2 carat engagement rings

How do you choose the perfect 2 carat engagement ring?
What does a 2 carat engagement ring cost?
How do you get the most for your money?
How to find the perfect setting for your engagement ring?

2 carat halo diamond ring

The diamond is surrounded by a halo of diamonds giving the ring a bigger look.

A 2 carat engagement ring is the most popular choice when it comes to popping the big question.

2 carat is a nice size that looks good on all hands. It is noticeable without being too much and it sells at a price point most people can afford.

Before you pawn all your belongings, make sure that 2 carats is the best choice for you and your “wife-to-be.”

Buying an engagement ring is a difficult, frustrating and confusing process for most guys.

Obviously, we all want to give our ”wife-to-be” the most amazing, special and unique diamond ring.

But, when it comes to diamonds, special and unique means that you have to pay some serious dough.

So this little guide is for the guy who wants to make his girl feel special and unique without breaking the bank.

In other words, getting as much as possible for your money and still making your girl feel like the luckiest girl in the universe.

So what is the big secret? How do you get the diamond deal of the century?

I’m glad you asked. Here it is.

Diamonds are all about supply and demand. Like shopping for a car. It will be easier for you to get a good deal on a Chevy Impala or Ford 250 than on a custom-made Ferrari.

And you want to choose something that will remain popular and desired.

You don’t want to buy a 10,000 sqft house on the corner of a big intersection or right next to a nuclear plant or battery factory.

You want to find a 2200 sqft 3 bedroom house in a nice diversified neighborhood close to good schools and a Whole Foods Market.

Same with diamonds. To get the most for your money, you will have to find diamonds that are in oversupply but timeless in style and quality.

The key is, the more “normal” the diamond, the lower the price.

“Normal” here does not equal bad or low quality. It simply means, the most normal.

Diamonds are measured and graded according to international standards with the rarest stones graded further out on the scale.

You want to find the normal distribution. You want to find the amazing looking diamond that is not rare. You want to find the Ford 250 of diamonds.

I already mentioned that 2 carat is the most popular engagement ring. But that is like saying that the pick-up truck is the most sold car in America. It is true, but there is more to it.

How to decide on the size of the diamond?

Let’s be honest. We all would like to give the love of our life the biggest rock of a diamond. Unfortunately, most of us are on some kind of budget.

So first thing is determining your budget.

How much is a 2 carat engagement ring?

Depending on the quality of the center stone, a “normal” 2 carat engagement ring normally sells between $3,500 and $10,000. However, if you want the best of the best you have to spend much more. A flawless clarity stone with no color (Color D), which is the rarest 2 carat diamond out there, can cost around $30,000

You are in a good spot if your budget is $3,500 to $10,000 because that is the range most 2 carat diamond rings trade at.

Since the 2 carat diamond is the most popular and requested ring out there, you can be sure that your local jeweler has one ready for you to look at today.

As you already know, a pick-up truck is not just a pick-up truck.

Likewise, a 2 carat engagement ring is not just a 2 carat engagement ring. It comes in many different cuts, styles, settings, and qualities.

When it comes to style and setting, I hope you paid attention to your girlfriend’s wishes and likes. If you somehow have no clue what she likes, try to ask one of her girlfriends. If she has no clue, then please go for a 2 carat solitaire diamond ring.

But let’s come back to style and setting later.

Now, let’s focus on the factors you are in charge of.

Color and Clarity

The price of the diamond depends on the clarity and color you choose.

Yes, pay attention to this part since it involves you paying for it.

Obviously, the lower the clarity, the lower price. Same with color. D is colorless and the most expensive. Z is the cheapest and is kind of cloudy, milky and yellowish.

High clarity and Z color might be okay for you if the diamond sits in a bigger halo setting. More about settings later….

But generally, if your budget allows, stay away from I2 and I3 clarity since these will have a low resale value. These are the houses next to the battery factory. Remember, we are looking for the nice house in the good neighborhood.

Hopefully, you will never have to sell the ring, but it is nice to know that what you have is easy to sell at a high price in case you one day have to.

Same goes for the lower grades of color. Stay away from W, X, Y, Z due to the lower resale value. Again, we are not looking for a custom build roadster, we are looking for a Ford or Chevy.

So the safe bet is to go with diamond clarity from VS1 to I1 and a diamond color of V or higher.

Here it is! The go to, safe bet, can’t go wrong 2 carat engagement ring.

This beauty is spectacular, looks great and at the same time, it’s every jeweler’s bread and butter.

A diamond like this (2.02 carats, K-L, I1) has historically increased in value so chances are that you one day can sell it to a higher price than what you paid today.

Classic 2.02 carat solitaire diamond ring

Setting and shape

The setting is a fancy word for the ring the diamond is attached to. The ring that goes on the finger with a diamond in it.

