Is 3 carats too big?

[Dancing Fire]

why is 12mm the magic number for you, DF?

This 11+mm will do! . Can one of you nice PSer loan me $230K? PRETTY PLEASE!
https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/5.392-h-vs1-round-diamond-bfg-785925

 

[Foxtails99]

Do you mean 3 ctw or 3 carat round diamond? I’m thinking you mean both, but just to be certain ... ?

3 ct round solitaire to wear without a halo. My 1.3 ct with a halo is huge so I want something I can wear everyday.

 

[OoohShiny]

I think 'too big' depends entirely on the situation / location / people at hand.

3ct would probably be the smallest rock in the room at an 'upper class' Texan fundraising event, whereas wearing a 3ct stone would perhaps be seen as 'showing off' unnecessarily / insensitively (/dangerously?) if one was serving soup at a hostel for the homeless in downtown New York.


Personally speaking, I don't think I will ever be in a situation I have one on my finger, so I don't give it too much thought

 

[elizat]

Is the ring in your photo the 3.443 ct? It looks huge to me and I love it! I wear a size 7 and I’m thinking I may be disappointed if I don’t get 3 cts or close to it. I’ll be 55 this year and like I said there will be no upgrades after this.

I wear a size 7 and I think you can go smaller if you want. A lot depends on the setting and the shape you pick. I am not a round diamond wearer, because I think they look funny on me. If you get a pear, for example, or an oval, you will have more spread for the carat size.

 

[elizat]

3 ct round solitaire to wear without a halo. My 1.3 ct with a halo is huge so I want something I can wear everyday.

I would look at what mm size your current stone is with the halo v. what stones you might like are mm wise. If you think that the halo ring is too large and it is a similar size to a new stone without any setting, you may want to go a bit smaller. Plus, if you stay under 3, you can get a good bargain sometimes because of the premium of going up the next carat weight.

 

[lambskin]

No, nope, never.

 

[junebug17]

After wearing a 12 mm halo a 3 carat might actually feel a little small to you lol! I personally don't think it's too big but it's really what you're comfortable with. Buying a sim that size for a test drive is a good idea.

 

[Laila619]

I’m gonna go against the crowd and say, FOR ME, yes, 3 carats would be too large for everyday and Safeway.

We're in the minority here, but agree. 3 carats would be too big for me. My ideal size would be around 1.8 to 2 carats.

 

[motownmama]

I meant 3ct round. I have a 2.5 that’s now in a 3-stone. It’s not too big visually IMHO, but from a practical standpoint I like my 1.02 and stackers for every day wear. That’s bc I don’t like to remove my rings unless I’m gardening, using chemicals or lifting hand weights. I just keep them on. I smacked my 3 stone a few times and damaged the sapphires. That’s different from a solitaire, I know. I’d also say set the 3ct as low as you’re able to / again just my opinion so you don’t have to worry as much. I’ve got 4 kids, 2 cats, 2 dogs, a 110 yo house - it seems I’ve always got my hands in something and thus I go for the smaller solitaire and a stack of bands for my typical day. Going out? Yes - I wear my 2.5 with the sapphires. Good luck. Fun project!

 

[Dancing Fire]

3ct would probably be the smallest rock in the room at an 'upper class' Texan fundraising event, whereas wearing a 3ct stone would perhaps be seen as 'showing off' unnecessarily / insensitively (/dangerously?) if one was serving soup at a hostel for the homeless in downtown New York.

Everything is BIGGER in Texas!

 

[Rubymal]

When does DSS typically set in? I've only had my 1.3 for a few weeks but I think the size is perfect for me. I wear a 4.75 for my e-ring and I did not want to go above 1.5. I typically like minimalist/dainty type of jewelry so for me personally, I would never go to 3ct.

My fiance's sister in law got something like a 2ct and it's got the 'big blang' factor, but it's also moissanite. She and her husband are the very show-offy type so it wasn't surprising for her to opt for a larger size and pretend like it was a real diamond when it's not.

 

[dkata]

I have a 2.86 ct OEC with 9 mm diameter. I wear it every day, even to the grocery store. It depends a lot on the setting, and DSS sets in really quickly.

 

[Laila619]

Not at all. At the end of the day, it depends on your sensibilities. I'm in the market for an oval/emerald 2.99-3.50 carat, D-VVS1.

I'm still young and I don't think it's practical for me to walk around with a huge rock, but hey that's me. My best friend, on the other hand, got engaged at 23 with a 4.5-carat emerald D-IF. Her ring is blinding and she absolutely loves it. Me? Not so much.

Engaged at 23 with a 4.5 carat D-IF?! Holy cow.

 

[AprilBaby]

You only live once, go for it!

 

[MamaBee]

What ring size are you?

I’m a 6.75 and 3 carats definitely doesn’t look big on my hand.

@Austina Your gorgeous Bella is huge! It looks deliciously big on your hand!

 

[missy]

You know what I am going to say right?

 

[MamaBee]

No, not for me. Only you can answer the question for you. What to take into account. Your comfort level with the size; your finger and hand size and finger length; how you plan on setting it (lower is easier to wear and also less ostentatious if that is a concern).


And one more thing to keep in mind. DSS (diamond shrinkage syndrome) is real.

I love this episode! My husband I died laughing when we were watching this! So funny!

 

[missy]

I love this episode! My husband I died laughing when we were watching this! So funny!

Yes. So many Seinfeld episodes are quotable and apply to real life.
Remember "they're real and they are spectacular"?

 

[bludiva]

When does DSS typically set in? I've only had my 1.3 for a few weeks but I think the size is perfect for me. I wear a 4.75 for my e-ring and I did not want to go above 1.5. I typically like minimalist/dainty type of jewelry so for me personally, I would never go to 3ct.

