FinancialsMar 19, 2026
Signet Jewelers to Close 100 Stores, Shutter James Allen BannerThe jewelry retailer announced changes to its store network and brand portfolio during its fourth-quarter earnings call.
EditorsFeb 26, 2016
A State-By-State Breakdown on Diamond Shapes and Sizes
Which states are home to the country’s biggest diamonds? What are the most popular diamond shapes where your store is located? Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff examines it all via White Pine’s new report.
Not many surprises here--round and princess-cut diamonds are the top most popular diamond shapes in the United States while the heart, the Asscher and the baguette lag, data recently released by White Pine shows.
Which state is home to consumers with the biggest and best diamonds (and no, the answer is not Texas)? What’s the popular most diamond shape in Alabama? California? Alaska?
These are some of the questions White Pine aimed to answer with a recently released report on diamond jewelry ownership in the United States.
Many jewelers already are familiar with White Pine, which has a business-to-business arm called White Pine Trading that buys and sells pre-owned jewelry and diamonds within the trade.
But, through WP Diamonds and WPDiamonds.com, the company also deals directly with thousands of consumers, which gives it access to a wealth of data about what type of jewelry and diamonds people actually own.
Matthew Howe, the company’s vice president of marketing, said White Pine has opted to begin sharing some of that data with the industry, and so it has published this first report, America’s Diamond and Jewelry Ranking.
The report is based on 15,000 consumer inquiries and interactions but, Howe pointed out, it is not a ranking of what’s selling at retail right now. It’s an ownership study, looking at what people already have and where they live.
There’s much to examine in the report and I had a hard time deciding where to begin but, in the interest of getting out of the office before 7 p.m. for once, I decided to go with diamond shape.
What the report shows about the most popular diamond shapes in the U.S. is not unexpected in the least, with round and princess-cut diamonds comprising the majority of the market.
What Howe said he did find surprising was that cushion-, emerald- and marquise-cut diamonds were all in the same ballpark in terms of ownership. A total of 4.8 percent of consumers included in the study owned a marquise, while 4.47 percent owned an emerald-cut diamond and 4.12 percent had a cushion; they were the three most commonly owned cuts after rounds and princesses.
The White Report also noted that since the launch of WPDiamonds.com in 2012, oval-shaped diamonds, which, as I understand it, are gaining ground in the market along with marquises and pears, have increased in popularity. They’ve gone from being the eighth most popular diamond cut in the country to the sixth in that three-year span. (And both ovals and pears are apparently very popular in Texas.)
From shape, we can move on to
size, meaning, what states have the biggest and best diamonds (two distinctly different categories in the White Pine study).
For me, there were absolutely no surprises when it came to the top five states for diamond quality: New York, Florida (home to many now-retired former New Yorkers), California, Connecticut (home to many people who have high-paying jobs in New York City) and Maryland.
Howe pointed out that Arizona and North Carolina, which, like Florida, are big retirement states for people with the means to do so, also ranked fairly high on the diamond quality scale, coming in at Nos. 15 and 17, respectively.
In addition to having some of the country’s highest-quality diamonds, Maryland and New York made it into the top five for average diamond size, which was analyzed by looking at loose stones, rings and diamonds set into jewelry but using only the largest diamond per piece for the data.
Maryland actually came in first with an average carat size of 1.75, followed by Michigan (1.69), Illinois (1.59), Alaska (1.49) and New York (1.47 carats).
The state with the smallest average diamonds was Vermont, at 1.03 carats.
Want to see more about what consumers own in the state where your store, or stores, is located? A complete rundown of the results is available to view at no charge on WPDiamonds.com.
For me, there were absolutely no surprises when it came to the top five states for diamond quality: New York, Florida (home to many now-retired former New Yorkers), California, Connecticut (home to many people who have high-paying jobs in New York City) and Maryland.
Howe pointed out that Arizona and North Carolina, which, like Florida, are big retirement states for people with the means to do so, also ranked fairly high on the diamond quality scale, coming in at Nos. 15 and 17, respectively.
In addition to having some of the country’s highest-quality diamonds, Maryland and New York made it into the top five for average diamond size, which was analyzed by looking at loose stones, rings and diamonds set into jewelry but using only the largest diamond per piece for the data.
Maryland actually came in first with an average carat size of 1.75, followed by Michigan (1.69), Illinois (1.59), Alaska (1.49) and New York (1.47 carats).
The state with the smallest average diamonds was Vermont, at 1.03 carats.
Want to see more about what consumers own in the state where your store, or stores, is located? A complete rundown of the results is available to view at no charge on WPDiamonds.com.
More on Editors
The Latest
SurveysMar 19, 2026
NRF Forecasts 4% Retail Sales Growth in 2026From a weaker labor market to inflation, NRF Chief Economist Mark Mathews gave insight on what retailers can expect this year.
