Carat, Carat, Carat!

[Mashira]

I was looking in RockyTalky and I saw a thread about carat size. There was a quote:

Do you live in an area where large engagement rings are common? Because PS really has a way of messing with the mind when it comes to size issues. A 1 carat in most circles would be considered very substantial.

I love this realization "PS really has a way of messing with the mind when it comes to size issues" because it is a statement which is truly insightful. As I recall, in the real world, the industry estimates that fewer than 30% of women in the industrialized nations will ever own a diamond weighing 1.00 carats and larger... But here on PS, the number of people purchasing larger diamonds is definitely higher than that estimate and the cut quality and subsequent visual performance of the diamonds being purchased by PS members is also significantly better than the diamonds being purchased by average consumers.

And so here is my question: What was your ideal carat size before joining PS?
I'm not talking fairy tale princess "Oooh I want a 10ct ring" sort of thing, I mean what did you reasonably desire for your engagement ring that you thought would be affordable or within a 'normal' or 'decent' budget? Did this carat size go up after joining PS? If so, what is it now? I'm just curious

Edit for spelling!

 

[peach_tea_for_me]

Touche!
My ideal size before was around a 1ct. diamond. I am petite and have smallish hands and slendor fingers so a 1 ct. looks pretty substantial on my hand. Now I want a 1.5 ct. and I hate to say it, but I would be a little disappointed if I got something much smaller. There are other reasons why I feel this way than PS (family, various circumstances, etc.) that I don't want to get into on this thread. I've just come to expect about a 1.5 ct, even 1.25 would be ok. I promise I'm not a brat and I know I sound like such a snot saying that. And for you Mashira???

 

[Amys Bling]

Well, I never really went diamond shopping before, so I had no real idea how large a 1 ct... 1.5 ct.. 2ct would be IRL and on my hand. BUT in my mind, I always felt that a 1ct stone would be the size. Im in the NYC metro area and people tend to have pretty blingy engagment rings, so im my mind, 1 ct is standard...

I did search online databases and when I saw how expensive a 1 ct of colorless range and excellent cut could be, I felt like it was right where my FI budget would be (we bought a house a year ago and will have to pay for at least half of a weddding plus the honeymoon...)
I received a 1.55 D RB stone and am sooo pleased.... but of course PS has messed with my mind and I could totally envision myself with a 2 ct... but that isn't financially in the cards.

The FI looked at a 1.85 and 1.95 stone with a "good" cut, and lower color (I-J) and he felt it sparkled soo much less than the stone he picked for me, so I feel he did the right thing. I wouldn't want a 1.95 dull looking diamond just for the few extra mm in size. how about you Mashira??

 

[nicoleben]

Personally, I think 1 carat is perfect! When I first started to look at rings, I really didn't know what size I wanted. I am not a flashy person, so I did not want anything particularly HUGE! When I was looking at rings by myself, I tried on all sizes that looked good with my hand size. I found that a half carat was too small, a 1.5 carat was too big, and the 1 carat was just right, so we went on that when we went looking together. In my area, 1 carat is actually more than what most are buying. The jeweler stated that most people are buying 3/4 carat or even just a 1/2 carat, and that's perfectly fine. I just wanted the one carat. It was a sparkler, and it fit right with my hand and I know that it would not be too big to have on my hand in my area. I come from an area infested with senior citizens and college undergrads. Not that it's bad, but its the truth. haha..

I ended up picking out a 1.2 carat and I loooove it!

 

[GliderPoss]

Oh I so agree being on PS has totally warped my sense of carat size.

My hubby gave me 0.25ct (great stats) which is considered totally normal where I come from.

My sister has a 1.0ct halo cushion and people literally stop and stare! She gets asked if her hubby is some sort of famous person or millionare... (He's not - just very generous)

BUT since I spend so much time on here I can easily envision up to 2.0ct on my teeny size 4 hands

Obviously finances would never permit that for us so instead I look for larger gemstone rings instead to furfil my secret desires for bling!

 

[Mashira]

This is very interesting!!

For me, I never payed too much attention to carat size. I focused more on the diamonds spread, or 'finger coverage'. I wanted a princess with a spread of about 5mm which in a princess cut would be around 0.75ct. I have a 4.75 (4 3/4) size finger. Then I joined PS!

