Are you looking to surprise your partner with a unique marriage proposal? Or will you go down on one knee to pop the question in the traditional way?

Whatever proposal you have in mind, you may want the perfect engagement ring for that perfect moment. This ring will need a stunning diamond, of course! But how many carats should a diamond have in an engagement ring? BAUNAT gives you the full guide, including:

  • What does diamond carat mean?
  • What does precious metal carat mean?
  • How Many Diamond Carats Is the Average Engagement Ring?

Browse our wide range of gold and diamond engagement rings

 

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What Does the Carat Weight Say About the Diamond?

To start,what does carat mean? Carat is the unit of measurement used to specify the weight of precious stones. Although a carat was only officially equated to a weight of 200 milligrams in 1907, the unit of measurement was used before that.

The word derives from 'keration', an Ancient Greek term for the pod of the Carob tree. The Ancient Greeks grasped that this pod had a relatively constant weight and as such was ideally suited for precision measurements. With that said, be sure not to confuse this with the gold karat. Gold karat indicates the clarity of the precious metal, rather than its weight.

The carat measurement refers to the weight and size of the cut diamond. In fact, the most carats a diamond has ever had is the 3106-carat Cullinan Diamond.

To determine how many carats the diamond in her engagement ring should be, we fundamentally go with your personal preference, as well as your budget. Or would you rather take the average as a guideline?
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend

How Many Carats Does the Average Diamond Engagement Ring Have?

Looking at the global market, we can see that the average carat weight for an engagement ring lies around 1.00 to 1.09-carats. A stone of comparable carat weight glimmers in approximately 19% of all engagement rings sold.

In line with this guideline, how much might your loved one’s engagement ring cost? For a 1.00-carat diamond, you will pay around €3,900 to €4,500. However, for an exceptionally qualitative diamond of the same carat weight, the price can run up to €12,000. These prices are indicative only, given that at BAUNAT, we adjust our prices on a weekly basis to reflect market changes.

Browse our range of diamond engagement rings.

Woman is holding two diamonds rings. BAUNAT on diamond carats in engagement rings.
Tip: take a look at the diamonds with a carat weight just under the rounded figures. So, for example, if you are looking for a 1.00-carat diamond, also take a look at a stone of roughly 0.90-carat. Doing so will save you up to 25%!

View a 1.20 ct. solitaire here.

Look at Other Elements of An Engagement Ring

It may surprise you to know the weight of the diamond in an engagement ring is actually the least important factor. Higher quality is better than higher carat weight. When determining how many carats your diamond engagement ring should be it is also important to consider the cut, clarity and colour of the diamond.

A smaller diamond with a better cut will sparkle beautifully and appear larger than it actually is. And that is not the only tip in having a diamond look bigger than it actually is. When choosing the right diamonds, consider the 4Cs: cut, colour, clarity, and carats. Together, these details are indispensable in your engagement ring quest.
Given the market is in a constant state of flux, there is no fixed price for a 1-carat diamond. This is why we adjust our prices at BAUNAT every week to reflect market dynamics, ensuring you always get the most fair price.

How To Pay Less For the Same Amount of Diamond Carats in Your Engagement Ring?

You can also spread the total carat weight over several smaller diamonds. Engagement rings with two diamonds and even trilogy engagement rings with 3 diamonds are hugely popular at the moment. The more stones, the greater the brilliance and the bigger the diamonds will appear.
Woman is holding two diamonds rings. BAUNAT on diamond carats in engagement rings.

Which Other Precious Stones Can You Add to a Diamond Engagement Ring?

Diamonds may perhaps be the most valuable precious stone, but it is not the only one deserving of that name. Sapphire, emerald and ruby are similarly described by carat weight and are also exceptionally valuable.

Blue sapphire, green emerald and red ruby are cheaper than diamond by carat but they are still very rare and as such extremely valuable. Do you want to have more carats in your engagement ring but also attain a more unique appearance? If so, opt for a coloured precious stone as the central stone in your engagement ring.

Browse all our sapphire, emerald and ruby jewellery here

What About Precious Metal Carats?

Woman is holding two diamonds rings. BAUNAT on diamond carats in engagement rings.
As previously mentioned, the value of the precious metal is also expressed in karats. So, you may also want to consider the karats of the precious metal in your engagement ring as well. While diamond carats indicates the weight of the stone per 0.2 grams, in precious metals, karats indicate the mixed-metal content in the alloy.
Woman is holding two diamonds rings. BAUNAT on diamond carats in engagement rings.

What Does Alloy Carat Actually Mean?

For an 18-karat gold ring , we use 75% pure gold and 25% silver, copper or palladium. 18-karat gold is the optimum jewellery content. Less than 18 renders the ring pieces less valuable, but pure gold is very soft and fragile. So more than 18-carat gold will make your ring less robust and too delicate for long-term wear.

Find out more about the precious metals you can choose from here

What About Platinum?

Platinum is an entirely different type of precious metal. Because of the metal's inherent durability, a platinum alloy is not recommended. That durability also makes the platinum more difficult to manipulate, so it is usually more expensive than red, yellow or white gold.
Woman is holding two diamonds rings. BAUNAT on diamond carats in engagement rings.

Platinum vs. White Gold

Because of its silver-grey colour, platinum is often confused with white gold, but there are still differences in the colour. i Platinum is more grey, whereas white gold is a glossy white. This gives platinum a sleeker, modern appearance, whilst white gold is more of an elegant, classic choice.

Learn more about the difference between platinum and white gold

Which Engagement Ring Will You Buy?

Try to find the right engagement ring for your loved one?   BAUNAT’s extensive range of engagement rings  may seem difficult to choose from. Your starting point could be the average price of engagement rings for each budget, but you can also request bespoke advice. Seek advice from our BAUNAT experts, by email, over the phone, by live chat,or make an appointment today.

What Else Should I Look Out For?

The cost of an engagement ring is important, but certainly not the only thing to take into account. If you choose to buy your engagement ring online, you can benefit from the best price-quality ratio. Read all about it in our below blog articles:

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