Choosing The Right Carats For Your Engagement Ring
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15 minutesAh, you’ve met your perfect other half, and you’re finally ready to pop that all-important question!
But first, you must find the perfect engagement ring that will have them dying to say yes.
When it comes to purchasing a diamond engagement ring, you've got plenty of decisions to make.
It's important not just to pay attention to the cut and clarity, but also to the carat weight of your ring.
Luckily, we're here with everything you need to know about choosing your perfect diamond-carat size!
We'll cover everything from how many carats should an engagement ring be.
And how does the carat weight of a diamond affect the price?
We'll even teach you how to change your diamond's carat size if needed!
So, sit back and relax: by the end of this article, we'll have answered all your questions about choosing engagement rings with just the right amount of sparkle!
In this article...
How Do Diamonds Vary?
The 4 C's of diamonds are cut, clarity, color, and carat weight.
Cut refers to how well a diamond has been cut; this is graded from POOR TO EXCELLENT. The cut is the most important factor in a diamond's beauty as it determines how much light is reflected to you when viewing it from the top.
Another important aspect of diamond grading is the color grade; this ranges from D to Z, with D being the whitest and Z being the yellowest.
Clarity refers to how many inclusions a diamond has; this is graded from FLAWLESS to INCLUDED (which means there are many small inclusions). Clarity can affect price more than color because most buyers prefer a clear stone with fewer flaws over one with lots of them.
Each one of these factors will affect your ring's appearance, so it’s important that you choose wisely when buying an engagement ring!
Lastly, there's the carat weight, the focus of this article, which refers to just that—how heavy your diamond ring will be! So now that we've covered all four C's, let's deep dive into choosing the right carats for your engagement ring!
Carat Weight
Second only to its cut grade in determining a diamond's value is its size—or, more specifically, its carat weight.
Carats measure how heavy your diamond is in relation to its width; 1 carat equals 0.2 grams or 200 milligrams (mg).
It’s key to note that the carat refers to the weight of the diamond rather than its actual size – therefore, a larger carat does not always indicate a visually looking larger diamond size.
The cut determines this as you can have a lower carat weight diamond that looks larger because it is better cut than a diamond that is heavier but poorly cut.
One thing to be cautious of however is ensuring that you get the correct cut for your diamond.
A poorly cut diamond may weigh more and look smaller because of its finished appearance and could even appear smaller than an excellent cut diamond that weighs less.Â
However, as a general rule, the bigger the carat, the bigger the diamond – and the higher the price!
How Many Carats Should an Engagement Ring Be?
How many carats should an engagement ring be?
The answer to this question is a matter of personal preference and what you can afford in your budget.
If you like large, statement-piece rings then our BGLG line of lab-grown diamond rings may be up your alley!
However, not everyone wants a large, flashy engagement ring with a big-carat diamond.
And if you do but can’t quite afford one right now, then you can always look to upgrade your diamond later down the line when you have a larger budget.
Ultimately, an engagement ring is a symbol of the love shared with two people, and whatever carat you choose is the right carat for you.
It’s not always about the carat when it comes to getting the perfect diamond, you should look to get the best cut within your budget as this will give your diamond the most sparkle and scintillation.
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Remember, the perfect diamond is made up of a combination of aspects, not just the carat weight!
If you want to make sure that your ring reflects your partner’s personality and style, then there are some things you should keep in mind.
How To Choose the Right Carat Within Your Budget
The right carat can be a great place to start when you are considering what kind of ring you want for your engagement.
The carat is not just about how big the diamond looks but also how much it costs. If you have a large budget, then there are many more options available to you.
The price of diamonds also depends on their size, color, cut and clarity, so the larger and clearer, whiter and sparklier they are, the more expensive they will be, in turn, with how high the carat is.
The first thing that needs to be considered before choosing a carat is your budget.
You need to look at how much money is available for this purchase and if it covers what you want or not; if not, then perhaps opt for a lower carat that you can change later on if you want to splash some cash on a shinier stone!
Next up comes personal preference: do you like big or little stones?
Smaller ones tend to be more affordable, while bigger ones can get pretty pricey depending on where they're sourced.
Are they natural diamonds or lab-grown?
