at what carat weight do you wonder if a ring is "fake"?

[LGK]

I get asked constantly if my 3 1/2 ct OEC is real. Pretty much every day. I totally understand why- I dress fairly offbeat and quite a few tattoos, and I look pretty young for my age too which doesn't help.

It's not size that makes me wonder about rings. It's the plasticy lousy-quality CZ look. Or the setting being one I recognize from, say, QVC or something. If you have a really excellent quality fake, especially with some body color and an antique cut for example, and put it in a high end setting, those fool pretty much anybody. (I have one that's pretty much a dupe for my real OEC that I wear sometimes for fun on my right hand, and then I make people guess which ring is real, that's always entertaining for everyone!)

 

[soocool]

I once had a neighbor who had a fake 3+ carat RB in what obviously a cheap setting. She told me that the stone was a fake and asked if she put the stone in another setting would anyone know it was a fake. Well she put that stone in a white gold solitaire setting and to tell you the truth it looked really nice. While it looked fake in the previous setting I don't think anyone would question otherwise in the new setting.

I have seen some real stones that looked fake at much smaller sizes.

 

[yennyfire]

I guess I'm in the naive crowd. I don't ever think a stone is fake, though the "if the setting looks like crap and the stone is icy white" thing would probably make me think twice. In my part of Atlanta (suburbs) 1.5-2.0 ct. is the norm (this is based on my circle of friends, so it's a totally subjective opinion).

 

[Laila619]

2.0

When my stepfather's mother died it turned our her "two carat diamond" was a fake.

I just don't get that. If you can't afford a large diamond, then don't have one. Why try to fool people?

They're probably not trying to fool anyone. They just like big rocks (who doesn't?!), but can't afford one. So they wear a sim.

 

[AprilBaby]

I agree with Kenny again, its not the size, its the context. I rarely assume something is fake, but when you see someone who obviously can't afford it.....

 

[HollyS]

The average woman in these parts isn't going to wear more than 1-1.50. The rich here usually don't sport bigger than a 3ct.

So if I see Ms. Average sporting a honker . . . I think fake. And I could very well be wrong.

 

[Luckyeshe]

In my area and where I work I see a lot of rings that are from .8 to 2.0. I typically don't think a ring is fake until I notice that the ring doesn't sparkle at all and it's in the 3.0 and up size.

 

[DiaDiva]

I agree with Kenny again, its not the size, its the context. I rarely assume something is fake, but when you see someone who obviously can't afford it.....

ITA. It's the context. When I see bling at a super swanky mall here where a handbag is the price of a middle income person's annual salary, I usually assume the bling is real and those are some rocks. I've seen a woman with a tennis bracelet with 0.5 ct per stone and she did not have a small wrist!

 

[RedRobbin]

center stone only...

No.Ca,So Ca and N.Y.C avg is 2.89 ct

the mid-west avg is .53 ct

south. Fla and Tex avg is 2.72 ct.

the U.S. avg e-ring is .81 ct

PSer's avg is 1.22 ct. and growing thanks to all the upgrades ...

LOL, these all sound awfully made up DF, but I'm especially calling BS on the So Fla and TX average.

They are. The 'source' is DF, and the numbers are his guesses.

yes,but his guesses are very accurate.

Then your cat must have walked across your keyboard and hit "submit" during that post . . .

Ha ha ha. That's good! I'm worried people will think my new upgrade is fake. But by PS standards it's very normal size.