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Are you looking to surprise your partner with a unique marriage proposal? Or will you go down on one knee to pop the question traditionally? Whatever proposal you have in mind, make sure you spend enough time in finding the perfect engagement ring. But never an engagement ring without a stunning diamond,  of course! But how many carats to choose for the diamond in her engagement ring?

  • What does diamond carat mean?
  • What does precious metal carat mean?

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What does the carat weight say about the diamond?

Let us start at the beginning: 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. After all, 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.  Don't confuse this with gold karat however. Gold karat indicates the clarity of the precious metal, not its weight.  

To determine how many carats the diamond in her engagement ring should weigh, 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
Leo Robin

How many diamond carats does the average engagement ring have?

Looking at the global market, we can see that the average carat weight for an engagement ring lies around the 1.00 to 1.09 carat mark. A stone of comparable carat weight glimmers in approximately 19% of all engagement rings sold. How much will her engagement ring cost in line with this guideline? For a 1 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 we adjust our prices on a weekly basis to reflect market changes.

Would you like to see the current prices to get a clearer picture? If so, browse our range of diamond engagement rings now.
Woman is holding two diamonds rings. BAUNAT on diamond carats in engagement rings.
Tip: take a look too 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. This will soon save you up to 25%!

View a 1.20 ct. solitaire here.

Why you don't just look at how many diamond carats your engagement ring has

It may surprise you to know the weight of the diamond carats in her engagement ring is actually the least important factor. Higher quality is better than a higher carat weight.  It is important to also take into account the cut, clarity and colour of the diamond. A smaller diamond with a better cut will sparkle beautifully and will therefore look bigger than it actually is. And that's not the only tip in having a diamond look bigger than it actually is. We call all the key aspects to take into account  the 4 Cs. They 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 to see the correct amounts.

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 2 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.

 

Learn more about the BAUNAT jewellery quality criteria in this clip
Woman is holding two diamonds rings. BAUNAT on diamond carats in engagement rings.

Which other precious stones can I incorporate in her diamond engagement ring?

Diamond might 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 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 precious metal is also expressed in carats. Where diamond carat indicates the weight of the stone per 0.2 grams, with precious metal it indicates the precious metal content in the alloy.  So, for the ring alloy jewellers combine gold with various types of precious metal. 
Woman is holding two diamonds rings. BAUNAT on diamond carats in engagement rings.

What does alloy carat actually mean?

For an 18 carat gold ring we use for example 75% pure gold and 25% silver, copper or palladium.  18 carat 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 hard-wearing.

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

What about platinum then?

Platinum is an entirely different type of precious metal all together.  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 it is precisely in the colour that the difference lies.  Platinum is more grey, whereas white gold is more 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?

Undecided as yet which engagement ring you will put on his or her finger?  The extensive range of engagement rings in our collection makes your choice no easy task.  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.

Browse our engagement rings now

What else should I look out for?

The cost of an engagement ring is a key, definitive aspect, but certainly not the only one to take into account.  Are you curious as to why it is advisable to buy your engagement ring online, or how you can get the best price-quality ratio? You can read all about it in these blogs.

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