ColumnistsJan 07, 2026
Peter Smith: Physical Retail—The Beginning or the End?As the shopping mall model evolves and online retail grows, Smith shares his predictions for the future of physical stores.
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
Events & AwardsJan 07, 2026
Melee Adds 13 New Designers to NYC ShowThe trade show is slated for Jan. 31-Feb. 2 at The Lighthouse in New York City's Chelsea neighborhood.
TrendsJan 07, 2026
Amanda’s Style File: Go for GarnetJanuary’s birthstone comes in a rainbow of colors, from the traditional red to orange, purple, and green.
Brought to you by
Impacting Tomorrow TodayHow Jewelers of America’s 20 Under 40 are leading to ensure a brighter future for the jewelry industry.
SourcingJan 07, 2026
Diamonds Do Good Releases 2025 Impact ReportThe annual report highlights how it supported communities in areas where natural diamonds are mined, crafted, and sold.
Weekly QuizDec 23, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
CrimeJan 06, 2026
2 Jewelers Arrested After TraxNYC Diamond District BrawlFootage of a fight breaking out in the NYC Diamond District was viewed millions of times on Instagram and Facebook.
MajorsJan 06, 2026
Rio Grande Says These Are the Top Personalization Tools for 2026The supplier has a curated list of must-have tools for jewelers doing in-house custom work this year.
Brought to you by
Roseco Releases New Full-Line CatalogRoseco’s 704-page catalog showcases new lab-grown diamonds, findings, tools & more—available in print or interactive digital editions.
MajorsJan 06, 2026
Zales Tests Out A New LookThe Signet Jewelers-owned store, which turned 100 last year, calls its new concept stores “The Edit.”
MajorsJan 06, 2026
LeachGarner Appoints New Director of SalesLinda Coutu is rejoining the precious metals provider as its director of sales.
SourcingJan 06, 2026
AGA Announces 2026 BoardThe governing board welcomed two new members, Claire Scragg and Susan Eisen.
TrendsJan 05, 2026
Amanda’s Style File: New Year’s EditionSparkle with festive diamond jewelry as we celebrate the beginning of 2026.
IndependentsJan 05, 2026
Jeweler Ben Nighthorse Campbell Dies at 92The master jeweler, Olympian, former senator, and Korean War veteran founded the brand Nighthorse Jewelry.
TrendsJan 05, 2026
Pinterest 2026 Trend Report: Brooches, Bold Gold, Cool BlueIn its annual report, Pinterest noted an increase in searches for brooches, heirloom jewelry, and ‘80s luxury.
MajorsJan 02, 2026
Marc Metrick Out as CEO of Saks Global Executive Chairman Richard Baker will take over the role as rumors swirl that a bankruptcy filing is imminent for the troubled retailer.
Events & AwardsJan 02, 2026
Jan Mohr, Couture’s ‘North Star,’ Dies at 71Mohr had just retired in June after more than two decades as Couture’s retailer liaison.
SourcingJan 02, 2026
IDCA Elects New President, Board of DirectorsShekhar Shah of Real Gems Inc. will serve as president of the Indian Diamond & Colorstone Association in 2026.
CollectionsJan 02, 2026
Lalaounis’ 2026 Good Luck Charm Speaks to ResilienceThis year’s good luck charm features the mythical horse Pegasus, and is our first Piece of the Week of the new year.
MajorsDec 30, 2025
Becka Johnson Kibby to Lead Edge Retail AcademyAs part of the leadership transition, Sherry Smith will take on the role of vice president of coaching strategy and development.
SourcingDec 30, 2025
India Chosen as KP Chair for 2026It marks the third time the country has headed the Kimberley Process. Ghana will serve as vice chair.
WatchesDec 30, 2025
Bulova, Stetson Collab on Watches With Western FlairThe new Bulova x Stetson designs highlight two animals often associated with the American West—the bison and the Texas Longhorn.
CollectionsDec 30, 2025
Rahaminov Diamonds Pops Up in FloridaIts residency at Yamron Jewelers will run through May 2026.
IndependentsDec 29, 2025
In Memoriam: Industry Friends We Lost in 2025From influential executives to innovative designers, we pay tribute to the people we said goodbye to this year.
MajorsDec 29, 2025
Tanishq Opens New Stores in Florida, VirginiaThe retailer is expanding into areas with large Indian and South Asian populations.
MajorsDec 29, 2025
Nanis Opens First Flagship Store The Italian brand has opened its first flagship amid the peaks of the Dolomites in Madonna di Campiglio, Italy.
SourcingDec 29, 2025
‘Unearthed: Raw Beauty’ Exhibition Opens at LA MuseumThe new curation at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County showcases rare gem and mineral specimens in their uncut, natural state.
CrimeDec 24, 2025
LA Jewelry District Couple Pleads Guilty to Hiding Millions from IRSThe couple pleaded guilty to concealing at least $127 million in cash transactions at its precious metals businesses.
