Wedding website The Knot shared its 2019 Jewelry and Engagement Study—an annual report that looks at how couples shop for and buy engagement rings—with members of the media last week.

The facts and stats were distilled from The Knot’s 2018 Real Weddings Study, which polled more than 21,000 couples who were engaged in 2018 or 2019. And several of its findings should prove useful for both bridal jewelry brands and engagement/wedding ring retailers.

Below are 10 facts and stats from the report that will be great to have in your back pocket this holiday season.

++ More than 70% of couples polled said it’s important to see the ring in person before purchasing. (And nearly four in 10 proposers purchase the engagement ring one to two months before the actual proposal.)

++ The most popular center stones are diamonds at 86%, followed by other precious stones at 10%, colored diamonds at 3%, and no center stone at 1%.

++ Other than diamonds, the most popular stones were moissanite (which has nearly doubled in popularity since 2017) at 19%, sapphire at 18%, and morganite at 12%.

++ The most popular metal is white gold (54%), followed by rose gold (14%), platinum (13%), yellow gold (13%), and sterling silver (7%).

++ The most popular center cuts are round (47%), princess/square (14%), oval (14%), cushion (9%), and pear/teardrop (5%).

++ About 90% of couples exchange one ring, while 7% of couples report exchanging two rings, and 4% don’t exchange rings at all.

++ Roughly 50% of engagement rings are between 1 and 2 carats in total, although one in four are more than 2 carats in size.

++ The national average cost of an engagement ring in 2019 is $5,900, although one in three proposers spend between $1,000 and $4,000 (seven in 10 proposers reported sticking to their budgets).

++ Average cost of engagement ring by region—Mid-Atlantic: $7,500; New England: $6,900; Southwest: $5,600; West: $5,500; Southeast: $5,400; Midwest: $5,300.

++ 94% of proposers report paying for the ring on their own, while 3% say their partner contributed.

Top: Former Bachelorette stars Bryan Abasolo and Rachel Lindsay Abasolo on their wedding day (image via: @theknot)

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