Total carats

[charliej]

When/if someone asks how many carats a ring is, do you include the carats of the pave or sidestones?

 

[minmin001]

asking question as oh your ring is beautiful how many ct is it or I'm going to sell my ring, this is the ct of it.
the first case i'd just say the center stone size, if you list on selling i'll add the total ct and point out what's the center stone size

 

[kenny]

When/if someone asks how many carats a ring is, do you include the carats of the pave or sidestones?

I'd be just clear and say "The center stone is 1 carat and the side stones total half a carat."

 

[minmin001]

hmm well, I'm gonna hold on my answer a little bit. if it's a halo or 3 stone setting I don't know how would I say it. I'll let the next person answer the question~

 

[charliej]

If you're just talking to friends, (not selling your ring), do you usually add up the total or do most people just state the center diamond?

 

[minmin001]

If you're just talking to friends, (not selling your ring), do you usually add up the total or do most people just state the center diamond?

What's your ring like? halo? 3 stone, etc?

 

[stone-cold11]

Just the center stone, telling tcw sounds like boasting.

 

[yssie]

I just say "around 2". Unless they're actually actively searching for rings - otherwise the reality is that noone else cares at all

 

[Circe]

Just the center stone ... for "normal people," i.e., non-diamond freaks, that's usually the only bit that matters.

 

[slg47]

I just say "around 2". Unless they're actually actively searching for rings - otherwise the reality is that noone else cares at all

yssie is just being modest

 

[iota15]

Just the center stone ... for "normal people," i.e., non-diamond freaks, that's usually the only bit that matters.

To be honest, even a diamond freak like me only cares about the center stone. Particularly with online vendors, I hate it when they list total carat weight (as in, this 2.37 ct oval is only X price but when you click on the link, half of that carat weight is pave or small side stones). It's always such a disappointment. And if anyone were to ask, you wouldn't want their next reaction to be, "oh, that doesn't look like a X carat stone."

The caveat would be for three or five stones (like Yssie's)- THEN, I would want to know the weight of each stone individually. lol!

If we're talking about pave, or under 5 or 10 point side stones -> I wouldn't include it in the total.

I once had a friend with a large pave ring in the shape of a flower with maybe a 30 point center stone. Without prompting, she told me it was a 3 carat ring. I know the "total weight" is accurate and true - but really, when you have 300 tiny stones you can buy relatively cheaply by the lot, the expense and beauty of pave really comes in large part from the labour. Nobody cares you have 300 x 0.01 ct stones (except for PS'ers maybe).

If they're asking, people expect center stone weight. Although my general rule is to avoid telling anyone IRL except for the few well-meaning diamond freaks I know.

 

[Dreamer_D]

I just say "around 2". Unless they're actually actively searching for rings - otherwise the reality is that noone else cares at all

yssie is just being modest

Nah, she just does not want anyone to have a heart attack

OP: I have never had someone ask, but if they did I would say "around a carat and a half" because no one really cares about the actual number (1.677). I think saying tcw is silly when people include pave etc., like they are trying to inflate the size of their diamond.

 

[Black Jade]

In my area when people tell you the carat weight of their ring (which they usually do without being asked, if you admire the ring), they ALWAYS tell you the total carat weight of EVERYTHING--and round it upwards if it's close to anything significant soundiing (as in, a 1.18 carat ring is always called a carat and quarter. However, a 1.52 carat ring is always called a 1.52 carat ring--and they'll correct you if you call it a carat and a half.)
Many people do not appear to know the weight of only the center stone, in fact, anymore than they know the color and clarity (which they never do know).
Of course they know you can see the difference between a 2 carat total weight solitaire with only one stone and a 2 carat total weight ring made up of 200 1-pointers and they also know that you know that there was a price difference, but that's what they do anyway. Perhaps because no one around here DOES have a 2 carat weight solitaire--the average must be around 1/3 carat (less recently since the financial crisis) and a .75 solitaire is considered a large ring. A 1-carat is a dream ring. I know about 3 people who have one as large as that (generally very bad quality).
In NYC where I go often, people behave as has been stated on the rest of the thread and tell you the solitaire weight separately, but I don't know if around is not actually more typical of the whole country.
In New England, where I go sometimes and meet with old money people, no one would ever ever discuss the size of their ring (or the color or clarity) and you would be considered to be very gauche for bringing up the ring at all in a discussion in any way--it would be considered on a level with asking someone how much was in their trust fund, something that is just 'not done.' Well, you might get away with saying something like, 'that's beautiful, is that a family stone?" (which diamonds are very likely to be) but definitely you cannot go further than that, and although they will tell you that the ring was passed down from whichever ancester, you will never be told anything about weight, cost, store it came from, or specs.
And if YOUR ring is noticeably large (over a carat) or noticeable in any other way, you will have to work much harder to be accepted by them (though they will always be polite) because they will know that the fact that you bought and are wearing such a ring means you are a) clueless and/or not well brought up and b) probably either poor, with the wrong priorities (wearing your money to them means that you probably don't actually have any, at least in their terms)--or nouveau riche, which is much, much worse than poor.

