.5 Small On Size 5?

[NewHere456]

Would you consider this size diamond to be small? Or is .5 a good size in real life?

It's hard to tell with all the huge rings on diamond sites like this..

 

[Bron357]

A lot of us here have big diamonds but most of us, over the years, have worked up to that size.
The appropriateness of size can depend on your social circle and local environment.
In some areas like say Beverley Hills 2 carats would be small, other areas 1 carat and you’ll be sticking out like a sore thumb.
The most important thing is that starting out, you don't go spending too much money on a ring when there are bills to pay, a house to save up for and education fees still to pay. You should never go into debt to buy a ring in my opinion. If funds are tight, buy small and pre loved and down the track add a halo or upgrade when finances are better.
What size diamonds are her friends and co workers wearing ? If they are rocking 1 carat plus, well yes, then a .50 carat might seem small. But if everyone is wearing .3 to .5 carat, .50 carat is perfect.
My strongest advice re engagement ring buying is listen /know what your fiancé would love. If she has her heart set on a 1 carat diamond solitaire, don’t buy a cluster ring. If she is in love with sapphires, don’t buy a diamond. If she loves antique rings, don’t buy a modern one. To most women her engagement ring is her best and most important piece of jewellery so it’s important to get it right.
And if her heart is set a ring you can’t afford, talk about it, Ask what compromise might suit. I know I preferred a better ring than an extra fancy honeymoon.
Listen for the hints, the clues and talk if needs be.

 

[kal2021]

Try this site. You can enter specs for a .5 carat and edit finger size. I know it’s not real life but it will give you an idea. You can also visit some jewelry stores and have the associates try them on for you. Hopefully they have a similar finger size, even if it’s not their ring finger!
https://www.diamdb.com/

 

[kal2021]

Check out this thread. .46 on a size 5.5 finger

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/dainty-diamond-my-46-g-si2-avr-solitaire.246452/

 

[MakingTheGrade]

It’s a hard question since it’s so subjective. Ultimately nobody’s opinion on it matters but hers. :/

 

[Heathcat24]

I LOVE the Under 1ct thread! It shows a lot of gorgeous smaller stones on different sized fingers, so it makes it easier to visualize. It might help to take a look through there!

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/under-1ct-diamonds.25028/

 

[MeowMeow]

I agree. You should check with her about the size. She may think that it is small. Of course she may not. She may love that size. We can't know as we are not her

But my opinion as someone who HAS a .47 carat stone is that it is an ok size. It will never ever look like any of those honkers that you see here. Not even on a tiny fingered lady. But I wear a size 6.5 and I have quite grown to like my centre stone. I had problems with it initially because I felt it was very small but my husband does not have money. (Dat jr enlisted lyfe) and so we used an heirloom stone. As time has gone by though I realised it isn't quite as small as I originally took it for with all the years of hearing how my size fingers are "huge" and that I need a carat or bigger to hide those fat fingers. And I have grown quite attached to it and it started to look normal.
To boot, where we are stationed this carat size is normal. I usually don't see more than a carat on most people. This is not to say I will not be getting something larger later. Just long windedly saying half a carat is not a chip.

So yeah. Big takeaway. Talk to her! See what she thinks! Nobody's opinion matters but hers. And take her to be professionally fitted for the ring. She may automatically gravitate to a certain carat weight and that might help too so she can see what she likes on HER finger

 

[AV_]

Wherever, whoever... - it is quite right to sport a token not a horde.

 

[mrs-b]

Would you consider this size diamond to be small? Or is .5 a good size in real life?

It's hard to tell with all the huge rings on diamond sites like this..

I'm going to go against the grain here and say I think it's small. It IS small - the question is: does she want small? She might think small is petite, elegant, delicate. Or she might think it's out of proportion to her finger, insignificant and disappointing. Only she can tell you.

One thing to be aware of, tho - a lot of women don't want to appear ungrateful - especially when they're in love with the giver! - so won't necessarily give you their real opinion. So dig a bit and make sure.

