If you are thinking of buying a diamond, the question that is always on your mind is, “how much is a 1 carat or 2-carat diamond worth?” You need to know a few things to ensure that you get the best value for your money. You need to know what you’re looking for in a stone and how to get a good deal. Below are some tips to ensure that you get the most value for your money.
First, you should know that diamonds in this weight category are much rarer than their counterparts. A two-carat stone is one in every fifteen million diamonds. A single diamond of this size is worth about $6,000, while a two-carat diamond is worth more than $10,000. For this reason, it is crucial to shop around to find the best deal. Once you know the price, you can then make an informed decision.
Lastly, you should consider the quality of the diamond. A diamond of VS2 clarity is rare, while an SI1 diamond has a few tiny inclusions that are too small to see with the naked eye. In addition, an SI1 diamond has some imperfections on its edges, which are covered by the prongs used to set it. For a reasonable price, you should look for a VVS2 diamond.
Price Of Diamond
The form, cut quality, clarity, and color of a diamond influence its price. A one-carat diamond, for example, can cost anywhere from $1,500 to more than $16,000 for an exceedingly well-cut, high-quality diamond. A two-carat diamond can cost anywhere from $6,000 to $80,000, depending on its shape, cut, clarity, and color grades.
As you can see, there is a significant price difference, with some diamonds costing up to ten times as much as other diamonds of the same carat weight.
It’s impossible to give an accurate price estimate for “diamonds” because prices are based on many variables. The four Cs, which we briefly covered previously — cut quality, clarity, color, and carat weight — are the most important.
The bigger the carat weight (or, the better the four Cs) of a diamond, the more expensive it will be. In other words, the higher the diamond’s quality, the more you’ll have to pay for it.
This isn’t to say that you can’t buy a good diamond without spending a lot of money. When it comes to diamonds, the idea is to spend as much as possible on the aspects that affect the diamond’s beauty while spending as little as possible on those that don’t.
We go into more depth about this further down the page. For the time being, let’s look at how the price of a diamond is determined based on its carat weight, color, clarity, and other criteria.
Calculating the Price of a Diamond Per Carat
Diamonds are all priced per carat, as previously stated. The price of a 0.50-carat diamond is $1400 per carat. Such a diamond would be $1400 * 0.50, or $700. Let’s say the price of a 1-carat diamond is $4,100 per carat. This one is simple to calculate: because the diamond is 1 carat, the stone’s price is the same – $4,100.
As you move up the weight scale, a diamond per-carat price rises. In other words, the bigger the carat weight of the diamond, the higher the total cost you’ll have to pay per carat to get it.
As a result, diamond prices rise exponentially as they gain weight due to both the greater weight and the higher price per carat for the increasing weight category.
The Cost Of A One-Carat Diamond
A 1-carat diamond can cost anywhere from $1,300 to $16,500, depending on the stone’s cut quality, clarity, color, and form.
The typical price ranges for 1-carat diamonds in all ten most prevalent shapes are mentioned below. We’ve limited our search to diamonds with a clarity grade of SI2 or better and a color grade of K or higher. There are other amounts in parenthesis for diamonds in the same category but with recommendable parameters to provide relevant pricing data for you as a buyer:
A round brilliant cut diamond costs between $2,500 ($3,000) to $16,500.
A princess cut diamond might cost anywhere from $1,600 ($2,000) to $11,000. Cushion cut diamonds range in price from $1,600 ($2,000) to $9,500.
An emerald cut diamond can cost anywhere from $1,600 ($1,750) to $10,500.
For an oval shape diamond, costs range from $1,600 ($2,000) to $10,000.
A brilliant cut diamond can cost anywhere from $1,300 ($1,800) to $7,000 dollars
An asscher cut diamond can cost anywhere from $1,800 ($2,100) to $6,900.
A marquise cut diamond can cost anywhere from $1,700 ($2,300) to $10,000. A heart-shaped diamond costs $1,700 ($1,900) to $12,000 (see prices) and a pear-shaped diamond costs $1,700 ($1,900) to $11,400
2 Carat Diamond Price
A 2-carat diamond can cost anywhere from $6,500 to $55,000, depending on its cut quality, clarity, color, and shape.
The typical price range for 2-carat diamonds in the most common cuts and shapes is mentioned below. Our price ranges are based on a minimum color grade of K and a minimum clarity of SI2, eliminating most diamonds that aren’t aesthetically acceptable. In addition, there are figures in parenthesis that indicate the minimum price for diamonds with the following specifications:
A round brilliant cut diamond can cost anywhere from $7,400 ($9,000) to $55,000.
A princess cut diamond can cost anywhere from $6,200 ($7,000) to $31,500.
Cushion cut diamonds range in price from $5,600 ($7,500) to $28,300.
An emerald cut diamond can cost anywhere from $5,700 ($8,500) to $33,270.
For an oval-shaped diamond, prices range from $7,200 ($8,300) to $33,000.
A brilliant-cut diamond might cost anywhere from $6,500 to $29,500.
For an asscher cut diamond, prices range from $7,700 ($8,000) to $35,700 ($35,700).
