If you are planning on getting engaged but not sure what the right carat for your diamond engagement ring should be, then this is the guide for you!
When planning on popping the question, there is a lot to think about in creating the perfect engagement. You’ll be considering how much should you spend on an engagement ring, thinking about locations to propose and which precious metal you should choose. A common question we get at Diamond Heaven is: how many carats should an engagement ring be.
What does carat mean?
A carat is the unit of measurement for precious stones and pearls. One carat is the equivalent of 200 milligrams. The GIA scale is used to measure diamonds. To put pricing into perspective, the largest diamond ever song at auction was a 118-carat egg-sized diamond that went for $30.6 million in the Hong Kong branch of Sotheby’s. Obviously, this is nowhere near the price or size of the average engagement ring. Traditions around engagement rings differ from culture to culture, so there’s no size fits all.
Engagement rings the average carat size
As you can see from this table, the average fluctuates from country to country. More people will place emphasis on the size of a diamond which makes it more of a symbol of love rather than a symbol of new starts and ultimate commitment. Some people do feel embarrassed buying a smaller diamond, especially if they see a bigger diamond on the finger of friends and family
Does diamond size influence your budget?
Firstly, you should never try and buy the average carat size for the diamond if you cannot afford it. An engagement ring is the symbol of love and new beginnings, so don’t put yourself in debt at the start of your journey. You should consider a sensible finance option if you do want to reach that average size. If you have a budget of £2,200 and want to reach that average size of 0.6 carats, you will also need to have enough for the setting as well. If you don’t then the quality of the diamond is likely to be poor. Diamond Heaven always recommend purchasing a smaller diamond with a better cut as this determines how beautiful your diamond will be. A sparkly diamond can hide inclusions, mask colour and can look larger.
The best engagement ring for your money
Purchase the best cut possible because the cut will decide how brilliant a diamond will look. The highest diamond around will not shine if the cut is poor. The best cut means money can be saved on colour and clarity. Look for a diamond slightly under the magic numbers. What are these magic numbers? Every 0.5 carats. At these weights, diamond sellers will demand significantly more. If you go just below a magic number, you might be able to buy a diamond for as much as 25% less than the asking price.
The clarity of the diamond
Choose a lower clarity diamond. This saves a lot of money. The naked eye cannot spot flaws in diamonds. Consider the metal you want. Yellow gold and rose gold are much cheaper than white gold or platinum. Choosing a lower colour diamond will bring huge savings. Discover Hatton Garden Jewellers Diamond Heaven’s stunning diamond engagement rings or visit us in-store or contact us to find the perfect ring.