 

[Circe]

Just the center stone ... for "normal people," i.e., non-diamond freaks, that's usually the only bit that matters.

To be honest, even a diamond freak like me only cares about the center stone. Particularly with online vendors, I hate it when they list total carat weight (as in, this 2.37 ct oval is only X price but when you click on the link, half of that carat weight is pave or small side stones). It's always such a disappointment.

Totally agree with you on this - whenever I see this on eBay or the like, I always feel bait-and-switched, and I'll run like the blazes. Like, great, you tricked me into clicking. Congrats! But since you're not making money off the click-through advertising, and you've now predisposed me against wanting to give you my money ... congratulations?

 

[junebug17]

I've never had anyone ask me, but if someone did I would just give the carat weight of the center stone.

 

[LGK]

I always respond with just the center stone weight; I do get asked a LOT, but that's mostly because I work with antiques and antique jewelry so customers get curious about mine and, after they're done asking if it's real they want to know the carat weight.

I associate- maybe wrongly?- statements about the total carat weight with maul jewelry. That's how it's ALWAYS advertisted and labeled it seems like, and then how the owner of the ring continues to think about it. Or with those quad-set invisible princess "solitaires"- you know, where it looks like a large-ish princess but then you realize it's four all squashed together. I've seen a bunch of those on various people, and if the owner is talking about such a ring, it's always referred to as "a two carat" or whatever the total weight is. And usually w/o you asking about it, lol.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

It drives me NUTS when people give the total weight including the tiny melee on their setting!!!!!! The center stone weight is all that should be told (in my opinion ).

 

[Gypsy]

It drives me NUTS when people give the total weight including the tiny melee on their setting!!!!!! The center stone weight is all that should be told (in my opinion ).

I always say, "My center stone is ___." Just so there's no confusion. But I don't throw the melee in there. If someone ASKS about the melee specifically (we have a lot of Psers here in Nor Cal) then I will give them the melee.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

It drives me NUTS when people give the total weight including the tiny melee on their setting!!!!!! The center stone weight is all that should be told (in my opinion ).

I always say, "My center stone is ___." Just so there's no confusion. But I don't throw the melee in there. If someone ASKS about the melee specifically (we have a lot of Psers here in Nor Cal) then I will give them the melee.

Oh gosh, I wasn't counting US! Haha! We want to know the most minute details! It's usually people who don't know much about jewelry that say the total including the setting, in my experience. I think they like the bigger number but it can't fool people who have an idea of the size of the center stone!

 

[slg47]

It drives me NUTS when people give the total weight including the tiny melee on their setting!!!!!! The center stone weight is all that should be told (in my opinion ).

I always say, "My center stone is ___." Just so there's no confusion. But I don't throw the melee in there. If someone ASKS about the melee specifically (we have a lot of Psers here in Nor Cal) then I will give them the melee.

Oh gosh, I wasn't counting US! Haha! We want to know the most minute details! It's usually people who don't know much about jewelry that say the total including the setting, in my experience. I think they like the bigger number but it can't fool people who have an idea of the size of the center stone!

DS you crack me up

anyway, I would say "just over a carat for the center stone". because it is over a carat! 1.108 counts as over

 

[Gypsy]

For non-PSers I don't even give exact carat weight. "A little over a carat" is usually what I say.

Although honestly I don't get asked size. I get asked cut. Is that a princess cut. No. Oh what is it? A square emerald cut. That doesn't look like an emerald. No, it's a diamond. Then why did you say it was an emerald. The cut, the facet structure, is called an emerald cut. Oh, well that's confusing isn't it? Certainly appears that way .

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

What is the point--or carat weight?

 

[Haven]

We just don't talk about the size of diamonds around here. I'd be a bit taken aback if someone asked me, and if I were compelled to answer I'd give only the center stone weight. I know people have asked me and I was at the time, but now I can't remember who they were and what I said! I'm sure it was something like "Oh, it's just the right size, I'd say."

