The 2025 Real Weddings Study found that 52 per cent of couples had an engagement ring featuring a lab-created diamond, an increase of 6 per cent from the previous year and 40 per cent since 2019.
The study, completed by The Knot, a wedding planning company, involved a survey of more than 17,000 US couples who got married in 2024.
Interestingly, the report found that the average spend on engagement rings declined to $USD5,200, a significant drop from $USD5,500 in the previous report. This decline was attributed to the increasing popularity of lab-created diamonds as an inexpensive alternative to natural diamonds.
This is an interesting contrast with a similar report from Easy Weddings, an events management company based in Victoria. The company publishes annual research that includes survey responses from thousands of engaged and newlywed couples.
The report provides data on budgets, demographics, and supplier preferences. The most recent edition identified a 3 per cent increase in spending on engagement rings over the past year, reaching $AUD5,854.
“The interest in lab-grown stones is also impacting the average weight,” the report explains.
“In 2024, the average carat weight of an engagement ring was 1.7 carats compared to 2021 when the average carat weight of an engagement ring was 1.5 carats.”
In terms of diamond shape, round (28 per cent), oval (25 per cent), emerald (10 per cent) and princess (10 per cent) were the most popular shapes. More than 70 per cent of engagement rings featured either white or yellow gold.
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