The average e-ring diamond size

[plg_cp]

I am wondering if anyone has a reliable source for the average size of a diamond in an engagement ring, like a national average or something? I have seen vastly different figures quoted, most recently in the \"Am I Cheap?\" thread (which I didn''t want to hijack). I''ve read that the average diamond purchase is 38 points (maybe this includes melee stones?) and someone mentioned that the average for an e-ring is over a carat, which I find extremely hard to believe as an average for a large sample of people.

I know that taking a survey of PSers would give very atypical results since pretty well everyone here is a diamond enthusiast. Are there any studies that have been done on this?

Mark

 

[Van Graff]

Hi Mark,

The average diamond size is regional by state in the US and also regional by country, In Europe the average diamond in an engagement ring is about 0.30ct and a 0.50ct diamond is consireded a big stone.
Iin California USA can be 1.0ct and in Alabama can be 0.50ct. depending the state, I think that the US have the biggest average in diamond sizes for engagement rings.
DeBeers have a regional average diamond chart by zones.

 

[bluedawg]

Some sites (bluenile.com is one, I think) has a "recently purchased diamonds" link... and you will see that most are less than a carat.

But the average sizes seem to be regional. I have a lot of friends who live in Boston/NYC/Philly and their rings are over a carat-- some even 2. Atlanta (where I live) is around a carat, but it seems to be getting bigger.

My pals who live in Midwestern states (Michigan, Ohio, etc) have 0.5-0.75 mostly.

 

[perry]

You need to be sure that the data you are lookking at is truely representive of "Aveage."

There are many different sets of numbers: Average purchased from the web. Average purchased in jewerly stores. Average of your freinds and acquantences.

The true average would include the size diamonds that everyone is wearing which includes past purchases and purchases at the department stores and Walmart/Costco chains.

About 6 months ago I went looking for some very inclusive data on average size that included all market segments; and came up with a number of about 1/2 carat for the average sized engagement ring purchased in the last several years in the US. My memory of the search is that the data indicated that from a historical perpesctive (what are all people wearing) that the average size might be as low as 1/4 carat. That was all my mothers ring is. My GF''s mothers ring was also 1/4 carat.

For every 1 carat diamond sold, several people are buying 1/4 carat rings. Diamond size has been going up. Only farily recently has the idea that a 1 carat diamond should be the minimum size been circulated on a national level.

Most of these are sold in department stores, Walmart, Costco, and jewelry stores where people go in and buy an engagement/weading band ring set. My local department store has lots of these sets in the $400 to $750 dollar range. I have noticed that they attract a lot of attention.

I do not remember all the links I used to extract that data. However, I hope I helped.

If you find a good link it would be worth having.

Perry

 

[Mara]

there was some article done last year i think that has been thrown around on here alot that said something like a 0.38c is the average US ring. but of course you will have various states drawing the # up and other states drawing it down. so it''s very hard to say what ''average'' is by nation, it''s almost better to figure what it is in your area if that is what you are after.

 

[researcher]

Please do tell us what definition of average you''re using, and what the purpose is. I live in Del Mar, CA and I can tell you the average is probably around 4 cts. That being said, there are plenty of 10 ct rings (that look ridiculous IMO) around here that skew the results. I think you should look at the mode instead of the mean. The mode here is about 2.5 cts--a big difference from a mean of 4 cts. Also, it depends on shape. I don''t think there are nearly as many fancy shaped stones under 0.5 cts as there are rounds. My point is what everyone else has said is sound advice--you need to know what "average" you''re really wanting, and if it''s really an average you want (as opposed to a mode).

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 4/25/2005 1:58:35 AM
Author: researcher
Please do tell us what definition of average you''re using, and what the purpose is. I live in Del Mar, CA and I can tell you the average is probably around 4 cts. That being said, there are plenty of 10 ct rings (that look ridiculous IMO) around here that skew the results. I think you should look at the mode instead of the mean. The mode here is about 2.5 cts--a big difference from a mean of 4 cts. Also, it depends on shape. I don''t think there are nearly as many fancy shaped stones under 0.5 cts as there are rounds. My point is what everyone else has said is sound advice--you need to know what ''average'' you''re really wanting, and if it''s really an average you want (as opposed to a mode).

researcher
WOW!!! i''ll be sure to have my sunglasses on

if i''m ever in your area.

