Marisa Perry Blog

Is there a “normal” and dare you defy it?

Comparative sizes of average carat weights.

Ah, the curiosity of what is “normal”! While we don’t recommend our clients getting too hung up on carat weight, for several reasons, we do get asked this one frequently, and thought we’d satiate your curiosity in a blog post!

The average carat size here in the US is 1 carat, but that varies greatly across the bigger cities and particularly opulent areas, like parts of Texas and the South, and business hubs like LA, Chicago, and NYC, where the average gets distinctly weightier. Europeans tend to put less emphasis on their engagement ring, and the average in Europe is around .5 carats. The above image shows what those three weights look like alongside one another.

Last year, The knot – a very popular resource for all things bridal – published results that these numbers seem to be on the rise, with the US average creeping up between 1-2 carats.

The average stone size purchased for engagement rings here at Marisa Perry, is around 2.5 carats, with everything from 1 carat to 8 carat sales coming across the sales floor on the regular.

Now, bear in mind that “carat weight” is just a stone’s physical weight, and the same way that two women can weigh the same but look very different, so can diamonds. The shape has a lot to do with the spread of that carat weight, as does the precision of the cut, which ensures a stone is not bottom-heavy or poorly proportioned.

When it comes to the beauty of your stone, the most important factor is actually the cut, as this is responsible for the symmetry and sparkle of your stone, everything else is a sliding scale that we can use to leverage what you want to invest, and get you the most beautiful and sizable stone within your ideal price range. But to help you visualize the size and spread of the different cuts and carat weights, see our images below for rough guidance.

Classic Brilliant Rounds

Oval-Cut Center Stones

Cushion-Cut Center Stones

Emerald-Cut Center Stones

We have a full spectrum of stone shapes in our West Village Boutique, in a variety of carat weights, set in all of our setting styles for you to explore. Call to make an appointment, or feel free to pop in at leisure, and we will be delighted to show the full collection and walk you through the design process.

We look forward to seeing you!

For appointments: 212.566.8977 or email [email protected]