If you are like most people who have just started researching or shopping around for a diamond ring, you are probably wondering about the average diamond size for an engagement ring.
Or maybe, you just want to have a better idea of the average carat size (and costs involved) in order to plan and set aside a budget.
Whatever the case, we’ll answer that for you quickly, and then dive in to explain the answer. More importantly, you’ll also find useful tips to getting better value for your money whatever your budget is.
What’s the Average Diamond Size For an Engagement Ring?
The short answer: 1.0 carat is considered to be the average weight of a diamond for an engagement ring in the United States.
Now, I need to emphasize that this statistics is an averaged result. In reality, there are people who buy 0.3 carat diamonds (lower end of spectrum) and there are people with whopping 3 carats rings (higher end of spectrum).
Even if you aren’t based in US, don’t worry because I’ve got you covered.
We’ve compiled a table to indicate the average sizes of engagement rings for different regions of the world. I had also included the median cost of buying an engagement ring for comparisons.
The Mean Carat Size – What You Need to Know
As you can see from the table above, the average carat size of an engagement ring is region dependent. It’s also interesting to note that the average carat weight varies on a localized scale as well.
In general, people with higher disposal income and better paying salaries tend to buy bigger stones. This phenomenon can be readily observed in bigger cities (e.g. New York City) where people can afford to spend more on luxury items compared to smaller towns like Nebraska City.
I also want to highlight the emerging Chinese market for diamond jewelry consumption. Although the majority of marriage proposals don’t involve a diamond ring yet, the trend is definitely catching on.
I’ll would expect the overall value and size of diamonds sold to significantly increase as the general population becomes more affluent.
Tips to Get a Better Bang For Your Buck
1) Shopping online gives you significantly better choices and cut quality. On top of that, prices do not come with excessive premiums that brick and mortar stores pass onto you. Check out this curated list of vendors I personally recommend.
2) Carat weight is a huge factor in a diamond’s cost due to demand and supply. By going slightly below “magic” carat numbers like 1.00 or 0.70 carats, you can save a huge chunk of money.
3) Clarity is a property that’s often overstated by misguided sales people. The misconception that better clarity will result in a beautiful diamond is false. The truth is, as long as the diamond is eyeclean and the inclusions doesn’t impact transparency, a slightly included diamond can look just as good as an internally flawless stone.
4) Color is another aspect that is often misconstrued by many sales personnel. Unless you are one of the few with super sensitive eyes, a well cut G colored diamond will face up white compared to a D colored diamond.
Does the Average Engagement Ring Size Really Matter?
The social expectation for engagement rings stemmed from a clever marketing campaign by De Beers in the late 1940s. It should come as no surprise that the same company started an effective “2 months’ salary” campaign to peg a man’s love to his relationship.
Here’s a word of advice from someone who has helped thousands of diamond ring shoppers around the world. You should only spend an amount you are comfortable with and not what you think society dictates.The engagement ring is a symbolic item representing the promise and love between couples.
So, what do you think of the ideal carat size of an engagement ring should be? I’m curious to hear your opinions in the comments below!