 

[Dancing Fire]

CA and N.Y. 3-4ct is more common

midweast .50 ct

south,they say everything is bigger in Texas.

U.S. avg e-ring size my guess, .75 ct

P.S. member avg e-ring size my guess, 1.25 ct. and growing fast,girls here are BAD influence

 

[DiamondsForALL]

I would go for bigger and better, after all its very good investment for the new family.

 

[dixxin]

I had the same thought when reading the Am I cheap thread..

I originally proposed to my fiance with a 1ct ering.. she is happy with the engagement but she is abit unsure with the ring (probably cause the sister have a 3 ct tiffany lucida).. she is no golddigger here because she is way richer than me even offering to pay for her own ring.. but anyway she was telling me the avg bling in San Francisco where she is from is about 2ct and it is kind of embarassing to show off the 1 ct as a E-ring.. i just recently upgraded her E-stone to 2.34 ct and she is now very happy..

My question: is 1ct really "small" for e-ring by San Francisco''s standard???

 

[Julian]

Also keep in mind the fact that many of America's diamond buyers aren't Pricescope fanatics like us!
Many of them buy diamonds at the maul -- and they're not necessarily looking for quality, but size.
I've seen women oooh more over a 3 ct. milk stone and sniff over someone's brilliant 1 ct. 8*. Let's face it, all diamonds should be adored and admired -- we can't all afford D IFs! But don't people care about quality at all? Some women with bigger milky stones actually look down on women with smaller, higher quality stones. I don't get it at all. Don't they have eyes? Do people not know that diamonds are not supposed to be cloudy? I'm genuinely confused.

BUT:

That is NOT to say all big diamonds are milky -- I have a 3 ct. too, so I'm not bashing large stones! Plus, the ones I've seen on Pricescope are all GORGEOUS and higher-end.

Some of your rocks blow me away! I love 'em all.

I'm just saying OUTSIDE Pricescope, if you're looking at an average, many of the larger stones are pretty included and not at all colorless.

So don't ever let statistics make you feel badly -- your lady is lucky that her f. is so infomed! Quality over quantity -- and if you can have both, more power to you!!!

And congratulations!!!!

 

[Cath]

Date: 4/25/2005 1:58:35 AM
Author: researcher
Please do tell us what definition of average you''re using, and what the purpose is. I live in Del Mar, CA and I can tell you the average is probably around 4 cts.

Clearly, I was blind as a teenager -- I lived in Del Mar and I don''t recall seeing ANY large diamonds (or any diamonds, period)! But I was rather diamond-unaware at the time.

If things were different, DH would have fallen off his chair when he met me. He got off easy.

 

[Kaleigh]

Wow 4 carats is the average in Del Mar??

 

[pricescope]

Here''s interesting fact from Newsweek article: "The Gemological Institute of America has seen a 41 percent jump since 2000 in the number of two-carat-plus diamonds that it processes."

I''ll try to get more data...

 

[bar01]

I don''t have any info on size - in 2002 the average price spent on an engagement ring was about $3,600 according to this survey of weddings and costs. As mentioned it does vary regionally (love the midwest) – and PS members tend to be different than general public I think.

 

[AChiOAlumna]

From my observations and originally coming from NYC (now residing in CA), I would say that the larger metropolis areas on the coasts tend to have bigger diamond sizes. In NYC, anything under 1.25 carats is known as a "canard" diamond "because you ''canardly'' see it! I would say San Francisco is another city with higher expectations...it could be (at times) difficult for me to attend family weddings on the East coast with my 1/3 carat w-set while cousins were sporting new 1.5+ carat e-rings!

Basically, the cost of living, I firmly believe, impacts the size of the diamond...I do believe, though, that people in their lower 20s are too busy establishing a career to fork over so much money and many don''t have the 1-2 months salary that DeBeers expects of them (remember, most don''t know anything about PS and believe DeBeers'' statements...my DH did when he first bought my e-ring! I talked him out of that quickly!).