Re photos and CADs showing diamonds on fingers...generally, they look bigger than the diamond will in real life, because they center on the diamond on the finger and are blown up many times over for viewing clarity. In the real world you're looking at something no bigger than a cotton bud, so keep that in mind.

I'm not sure what shape you're considering (let's assume round), but I'd be looking for something in the .8 range. That will be obvious on her finger, without being large or clunky in any way. And it will be closer to the normal size people are buying these days. What other people have isn't something you need to consider for competition's sake, but if you're very new to this diamond buying business, you might just want an idea of what's 'normal'.

 

[sstephensid]

.5 is the smallest I would have wanted as a solitaire engagement ring. In fact, most stores don’t have much smaller than .5 preset. But, that doesn’t mean it is *too small*. It may be the perfect size for her.

And in certain countries or financial situations, bigger rings aren’t desired.

 

[strawrose]

I think 0.5 is small for a solitaire, but in a halo, it’s fine. Of course, it depends on the purpose of the ring and the preference of the wearer. Is it an everyday ring to substitute for the engagement ring? Is it a right hand ring? I like to wear smaller stone rings for everyday purposes. Then, you don’t have to worry as much about knocking the stone out.

 

[fluffboll]

It is all relative, really. Where I live (Scandinavia) the average size diamond for engagement rings has been 0.2 carats for years, although it seems to have increased lately. Maybe it is 0.30-0.40 carats nowadays? Please don't let yourself be pressured to buy more than she wants, or more than you can comfortably afford.

 

[mrs-b]

OP, I feel like this particular scenario is popping up multiple times on these boards. Do you have any other threads going under different names by any chance? If so, could you pls combine all these threads so we can better help you? Thanks and looking forward to helping you find the best possible diamond for your girl!

 

[motownmama]

I agree that a halo can make a .5 look quite impressive.

 

[vintageloves]

It's all in the setting, imo. I think one of the reasons .5ct would look small, is that those build-your-own-ring sites are putting them in settings that they don't scale down. Huge prongs, prongs everywhere, and diamonds set up way too high as a result. But pick the right setting, and .5ct becomes a wowzas! I'm seeing so many beautiful rings on instagram or pinterest that are .5 or below. They are truly works of art. But even a simple solitaire at that size can be very beautiful when done right.

 

[Lovesparklesparle]

I'm going to go against the grain here and say I think it's small. It IS small - the question is: does she want small? She might think small is petite, elegant, delicate. Or she might think it's out of proportion to her finger, insignificant and disappointing. Only she can tell you.

One thing to be aware of, tho - a lot of women don't want to appear ungrateful - especially when they're in love with the giver! - so won't necessarily give you their real opinion. So dig a bit and make sure.

Re photos and CADs showing diamonds on fingers...generally, they look bigger than the diamond will in real life, because they center on the diamond on the finger and are blown up many times over for viewing clarity. In the real world you're looking at something no bigger than a cotton bud, so keep that in mind.

I'm not sure what shape you're considering (let's assume round), but I'd be looking for something in the .8 range. That will be obvious on her finger, without being large or clunky in any way. And it will be closer to the normal size people are buying these days. What other people have isn't something you need to consider for competition's sake, but if you're very new to this diamond buying business, you might just want an idea of what's 'normal'.

I agree. I am not flashy and a bit of a tomboy. I was proposed to with a 0.6 with a better cut and it was big enough at the time. I had to return the ring for other reasons and happened to end up with an 0.8 (spread of 0.7-0.75) with lower clarity and cut grades, but the size difference was very noticeable to me, I was very happy about it. However it was happenchance, I would never have said I wanted a bigger stone even if I felt it for fear of seeming ungrateful as mentioned. And now, the 0.8 seems very small lol. I have a 1.125 waiting for me.

But definitely don’t compromise on the cut of the stone. I would still prefer the smaller 0.6 to the larger 0.8 due to the cut quality.