AuctionsMar 19, 2026
26-Carat Diamond Tops $1M at AuctionThe historic stone, which sold at Elmwood’s in London, is the largest white diamond to be offered on the U.K. market in more than a decade.
Brought to you by
Protect Your Customers and Your BusinessYou deserve to know what you are selling–to protect your customers as well as your business and your reputation.
Events & AwardsMar 19, 2026
JCK Rocks To Ride With NellyThree-time Grammy award-winning artist Nelly is set to perform at the annual event at Tao Beach in Las Vegas on May 31.
Weekly QuizMar 19, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
AuctionsMar 18, 2026
Collection of the ‘Severely Beautiful’ Lady Wardington Fetches $161KThe model and fashion editor’s gold evening bags were the top lots at the London sale, going for more than $25,000 each.
PodcastsMar 18, 2026
Episode 3: An Interview With Jewelry Designer Johnny NelsonFresh off winning the David Yurman Gem Awards Grant, Nelson discusses the ring that launched his career and his plans for the future.
Brought to you by
Is This You? Every Jeweler Has This Problem; We Have the Solution.Every jeweler faces the same challenge: helping customers protect what they love. Here’s the solution designed for today’s jewelry business.
SourcingMar 18, 2026
Lucara Recovers Nearly 37-Carat Blue DiamondThe “stunning” Type IIb stone was found via x-ray technology at its Karowe mine in Botswana.
MajorsMar 18, 2026
Stuller Releases New Edition of Jewelry Education Book“The Basics of Jewelry” has been updated to include modern topics and visuals.
Events & AwardsMar 17, 2026
The Best Moments From the 2026 Gem Awards Held just before the Oscars, the jewelry industry’s big awards show had its share of standout jewelry, gowns, and acceptance speeches.
SourcingMar 17, 2026
Cruzeiro Mine Debuts ‘Winter Tourmaline’The Brazilian mine’s new collection features cabochons in soft, muted shades like silver and lilac.
TrendsMar 17, 2026
Natalie Portman Is Tiffany & Co.’s New AmbassadorThe Academy Award-winning actress stars in Tiffany & Co.’s latest commercial, which debuted Sunday night during the Oscars.
MajorsMar 17, 2026
Kering Establishes Jewelry Division, Appoints CEOThe organizational change follows Kering’s promise of a transformation after declining sales in 2025.
WatchesMar 16, 2026
TAG Heuer Has a New CEOBéatrice Goasglas has been with TAG Heuer since 2018. She is the first woman to head the 166-year-old, LVMH-owned watch brand.
IndependentsMar 16, 2026
Ben Bridge Debuts New Honolulu BoutiqueThe store features the first in-store build for the jeweler’s in-house “Bella Ponte” bridal brand.
AuctionsMar 16, 2026
Bonhams Paris To Offer Antique, Signed Jewels The live fine jewelry auction will take place later this week, showcasing antique pieces, rare gemstones, and signed jewels.
CollectionsMar 13, 2026
A Trio of Jewels from the 3 Gem Award Nominees for Jewelry DesignOur Pieces of the Week honor the 2026 nominees for the Gem Award for Jewelry Design, Silvia Furmanovich, Cece Fein-Hughes, and Catherine Sarr.
WatchesMar 13, 2026
Citizen, Vera Wang to Launch Watch CollectionThe 24-piece watch collection is set to debut in spring 2027.
SourcingMar 13, 2026
Andrea Pooler Joins Third-Generation Diamond Company as COO Pooler, who has more than 25 years’ experience in jewelry, is now chief operating officer of Modani Jewels, Soham Diamonds, and SNJ Creations.
MajorsMar 13, 2026
24 Karat Club of New York’s Banquet to Return to Waldorf AstoriaThe reopening of the Waldorf Astoria means a homecoming for the industry group’s annual event, which will take place Saturday.
CollectionsMar 12, 2026
Jessica McCormack Sends Gold, Gemstones Into ‘Orbit’McCormack looked to the 19th century’s “golden age” of astronomy when designing her new celestial-themed collection.
Events & AwardsMar 12, 2026
Johnny Nelson Wins David Yurman Gem Awards GrantNelson will be honored as the inaugural grant winner at the Gem Awards gala on Friday.
TechnologyMar 12, 2026
Caratwise Launches, Names Former Signet Exec CEO The new smart design software allows jewelers to configure, price, and confirm a custom engagement ring in real time for in-store customers.
SourcingMar 12, 2026
Grandview Klein Opens New Factory in South Africa The 10,000-square-foot diamond manufacturing facility officially opened in late February and employs 50 people.
Events & AwardsMar 12, 2026
MJSA ‘Future of Jewelry Making’ Scholarship Applications OpenThe MJSA Education Foundation’s scholarships support students pursuing jewelry careers.
AuctionsMar 11, 2026
‘Spectacular’ 26-Carat Diamond Going Up for Auction in London The largest white diamond to come to market in the U.K. in more than a decade, the VVS1, I-color stone is expected to top $1 million.