 

[Julian]

But do people really notice engagement rings that much? I wouldn't feel badly in a room full of women sporting 5 carat rings -- because I probably wouldn't even notice them really -- I'm usually looking at their faces when I talk to them. I only ogle diamonds on this site!

Most e-ring center stones I've seen in my area are 2-4 carats, mostly on more mature women.

I guess it's also because I don't want to get caught staring at someone's ring. Not that I don't squeal, jump up and down and admire people's rings when they tell me they're engaged. I do it because I'm happy for them. But otherwise, I never look at others' rings unless someone points it out to me. Mostly because I don't want to appear rude like I'm comparing my ring to theirs.

So do people (most women) size up each others' rings at parties and family gatherings?

 

[researcher]

I guess I should clarify. My friends who now live in Del Mar are from Fairbanks Ranch and Rancho Santa Fe (an area where you constantly see homes for sale in the 10 million+ range). So, I tend to be around a very affluent group. Also, while many of my friends and their moms (including mine) have smaller rings they wear on a daily basis (maybe part of the reason Cath didn''t see all the bling!), most have larger engagement rings they just aren''t comfortable wearing when running errands (you should see the jewelry that comes out at black tie affairs!!!). It''s actually funny because several of the women have CZs that are much smaller than their actual diamonds--in fact, I''m looking to get one made in the 2 ct range (more than a carat smaller than my e-ring)! Just as women get embarrassed when their rings are too small, it can also be uncomfortable when your stone is too big.

 

[Julian]

Oh, I didn't mean anything by that researcher -- I was genuinely curious.

Your ring is lovely and enormous. Mine is smaller than yours, but I understand what you mean. Sometimes I hide my hand when someone is praising someone's ring in my company. I hate it when the wearer says something like, "You should see Julian's -- it's bigger!" Bigger isn't necessarily better, just different and I don't want anyone to feel bad because of my e-ring. It's just a ring!!!

 

[Cath]

That explains it Researcher -- my family didn''t attend black tie affairs!

I had friends who lived in Rancho Santa Fe too, and Del Mar is still a very affluent neighborhood. But most of my friends'' parents were first generation Americans, so maybe that had something to do with it as well. And I know I definitely didn''t notice diamonds at all back then -- it wasn''t until after I was engaged that I started noticing people''s e-rings.

I''m just waiting for the day when my mom busts out a huge diamond ring and says "Here, I''m passing this down to you." I don''t even know what''s in her jewelry box, but I can always dream!

 

[fire&ice]

Yep, there has been lots of discrepencies about the "average" e-ring. I was always told it was about 1/3 carat; but, I may be out of date. A survey sponsored by the jewelry industry boasts 3/4c. Funny, I haven''t check recently - but it was a number one when the question was googled - great advertisment & possibly propoganda.

I''ve seen pockets of big stones. Doesn''t seem to be any hard and fast rules. Many Southerner''s inherited big stones. I see bigger stones in Raleigh than I do in VA. Maybe just the venues I go to.

Oh well, I have above average stuff & below average stuff. So, I suppose that averages to average.

 

[plg_cp]

Wow, thanks for all the replies, it''s nice to have sparked people''s interest. Several of you asked what sort of average I am looking for - online, B&M, etc. I started this thread out of curiosity because I have seen such varying figures thrown around, there isn''t really any other motivation for my question. I am waiting for the e-ring I will propose with to arrive from WF and it''s 0.57. However, I''m 23, graduate university tonight (last exam at 7pm...) and live in Ottawa, Canada. Other than one 1.5ct I''ve seen on someone''s actual finger, I don''t think the 0.57 I''m getting is much if at all below the average in my area (not that I''d care anyway). My mom''s was 1/4ct with an "upgrade" to a 0.42 poorly cut so this probably has a dampening influence on me also.

I was not aware that there was such wide variation in size geographically. Seeing fairly "small" stones around me I couldn''t believe that an average somewhere could be quite a bit over 1ct!

Thanks for your replies.

Mark

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Date: 4/25/2005 10:24:58 AM
Author: Julian
So do people (most women) size up each others'' rings at parties and family gatherings?

