To find an ideal 3-carat diamond engagement ring is a great and very exciting experience that can make you completely lost in options. It may be a great thing as well as the source of doubt and hesitation. Is it a good choice? What should you keep in mind while considering it? Here you’ll find all you wanted to know about 3-carat diamond engagement rings, and a bit more 🙂
Will my 3 ct diamond be too large and tacky for an engagement ring?
If you are afraid that your 3-carat diamond ring may look too showy keep in mind that:
something tacky for you can be rather normal for others.
It’s quite a non-objective thing. Do you have any parameters which will tell you that your ring may be bolder than an average one? For example, the ring of your grandmother looks restrained and delicate, so any extravagance compared to it will strike the eye. Or most of your friends have bought 2.5 ct engagement rings and you feel confused thinking your stone will be bigger. Think what really means tacky for you and you will understand if you are ready for a 3 ct stone.
Your fingers also matter. A ring looks great on someone’s hand, and on the hand of another person, it may seem to be out of proportion. Girls are usually aware of it while trying rings at a store. Source: reddit.
Also, you have to know that not only the stone size determines the overall impression from a ring. The setting of a ring, the cut of a stone, its color/clarity, and surely your budget play a role here. Let us talk about these points in detail.
Which shape will be ideal for a 3-carat diamond ring?
First, let us distinguish between the shape and cut of a stone. The shape is particularly the geometrical form of a stone. So, when people talk about round, or pear-shaped, or oval stones, they mean exactly the shape, although they may not be aware of it. But the cut of a diamond defines its brilliance and sparkle.
For example, an oval-shaped diamond can be cut poorly and will look dull and unattractive. It will still be oval-shaped and you can say “this diamond has an oval cut” but the cut means, first and foremost, reflective qualities which a diamond will have (shallow or deep, dull or brilliant). The cut, not the shape, determines the sparkle and brilliance of your stone
To find your ideal 3-carat diamond ring, firstly, choose the desired shape. For 3 ct diamonds, jewelry stores usually offer the three in their opinion most flattering shapes:
- round;
- oval;
- princess.
However, while deciding on a custom-designed ring, you can choose any shape you like.
After the choice is made, estimate how fine the cut of your stone is: remember that the look of your 3 ct diamond depends mostly on the quality of the cut (not shape!).
Which size will be a 3-carat diamond?
The size and the carat don’t mean the same thing. Carat refers to the weight of the diamond, whereas size in mms refers to the visual appearance of a stone. By the way, the weight of a 3 ct diamond of any shape and cut is 600 milligrams or 0.6 grams.
But here we talk about the outer appearance (width and length in mms) of a 3 ct stone. And these measurements can be different for diamonds with equal carat weight.
For example, a 3 ct oval-shaped diamond ring may appear a bit larger than a 3 ct round cut diamond in a solitaire setting.
So, you see that the same carat weight can look a bit smaller or larger, depending on the shape/ form. The best advice here can be just to compare different types of shapes on your finger while trying. Moreover, you will note that the setting of a ring counts as well: this we are going to discuss next.
Which settings are ideal for a 3-carat diamond ring?
A ring setting is a way how the stone is set into the head of the ring. The most classic one is the prong setting.
It’s a good option for a 3ct diamond, if you like a stone with a minimal amount of metal around — it will be held in place only with 4 or 6 prongs. This allows light to pass through the stone and adds brilliance and sparkle.
The halo setting is one more option to make your stone appear flashy, yet elegant. Your 3ct diamond will be a centerpiece surrounded by smaller stones.
It will give the ring a glamorous and romantic look.
In the pavé setting, small diamonds are set into tapered holes in a metal surface to create a “road” of uninterrupted diamonds in the band, which can make your 3ct stone look even more impressive. In a custom designed ring, the gaps between stones will be minimal with a simless effect of a “diamond road”. In a premade (mass market) the gaps will be probably clearly seen.
So, depending on how you need your 3ct stone to look, you can choose one of these settings. Or think of a totally different setting for your custom-designed ring. Together with NinaVova, you will find which setting will totally fit your needs not only regarding the sparkle. More about the pros & cons of every setting you can read here.
Which color can be a 3 carat Diamond ring? Can it be a colored diamond?
Diamonds can occur in many colors from steel gray, white, blue, yellow, orange, red, green, pink to purple, brown, and black. The diamond of the highest quality will be totally white and transparent whereas other diamonds may have a slightly yellow hue.
The most expensive diamond color is red because it’s the rarest one. Pure red diamonds almost don’t exist. The less expensive diamond colors are brown, gray, and light yellow. They are the most commonly occurring and hence cheaper (don’t mix it with fancy vivid yellow hue which may be quite expensive). But this does not make them less attractive in an engagement ring.
Every hue has its advantages and beauty. For example, dark, near black diamonds (left picture) will not have the sparkle of a colorless one, but they will glitter mysteriously with a metallic kind of shine. Also, look at salt-and-pepper diamonds (right picture) which have inclusions creating an unusual mottled effect.
