I guess the average is relative to your location after all. If I upgraded to larger than 1 ct, people around here would say I'm trying to show off! My original ring is a not very good quality 3/4 ct stone. I want a 1 to 1.5 ct very good quailty stone for an upgrade.
How many carats is the average engagement ring?
- Thread starter melikemochi
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WOW!! 1.5 original? It must be so beautiful!! Lately I have really been liking the princess cut. I actually prefer thin bands, they seem more comfortable to wear.
1.5 is the largest I would EVER be able to pull off based on my relative size and bone structure but it will be a long long while before that is affordable. IMO 3/4 carat would make a wonderfully pretty but modest stone but I can't help but like the solid 1 carat. At 1 carat, it catches the eye but isn't too showy. Anything from 1-1.5 is pretty showy on someone my size yet still tasteful. Anything 1.5 and over would be much for me but how I wish I could pull it off. A friend of mine amongst many others I've seen looks wonderful with her 2 carat. *drools*
Actually, I've read that the averaged carat weight sold for engagement rings are just over 1/3 cts. Around 33-38 points.
I have itty bitty fingers, so anything above a 1/2ct looks big on me... I actually let my bf know I'd prefer a high quality 40-50 point diamond in a nice platinum setting. He got goggle-eyed b/c I know he's been mentally sweating the idea of getting me a nicer ring than his former fiancee, and she got a .73ct gold ring... (he popped the question to his high school sweetheart after 6yrs of dating she said yes, and then she broke it off a few months later)
heheh... so eventually we're gonna trade-in her ring (yup she gave it back) and use the credit to trade-up for me!
I have itty bitty fingers, so anything above a 1/2ct looks big on me... I actually let my bf know I'd prefer a high quality 40-50 point diamond in a nice platinum setting. He got goggle-eyed b/c I know he's been mentally sweating the idea of getting me a nicer ring than his former fiancee, and she got a .73ct gold ring... (he popped the question to his high school sweetheart after 6yrs of dating she said yes, and then she broke it off a few months later)
heheh... so eventually we're gonna trade-in her ring (yup she gave it back) and use the credit to trade-up for me!
Costco prices are excellent. Their diamonds were featured in some article recently as an excellent value well below retail. It might have been Consumer Reports? I would choose them over any mall jewelry store. They have excellent color and clarity (I was just in there), but there is no information on cut which is judged by many people as the most important C. That being said, I would go to the pricescope.com rocky talk forums and tutorials to learn as much as you can before purchasing a diamond. Also, you can save thousands from buying online through reputable vendors like whiteflash.com. Good luck. I love looking at diamonds
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I think that the average would be around 1ct but it sure varies around me.....
I too think that Costco has some great values...But the design and the color of the diamonds seems a bit lacking to me.....there are some occasional stand outs though.....
I too think that Costco has some great values...But the design and the color of the diamonds seems a bit lacking to me.....there are some occasional stand outs though.....
Hah! No kidding, go to the Galleria on any Saturday, you'll be blinded by the bling!Certainly Houston, where there's a BMW in every driveway, isn't an average area.
Another thought: How many of those big rocks are the original engagement ring? My real ER was less than a half carat, but ten years and two children later I was rewarded for putting up with him (just kidding, I worship the ground he walks on) with a gorgeous carat and a quarter.
Anyway, I'm betting there are an awful lot of first rings between 25 and 50 points and that many people upgrade after they became more financially comfortable.
C.
You're right... I've upgraded
My first ring was a 1ct. marquis diamond set in yellow gold (even though I wanted platinum but couldn't find one I really liked..) After my band broke twice-apparently a flaw in the design & I think God telling me I REALLY needed a platinum band, LOL-we went to our jewelers to get a new band. I had every intention of keeping my original diamond but when we got there, my jeweler started showing us these incredible diamonds Since we were financially on our way, my husband offered to upgrade my diamond. Now I have a 2.1ct. radiant cut diamond with an additional 1ct. of diamonds set in the band. The new diamonds are better quality than what I had before too. Not sure if I'd upgrade again, I'm pretty happy!
I thought I read somewhere that the average engagement ring sold in the US is only 1/3 carat. Maybe that was an old statistic?
I think one carat is the "ideal" size for an engagement ring in a middle class scenario. My friend got engaged over the holidays and her solitaire is .75 ct. My sister has a 1.01, and mine is closer to 2. The guideline is 2 months salary, but there is a lot of give and take in price depending on what you want in a stone. I would go for a smaller stone of excellent quality.