How many carats is your engagement ring diamond?

Question

OK, I know this is a shallow question and the weight/size of the diamond shouldn't matter when choosing an engagement ring, because its just a symbol of love and all but I'm just curious...
Please don't insult me for wanting to get her a big diamond.
It's not like I have a lot of money but my partner will be wearing this ring for the rest of her life so I want to get something considered heavy (in carats). How many carats do you think is average?

OMG, you guys come from loaded families or met very wealthy husbands....I was thinking .4 carats max. At Tiffany & Co., it costs likt $4,000 for a .4 carat! I'm screwed!

Answer 1

it is personal

Answer 2

I think average is between .5 carats and 1 carat. Don't listen to the people who say 1-3 carats is average -- that's crazy. Mine is .9 carats, a little larger than I expected, but still very pretty. You should never get more than you can afford, but I honestly think .4 carats is on the small side. Of course, if that's all you can afford, I'm sure your fiancee-to-be will love it.

If you are getting the ring from Tiffany, I would recommend at least a .5 carat diamond. Yes, it is expensive, so don't go too much larger than that. The plus side is that you would be getting a very high-quality diamond in a very high-quality setting (and there is something so classy about a Tiffany engagement ring).

If you are on a budget, you may want to look into going to another jeweler. You will be able to get a larger and better quality diamond for your money that way. I would suggest perhaps a .75 carat diamond. Just make sure the cut, color, and clarity are also good. For color, I would recommend a rating of D-H (with D being the best, the most colorless). For clarity, I would recommend I, IF, VVS1, or VVS2. Also make sure to check to see if the diamond is cut with all its facets, crown, etc., in the proper proportion. That's what gives it such a great sparkle!

Good luck!

Answer 3

Like everyone says it depends on the girl. However you can also get a round cut with more surface area. mine has a flatter top and therefore looks bigger than it is. My mother has had a .6 carat for 30 yrs and loves it. If you get a solitare and nothing with accents on the side, you can get a wrap later on for an anniversary. Not to mention she can get diamonds on the wedding band if she wants it to sparkle more too. I have a friend who is a vet. She needed a smaller ring b/c it had to fit into the latex gloves and a bigger ring might tear through the gloves. How big is the rest of her jewelry? I know I would love a gorgeous diamond. Quality over quantity. However my sister would much rather have a much larger stone--and lower the clarity and color. You can get a J stone and get over a carat for the same price. However, I would much rather have the one you picked out. In my husbands family, after the wedding--they don't wear the engagement ring at all. It's only from the engagement til the marriage. I couldn't bare it--so I wear them both. But they pick small stones--often not even diamonds--since it will be worn less than a year. Also there is always the option of accenting it with other stones. My friend has sapphires--her birthstone--on each side of her ring. It was cheaper than accent diamonds. As far as the physical barrier--yes there is a barrier at 1carat. However, that barrier is cost. The cost of a .95 and a 1.00 carat is a huge difference in cost. 1 carat jumps the price a lot. There really is no mandatory expression of love. It's not like you love her more if you buy a 2 carat. I've seen numerous women saying they'd much rather their man save that money for the house than spend it on a rock to sit in a jewelry box. Besides--the engagement ring and the wedding are minor things. No one gets divorced b/c the wedding wasn't big enough. What matters is the love you express and similar views in life--morally, financially, (look on Amazon for Questions Before you marry, tons of books on this topic)--the big things in life...where you want to live, what if you can't have children, religious values, does one of you want to be a Stay-at-home parent....if you have discussed this, you share beliefs and values, you have compromised on the other issues and you have trust and honesty....a mere gift that symbolizes all that is merely a minor symbol of a greater thing.

Answer 4

*giggle* there is NOTHING wrong with wanting to get your girl a good ring, my hubbo was the same way. Mine is about a 1/4 carat, with an additional 1/4 carat wrap (it's a bridal set, I have no band, and just the wrap). I would consider average size to be between a 1/2 carat and 1 carat. And DON'T go to any department stores to buy her ring, it's not just the size that matters, it's also the cut, clarity and color.

p.s. Tiffany's isn't the ONLY jewlery store, it's like one of the more expensive ones. Don't go to tiffany's if you want to get her a larger diamond. At most other jewlery stores a 1 carat shouldn't cost you more then 2 g's

Answer 5

First you need to study up on the four "C's" of diamond shopping. Each guy becomes an expert by the time they buy an engagement ring. Weight should not be a big factor in buying an engagement ring take all the "C's" into account you can get a 3 carat diamond with large inclusions and yellow color for the same price as a .5 carat colorless diamond with no inclusions. It all depends.

Answer 6

Dunno what is average, though a lot of women seem to want at least a carat. Personally my engagement right is 2 carats and wedding bad is another for a 3 carat total but then again I am not in my early 20's and my husband and I have well established careers and can afford the expense, and I have largish hands so small dainty rings disappear on my hand and I like big bold jewelry.

Answer 7

My engagement ring is .6 of a carat and it is plenty big. Where did my fi get the ring? In the LA jewelry district where he got a great price. The ring is appraised at 6,500 but he got it for less than a third of that price. On the other hand, my friend got her 1 carat from a popular jewelry store and her fiance paid 12,000 for it. Does hers look bigger? No, not really. Get what you can afford, and dont worry about it. No one will be asking her the clarity cut or weight, they will be congratulatng her.! Good luck!

Answer 8

You're not "screwed."
Go to different jewelry stores to compare/contrast.
The higher grade the diamond, the more expensive it is. You can get a really big diamond for cheap if it's a lower grade. I personally have a one carat engagement ring, but the grade is very high so it was a little on the expensive side.
But the key here is to not get discouraged.
Your best option is the compare prices at different stores, and then make your decision.
Oh and remember to get down on one knee when you do propose.
Good luck!

Answer 9

My whole ring is probably 1.6 or so carats. The diamond in the middle is a little over 1 carat. The clarity is wonderful. He was really concerned about the quality of the stones and this is the seze he picked. He is similar to you in that he says "she will be wearing it forever so it better be a nice ring"

Answer 10

My engagement ring is 18 carat white gold with a flower shape of 1/4 carat diamonds i love it and it looks so expensive and it was only about £350

Answer 11

Don't go to Tiffany's - go to a trusted diamond wholesaler. Ask around, get recommendations from friends. Whatever size you feel financially and emotionally comfortable with will be fine. There really is no rule of thumb for size when getting an engagement ring. You want to start the marriage off right - without having to worry about making payments on a ring. Educate yourself on the 4 C's. Remember, you can always upgrade later on when you are more financially stable.