From Shane McMurray of The Wedding Report come these interesting 2011 stats about wedding rings. Being in the wedding industry, I found them quite fascinating.
* In 2010, brides and grooms spent $9.64 billion on engagement rings and wedding bands
* Just over $1 billion of the $9.64 billion was spent online
* Most couples purchase their engagement and wedding rings from large local (national chain) jewelers
* Other or Local (independent) jewelers make up the majority of the total market
* Diamond use for groom wedding bands saw the biggest increase in demand
* Engagement ring average carat weight is 1.18
* The diamond shape “Round” makes up more than half of what consumers want
* When it comes to diamond clarity many brides and grooms simply don’t know what it is
* White gold continues to be the most popular metal choice
* 26.3% of couples said they personalize or customize their engagement ring and wedding bands
* When it comes to engagement rings and wedding bands, brides and grooms say that durability, design and style are most important
* The bride and groom pay for more than 95% of the cost of the engagement ring and wedding bands
* The prime timeframe appears to be at least 6 months plus for both researching and paying for the engagement ring and wedding bands
* By far, most couples use Internet search engines to research their engagement ring and wedding bands