My fiance's sister in law got something like a 2ct and it's got the 'big blang' factor, but it's also moissanite. She and her husband are the very show-offy type so it wasn't surprising for her to opt for a larger size and pretend like it was a real diamond when it's not.

It may never....most people i know in real life don't give much thought to their wedding jewelry after acquiring it and the initial rush of interest when engaged or first married tbh...PSers are a unique bunch even here some people never have DSS or have reverse DSS and decide to go smaller

 

[MamaBee]

Yes. So many Seinfeld episodes are quotable and apply to real life.
Remember "they're real and they are spectacular"?

My husband loved that one! I remember smacking him..lightly of course..

 

[clcat120]

Mine is a ~3.4 flat squared emerald with close to 9mm width and length. I love it. It has a spec close to a round. I found that round/squared looks bigger than elongated shapes for some reason. Mine is also J color, so it is not very icy.

 

[KKJohnson]

I def don't think that 3cts is too large to wear to the grocery store or even thrift shopping lol but then again I wear my 16mmx10mm marquise every day so I guess that makes me bias

 

[Rivendell]

I think 3 carat size is fine! My diamond is E colour and for me the extra cost to get this colour was worth it

 

[Golden_bird]

When does DSS typically set in? I've only had my 1.3 for a few weeks but I think the size is perfect for me. I wear a 4.75 for my e-ring and I did not want to go above 1.5. I typically like minimalist/dainty type of jewelry so for me personally, I would never go to 3ct.

My fiance's sister in law got something like a 2ct and it's got the 'big blang' factor, but it's also moissanite. She and her husband are the very show-offy type so it wasn't surprising for her to opt for a larger size and pretend like it was a real diamond when it's not.

You have a tiny finger /))you are the lucky one mine is 7, my stone is 1.40 plus 0.50 side stones ,and I already wish I did a halo

 

[Dancing Fire]

I think something can be too big, but only you know your lifestyle, social circle, activity level, etc.

Are you still referring to diamonds?

 

[Emeraldcutlover]

Not at all. At the end of the day, it depends on your sensibilities. I'm in the market for an oval/emerald 2.99-3.50 carat, D-VVS1.

I'm still young and I don't think it's practical for me to walk around with a huge rock, but hey that's me. My best friend, on the other hand, got engaged at 23 with a 4.5-carat emerald D-IF. Her ring is blinding and she absolutely loves it. Me? Not so much.

Stick around and we shall corrupt you . JK

 

[Emeraldcutlover]

At 3 cts does color matter more than at 2 cts? I was thinking I want D,E or F but do most people considering this size stone go up in color to G or H to make it more affordable? When I am at Costco and they have the D and I stones near each other I can usually tell a difference but not always. I am also hung up on the color because when I got engaged my best friend said my stone was bigger than hers because hers was a D and my was a G After all these years I still remember that and wonder if I get a G or H will people say the same thing. I know I shouldn’t care but I do. My DH says to get the D,E or F but I don’t know if it’s worth the extra cost.

Awe!!! No true friend would say that. My opinion is that she was very jelly of your size stone and needed to make herself feel better. Someone will always have more or less than you. If you are happy and healthy w your family and life. You cannot get better than that. Oh - except for a huge honker . You go girl. Get that 3ct and look at diff colors. The better the cut, I swear the whiter it will look. I almost bought a 4.5ct “L” stone. It was WHItE!!! It had strong Fl and whiter than white. Almost 1/2 the price of what I got and trust me. It blew away my new J w FL!

 

[Emeraldcutlover]

Awe!!! No true friend would say that. My opinion is that she was very jelly of your size stone and needed to make herself feel better. Someone will always have more or less than you. If you are happy and healthy w your family and life. You cannot get better than that. Oh - except for a huge honker . You go girl. Get that 3ct and look at diff colors. The better the cut, I swear the whiter it will look. I almost bought a 4.5ct “L” stone. It was WHItE!!! It had strong Fl and whiter than white. Almost 1/2 the price of what I got and trust me. It blew away my new J w FL!

. Ps. I only didn’t get it bc I wanted an EC and it was an asscher.

 

[missy]

Is 3 carats something you would wear everyday like to the grocery store, etc.? I had my original e-ring reset in a custom setting and it came out a lot bigger than I had imagined. The original stone is about 1.35 carats and with the halo of diamonds around it it is about 11 - 12 mm across. Because of the way I had the halo designed it looks like one humongous stone unless you are directly on top of it and at very close range. Everyone who sees my ring thinks it is one gigantic stone.

For my 30th anniversary I am looking for a new solitaire. My original stone was a G/H and I’m looking to upgrade to a D, E or F. I am thinking of a 3 carat but want to know if others feel this is too large for every day? Subjective and personal decision I know but I wanted to get some forum members opinions. I don’t think I want to go below 2.6 but there is a big price difference once you get to 3.0. Since my original e-ring is not really a great stone I am afraid to make the wrong decision again. I don’t want to get something too small that I will regret because I am not looking to upgrade this in the future. Any opinions welcome and if anyone has any stone recommendations I would appreciate it.

Here is a size comparison chart fyi.
Based on a 6.5 finger size.




In mm on a size 7 finger (same as your ring finger size I believe).

 

[southernicetea]

I don't think 3 carats is too big for your finger. I think about it in terms of how much finger coverage I'd want:

A size 7 finger is 17.2mm, and round 3 carats is 9.1mm in diameter. That means you have about 53% finger coverage. For the sake of mathematical ease, let's say it's closer to 50% finger coverage which means you'll see about 25% finger space on either side of the solitaire. That's not a bad ratio!