A marquise cut diamond can cost anywhere from $9,400 ($10,500) to $36,900.
A heart-shaped diamond costs $7,600 ($8,000) to $33,800 and a pear-shaped diamond costs $7,400 ($8,000) to $42,400.
When Purchasing A Diamond, What Are Several Ways To Save Money?
As you can see from the table above, the pricing ranges for various diamond shapes and carat weights are pretty broad. A 2 carat round brilliant cut diamond, for example, can cost as much as $50,000 or as little as $7,400.
Finding the junction between a diamond’s quality and its value for money is the key to saving money when purchasing a diamond.
There are various steps to this process. The first is to understand that diamonds are frequently valued based on their “category” rather than an objective assessment of their beauty or quality.
The second step is to comprehend how the diamond cutting procedure influences the price of a loose diamond.
The third step is to understand how the color and clarity grades affect its price and how choosing the proper color and clarity grade can help you find a stunning diamond at an affordable price.
We’ve broken down each of these phases below, along with examples of how each element influences the price of a diamond and how you may use it to your advantage as a buyer.
How Is Price Affected By Cutting?
You can readily envision that if the price of a 0.99ct diamond jumps 20% to a 1.00ct diamond, the cutter who loses that 0.01ct striving to make a prettier stone loses his job.
The more excellent cut may only be worth 15% less than 20%, but it’s a significant loss. Many of the world’s major diamond firms have pushed price manipulation by maintaining weight classifications to an extreme.
They will take rough diamonds with diameters that should have been used to make a 0.75ct-0.85ct diamond (with the right cut to enhance brilliance) but will keep them beyond 0.96ct to sell as 1ct diamonds to major jewelry chains like Kay or Zales.
Even though they will have to sell these diamonds at a significant discount compared to well-cut 1ct diamonds, they will nevertheless command a significant premium over well-made 3/4ct diamonds.
The lesson here is to avoid being too connected to a diamond within a specific carat weight category. A well-cut 0.9-carat diamond will appear far more stunning than a poorly-cut 1.00-carat diamond while costing the same or somewhat less.
Take, for example, this James Allen 1 carat H color VS1 diamond. You can see a relatively modest cut grade (Good). Meanwhile, for a comparable price, this somewhat smaller 0.90 carat diamond from the Blue Nile has a significantly higher cut quality and appears more appealing.
What Are The Effects Of Color And Clarity On Diamond Value?
The Rapaport Prices List, or Rap List, is an industry price list that provides standardized pricing for different diamond color and clarity grades. As we’ll see below, it accounts for a large portion of the diamond pricing equation.
One interesting side effect of basing the entire business on the Rap List is that color and clarity are given too much weight in setting prices.
Cut, as previously said, is possibly the most important of the four Cs. The cut of a diamond has a far more significant impact on its look than its color or clarity grade in virtually every circumstance.
A G color SI1 clarity diamond with an optimal cut and a nicely set-out inclusion will be a more attractive diamond than a G color VS2 clarity diamond with an ordinary cut. And a super-ideal G SI1 stone (such as a Brian Gavin Signature stone) will be even more stunning.
If we continue with this example, the price for a 1-carat diamond is G SI1 with a perfect cut (and everything else being equal) would be around “25 back,” or $6100*0.75 = $4575 per carat. ON THE OTHER HAND, a G VS2 with an average cut may be worth “35 back,” or $7200*0.65 = $4680.
Even though the “25 back” SI1 is a far more attractive diamond than the “35 back” VS2, the VS2 is nonetheless more expensive.
Does this sound perplexing? Yes, it is. Said, the diamond industry’s pricing rules place much too much emphasis on color and clarity when calculating diamond value.
This gives a chance for a wise shopper to purchase a diamond that is both aesthetically pleasing and reasonably priced due to its color and clarity grades — something we’ve discussed in further depth in our guides to diamond color and clarity.
This is why having someone to guide you along the route is so important, especially when it comes to valuing the various aspects of determining the price of a diamond. If someone knows what they’re doing, there’s a lot of money to be made out there.
Please get in touch with us for additional information on determining the best mix of cut quality, color, and clarity for optimal diamond pricing. Within your budget, our experts can assist you in selecting the highest quality, best-looking diamond.
AGS Certified 1 Carat Diamond Solitaire Ring in 14K White Gold (J-K Color, I2-I3 Clarity)
Features
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Kobelli 2ct Round Moissanite GH/VS Fancy Hidden Halo
Features
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Conclusion
A good-cut diamond will be more expensive than an average one. Moreover, an excellent cut can make a diamond look more extensive and beautiful. However, it’s essential to consider the other Cs before deciding. For instance, if you plan to buy a diamond for a ring, you should pay more than a half-carat stone. In addition, you should consider the color and clarity of the stone when deciding which to buy.
When choosing a diamond, you should consider the carat. A ring with a 1/2 carat stone will cost you significantly less than one with a full-carat diamond. Then, you need to think about the color. If your diamond is blue, it will look more like a pinkish-red stone. If your engagement ring is yellow, the color should be light. Similarly, a half-carat stone will be less expensive than a one-carat stone.
