On average, the retail price for one carat diamonds can be anywhere between $2,000 to $16,000, and between $8,000 to $72,000 for two carat diamonds . And of course, the retail price and the resale value of a diamond are very different things.
The average price of a 1 carat diamond is currently $4,814 (see price chart below). 1 carat diamonds can cost anywhere from $1,576 - $11,291 depending on the diamond's shape, color, clarity, and other factors.
Based on analyzing market prices, a 1 carat diamond costs between $1,800 and $12,000 (depending on the current market situation). The price depends on factors such as the cut quality, clarity, color and shape of the diamond. Cut quality is the aspect that most greatly impacts a 1 carat diamond's price and its beauty.
A one carat diamond is a good size for an engagement ring. It is big enough to display all the visual properties we want from a diamond (scintillation, brilliance, fire) but is also a manageable size; let's not forget, you want to wear your diamond ring with comfort and ease, every single day.
Diamond Prices
For example, the cost of a one carat diamond can range from just $1,500 to more than $16,000 for an extremely well-cut, high-quality diamond, while a two carat diamond could cost as little as $6,000 or as much as $80,000 based on its shape, cut, clarity and color grades.
A sweet spot in the compromise between size and price, diamonds around the 0.70-ct mark make great engagement ring stones.
What is the Highest Carat Diamond? The Cullinan Diamond is the highest carat diamond that exists. This diamond was discovered in South Africa in 1905 and given the name the “Star of Africa”. The raw diamond weighed 3106 carats.
In general, diamonds do not increase significantly in value over time. Outside of a small number of rare or colored diamonds, the vast majority of diamonds have decreased slightly in value over the last few years, making them a poor investment from a price appreciation perspective.
A diamond's size is described in millimeters (mm). These measurements are roughly comparable to carats. A 1-carat round diamond is typically 6.5 mm, while a 1.25-carat round diamond is 6.8 mm. For square-cut diamonds like princess, cushion, and asscher, 1-carat is typically 5.5 mm and a 1.25 carat is 6 mm.
The range of 1.0 to 1.9 carats is by far the most popular, but there are noticeable peaks at the 0.70 – 0.79 range, the 0.90 – 0.99 range and the 1.50 – 1.59 range. It's great to see that people take our advice and go for a diamond that's slightly lighter or heavier than industry cutoff weights to get the best value.
In Australia, a 1-carat diamond costs on average $12,000. This is for a GIA certified natural diamond with a G colour, SI1 clarity, and excellent cut, polish and symmetry. Diamonds are traded in USD, so the price can vary as the Australian dollar exchange rate fluctuates.
Gold is often regarded the better investment option over diamonds, as this precious metal is more easily traded and is often viewed as a currency with a stable, increasing value over the long term. Diamonds are often more volatile as their value relies purely on their weight, cut, clarity, and colour.
Like a car, a diamond is a depreciating asset since it loses a large portion of its value the second you buy it. Think about gold and silver. The market for them is very liquid and fungible since you can store coins, sell them at any time or even trade them later on.
The most expensive diamond in the world is the Kohinoor. The unique 105.6-carat colorless diamond is said to be priceless.
Diamond cuts fall under one of four categories under this system: excellent, very good, good, and fair. A 1 carat diamond ring with an “excellent” score has better cuts and angles — and will shine more brightly — than other diamonds, making it look bigger to the naked eye.
There's no such thing as the 'best' amount of Carat – what really matters is how much sparkle you'd like on your finger, your preferred style, and your budget. For some of us, having a brilliant showstopper is what it's all about, for others, it's brilliance and sparkle in an elegant setting.
A deeply cut diamond has most of its weight hidden in its depth, making it appear smaller than a well-cut diamond of the same weight. Just because the proportions of a diamond are a little off of ideal is not necessarily a bad thing.
As diamonds age from 100 years to 120 years old and we move further away from the 20th century, these old cuts will not only become more scarce but also more valuable. As an example, jewelry from the 17th century and older is extremely valuable and rare.
Typically, resale value of fine gemstone jewelry is one-third to one-half of what you pay for it. How much can you sell an engagement ring for? A 1-carat diamond and gold engagement ring will fetch resale prices ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, depending on the cut, quality and setting.
Diamonds increase in value over time and don't offer short-term results. In fact, like other physical commodities, the price of diamonds fluctuates from time to time. The second mistake people often make is to pay too much. The first rule of investing is buying low and selling high.
At Shining Diamonds, customers can choose from a variety of diamond carat weights ranging from 0.25ct to 1.00ct.
In general, the higher the carat is, the higher the diamond price is. "If all else is equal (cut, clarity, and color), a diamond's price increases with diamond carat weight because larger diamonds are more rare and more desirable," Florman says.
D color diamond is the highest grade and is extremely rare—the highest color grade that money can buy.