1 Carat Diamond Price Range
While thinking about the expense of 1 carat diamond price , it’s important to understand that there’s a wide value range and the jewels on one or the flip side of this range are totally different from one another. A 1 carat jewel can differ in cost from $2500 to $16,000.
Here are two diamonds on either end of the price range of 1 carat diamonds. Both are 1 carat stones but that’s the only similarity in their specifications. The difference in price between these two stones is approximately $14,500! If we were going by carat size alone, it just wouldn’t make sense that there is such a price disparity between these two stones. But when you look closer, you realize why.
As you can tell just from looking at it, the stone on the top is poorly cut, has many visible inclusions and is yellow-tinted. The second diamond has an excellent cut, which means its light performance would be much more superior to the first diamond. It’s also near colorless and there are no visible flaws as the diamond is internally flawless.
Which would you buy? If going by carat size alone, either would do. But this is where the other quality factors come into play.
Factors That Affect 1 Carat Diamond Price
There are many aspects that affect the price of a diamond but these are the most important aspects with the biggest impact on the overall cost of the stone.
1- Diamond Shape
Diamond shape is often confused with cut, but these are two completely different characteristics of a diamond. The shape refers to the geometry and the appearance of the stone while the cut refers to the faceting structure.
There are ten main shapes that diamonds come in, as pictured in the screenshot above. The round brilliant is easily the most popular diamond shape, making up over 60% of all diamonds sold while the princess cut is the second. Marquise, oval and cushion are some other increasingly popular shapes. These shapes have varying costs depending on factors like customer demand and the cost of cutting the shape.
2- Diamond Cut
This is the most important quality factor when it comes to colorless diamonds. It’s always a good idea not to compromise on the quality of the cut. What point is there in a large diamond that has no sparkle?
Cut affects the light performance of the diamond, influencing its sparkle and fire. Cut refers to the proportion and symmetry of the stone and is dependent on the skill of the cutter and the facets of the shape. A cut that is too shallow results in a larger stone, but one that will have poor light refraction. A deep cut stone often has excellent sparkle but will look smaller as a lot of the stone is invisible under the surface.
The higher the cut grade, the more expensive the stone, all else being equal. An Excellent / Ideal cut is a great choice, but if you have the money to splurge you can opt for a Hearts and Arrows diamond which are the crème de la crème of diamond cut.
3- Diamond Color
After cut, color is often cited as the second most important criteria to watch out for. The higher up the color scale you go, the more expensive the diamond. In general, people want a colorless stone with no yellow tints and the demand for these stones is high.
To illustrate the price difference, compare these two 1 carat diamonds that are similar in almost every way except in color. One is an M color diamond and the other is a D color stone. The price difference is almost a whopping $5000!
So, the price of a 1 carat diamond would be significantly impacted by the color grade you choose. The grade you choose, however, depends largely on your preference and the setting of the jewelry.
Check out this guide to learn more about diamond color.
4- Diamond Clarity
Clarity refers to the transparency of the diamond and the lack or presence of inclusions within the stone. The clarity scale ranges from Included to Flawless and similar to the color scale, the higher up you go, the more expensive the gemstone becomes, all else being equal.
However, just because a diamond is of a certain clarity grade, doesn’t mean that it’s automatically assigned a specific price.
For the sake of comparison, we’ve taken two diamonds from James Allen. Both are SI1 stones, but take a close look at them. Diamond 1 has visible inclusions whereas Diamond 2 is eye clean. Which diamond would you prefer to purchase?
Chances are you want Diamond 2. And just like you, most shoppers will choose Diamond 2 over Diamond 1. Even though both diamonds are SI2 clarity and have identical clarity grading on paper, Diamond 2 looks better which would result in greater demand for the stone, factors which add to its value thereby driving the price up.
When assessing clarity, it’s important to see the actual diamond carefully and to examine it from all angles.
