The engagement ring game has been on overdrive since celebrities also started flaunting theirs. Finding a magnificent engagement ring becomes easier when you have a flexible and less restrained budget. However, if budget is a big factor in the purchase, one might consider buying a 1 carat engagement ring.
How to Buy a 1 Carat Engagement Ring
However, if your buying power is somewhere around the 1-carat stone spectrum, does that mean you will end up with a lame ring? Not necessarily. Jewelry buyers may be happy to know that a 1-carat engagement ring can be just as beautiful and precious as bigger 5-carat rocks–as long as you know how to choose and how to maximize carat power against your spending capability.
Explaining Carat Size
For new jewelry buyers, hearing the term “1-carat ring” may seem to refer to such a small or cheap accessory. However, in the technical term of the measure, a ring of this size would be a decent one for most engagement rings.
Jewelry enthusiasts and experts, however, know that the carat size is just one factor for ring appraisals. More importantly, carat size does not even dictate the actual size of the diamond in terms of dimensions. Each diamond shape can affect the appearance of how a 1-carat diamond will look like.
Choose a loose stone when possible
In a world of ready-made buys and off-the-rack options, it may appear easier to go the pre-made route. The same goes for ring shopping. If there is already a design available and ready to be wrapped, why not go for this piece?
The difference is in whether or not you want to maximize the value of a 1-carat stone. Jewelry experts recommend that buyers start with choosing a loose diamond and then deciding on their own settings and bands.
You can have a loose stone appraised for its value and 4Cs. These will always remain to be the strictest and most basic criteria for choosing a diamond. This puts you at the advantage of knowing exactly what the stone is graded for which category. The four Cs do not need to be high-quality all at the same time, especially if you plan on choosing the right setting and metal material for the band.
Retail engagement rings may not maximize this, especially for mass-produced versions. Play around with the C factor that you can splurge on and what you can sacrifice depending on your other decisions. For example, you can invest in cut as this ensures that engagement rings look the best and most brilliant that they can. If you are planning to pair it with a gold band, then a lower color diamond may be better than icy ones, as the gold band will reflect color onto the diamond anyway.
Appraisal isn’t just about size
As mentioned, the 4Cs of diamonds should be considered when looking for diamonds. Carat size is just one part of this method. A lot of buyers tend to fixate on this as it looks good on paper, but forget about the rest.
When you have your loose diamond appraised, don’t forget to put other factors as a more important requirement. For starters, the cut of the diamond can be the biggest make or break factor in how well your diamond ring will look.
Quality-cut diamonds tend to sparkle their brightest, with the right amount of fire, scintillation, and sparkle. No matter how big a diamond is, its beauty will be masked with poor-quality cutting. Consider a diamond still in the rough because it lacks craftsmanship when honed and cut.
Pricing A 1-Carat Engagement Ring
Because carat size does not always mean the exact weight of the diamond, you may ask, “Is 1 carat big enough for an engagement ring?” After all, this does not appear to immediately mean buying a smaller diamond.
Jewelry buyers need to understand the basic mechanics of pricing a diamond. One of the most basic things to remember would be the use of weight categories, which help determine the price of the diamond.
Size
Many people say that size does not matter in buying diamonds. However, some jewelry appraisers might beg to differ. In reality, appraisals may start by looking at the size. Bigger diamonds tend to fetch a higher price. The difference may lie in how the 4Cs can influence the presentation of the stone.
Size can also influence the stone and give it more value when it falls into one of the magic sizes. According to WP Diamonds, these magic sizes include 0.50 carats, 1 carat, 2 carats, and 5 carats.
This means that if you are choosing between a 0.9 carat and 1-carat engagement ring, it may be better to go with the latter. Even though a 1-carat ring may cost a bit more, the actual value of the diamond will be up to 20% per carat compared to the 0.9 carat option.
Shape
When reselling diamond rings, the shape of the diamond may be one of your bigger bargaining chips. Some shapes have a higher value compared to others. Round diamonds have the highest value. Other popular engagement diamond ring shapes like cushion cuts and princess cuts, as well as radiants and asschers will also fetch a good price tag.
Fancy shaped diamonds, like the triangle cut diamond ring, maybe tricky; they may be attractive, but if you are looking to resell these rings, know that they will have a smaller price tag. Some fancy shapes tend to follow the trends, so if it happens that your ring is less popular during that time, it may fetch even less.
You may want to know about the price point of various popular designs. Start by asking, “How much is a 1 carat Tiffany engagement ring?” as that can be a good gauge for what’s in the high-end market. Knowing the price point for typical engagement rings, especially for fancy-shaped ones, will serve as your guide.
Polish and symmetry
Polish and symmetry affect the overall appearance of a diamond. While cut may be among the biggest factors considered for a 1 carat diamond ring price, these two can highlight the diamond’s appearance even more.
The artist’s craftsmanship can shine with these factors. This will potentially affect the grading more than the obvious appearance. However, as far as resale value goes, you should also consider these when choosing a diamond.
