Hawaiians Buy the Biggest Diamonds - Shane Co.

RAPAPORT... Consumers in the state of Hawaii are purchasing engagement rings with an average diamond size of 1.20 carats, the largest in the US, according to Shane Co.The retailer and manufacturer, which claims to be the biggest privately owned jeweler in the US, surveyed data of its ring sales over a five-year period from 2015 to 2019. It also found the average diamond size across the country was 0.92 carats. Customers in New York also believed size matters, with engagement-ring stones averaging 1.10 carats - the second-highest nationally. It was followed by New Hampshire at 1.06 carats; Florida at 1.04 carats; and Washington, DC, and Mississippi, both at 1.02 carats. Vermont came last, with an average size of 0.68 carats, the jeweler noted.Overall, halo settings were the most popular choice for Americans: 41 states plus Washington, DC, picked it as their favorite. Consumers chose the style for at least one in every five proposals, Shane Co. said. Five states favored vintage, while people in Connecticut, Maine and Washington state preferred a more classic design. Delaware was the only state that varied from the dominant trends, choosing split-shank as the most popular style.Only 3.6% of customers across the US bought rings that included colored stones, with the largest number purchased in New Mexico, making up 12% of sales. Shoppers in West Virginia and New Hampshire opted for the more traditional route, with Shane Co. not selling any engagement rings with colored stones in those states.Image: A cushion-cut halo engagement ring. (Shane Co./Instagram)