I fell in love with the idea of a 7mm spread. Princess cut with a 7mm spread = about 2ct! This was within the budget (if we went with 1.8ct, just under the 'magic' number), but the higher end of it. I decided on smaller because even though FF had the funds, I just could NOT justify that much money on a ring. We found the perfect ring which is a 6mm spread (right in the middle!) and it is a 1.30ct princess.

In my area there is LOT of variation. Right where I live you will see anywhere between 0.30ct and 1ct, then you drive about fifteen minutes north from where I am and you shoot up to an average between 0.75 and 2ct! FF and I actually intend on buying a home about fifteen minutes north of where I am now, so I guess my ring is fitting!

Oh! PTFM, no worries you're just being honest. If I am entirely honest with myself, I know I would be just a tad bit less enthused (though I would never show it) with a diamond under 0.80ct just because the princess shape faces up so small!

 

[Autumnovember]

I think its a great realization as well..

Although I will say in the area that I live in 2.0 carats is pretty normal.

However, the size I wanted was around 1 carat. That being said, I also wouldn't have minded having a bigger carat but I also didn't want anything under 1 because of personal preferences and anything smaller then 1 carat just looked small on my hand.

This is gonna sound insane...but PS HAS distorted my perception a bit. Even my 2.5 stone feels small when I look at other girls 2.5's on their tiny fingers. Don't know if that made sense but yeah...

 

[marcy]

My current center stone is tiny by PS standards. It is .53. I am pretty content with it but yes, I would not snub my nose at a .75 or 1 ct. center stone. I think a 1 ct. center stone would be the biggest size I would want but my tastes continue to change especially enjoying pictures of all the beauties posted here.

 

[RhubarbPie]

I haven't been on pricescope for too too long but it hasn't really changed my idea of what I wanted. My mother has her original center stone (she reset it awhile ago) and it's a 2.03ish ct pear. That's pretty standard for my parents group of friends. Some of the older women have much bigger stones than that. But I think ever since I was little my moms ring has been what I based my standard on. I actually initially wanted at least a 2 carat stone but when we started looking at prices I realized it was too much for right now. So instead of 2 ct center, we went with a 1.57 ct center with 1.21 ct side stones (about .6 ct each). So the ring ended up being a 3 stone 2.78 ctw with more finger converage (i assume, i dont have the ring yet) and ended up costing much less than trying to get a 2 ct solitaire. I also didn't want a solitaire so what we got Made sense and I know I'm going to love it!

 

[Supers]

Australians tend to be more casual I think, so there aren't a lot of big rings here.
In fact, anything over 1ct would probably be considered big.

When I started looking, I thought 1ct would be great, but realistically, with diamond prices here, would have been happy with .75 or .8 in no lower than a G colour (keeping in mind my size 4.25ish fingers).
Once I found PS though, I did get to thinking bigger... have ended up with a 1.28 J, cos I found I liked the lower colours.

 

[slg47]

strictly diamond speaking...I always wanted a 1 ct and we got a 1.108...I am very happy with this size and feel I will not need to 'upgrade' (though I could get a pendant, earrings...)

looking on PS I wonder if we should have gone lower color/bigger but I think this is a good size for every day, not too big, but not too small...I can't wait to see it though! (not implying that other sizes are too big/too small, but I think this is a great size for me)

of course the more important thing is that I found my dream man

 

[Luckyeshe]

For me I always thought that 1 carat was huge. I have small fingers as well and the main thing that came to mind when someone said diamond was a 1 carat RB. I knew there were other shapes, but I was only familiar with princess and rounds. In my area, between .8-1.2 is common. Within my family, I have one of the bigger diamonds for our age group, but of course the older generations' rings are much more substantial than mine.

When I finally saw the ring I fell for, it had a cushion diamond set in the ring instead of the RB. My FI got me the best cushion he could and he still hit my magic number of 1 carat. My ring has a halo and everyone thinks it's much bigger than what it is. I feel that because of PS, I would be comfortable with something bigger like 1.5-2 carats if I was ever to upgrade, but overall it would depend on the finger coverage without a halo.

 

[JulieN]

.75

 

[Amys Bling]

p.s. how do I get a picture in my avatar?? sorry for going off topic...

