Couples Prefer Customization over Size

RAPAPORT... Couples are prioritizing personalization and overall costand quality rather than size when buying engagement rings, according to asurvey by wedding-planning resource The Knot. Some 45% of engagement rings contain custom-designedelements, the publication noted last week in a report based on a survey of over21,000 engaged or recently married couples. While diamonds were still the mostpopular center stone, featuring in 86% of rings, other precious stones aregaining momentum, and one in 10 couples opted for materials such as moissaniteor sapphire. "Couples are tossing and twisting engagement traditionslike never before, whether choosing to propose on top of a mountain in privateor at the location of their first date in front of family and friends," saidKristen Maxwell Cooper, The Knot's editor in chief. The national average outlay for an engagement ring rose4% to $5,900, versus $5,680 in The Knot's previous report in February. However,one in three proposers shelled out $1,000 to $4,000. Almost eight in 10 set abudget, with 80% of them deciding the limit themselves, and 20% discussing it withtheir partner. Roughly 50% of engagement rings contained one to twocarats in total, though one in four exceeded two carats. Some 47% selected around stone, with oval and princess cuts following with 14% each. Cushionsrepresented 9% of the market, while 5% picked pear-shaped stones. In addition, 15% of recipients of an engagement proposal preferreda lab-grown stone, "potentially as a result of a more ethical sourcing method,"The Knot added. Couples also showed a partiality for traditional purchasingmethods, with 40% using a local independent jewelry retailer, while 30% boughtfrom a national or regional jewelry chain. Image: An autumn engagement. (Shutterstock)