Did you know that only one in every one million diamonds is a one carat diamond? One carat diamonds are quite rare, and they also have one of the most coveted carat weights. One carat diamonds are a top choice for engagement rings, stud earrings, pendant necklaces, and many other types of jewelry.
As a jeweler that specializes in diamond jewelry, we get a lot of questions about this highly desired carat weight. Mostly commonly, people ask us, “how much does a one carat diamond cost?” This is a simple question that has a bit of a complicated answer. One carat white diamonds can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $12,000– which is a very wide price range. The reason this price range is so strikingly wide is that carat weight is far from the only thing that determines the price of a diamond. Other factors, like diamond quality and diamond shape, also play a major role in a diamond’s price.
If you want to understand what determines the price of a one carat diamond, read on. Below, we’ll go over all the other major factors that change the price of a diamond, like diamond cut, clarity, color, and shape.
One Carat Diamond Price and The 4Cs
The price of a solitaire engagement ring is affected by its center diamond’s carat weight, clarity, cut, and color.
The 4Cs of diamonds are color, cut, clarity, and carat. Out of all of the 4Cs, carat weight does have the largest impact on the price of a diamond. The higher the carat weight, the higher the price tag. However, the rest of the 4Cs also play a huge role in determining a diamond’s price, since they affect a diamond’s quality and beauty.
Apart from carat weight, diamond cut is the quality that has the biggest impact on a diamond’s price. Diamond cut is a measurement of how well a diamond was cut, which affects how well it reflects light. A well cut diamond will capture and reflect light beautifully, while a poorly cut diamond will look dull and dim. Diamond cut grade dramatically affects a diamond’s beauty, so it makes sense that it can also dramatically affect its price.
Both clarity and color grade impact a diamond’s price, but not quite as dramatically as carat weight or cut. Higher clarity and and color grades will, however, always fetch a higher price. In particular, the top grades within these categories tend to fetch a premium price. For example, a completely colorless diamond will be considerably more expensive than a faintly yellow diamond (assuming all their other qualities are the same).
Each of the 4Cs impacts a diamond’s price on its own. Then a diamond’s unique combination of 4C grades will impact its price, as will details like fluorescence, polish, and symmetry. If you’re looking for a one carat diamond on a budget, consider which diamond qualities you could be more flexible on. We generally recommend prioritizing diamond cut, since it has such an enormous impact on a diamond’s beauty, and then being more flexible on diamond clarity and color.
One Carat Diamond Price and Diamond Shape
The round brilliant cut diamond, as seen above in the Reagan Ring, is the most expensive diamond shape.
Diamond shape, the shape a diamond has been cut into, is another diamond quality that has a major impact on diamond price. There are two main factors that can impact the price of a certain diamond shape: the cost of production and market demand.
Round is easily the most expensive diamond shape, since it’s both more expensive to produce and extremely popular. Cutting a round diamond leads to more diamond waste, which means it’s more expensive to manufacture. Then, round is the most popular diamond shape. Over half of all diamonds sold today are round diamonds. Because round diamonds are so in demand, manufacturers and jewelers know they can charge a bit more for them.
When it comes to fancy shaped diamonds, market demand plays the biggest role in their price. All fancy shaped diamonds will cost less than round diamonds with the same qualities, but there’s much price variety within the fancy shaped diamond category. The price of fancy shaped diamonds can vary often as market demand changes. For example, cushion cut diamonds have become a bit more expensive recently, since they’ve become more popular over the last several years.
Final Thoughts
The Black Diamond Elise Ring is a lovely one carat diamond option for those looking for a distinctive engagement ring (and a more affordable price tag!).
There you have it: everything you need to know about the price of a one carat white diamond! If you’re considering selecting a one carat diamond for your engagement ring, browse our selection of pre-set one carat engagement rings.
To close out our post, we have one final tip. If you’re shopping for a one carat engagement ring on a more strict budget, you may want to consider stepping outside of the white diamond category and exploring your other gemstone options. Center stones like black diamonds, moissanite, aquamarine, and morganite are all more affordable than white diamonds– but no less beautiful! If you have any questions about either our white diamond or our gemstone engagement rings, reach out. We’d be happy to assist you.
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