DIAMONDS Women have developed a yen for more carats, bigger rocks

Single-carat diamonds are no longer considered a big thing.
KNIGHT RIDDER
If your cousin got engaged, you politely oohed and aahed over the little rock on her third finger. And then you got on with your life.
But that was the past. These days a somewhat more exuberant reaction may be demanded. The little rock is probably not as small as it was a decade ago.
Diamonds are getting bigger. The Wall Street Journal reported recently the benchmark size of "an impressive diamond has risen from a single carat in the 1990s to two or three times that today."
Brandee Dallow, public relations spokeswoman for the Diamond Information Center, says that between 1996 and 2002, sales in the half-carat ring jumped 77 percent while sales in diamond rings of a carat or more grew 81 percent.
In a recent Internet study, conducted for the diamond center, 82 percent of all women stated they wanted a larger diamond. (And blue skies, world peace and fat-free chocolate.)
The Journal credits celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, in part, with their mega-rock engagement rings. Another reason is older brides, with higher expectations.
Also, technology such as irradiation transforms flawed diamonds into perfect-looking colorful stones, The Journal notes. And another thing -- Internet sites marketing big diamonds for less money have helped lower prices.
On the downside, with fluctuating value, diamonds are not necessarily the best investment. Big stones, at best, keep pace with inflation.
And of course, the luster of newness eventually wears off. Then what do you do?