When it comes to engagement rings, budget and personal choice are usually the two biggest factors that influence a couple’s decision.
But ultimately, it seems that size really does matter when it comes to that oh-so special accessory – and according to jewelers, the lure of having a rock on one’s finger can turn even the most conservative jewelry wearer diamond crazy.
Opinions on size, and what really counts as a ‘big’ ring, vary however – so Who What Wear asked five diamond experts to reveal what the average American woman considers ‘big’, with many revealing that the size of diamond given to Meghan Markle by Prince Harry is pretty much perfect.
Size matters: Diamond experts have estimated that American women think between two and three carats, like Meghan Markle’s, look ‘big’ when it comes to engagement rings
Fit for a princess: Meghan’s ring was designed by Prince Harry and contains a three to four carat center stone that the royal picked up in Botswana
The royal proposed at the end of last year with a three to four carat diamond he sourced in Botswana; and according to the experts, many women view three carats as ‘big’, meaning Meghan’s rock is ideal in the eyes of most.
To put this into context, Kim Kardashian’s ill-fated Lorraine Schwwart knuckle-duster that Kanye West helped design contained a 15 carat diamond – more than five times the size that the average woman sees as ‘big’.
It was famously stolen during a robbery in Paris in February 2017.
Meanwhile, Meghan Markle’s ring designed by Prince Harry contains a three to four carat center stone that the royal picked up in Botswana.
‘Although we often find that a woman may know what a certain diamond size ‘sounds’ like, she doesn’t always know what it looks like,’ Krista Beerman, Director of Merchandising at Hearts on Fire told WWW.
And she also revealed that women living on the West and East coats typically go for bigger stones than someone living in the middle of the country.
She added: ‘On average, a two-carat is definitely a head turner, and overall women perceive this to be a big look!’
CEO of Ritani Brian Watkins agreed: ‘The average engagement ring has a carat weight of just over one carat, so we’d say anything upward of two carats would be considered large for a ring.’
Rock star: Kim Kardashian’s ill-fated Lorraine Schwartz 15 carat diamond engagement ring was stolen during a robbery in Paris in February 2017
Shapes and sizes: The average engagement ring in the US has a center diamond of about one carat
He also argued that while this is ‘obviously a long way from Mariah Carey’s 30-plus-carat’, most women don’t want to wear a ring that large or ‘extravagant’ every day.
And Kristen Trustey, Diamond Expert at Forever mark shared that as the average engagement ring in the US has a center diamond of about one carat and a total carat weight of one and a half carats, anything over two carats is considered big.
However, Scott Freidman, Appraioser at Gleem & Co argued that while most women think two carats is ‘a decent-sized diamond’, anything above three carats are considered big.
‘These are the ones that turn heads,’ he said.
A sentiment shared by Oded Edelman, Co-Founder & CEO of James Allen: ‘In 2015, the average carat weight purchased was 0.9 carats. Given that, the average carat size that someone would consider “big” is anywhere from two and a half to three carats.’
Typically, a 2.4 carat diamond can cost anywhere between $7,000 to $20,000.
Price is determined by the ‘Four Cs’ – cut, clarity, color, and carat weight.