One of the first pieces of information that need to know when you’re engagement ring shopping is the carat size of a ring’s diamond. The problem is, there’s a lot of technical jargon used with these descriptions that most people find confusing. Here’s a helpful guide to diamond carats that aims to answer all your questions, without all the complicated definitions.
In some cases this ‘confusion’ is intentional. Without knowing enough about diamond carats, but with the ultimate goal of buying a beautiful ring, it’s easy to be convinced to purchase an overpriced diamond engagement ring without fully understanding the characteristics of the diamond. – brillianteers
What are Diamond Carats?
A diamond’s carat is the measurement of its weight. The size of a diamond is acknowledged by how much it weighs. And this affects the price of a piece of diamond jewelry significantly. But it is not the only characteristic that affects the final price of a ring. The Carat is part of the 4 C’s of diamonds. Carat, Color, Clarity, and Cut. All of these factors determine the overall price of a diamond.
What are the Prices of Diamond Carats?
In general, the heavier the diamond, the higher its value. But it’s not always the case. A heavier diamond can cost less than a smaller one if it has visible blemishes, flaws, color, and an unattractive cut. Remember, you are considering the clarity, color, and cut, just as much as the diamond’s carat when it comes to the price of a diamond and therefore, there’s no specific price for specific diamond carat weights.
What’s The Average Size of Diamonds on Engagement Rings?
In general, you’ll find that the best selling engagement rings have diamonds that range between 0.5Ct to 3Ct. The most popular sizes range from 1.Ct to 2Ct. This might surprise you as for a first-time buyer, the first assumption is that the bigger the diamond, the better. But this is not the case. You also need to consider the other 3 C’s when you shop for your engagement ring.
Why are there Two Carat Weights for One Ring?
When you are shopping for an engagement ring, you might notice that when you’re talking about diamond carats, there are two separate weights mentioned for one ring. This occurs when you are buying a ring with accent diamonds. One carat weight is the weight of the big center stone. And the larger carat weight is the total weight of all the diamonds combined (the center stone and the accent stones).
What’s the Difference Between Carat and Karat (Ct and Kt)?
This is a common question as these two measurements are often mentioned in diamond jewelry shopping. And the fact that phonetically they sound the same, the confusion is pretty common. The difference between the two is that carat is the measurement of the weight of a diamond, and karat is the measurement of the weight if gold. Make sure to confirm the difference between the two before buying a diamond engagement ring with a gold metal band.
Tips on How to Save Money Buying a Bigger Carat Sized Diamond
If you have a particular sized diamond in mind, or if you’re shopping for a specifically large or small diamond ring, keep these helpful tips for shopping for your engagement ring in mind.
- Do Your Window Shopping First – The first thing you need to do is to do a little extra window shopping. There’s no one standard price for every carat size. One diamond shop could be selling a 1Ct solitaire princess cut diamond ring for $2000, and another could be selling the exact same ring design for $3000. The difference can be big. This is why it’s important to do your research first. Window shop and compare prices to inevitably purchase the best price.
- Don’t Worry Too Much About the 4C’s –As much as we emphasized just how much the 4C’s affects the overall price, you shouldn’t be too worried about getting the best quality of each one. This is when a diamond can get really expensive. If you want to save money buying a bigger carat-sized diamond, blemishes that can’t be seen by the naked eye, the slightest yellow tint, and a cut that isn’t the most ‘perfect’ cut, shouldn’t be too much of a concern.
- Accent Diamonds Can Make a Diamond Look Bigger – Halo engagement ring designs have become this century’s favorite design for one good reason. A 1Ct diamond can look as big as a 3Ct diamond with a halo design of accent rings surrounding it. If you want the illusion of a big rock, you can choose from a halo diamond ring design, without the worry of an expensive price tag.
- Consider Moissanite Stones – Moissanite stones are growing in popularity as they look almost identical to a diamond, but cost almost half the price. More and more brides are rocking their own 3Ct to 5Ct Moissanite rings, for the price of a 2Ct to 4Ct diamond ring. If you’re determined to buy the engagement ring with the big ring. Then you should definitely consider buying a moissanite stone as a more affordable alternative.
- Buy a Round Cut Diamond – Round cut diamonds are one of the most popular diamond cuts because it is the one cut with the most surfaces that reflects light. This makes them look significantly bigger than other diamond cuts. A round cut diamond on a thin wedding band is a good choice if you want a diamond that looks large.
Conclusion
A beautiful diamond ring comes in all carat sizes. Don’t feel pressured to buy a ring that has the biggest carat size. It’s also important not to let the details of a diamond’s carat size overwhelm your search for the perfect engagement ring. This guide to diamond carats will help answer everything you need to know before shopping for your dream engagement ring. You can shop for diamond ring designs according to Carat Size on our website.