Why Millennials and Gen Z Fell in Love with 1-Carat Diamond Rings

Demand for classic diamond solitaires is experiencing a massive boom — and it's about far more than just marriage proposals.

When Parisian designer Charlotte Chesnais welcomed her firstborn in 2015, her husband gifted her an uncut 1-carat diamond that had belonged to his grandmother. "It was one of those stones that really stuck in my mind," she recalls. "It became a tool for understanding scale and proportion, and gave me an intuitive sense of what a refined diamond ring could look like in my own key."

A decade later, Chesnais has made her first major foray into the world of haute joaillerie, launching a collection of custom-made 1-carat diamond rings in her signature "fluid" style, writes the FT.

The New Driving Force of the Luxury Industry

Amid a severe luxury sector crisis, jewelry has emerged as a primary growth driver for giants like Richemont, Kering, and LVMH. Against this backdrop, independent contemporary jewelers find themselves ideally positioned to meet the surging demand for natural 1-carat diamonds.

• Scottish designer Ellie Mhairy Cameron notes that over the past 18 months, such diamonds have accounted for nearly 30% of all her engagement ring sales, turning into an unspoken "baseline standard."

• Los Angeles-based brand Spinelli Kilcollin records a 20% year-over-year increase in demand for natural 1-carat stones.

• Harrods department store is launching an expanded proprietary solitaire line in September due to overwhelming demand. According to jewelry buyer Beth Hannaway, for buyers, 1 carat represents the ideal balance of presence, versatility, and significance.

The Influence of Labs and Millennials

Although the lab-grown diamond market (valued at $29.5 billion) has created fierce competition, buyers of natural stones have begun investing even more: according to De Beers London, the average ticket size grew by 25% between 2023 and 2025, as did the average weight of purchased stones.

According to London jeweler Rachel Boston, the lab-grown diamond boom accustomed consumers to larger stones at affordable prices, shifting perceptions: now, a natural 1-carat diamond is perceived as the new starting point and a standard of prestige.

Additionally, demand is growing for antique cuts and visible natural inclusions. Paradoxically, fearing that a lab-grown stone that is too large might look fake, buyers consciously choose more modest yet impeccably authentic natural 1-carat pieces.

Individuality Over Conventions

Today, purchasing a 1-carat diamond ring is not only an investment or a traditional engagement attribute. An increasing number of people are buying them for themselves to celebrate personal achievements.

Millennials and Gen Z (who account for 78% of the natural diamond market in monetary terms) view jewelry as an extension of their personal style. Social media and pop culture stars — from Zendaya and Dua Lipa to Taylor Swift — are setting the trend for mindful design appreciation.

Designers note that 1 carat possesses the ideal visual presence: it is expressive enough to feel special, yet it doesn't overload the jewelry's architecture and remains comfortable for everyday wear. This is precisely why clients are increasingly wearing such rings on their pinkies, stacking them in multiple rows, or wearing them on different fingers, blurring the line between classic engagement jewelry and versatile everyday accessories.