The question of “How much does a 1ct diamond cost?” is something that I get asked often. Because there are so many factors that make up a diamonds price and quality. The usual answer here is how long is a piece of string. It is a common question that most men ask as they are about to embark on purchasing a new engagement ring.
At this point in time with the current exchange rate around the .82 cents. A beautiful 1ct F colour, SI clarity excellent cut grade diamond will typically cost around the $13000 all made up in a classic solitaire.
The rough rule of thumb is that under a carat the price will move about a $1000 for every ten points within a particular quality. So a 0.90ct F SI excellent cut grade round brilliant diamond will be approximately $11500 – $12000. The smaller the diamond the smaller the variation in price for the 10 points. Changing the size of a diamond always has a much bigger result on the price, than changing the colour or clarity of a diamond.
Are the difference between all the grades priced the same?
In nature anything that is rarer is also more valuable. So a pure white stone is going to carry more of a premium than a yellower diamond. Likewise a diamond that is flawless. Whenever you move to the top on any given scale the jump in price is going to be greater as that given stone becomes more rare and valuable. So while a jump in price from a G – F may be $300, going from an F to an E colour may be $350, and $400 to the top D colour
How much does the price change when changing the clarity of a diamond?
In todays market, changing the clarity of a diamond will have a bigger effect on the price of a given diamond than changing the colour.
For example moving from an SI2 to a VS2 may have roughly the same affect as changing the size by ten points. Depending on the size of the diamond, this could be as much as $800
How much does the price change for changing the colour of a diamond?
While changing this characteristic has the least impact on the price, the visual effect on the diamond can not be underestimated. Changing from a .50ct (half a carat) G to F will actually only cost around the $200 – $300. Which in my experience is well worth it, as most clients are able to tell the difference with their eyes.
The bigger the size of the diamond the larger the difference in colour is. Anyone who has been to a hardware store and had to pick out a colour for a wall will know this. Looking at colour as a postage paid stamp is much harder to visualise that looking at an A4 piece of paper. Diamonds are no different. The colour difference in a 1ct diamond is easier to see than a .50ct diamond. The difference in price however, because of the rarity will be more. Usually you can expect to pay around the $500 -$800 more for a jump in colour.
Always happy to help, if you would like to know “How much does a 1ct diamond cost” or another particular diamond size. Please email me, if you would like to compare the price of a particular diamond that you have been looking at.