Fluorescence
Jewelry appraisers sometimes use tools like fluorescent light to further examine a diamond. Fluorescence may be better seen under UV light because diamonds that are high in fluorescence will have a blue glow. When examined up close and under magnification, this can also manifest in a milky white appearance for the diamond.
Higher grades from D to H may suffer from fluorescence. However, if you are buying a diamond that’s I or below, then this may not be such a big worry. In some cases, it can even help with the diamond’s appearance.
How To Make Your 1 Carat Ring Look Bigger
For some, a 1 carat engagement ring may still appear smaller than what you have in mind. If this is the case, you may want to hold off on searching for another diamond altogether.
Jewelry experts will suggest looking for ways to make your diamond appear bigger. Here are a few ways to work with a 1 carat diamond without breaking your budget.
Go with Excellent ratings for cuts and brilliance
If you already asked yourself, “How much is a 1 carat engagement ring?” chances are you are working with a budget. If this is the case, make sure to focus your resources on the cut and brilliance of the diamond.
Excellent cuts mean the diamond will have a brighter shine. This creates the illusion of a bigger diamond, even without magnification.
Fancy shapes make for bigger diamonds
Fancy shapes always have the biggest table surface. As such, choosing them can help if you want to focus on getting a diamond with better color or clarity of the diamond. Go with shapes like the oval, pear-shaped, or marquise diamonds.
For a 1 carat diamond stone, these shapes can appear larger. Oval diamonds can be as big as 8.12 mm to 5.41 mm. Pear-shaped diamonds can have an approximate size of 9.05 mm x 5.45 mm. Finally, because of its elongated shape, the marquise diamond can have a table surface size of 10.38 mm x 5.19 mm.
Any of these diamond shapes can look great on 1 carat stones. Given how fancy shapes can be worth less than round diamonds, however, this will be a toss-up between what you need to prioritize.
Enhance the stone with the band
Just because you want a great diamond doesn’t mean it should be the only focus of your hunt. When looking for an engagement ring, make sure to get the thinnest band possible for the diamond and setting you choose. A thin band makes the diamond look bigger, especially with the right setting.
Choose the best metal color to enhance your diamond ring. Platinum metal serves as a great match for a 1 carat engagement ring, particularly for diamonds with high clarity and no color. Its icy white color reflects onto the diamond. For diamonds with a J grading and below, choose a warmer metal, like gold or rose gold. In this way, you can choose a lower-grade diamond since the setting will reflect and warm up the color of the diamond.
Choose the proper setting elements
Settings can create the basic look of a ring. Some settings are very modern, like the tension setting. Others are more traditional, such as the cathedral setting.
Beyond the look, the setting can help give the impression of a bigger diamond. One factor that jewelry experts usually consider is working with the entirety of the ring. This means helping the client not only decide on the diamond but also guiding them in choosing the appropriate setting.
Expert tips suggest that slimmer settings work well to enhance the diamond. They usually avoid bezel settings, as these tend to highlight the entirety of the diamond. If you have a smaller diamond, encasing it in a metal setting will only serve to highlight the size.
Elevate the diamond with a pronged or solitaire setting. Better yet, if you want a more antique ring style, go with a cathedral setting, which adds height and elaborate design to your ring. Finally, experts also agree that pave settings work best with smaller diamonds. By buying a budget-friendly center stone and adding smaller diamonds around it, you can create a more gorgeous 1 carat diamond ring size.
Ring Shopping: Some Things To Remember
Before embarking on your next shopping trip, make sure that you know what you are looking for. Having a lot of options may be a good problem. But it can become a big inconvenience if it ends up messing with your priority criteria in making a choice.
The standard size to remember when shopping
You’d be happy to know that even if 1 carat seems like a small stone, it is actually bigger than the average for most Americans. Most engagement rings sold are somewhere in the 0.90 carat range.
Before you try finding anything higher than a 1 carat ring, try to see what your options are. Start with loose diamond sellers and see if you can create the perfect ring from scratch.
If not, try to find ready-made engagement rings while focusing on the most important criteria. Treat that engagement ring like it’s an investment, so make careful and deliberate decisions for each factor.
Conduct the most appropriate adjustments
Budget can majorly restrict your buying power and options. If you find yourself on these crossroads, try to be flexible in two areas: color and clarity.
Your diamond’s color can be affected by the setting, while clarity can be easily balanced with a good cut. Expand your options by tucking in some of these parts, and splurging on the more important aspects. Remember, the diamond is just the first ingredient. You still have to decide on other things like band and setting style.
Always get the right size
This seems like a very common sense tip, but some jewelry buyers still forget. While ring adjustments are very common, nothing says “well-thought-out” than a ring that fits your finger perfectly.
You may also be tempted to go with adjustable band styles to play it safe. Unless this enhances the shape of your diamond, your best bet would be to make sure that the style of the ring matches your partner’s preferences.
If you want to learn more about engagement rings, read our article “Ultimate Shopping Guide For Engagement Rings: What You and Your Partner Need To Know.”
