Without further ado… the most popular engagement rings feature a solitaire diamond. A solitaire diamond is a diamond that is set alone as a single stone raised above a band. It prominently displays the diamond, but does not dominate it. A solitaire diamond that is surrounded by smaller diamonds (ie baguettes or round stones) is also popular today. Three stone diamond engagement rings have become increasingly popular due to DeBeers’ marketing efforts. Three stone diamond rings are said to represent the past, present and future of your relationship with your beloved.
The most popular engagement ring band metals are gold (both white and yellow) and platinum. While platinum is stronger than gold and can withstand more physical abuse, it tends to scratch more easily. Since platinum is much rarer than gold, it tends to be much more expensive. To the untrained, platinum and white gold look similar to the naked eye. Over time, however, white gold will return to its original yellow color, as white gold is man-made and must then be re-plated. My personal preference is white gold as it is more fashionable than yellow gold but less expensive than platinum.
The round diamond is the most popular cut available. Shows the most fire and brilliance of all the available forms. The princess cut, which has a boxy shape, is next in popularity contest as it also has a lot of shine.
You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too many carats of diamonds. Big engagement rings are becoming more and more common these days. Americans tend to think that bigger is better (ie mcmansions, SUVs, etc) and engagement rings are no different. Gone are the days when one-carat engagement rings were considered substantial. Today it takes a 2 or 3 carat ring to cause a little wow and gasp.
My preference for engagement ring carat size is 1.0 to 1.5 carats. I want people to look me in the face/eyes when they talk to me instead of gawking at the size of my jewelry. My ring has a 1.25 carat diamond and some people have commented on the size of the diamond (although I have extremely small hands, which also makes the diamond appear larger).
A decent quality 2 karat ring will set you back around $12,00 – $14,000 bones, while a 3 karat ring will probably exceed $20,000. FYI… Carat is about the weight of the diamond and not the size. The largest diamond in carats has
If you want the look of a large diamond but can’t afford the price, here are some tips:
Avoid buying round diamonds. While they are the brightest of all the shapes, they also tend to appear the smallest. Oval and marquise shapes tend to appear larger than round diamonds as they are longer, creating the illusion of larger size.
A bezel setting is a good option to make a diamond appear larger. A bezel setting is where the diamond has precious metal wrapped around it, emphasizing the circumference.
Consider a 3 stone engagement ring versus a solitaire. A 3-stone engagement ring can add the weight of a solitaire, look just as big and responsible, but cost much less. This is because larger diamonds are rarer and therefore cost more than smaller diamonds that add up to the same carat weight.
Additionally, small accent side stones surrounding a center stone can accentuate the center diamond.
