Back to top: Advanced Search. For most consumers, the 1 carat mark is a psychological size that is highly desired. Even some celebrities are opting for this alternative. As we’ve discussed often on this website, buying a diamond as a non-expert can be a stressful and confusing process. The naked eye can’t distinguish a colorless D-F diamond from the near-colorless G-I diamond. Growing up, his parents were jewelers who worked in the industry for decades. Size up to a 1.00 carat round diamond and the diameter is 6.4mm — a modest 0.6mm increase. Avoid Diamonds Without GIA or AGS Certificates. As always, we’re happy to help if you need expert assistance choosing a diamond or setting in this price range. For example, this 1.25 carat, K color, VS2 round brilliant cut diamond looks beautiful and only costs $4,570, allowing you to match it with a warm, beautiful gold setting like this classic 14K yellow gold split shank solitaire engagement ring for a total price of $5,100. All said and done, $3000 is still a lot of dough to throw at some rocks and metals. We’ll get into how much an average engagement ring is, and show you where you should, and shouldn’t, compromise on cost. This 1.00 carat diamond of the exact same color and clarity costs $4,260. For example, a 0.75 carat round cut diamond measures about 5.8mm in diameter. Who said your engagement ring has to have a diamond? Affordable Engagement Rings The 19 Most Stunning Engagement Rings That Cost Less Than $3,500 As POPSUGAR editors, we independently select and write about stuff we … This is because the term “one carat” is as much psychological as is physical. How Much to Spend ♦ 11 Affordable Engagement Rings ♦ How to Budget ♦ How to Make Your Ring Look Bigger. Every diamond is hand-picked to match your setting and hit your budget. With a budget of $4,000 for an engagement ring, you could pick one of the 0.75 to 0.90 carat diamonds recommended in our $3,000 section and pair it with a larger, more impressive pavé, halo or side-stone setting. Both of these vendors offer a diverse range of diamonds and great value for money, letting you buy the highest quality diamond and setting for your $3,000 to $5,000 budget. With these tips, you can get a stunning engagement ring for $3000. The most we’ll pay per item is $1,000. The trick is to know how to get more for your dollar. Most settings are much more expensive. You’ll almost always get the best value for money by building your engagement ring with a loose diamond and a separate setting. There’s almost no difference in size between a 1.00 carat diamond and a 0.95 carat diamond, but due to demand for a diamond of one carat or larger, diamonds above the 1.00ct mark often sell at a premium. $3,000 for an engagement ring is a good budget. Starting married life without additional financial stress is a feeling that’s hard to put a price on. Find a store. 1 Carat Diamond Engagement Ring Ideas for a $4,000 Budget. To avoid buying a diamond that isn’t as good as it looks on paper, we recommend only buying diamonds that come with certificates from the GIA or AGS. DISCLAIMER: We don't use your email for marketing. We’ve explained why in our guide to diamond certificates. Your engagement ring and any other portable items are not specified, or listed separately, on your policy. For example, this stunning 1.2 carat, K color, VVS1 round diamond set in a beautiful 18K yellow gold solitaire ring is $4,860. With a budget in the $5,000 range, you’ll be able to choose a significantly larger diamond. With a budget of $3,000 to $5,000, you’ll have no problems buying a beautiful diamond engagement ring that’s close to the average size. While earth-grown diamonds are found in nature, lab-grown diamonds are grown… in a lab. Likewise, the slight difference in color between these two diamonds is somewhat visible when you view them on a brightly-lit computer or phone at 20x magnification, but it’s very difficult to see in person without bright lighting or a jeweler’s loupe. If you’re looking for an engagement ring with a round diamond around the one carat mark, you’ll be able to afford one with a budget of $4,000. However, the $7,650 difference in price is easy to notice in any situation. For example, this 0.80 carat, H color, SI1 clarity diamond would look stunning in this cushion halo diamond engagement ring, all at a cost of $4,135. Read on for more engagement ring wisdom! I would definitely not recommend mall stores, as I don't consider them good values and I often question the quality of their products and stones. We recommend only choosing diamonds that have an Excellent (if GIA certificate) or Ideal cut (if it has an AGS certificate). And while with a $3,000 to $5,000 budget you might not be able to get something overly big and flashy, you can increase the size of the center stone and add other details throughout the rest of the ring to really make it stand out. Diamonds of this size can also look incredible in halo settings. You’re on a tight budget and have only $3000 saved up for an engagement ring. Their pricing is also extremely competitive, meaning you’ll get a great diamond at an industry-leading price. In the example above for the 1.0 carat lab grown diamond for $2000, the SAME diamond for an earth-grown diamond would be $5,690! We recommend buying your diamond engagement ring from James Allen or Blue Nile. For example, this beautiful 1.06 carat, H color, VS2 clarity princess cut diamond is $3,847. https://www.theknot.com/content/non-diamond-engagement-rings, 1-carat blue sapphire gemstone costs just over $300. As we’ve covered in our diamond price guide, diamonds increase in price exponentially as they get larger. there’s absolutely no need to spend two to three months’ worth of your salary on an engagement ring. Sticking to a budget doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice the quality or the beauty of the engagement ring you give to your loved one. Online diamond jewelry vendors like James Allen and Blue Nile make this simple by providing easy-to-use engagement ring builders. If you can afford to spend $4,000 or $5,000 for an engagement ring, you’ll be able to choose a larger diamond and select from a wider range of settings, including more ornate pavé, halo and side-stone engagement rings. Remember Princess Diana and Kate Middleton’s stunning sapphire engagement rings? The Shops at Hilltop; Richmond. For example, this beautiful 0.90 carat, I color, SI1 clarity round cut diamond would look great with this classic French pavé engagement ring, all for a total cost of $4,794. 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