 

[Mashira]

Amy, Look at the top of the page > click 'My Pages' tab > click 'My Account' tab > click 'Edit' tab > click 'User Profile' > scroll down and upload in the box!

 

[Blackpaw]

haha - before i found pricescope i wanted .98 of a carat - or rather just under 1... now im thinking 1.75 or so... definitely some DSS going on there

 

[DuckLovingVegan]

Yes it has gone up at first I was ok with 0.80-0.90 then it went up to a 1.00. Now it's up to 1.25 because it gives me 30% finger coverage thanks to the chart I found on here. My ideal size would be 1.40 or 1.50 but I've been lusting over this 2.23 old european cut diamond I saw on JBEG for sale N/O in color but faces up like a K. Pricescope isn't helping my SO pocket when it's time to buy the ring. He told his budget was 6k and I was like oh mine was 8K so it's only two grand difference. I hope he goes up the extra two thousand so I can get a bigger old european cut diamond e-ring.

 

[Mashira]

Ducklovingvegan, I read through your post and thought, "Well, that makes sense!"

... and then I took a minute and realized that I am now in the boat of PS'ers that would say something like 'It's only two grand'
I think it's perfectly reasonable for a diamond, especially if it's in your finances, so please don't take me the wrong way. I just found it amusing!

 

[calibali]

I'll just say that PS had the oppositve effect on me as everyone else. I thought I wanted one size, but PS made me realize there would be some stigma/jealousy tied to that size and I wasn't really up for dealing with that. Maybe one day when I am older and hopefully even more awesome I will get my 3ct pink diamond and laugh at all the haters, but for now I am content with what I chose .

 

[Nashville]

In my area, a half to one carat is the norm. My ideal size personally is 1-1.5ct.

 

[Snow_Miser]

Hm... Before I started lurking on PS, my ideal size would have been 1.5 for a round. When my SO and I looked at diamonds, we both really liked the size. Most of my friends (24-25) have between 1-2 carat diamonds, but the older women have HUGE rings.

Now, I would really like at least a 2 carat AVC, although right now I have
my eye on that 3.07 AVC and am trying to justify the price I promise I'll never upgrade...

Yes, I'm crazy.

 

[shihtzulover]

The diamond sizes that I commonly see are very varied, but that's because I know people who are living in all different areas.

I live in a very rural area, where smaller diamonds (.25 to maybe .75, but probably a bit more in the lower end of that range) are most common, but I have friends who I went to school with (some who live in this area and some who don't) who have about 1 carat center stones, and maybe a couple of 1.5 carat solitaires. Of course, I have only seen most of them on facebook, so I have no idea how well cut they are, or what the color and clarity specs are.

When my boyfriend and I started looking, we were thinking that 1 carat would be our ideal size. I hadn't even discovered pricescope yet, but it seemed like the more we looked, the bigger we wanted. We ended up finding a beautiful 1.5 carat princess cut solitaire. My ring size is about a 4.5, but I guess I like the bigger look . Also, I guess since we went to so many different places, I experienced the 'diamond shrinkage' phenomenon early, and decided on larger than what we originally thought.

Our diamond has 'F' color, and I could have gotten a 2 carat with 'I' color (with all other specs being equal) for just a little bit more money, but I was afraid that the yellow would show in the corners of the stone, and I really like the whiter look. Also, I was afraid that if I went any larger, people around here would probably just think it was fake. The one that we picked is perfect for what we both want.

I am very happy with our purchase, but I think I am spoiled now!

 

[getting excited]

I used to think 1 carat was as big as I would need to go. Then I found pricescope Actually, I think I was more influenced by seeing the ring I want with a 1.5 carat diamond in the setting. I know I won't be getting a 1.5, but seeing how great it looks in that setting definitely makes me want something a little more than 1 carat.

 

[dawnabee]

Mashirraaa!!! PS has totally warped my brain with carat size!!

When I see a 5 carat stone on here I feel like WOW , can I have some of that!!

Before PS I would have been happy with a 1ct. I do have tiny hands (Size 4) and I figured it would suit me. Then I started looking on here and saw so many different shapes and sizes (mostly HUGE). I also started noticing peoples rings IRL around me and saw that many were over 1ct. After that I didn't want to go below a 1.5ct, but really couldnt justify spending any more than that for a diamond. Luckily it was within our range and so we got a 1.5 but since its a cushion it does face up smaller anyway.

