Engagement Ring Diamonds Are Getting Larger: The Knot

Couples are increasingly choosing larger diamonds for the engagement rings, according to research from The Knot, a popular site for wedding planning and resources.

A third of engagement rings in 2023 totaled over 2 carats, including side stones and accents. That was up 10% from pre-pandemic levels of 2019.

“The rise of lab-grown diamonds contributes to this increase as they’re typically less expensive than natural stones,” according to the site.

Diamond continued the most popular engagement ring stone, at 85%. Among those who went with a non-diamond stone, nearly 30% went with moissanite. That represented a 10% increase in popularity for moissanite since 2019. The stone was particularly popular among Gen Z couples.

As in previous years, round diamonds dominated in terms of shape, at 34%. However, oval (23%) and pear/teardrop (8%) have been on the rise in recent years.

The Knot Real Weddings Study included responses from 9,318 U.S. couples married between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2023. Respondents were recruited by email invitation from The Knot and/or WeddingWire membership.