I think your girlfriend will say no if you show up with the diamond without a setting.

Settings come in many different shapes and forms. so there is definitely a risk that you will pick something she doesn’t like.

Hopefully you have paid attention to all the small hints your girlfriend has been giving you the last couple of years so you know what she wants.

Yes, she has been giving you plenty of hints. Think about the last time she made you watch a romantic comedy. What did she say when he proposed?

Or last time you walked through the jewelry department of Macy’s. Did she say anything?

Or last time you guys went to a wedding, what did she say about the ring?

If you are still clueless, then I’ll make it easy for you. Go with a plain white gold 2 carat diamond solitaire ring.

This is like painting your walls white or wearing a dark suit to a wedding, you just can’t go wrong. And trust me, if the diamond is 2 carat you will be more than fine.

But if you are the kind of guy who has paid attention to your girl’s likes, then you have a lot of options to select from.

First of all, the setting is the inexpensive part. 90% of all settings cost below $1,500, with the average price around $300-$700. Generally, there is not much of a price difference between the different settings.

Here is an insider secret from the jewelry industry. Diamonds and settings are not married. Jewelers take diamonds in and out of settings every day, all day long. Meaning, if you see a setting you like but don’t like the stone, you just ask the jeweler to change the stone. And the other way around, too.

So right now please focus on the setting, not the stone.

These are all the things you have to consider.

Metal
Diamonds
Style: Pave, Halo, Solitary

Let’s start with the metals: Platinum, White Gold, Yellow Gold or Rose Gold.

This part is easy. What metal should the ring be made of? Do you just love Rose gold? Or do you want the ring to match the fillings in your teeth?

White gold is the most popular and looks like silver. Yellow gold looks like yellow gold and rose gold has a darker almost redly shine to it.

All the golds cost the same, so it is just a matter of preference

Platinum is the expensive option of the metals. Looks like silver and most people would not be able to tell the difference just by looking at a ring.

Platinum is known as the most precious metal on earth, which is pretty cool, but other than that there is not really any practical reasons why you should choose platinum over any other metals.

Other than if your girlfriend is allergic to gold, silver or nickel. This is really something you should know about her at this point.

If that’s the case, your only option is to pay up for platinum.

Do you want diamonds on the ring?

You are probably thinking, I already chose a diamond. Great if you did! But you also have to decide if the ring itself should have small diamonds on it to enhance the “bling bling” of the overall ring.

You can also choose if you want diamonds in the setting, which brings us to the next subject to discuss.

Solitaire, Halo and prongs

At this point you are probably thinking, buying this engagement ring is too complicated. Let’s postpone the engagement.

Don’t give up just yet. You made it this far and you are almost done (almost).

You have your diamond, you have chosen the metal and you know if you want diamonds on the actual ring or not.

Now let’s look at the different design styles for settings.

Currently, the most popular is the halo setting. The fashion within settings changes as it does with clothing, so the halo setting might not be the most popular option in 10 years from now. Likewise, it was not the most popular option 10 years ago.

But it is now, so that is all you need to know.

The halo setting surrounds the center diamond like a halo, with small diamonds, making the center stone look bigger.

Regardless of the size of your center stone, the halo setting really enhances the overall look and feel of the diamond. A great choice most girls like.

See all Halo engagement rings

Classic 2.02 carat solitaire diamond ring

Solitaire

Solitaire means that it is a piece of jewelry with a single diamond. Single, solo or whatever you want to call it.

The solitaire is a simple setting where one diamond is attached to the ring typically via 4 discrete prongs. The concept of a solitaire is for the setting not to steal the thunder from the diamond.

It gives the overall ring a simple, modern and clean look.

As mentioned before, solitaire is the safe timeless bet that will always look good.

Prongs

Prongs are the small things attaching the diamond to the solitaire setting. 4 prongs is the standard but you can also choose to get 6 or 8 prongs depending on the size of the diamond.

Let’s just be honest here. Who cares?

You are almost ready to put on your nicest clothes and bring your piggy bank to your local jeweler.

One last thing you have to consider though before you buy the ring of your dreams. Or her dreams….

Certificate

Should you only go for a diamond with a certificate?

The answer is yes.

Keep in mind though, a certificate is only as good as the paper it is printed on.

That means that basically everyone can make a certificate.

Maybe you want to start making your own certificates now that you know so much about diamond rings?

Please don’t.

There have been many stories about creative entrepreneurs who have started certificating everything without knowing what they were doing.

GIA is the king of certificates. If a diamond has been certificated by GIA, then you can be 99% sure that you got the real deal. However, you are paying a premium for a GIA certificate which might not be necessary for your needs.

There are a bunch of certification institutions with good reputations, and you should always ask to get a certificate with your ring.

Whether it is IGI, EGE or something like that, make sure you Google it just to see if it looks like something you would trust.