I have to say "YES" to this question...it may seem cheap and shallow (oh heck...it IS cheap and shallow!), but for some reason, when I''ve been in a room full of women, there are eyes darting all over the place to check out other women''s rings!! i''ve been to sorority alumnae events, family events and even weddings where I''ve seen this happen...since getting my own upgrade, I won''t even say anything to others about my new set, but later, people will come up to me and say, "I see you have a new ring...Let me see it."

In this day and age where there are so many important issues to contend, with, I think it funny that this still goes on...

 

[researcher]

Date: 4/25/2005 10:54:12 AM
Author: Cath
That explains it Researcher -- my family didn''t attend black tie affairs!

I had friends who lived in Rancho Santa Fe too, and Del Mar is still a very affluent neighborhood. But most of my friends'' parents were first generation Americans, so maybe that had something to do with it as well. And I know I definitely didn''t notice diamonds at all back then -- it wasn''t until after I was engaged that I started noticing people''s e-rings.


I''m just waiting for the day when my mom busts out a huge diamond ring and says ''Here, I''m passing this down to you.'' I don''t even know what''s in her jewelry box, but I can always dream!

I''m SURE that has something to do with it! My best friend is Japanese, and her mom thinks it''s in poor taste to "flaunt" money. Although they are very wealthy and could easily afford big diamonds they tend to prefer their Hawaiian jewelry (which isn''t cheap but also isn''t so "showy").

Oh, and speaking of not noticing diamonds, I actually did notice them while growing up and was therefore extremely surprised when I learned a 1 ct stone was NOT the size of a 2-3 ct stone (I''d always said I liked the smaller stones and therefore wanted a one carat stone--little did I know what I''d always guessed was about a carat was actually 2-3 times the size!). You should have seen my SO''s face when we realized it WASN''T really a 1 carat stone I wanted, but rather a 3+ carat stone!

 

[Cath]

Date: 4/25/2005 11:16:20 AM
Author: researcher

Oh, and speaking of not noticing diamonds, I actually did notice them while growing up and was therefore extremely surprised when I learned a 1 ct stone was NOT the size of a 2-3 ct stone (I''d always said I liked the smaller stones and therefore wanted a one carat stone--little did I know what I''d always guessed was about a carat was actually 2-3 times the size!). You should have seen my SO''s face when we realized it WASN''T really a 1 carat stone I wanted, but rather a 3+ carat stone!

LOL that is very funny! That is totally what would have happened to me if I had even noticed diamonds when I was younger!

In a similar vein, my high school (public) was quite nice and had a huge parking lot (CA, of course) -- when I showed it to DH he said "Are you sure it''s a public school? It''s so fancy!!" and I was like "What are you talking about? Aren''t all high schools sort of like this, except maybe with smaller parking lots?" I''m so clueless.

 

[researcher]

Was your high school TP? That''s where I went! Anyway, glad you understand

It''s so embarrassing when people don''t understand growing up in a bubble!!!

 

[Cath]

Yup, TP -- go Falcons!

It is a little embarrassing -- DH still teases me about it. He tells people "Oh, well, she went to a FANCY high school..."

 

[researcher]

Date: 4/25/2005 10:46:26 AM
Author: Julian
Oh, I didn''t mean anything by that researcher -- I was genuinely curious.


Your ring is lovely and enormous. Mine is smaller than yours, but I understand what you mean. Sometimes I hide my hand when someone is praising someone''s ring in my company. I hate it when the wearer says something like, ''You should see Julian''s -- it''s bigger!'' Bigger isn''t necessarily better, just different and I don''t want anyone to feel bad because of my e-ring. It''s just a ring!!!

I didn''t take any offense to what you wrote. I''m not someone who is always comparing my ring to every around me (I think my ring is absolutely the perfect size for me and could care less if those around me have bigger or smaller rings (I fall into the "just right" group IMO)), but when people are wearing 5+ carat stones they''re kinda hard to miss!

 

[pricescope]

Some stats for the diamonds sold in March-April this year...

 

[researcher]

That chart is great, Leonid!
Looks like the average is right around a carat these days!