The rocks on engagement rings and other beautiful jewelries are gem-grade, accounting for only about 20% of all mined diamonds. The rest 80% are industrial-grade, valued mostly for their hardness and thermal conductivity.
The cost of a diamond ring is largely based on the characteristics known as the "4C's"-clarity, color, cut, and carat weight. We often hear something like a one carat (or 1 ct) diamond ring. How much is exactly one carat then? 0.2 grams. That is, a 5 ct diamond weighs about 1 gram.
Clarity is measured on a scale ranging from pure (flawless) to heavily included (I-3).
In terms of color of a diamond, less is more, and no color is supreme. Body color is measured on a scale ranging from colorless (D) to deeply colored (Z).
Diamonds with excellent cut will flash in the light with beautiful sparkles. Even though most ring shoppers don't have professional training in gemstones, they can still get a feeling whether a rock is shinning or dime.
We often hear "the engagement ring should be a man's 3 months pay." Is it true? According to the Knot survey, people spend on average $5130 on an engagement ring. The US median family income is about $47000 per year, about $3916 per month, so roughly speaking, men spend about 1.3 times monthly salary. Of course, this estimate is very rough due to several factors. First, the family income is for a family of four. Second, this is pre-tax income, and we all know, diamond rings are not tax-deductible!
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