what is the Carat Weight Sweet Spot?

[mandyk77]

I think it depends on the shape of the stone and how it looks on your finger. 1 carat isn''t shabby at all.
It also depends on your circle of friends.

1.5-2.3 is my sweet spot. I am from the south and all of my engaged or married friends have rings that are around the 2 carat mark.

 

[Deelight]

Mintve that ring looks beautifully proportionate to your finger size to me if I saw that size stone on your finger IRL I would definitely think it looked sizeable

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[EricaR]

I live in Orange County, California so what I see is probably wayyy out of proportion for the rest of the country. I''ve been checking out other people''s rings, and most I see are between 1.5 and 2cts. I think my .58ct ring will be very small in comparison to those of my peers, but all that matters is that I like it.

 

[diamondfan]

Everyone has a different view based on lifestyle, region where they live, circle of friends. Also hand size can matter. Carat is actually a weight, not just a size, so stones of the same carat weight but different calibers of cut can look different and setting can make a huge difference too.

I am typically a size 6 finger but with swelling have gone up...damn those knuckles. I have size 7 or so hands (glove size) and am a bit over 5 foot 5 inches. I have somewhat long fingers but my knuckles are not cooperatiing right now.

The ring you showed looks great on your hand. I think it depends what shape and setting you like overall, does it suit your hand, and then you can hone in on specific weights and dimensions. You might like a certain stone but think it faces up too small or you might want a solitaire but end up loving how a halo or sidestones impact the overall look of the ring.

It is all relative. If where you live 1 carat is considered huge and you have a larger stone, or a really sparkly well cut stone etc, yours will tend to be more noticable.

I have lived in Beverly Hills and now outside Philly, and have traveled to many places in the world. Sadly, I have seen women here with 15 carats and up...wow, some are just lovely and some are hideous. I have a friend who got divorced and has gotten engaged three more times since, never made it to the altar, but not one of her rings has been under 5 carats. My favorite was her oval, but she had a larger stone from Winston or Graff that was nasty, flat and very dingy in my opinion, it was just an odd cut. It was bigger than her oval, but the oval was just superior. I also read that one carat was typicallly considered big, and that times have changed and three carats is now more typical...in what cities I do not know, but I saw this in some bridal magazine not too long ago...

 

[nsaids_nurse420]

My sister is 5''11 and wears a size 4!! Her 1st ring was only 1/4 carat. No matter how tall they come, everyone''s different!!

 

[TeacherLover]

Hey there,
It''s interesting to read what everyone has or what''s popular in different areas. I am from San Francisco, but live in Sacramento now. Most of my friends were engaged in their mid 20s (I''m 2 and have rings that are 1.5 carats or larger. I only know a few girls who have 1 carat rings. My best friend just got engaged has a 5 carat total weight ring, with a 3 carat center...and her''s isn''t rare. I''m marrying a teacher, so our budget is significantly smaller (hers was $38K), so I''m hoping for a 1.7 to 2 carat ring myself.

I was in a sorority, so I''ve seen a ton of rings come through in college and since college, I haven''t seen one that has been below 1 carat, it seems the bigger the better these days!

Good luck!

 

[mintve]

Thanks for all your help with this. I live in Atlanta, and I''ve been scoping out people''s rings. THey are all over the board. From 1/4 carat to 5+. I am in my early 30s and only a few of my friends are married. My best friend, who is a jewelry whore, has a 1 carat marquis in a really unique wedding setting that has diamonds and garnets. While I was at Macy''s last night I walked by their "fine jewelry" counter and decided to try on smaller rings just for the heck of it. I put on a really nice 3/4 looking stone (to my surprise..!!??at macy''s?????) and it looked nice. So, I will have to try on more 1 carats to see how they look. I was focusing on 1.25, but think it will be best for us to save some $$.

 

[mintve]

after talking to my ff and re-evaluating our e-ring budget, I will be focusing on the 1 carat range Thanks for all your help!

 

[Gothgrrl]

Here in the Bay Area, I've seen about 1 carat or below. Mostly in yellow gold. A few had WG. Rounds and princess are very common. I am the only one with a cushion in Plat.

I think a 1 carat would be very nice on your hand.