

Cant answer on size but can give you idea. When my husband I were dating and talking about marriage we went out and looked at a ton of rings. Then we narrowed it down to 5 and then he picked the one he liked best. That way I knew I would get the ones that I liked and not know what I was getting at the same time. My husband was slick about it to. He would say things like lets go to Andres (local jewelry store) to see of they have some watches. And when he was "looking" at watches of course I was looking at rings. He would notice it and come back later to look at.

Answer 6

all of this depends on u, the day u got the right person, the love will guide and show u wht kind of ring u gonna buy and choose for the lucky women who gonna share the happines and sadness together with u.

Answer 7

"If you are looking for real, genuine love, and wanting it in return?" "If she really loves you, she should not care if it was cubic zirconia...." It is just a piece of metal with a stone in it... So, look for real love and not the one money can buy... "HINT." "Don't let them know exactly how much you make, and see where it takes you." If you make lots of money don't disclose that information too soon, and make sure she is genuine......... Then if she is buy her what ever she wants......... , as long as it is with in your price range... It is a lot like spending way too much on a wedding when simple is always more meaningful and memorable.. Spend where money needs to be spent....... I hope you find her........

Answer 8

My man felt so lucky to marry me when i told him to propose with a pearl solitare ring. It told him that money and diamonds are nothing compared to true love and happiness...and that I wasn't a money-grubbing brat.

Answer 9

Not all women only care about stuff like that. If you treat her right and let her know you care in lots of ways, it won't matter how big or small the ring, or anything else is. :)

Answer 10

hey it doesnt matter how many carats if she loves you she will be happy with just you not some rock on her finger