Last of the 4 C's: Carat Weight
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Some people feel that size matters. But that’s not necessarily true. Some people are more concerned with the “loss of beauty,” some are happy that their diamond seems “bigger,” and others like to brag that their diamond weighs more. When you compare two diamonds of the same shape, one with a larger carat weight doesn’t necessarily always mean that it will look larger. A Diamond’s size doesn’t increase proportionally with its weight.
If a diamond is cut deep and narrow (heavy cut), it will look much smaller than another diamond of the same weight that is cut shallow and wide (spread cut). So even with 2 stones of the same carat weight, you will need to look at stones side by side if you want to see which one looks larger.
For instance, the difference between a 1 and 1.25 carat diamond is a 25% increase in carat weight but less than 8% increase in diameter (6.5 to 7.0 mm).
Calculating the dimensions of a Brilliant Cut Diamond... |
The weight of a diamond is given in carats. One carat is equal to 1/142 of an ounce, or about the weight of one carob bean (used in ancient times).
Diamond prices increase exponentially between the following ranges:
.50ct
.70ct
.90ct
1.00ct
1.50ct
2.00ct
…and every half carat increase in weight from 2.00ct and onward.
There can also be premiums ranging from 7-12% on carat weights that are commonly used in settings or in high demand. Examples of this would be diamonds in the .8x carat range, .95-.99ct, 1.25ct-1.49ct, 1.70ct-1.99ct, and so forth.
What you need to know about diamond size and carat weight...
Each of the following weights (starting with 0.46 carats) have entirely separate price charts. Prices increase because larger stones are much rarer than smaller ones. Therefore, two smaller diamonds will not cost as much as one large diamond that weighs the same as both together. For instance, two stones weighing 0.50-carat diamonds each (as listed below in the example) would cost about $3,600 total for 1.00 carat total weight, while one stone weighing 1.00 carat by itself would cost $6,600.
Sample prices given below are for a Round Brilliant shape, good make, G color, VS2 clarity. We give just one quality as an example to make this point clearly. Other qualities will vary dramatically in price. Also, these prices are not meant to represent actual selling prices, since these are outdated numbers and do not apply anymore.
Example unadjusted prices for Round Brilliant / G / VS2:
0.46 - 0.49 --> Price: $ 2,800 per carat = Total for .46 ct. $ 1,288
0.50 - 0.69 --> Price: $ 3,600 per carat = Total for .50 ct. $ 1,800
0.70 - 0.89 --> Price: $ 4,700 per carat = Total for .70 ct. $ 3,290
0.90 - 0.99 --> Price: $ 5,700 per carat = Total for .90 ct. $ 5,130
1.00 - 1.49 --> Price: $ 6,600 per carat = Total for 1.00 ct. $ 6,600
1.50 - 1.99 --> Price: $ 8,400 per carat = Total for 1.50 ct. $ 12,600
2.00 - 2.99 --> Price: $ 10,200 per carat = Total for 2.00 ct. $ 20,400
3.00 - 3.99 --> Price: $ 11,600 per carat = Total for 3.00 ct. $ 34,800
4.00 - 4.99 --> Price: $ 13,000 per carat = Total for 4.00 ct. $ 52,000
5.00 - 5.99 --> Price: $ 16,700 per carat = Total for 5.00 ct. $ 83,500
Above 6 carats, diamonds are considered specials, and are individually priced. There is not enough data to give standard pricing predictions for sizes that large, so you will need to discuss these with your jeweler.
A Maserati may not be us loud as a Mustang and an Aston Martin may not be as large as a Corvette, but most people would consider the first two more impressive.
Another aspect in how a diamond is cut can affect the size appearance. A diamond that weighs less can look larger if it’s cut too shallow, in turn sacrificing the diamond’s fire and brilliance. If the diamond’s girdle is too wide it can make a diamond with a higher carat weight look smaller with no benefit to its appearance. The diameter of the diamond is widest at the girdle and maximizing weight there does not really alter the behavior of the light entering the diamond, especially considering it’s blocked by the jewelry setting. A diamond cut too deep can make it look lifeless.
Examples: |