I've never once heard anyone ask or tell about the color and clarity of their stones! I'm shocked to hear that people discuss these things!

 

[Dreamer_D]

We just don't talk about the size of diamonds around here. I'd be a bit taken aback if someone asked me, and if I were compelled to answer I'd give only the center stone weight. I know people have asked me and I was at the time, but now I can't remember who they were and what I said! I'm sure it was something like "Oh, it's just the right size, I'd say."

I've never once heard anyone ask or tell about the color and clarity of their stones! I'm shocked to hear that people discuss these things!

Me too Haven! I have discussed it with my one close friend who is a closet PSer, but no one else asks. All I hear is "That is huge!" or "So pretty!" or whatever, but mostly I never hear one gosh darned thing about it! I would not really want to tell someone about its specs anyways.

 

[Circe]

I've never once heard anyone ask or tell about the color and clarity of their stones! I'm shocked to hear that people discuss these things!

Oddly, the only place where I was asked that on a regular basis was Sweden, where solitaires are not the norm, at all. I think there, it was sort of the equivalent of, oh, seeing somebody wearing full Mardi Gras dress on the street in June - you figure if they're being THAT out there, they must WANT the attention. So I got to have the "Oh, I went for quality over size" conversation A LOT.

 

[Haven]

I've never once heard anyone ask or tell about the color and clarity of their stones! I'm shocked to hear that people discuss these things!

Oddly, the only place where I was asked that on a regular basis was Sweden, where solitaires are not the norm, at all. I think there, it was sort of the equivalent of, oh, seeing somebody wearing full Mardi Gras dress on the street in June - you figure if they're being THAT out there, they must WANT the attention. So I got to have the "Oh, I went for quality over size" conversation A LOT.

That's really interesting, Circe. I like the idea of wearing full Mardi Gras dress on the street in June, I may have to consider it.
I read up on Sweden a while ago when I was suffering from a phase where I felt I didn't belong in the states and I wanted to move to another country. I got the impression that the culture is a bit closed off to strangers, did you experience otherwise? It sounds like people were more open than I would expect them to be.

 

[Sparkly_Not_Gaudy]

We just don't talk about the size of diamonds around here. I'd be a bit taken aback if someone asked me, and if I were compelled to answer I'd give only the center stone weight. I know people have asked me and I was at the time, but now I can't remember who they were and what I said! I'm sure it was something like "Oh, it's just the right size, I'd say."

I've never once heard anyone ask or tell about the color and clarity of their stones! I'm shocked to hear that people discuss these things!

The same is true in my part of the US. I did have one rather gauche person comment that my ring was HUGE (and they were loud about it) and then ask just how big it was. Tacky to ask, IMO, outside of a forum such as this or when working with a jeweler.

 

[diamondringlover]

I seldom have anyone ask but if they do I will say total weight of both is 1.75ct

 

[Circe]

I've never once heard anyone ask or tell about the color and clarity of their stones! I'm shocked to hear that people discuss these things!

Oddly, the only place where I was asked that on a regular basis was Sweden, where solitaires are not the norm, at all. I think there, it was sort of the equivalent of, oh, seeing somebody wearing full Mardi Gras dress on the street in June - you figure if they're being THAT out there, they must WANT the attention. So I got to have the "Oh, I went for quality over size" conversation A LOT.

That's really interesting, Circe. I like the idea of wearing full Mardi Gras dress on the street in June, I may have to consider it.
I read up on Sweden a while ago when I was suffering from a phase where I felt I didn't belong in the states and I wanted to move to another country. I got the impression that the culture is a bit closed off to strangers, did you experience otherwise? It sounds like people were more open than I would expect them to be.

I think it sort of depends on the context of the visit - since I'm a "guest of," sorta, I get the automatic "in" of my husband's wide social circle (think extrovert, then multiply by a factor of ten). But in my general experience, Swedes are gregarious and friendly and quite happy to practice their English, so I can't imagine anybody feeling snubbed on a visit.

For the purposes of immigrating, I think it might be a little different: for one thing, Swedish is a challenging language to learn, and while everybody is happy to practice their English, I think it would be terribly isolating to live there long-term without being fully fluent (especially on social nights out, as happy drinking songs are to them what toasts are to us). And American expats living there have told me that it can be hard to befriend coworkers, neighbors, or casual acquaintances: that there's always a little bit of a "wall," and they always feel like foreigners, even after years and years. It sounds a lot like what I've heard of moving to France, frankly.

 

[motownmama]

In 18 years I've never asked or been asked ........