I still hope for a 2.50ct AVC someday (I would never go bigger bc IMHO I think it would look super silly on my tiny self) ::::siggggghhh:::: THANKS PS for making me dream of a bigger ring when I didnt get my first one yet!!

 

[Mashira]

Dawnaaa! LOL I know exactly how you feel
I would have loved the 2ct princess (similar situation, princesses face up small). However, when I think about it my 1.3 still blows me away! Like Shihtzulover said, if I had gotten the 2ct I would honestly be afraid that it would appear 'fake' or people would think it a was a CZ. I know that shouldn't matter, but I also know that it would make me feel bad, so I'm content with my 1.3!

 

[Dancing Fire]

i want a well cut G SI1 2.5ct RB.

 

[beezygal]

I always wanted a 1 carat ring. It's considered to be "big" in real life I guess. Therefore, when we were looking at diamonds, we only look at 1+ carat. (of course my bf tried to get me to try some less than 1 carat diamonds) I did fall in love with some 1.10ish diamonds and decided that it would be nice to have a 1.10ish carat diamond. I tried on some 1.20 carat. It looks too big on my 4.25 finger. Since my setting is high, I don't want something TOO stand out. We looked at many different one and decided that I really want a H&A G VS2 diamond (thanks to PS). We wanted to get something in the SI range to save money and get a bigger size. However, we are very sensitive to the inclusions. Eventually I ended up with a 1.007 carat. As soon as I saw that diamond in person, I fell in love with it. Maybe it is meant to be mine. Even though it would be nice to get something bigger, I don't regret getting this diamond. I have to admit sometimes I wish I can get a bigger one, (thanks to PS. ) but my bf would probably kill me. j/k

The other day I was telling my bf that I will post pictures of my ring on PS once I'm engaged, and he was like

BF: you have to show off your BIG diamond to your online friends?
ME: you are WRONG, on PS, the average diamond is around 1.5-2ish carat diamond. 1 carat is considered to be "small." (I'm not saying anything less than 1 carat is small... I'm just teasing him.)
BF: *shock* Oh really?
ME: *wink wink*
BF: ....

That shut him up!

 

[betty6333]

A few years ago, I really wanted a 1 carat. I had a 1/2 carat at our wedding, and it was pretty, but wished for a bigger stone. After a few years the 1 carat was looking a little small, and so I got a 1.5 carat.

I do love looking at all the bling on PS, and really enjoy looking at the pics and hand shots, but the current ring with the 1.51 center I think is as big as I could go. I found PS after getting my newest setting, and really am happy with the size. Oddly enough the ring doesnt look too big any more ( when i first got it I thought it was TOO big ) and I think I am settling into a good groove with it. I am sure DH will be pleased if it is the last upgrade I do!

I think all the big carat weight stones acutally helped tame that "this is too big look" for my mind! so PS has been a good thing

 

[diamondbuggy]

I always thought a 1 carat diamond would be perfect for an engagement ring so that's what I wanted. But, with diamond prices here in South Africa being so ridiculous, I was expecting more like a .75 or .8 carat. Then I found PS and everything changed!

Now I can easily see myself with something a lot bigger. I have small hands, a size H (I think that's a size 3.75 - 4.00 in USA), so everyone I know thinks I'm mad to even want a 1 carat. Around here most people only buy about .5 or maybe a little bigger but you hardly see anything close to 1 carat IRL. Even the people who can afford it (like my parents) don't get them because of the crime here.

But since PS has made me crazy I didn't care about any of those issues and we went completely over budget and ended up getting a 1.20 carat pear that we're even getting set with a halo! My BF really wishes I had never found PS, he says it's ruining his life.

 

[Trekkie]

My very first engagement ring from my first marriage was .18ct, G, VS2 - and all my friends thought that was huge!

Where I live, it is more common to have tiny chips set in yg bands.

When I discovered PS, I knew I wanted ideal cut more than anything else. Our budget could have bought .75ct+ in a so-so cut, but I wanted sparkle! So I'm getting .51 H&A rb and couldn't be happier.

One day, when I'm all grown up, I want a 2.5ct AVC set by Leon and a 5ct+ Lemony just like Amethyste's.

So yes, PS has definitely affected my wants!