You’ll find that lab-grown diamonds are a more budget-friendly way of affording a higher carat diamond, so this may be a great option if you’re looking for something a little flashier to start with, but your budget doesn’t stretch to a natural diamond of the same carat.
How Does the Carat of a Diamond Affect The Price?
The carat of a diamond is a measure of its weight.
The overall cost of the diamond is determined by the 4C's: cut, color, clarity, and carat weight.
The carat weight, however, can have the most influence on price; therefore, generally speaking a larger diamond will be more expensive than a smaller one.
The average engagement ring weighs approximately 0.5-3 carats, but the average cost tends to fall between $2,000 USD and $75,000 USD, which is why it’s important for couples to research different types of diamonds before choosing their stones.
But again, this is looking at the carat alone; you must consider the cut, clarity, color, and even the setting for your overall budget for your engagement ring.
If you want an engagement ring that has a classic look, then a round-cut engagement ring is the way to go. It’s very popular because it provides maximum light reflection and sparkle.
The average weight of round diamonds is about 1 to 1.2 carats and has a color grade between D-F, which means that most people can afford one.You should expect to pay around $6500 to $8000 USD for a ring design like this one.
If you want to stand out from the crowd, then consider a princess-cut engagement ring. It has a square shape with pointed corners, which makes for a more modern look.
The average weight of princess cut diamonds is also around 1 carat and has an D-F color grade and you can expect to pay around $6,000, so it’s important to factor this into the cost of your purchase.
How to Change Your Diamond's Carat Size
If you are feeling disappointed in the size of your diamond, never fear, as there are always options to enhance the diamond you have.
You can look to add your ring to a stack of other rings, perhaps including a diamond in your wedding band and diamonds in your eternity ring.
When you look at all three rings stacked together, they will shine magnificently and give you that extra sparkle you may desire.
As mentioned above, you could also look to upgrade your diamond to a higher carat later down the line.
You could even look to add side diamonds by resetting your engagement ring.
If you’re on the fence about your diamond being too big and thinking the carat is too heavy, to begin with, we encourage you to take your time to get used to it.
After all, you’ve probably not worn a ring with such a brilliant diamond yet, and it may take a little getting used to.
Over time, you will find you get used to the look and weight and won’t even notice. If you still feel the weight is too much, you could look to have the diamond cut down by an expert diamond cutter and repurposed into a new design or used in other items of jewelry.Â
While this is an option, cutting the diamond down will dramatically reduce the value of the diamond, therefore, you’re better off selling the original diamond and buying a new smaller diamond in its place.
Don't Focus on Carat Weight Alone
When it comes to diamonds, carat weight is not the be-all and end-all.
The price of a diamond will depend on several factors, including its cut, clarity, and color.
You can think of these characteristics like an equation with four variables: carat weight, cut,, clarity and color.
Carat weight represents the first variable in this equation; cut represents the second variable, and color is the third variable.
While there's no magic formula for calculating what your diamond will cost based on its characteristics alone, you'll want to keep certain things in mind when choosing your engagement ring settings:
- Diamonds come in different sizes and shapes, which can affect the price of your engagement ring.
- Diamonds with a high clarity grade will cost more than those with lower grades of clarity.
- Diamonds with a higher color grade will cost a lot more than a lower color grade.
- If you want an imperfect-looking diamond that has been cut to accentuate its flaws (called "fancy cut"), expect to pay premium prices for such gems.
The Right Ring for You
When it comes to saying yes to that big question, all that really matters is that you’re choosing the right partner to spend the rest of your life with.
If you can afford to have a bigger carat for your engagement ring, that’s great, but it doesn’t have to be make or break.
After all, personal preference plays a huge part in choosing the right engagement ring for you, and while carat size seems to be the most important factor to some, it really doesn’t matter as much as you think it might.
The best thing you can do is visit the diamond and wedding experts at Ben Garelick and look for yourself at all the different diamond options in our showroom.
If you’re unable to make it to the showroom, you can visit our diamond inventory online and speak with one of our experts, and we can even arrange a try-on at-home service with sample sizes of cubic zirconia diamonds so you can get a feel for carat weight and size of what your real diamond will be like!
Visit us at our Buffalo, NY store today. Not nearby? Not to worry - chat with our diamond experts online 24/7, call us on (716) 631-1584, or text (716) 574-0966. Let’s find the perfect diamond for you!
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