SMIRO Ring Report 2026: What 640+ Ring Orders Show
By Clint Casmiro, Co-Founder, Smiro Studio
Short answer: Across 640+ ring orders paid for between December 2025 and October 2026, 76% were yellow gold, the median centre diamond was 3.0 carats, 86% specified D, E or F colour, and 28% included hand engraving.
Most ring trend reports are surveys. This one is a count. It comes straight from our order tracker, the file that follows every ring from the first payment to delivery, so every number below is a ring someone actually paid for. No names, no prices, just what went on the order.
of ring orders were yellow gold
is the median centre diamond
included hand engraving
specified D, E or F colour
Which metal goes on most rings?
Yellow gold, by a wide margin: 76% of ring orders. 14K yellow gold alone was 54%. Platinum was 10% and white gold 9%.
| Metal | Share of ring orders |
|---|---|
| 14K yellow gold | 54.1% |
| 18K yellow gold | 22.3% |
| Platinum | 10.1% |
| 14K white gold | 7.0% |
| Two tone | 3.6% |
| 18K white gold | 1.9% |
| Rose gold, 14K or 18K | 0.9% |
Out of 641 ring orders with the metal recorded.
Torn between 14K and 18K, or gold and platinum? The trade-offs are in 14K vs 18K gold vs platinum.
How big is the typical centre diamond?
The median is 3.0 carats, so half the stones are 3.0 carats or more. The middle half fall between 2.5 and 3.5 carats, and 81% are between 2 and 4 carats. Most of our clients choose lab grown diamonds.
| Centre stone | Share of ring orders |
|---|---|
| Under 1 carat | 0.5% |
| 1 to 1.99 carats | 3.4% |
| 2 to 2.99 carats | 39.4% |
| 3 to 3.99 carats | 41.4% |
| 4 carats and up | 15.2% |
Out of 611 ring orders with a single carat or a carat range recorded (a range counts at its midpoint).
Carat is weight, not how big a stone looks. Shape and ratio change that a lot: carat vs ratio.
Which colour and clarity go on the order?
86% of ring orders specify D, E or F colour, the colourless top of the GIA colour scale. About 5% are near colourless (G to J), and about 5% are a fancy colour on purpose, like champagne or pink. For clarity, 97% specify VS1 or better.
One honest caveat: our default on a quote is F colour and VS1 clarity, so these two numbers say as much about our advice as about anyone's taste. Why we start there: where people overspend on colour and clarity.
How often is hand engraving added?
28% of ring orders, a little more than one in four, include hand engraving. 47 orders (7%) also asked for a hidden gemstone, like a birthstone tucked where only the wearer sees it.
How many rings are built for a flush wedding band?
89% of ring orders are specced so a straight wedding band sits flush against the engagement ring. That is mostly our default: about 80 to 90 percent of the rings we make are medium height, which stacks flush by design. It has to be planned from the start, especially with a tulip basket.
Where do the orders come from?
50% of ring orders came from the US and 29% from Ontario, followed by Alberta (5%) and British Columbia (4%). Older orders, which this report leaves out, had a smaller US share, so read this as recent. We are a virtual-first studio: design happens over video, with studios in Toronto and New York by appointment, and rings ship free and insured across Canada and the US.
How we counted
- Source: our own order tracker, exported October 7, 2026.
- Which orders: ring orders (piece type Ring) with a deposit or a final payment date between December 2, 2025 and October 7, 2026. That is 644 orders. Wedding bands, earrings and other pieces are left out. We only started tagging piece type consistently in December 2025, so older orders are not included. A few of these may be rings other than engagement rings; the tracker cannot tell them apart.
- Shares use the ring orders where that detail was filled in (metal 641, carat 611, colour 622, clarity 617, wedding band fit 641). Hand engraving and hidden gemstones are only ever filled in when the answer is yes, so they are out of all 644.
- Colour counts as D to F only when every grade named is D, E or F (so "D to E" counts, "F to H" does not). 4% of colour entries cross buckets and are left out of the three groups.
- Carat ranges (for example "3 to 3.5") count at the midpoint. Values that are clearly entry errors or total weights are dropped (13).
- No names, emails or prices were used.
Using these numbers? Please cite "SMIRO STUDIO Ring Report 2026" and link to this page.
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What metal do most couples choose for an engagement ring?
In our ring orders from December 2025 to October 2026, 76% were yellow gold, and 14K yellow gold alone was 54% of all orders. Platinum was 10% and white gold 9%.
What is the most common centre diamond size on a custom engagement ring?
On our ring orders the median centre stone is 3.0 carats, and 81% fall between 2 and 4 carats.
What diamond colour goes on most engagement rings?
86% of our ring orders specify D, E or F colour, the colourless top of the scale. Our default on a quote is F colour and VS1 clarity, which shapes these numbers.
How often is hand engraving added?
28% of our ring orders, a little more than one in four, include hand engraving.
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