So, you see that the color (and the clarity) of a 3ct diamond may significantly influence its price. For example, though black diamonds are rarer than colorless diamonds, they generally cost less. The reason is simply because of supply and demand.
The price: can you have a 3-carat diamond at a reasonable cost?
From all that is written above, you can assume that:
- Among 3ct diamonds, there are less expensive stones with lower clarity and color grades (still looking great) and, surely, there are much more expensive diamonds with a purer color and clarity grade.
- The price is defined not only by color & clarity: the cut also plays a significant role. A poorly made cut can kill the beauty of the diamond. The lowest prices usually represent diamonds with poor quality cut and shapes. It will still sparkle but will not make a wow impression.
- Your ring setting also influences the price. Depending on overall design and performance, the price will be lower or higher.
Do I have to insure a 3 carat Diamond ring?
Before we will come to great alternatives to 3ct diamonds in an engagement ring, you have to know something else that can increase the costs for your diamond: we are talking about insurance. Many owners of 3ct diamond rings regard it as a prudent move to feel free from any anxiety in the future. An average rate of a diamond engagement ring insurance may be approximately 1-2% of the ring price, so for a 3 carat diamond it will be about $200-400 per year.
If your 3ct diamond ring is quite expensive, it’s better to insure him. Take into account insurance costs while planning your budget. Source: reddit
Great alternatives to a 3-carat diamond ring
People like the freedom of choice nowadays more than anytime before: they just miss it due to the world current situation. Diamond alternatives allow you to have your free independent choice apart from any outdated stereotypes.
For example, your engagement ring will be great with a 3ct moissanite stone. Synthetic moissanite is colorless and shiny like a high-quality diamond, but as the refractive index of the moissanite is significantly higher, you will see more sparkle. Its physical and chemical properties are close to diamond’s though it’s another different stone (not a fake material or cheap diamond imitation!)
Moissanite will stay great-looking and brilliant over the years, and will not change either its purity or color. Moreover, the cut of lab-created moissanite is usually near to perfect, because there is no limitation in raw material. This makes it different from a diamond whose cut depends on used raw material and price. More about this mesmerizing diamond alternative you can read here.
There are also many gemstones whose sparkle is comparable to diamonds: white sapphire, topaz, tanzanite, sphene, sphalerite, demantoid garnet, spessartite garnet.
This white cushion-cut sapphire ring with delicately accented emeralds has a stunning sparkle depending on the angel’s view
Keep in mind that gemstones with lighter colors will exhibit more brilliance and fire than those of darker hues. Gemstones with deep or vivid hues are equally great for fascinating eye-catchy engagement rings far from average ones.
These are unique engagement rings designed by NInaVova with colored gemstones: bright blue tourmaline in the upper image, deep green emerald in the picture down.
To sum up, here are the most popular reasons why people often choose other stones instead of diamonds for their engagement rings.
- They wish to have something unusual and unique which makes them stand out from the crowd. Yes, the good old classic “diamond ring in a solitaire setting” is not forgotten. But today, it’s not something that strikes the eye and kills the viewer. And surely, the classic won’t express your own taste and personality insofar as it makes a custom-designed engagement ring. A ring with one-of-a-kind colored gemstone displays your own story (and not the story of other people or brands).
- People choosing alternatives to diamonds are fully aware that they also choose environmentally friendly and conflict-free stones. Engagement rings with alternative stones will not have any stories behind them such as financed civil wars or human rights abuses. Unfortunately, the trade in diamonds still gives rise to serious human rights violations.
- By choosing diamond alternatives in 2021 you are absolutely in trend. Diamonds may have been a girl’s best friend in the past, but among Millenials, this “magic spell” no longer works. Young couples refuse an old tradition and prefer colored gemstones so as they prefer to invest more toward an epic honeymoon and future family plan rather than for their engagement rings. Experts have drawn attention to this since 2017, as in The Telegraph: “A generation of marital-age people are now prioritizing other things such as weddings, housing, and the cost of having children, rather than splashing out on a really expensive ring”.
Every engagement ring embodies a unique love story of a couple. This unusual custom-designed ring from NInaVova with deep blue spinel stone has its story as well. Our client proposed in New Zealand and the mysterious hue of this blue gemstone symbolizes the ocean the couple crossed together.
Nowadays more than before everybody feels the necessity of deciding for himself what is really important for him/his soulmate in the future: to follow conventional public opinion & the good old classic or have space for his own needs, preferences, and dreams.
We from NinaVova respect any of your choices and will fulfill any design you need: from a crystal clear moissanite engagement ring to a bright & bold colored alternative. We are happy to offer something unique and long-lasting that makes you embody your own ideas and vision, without looking back at fast-fashion jewelry and the rapidly changing tastes of the crowd.