Evaluating the value of a natural diamond: What is the price for a 1 carat diamond?
What is a 1 Carat diamond?
It's a diamond that weighs 0.2 grams and has an average diameter of 6.4 millimeters when it is round in shape.
When you want to buy a diamond or sell one, knowing the price of the diamond is essential. But amidst terms like cut, clarity, or symmetry, one can easily feel lost and have difficulty estimating its price.
Follow our brief introduction, and natural diamonds will no longer be a mystery to you!
If you are planning to buy a diamond soon, read our guide on buying your first diamond, to avoid any mistakes!
What gives a diamond its value?
Know that a 1 carat stone can cost as little as 2000€ or as much as over 15,000€.
The term carat is often used to characterize a diamond and its value, but remember that it is far from being the only element to estimate the value of your stone: Clarity, color or even cut are just as important elements (or even more, depending on what you are looking for).
The Carat
It is often mistakenly used to define the diamond's size, when it actually defines its mass. We know that 1 carat is a unit of weight that is equal to 0.20 gram.
Although a well-cut diamond usually has an approximate size for the same carat, keep in mind that 1 carat, round, will not always be exactly 6.4 millimeters in diameter.
Size correspondence chart for a 1 Carat diamond
The size of a diamond depends on its shape. For example, a round 1 carat diamond cut to ideal proportions measures about 6.4 mm in diameter. Other diamond shapes may have a larger or smaller surface area. Oval, pear, and marquise diamonds have a larger surface area, while princess cut and square emerald (asscher cut) diamonds are smaller, with a table size of about 5.5 mm.
| Diamond Shape | Approximate Table Surface for 1 Carat |
|---|---|
| Brilliant Round Cut | 6.40×6.40mm |
| Princess Cut | 5.50×5.50mm |
| Emerald Cut | 6.50×5.00mm |
| Asscher Cut | 5.50×5.50mm |
| Radiant Cut | 6.00×5.50mm |
| Cushion Cut | 6.50×5.50mm |
| Oval Diamond | 8.00×5.50mm |
| Pear Shaped Diamond | 8.50×5.50mm |
| Heart Shaped Diamond | 6.70×6.70mm |
| Marquise Diamond | 10.50×5.00mm |
| Trillion Diamond | 7.74×7.74mm |
The cut ("cut" in English)
Elle corresponds to the size of your diamond's head (its tail or tip, depending on how you prefer to call it!) in relation to its diameter. Its size will impact the reflection of light and is of great importance in the brightness, fire and sparkle your diamond will have.
The classification of this criterion ranges from "poor" to "excellent".
At Celinni, our diamond dealers are committed to finding you stones between "very good" and "excellent".
The color ("color" in English)
Elle is nothing other than the shade that your stone will have. Elle is classified into two categories:
- The colorless to slightly yellow ones which are the most common colors (classification from D to Z)
- The special colors or "Fancy color diamonds" which are colored diamonds (green, yellow, red, blue, purple, pink)
The clarity ("Clarity" in English)
Elle represents the presence (or not) of impurities that could tarnish your stone.
Here again, a classification has been put in place, from "I3" (many internal and external impurities visible to the naked eye) to FL (without internal and external imperfection).
The so-called "commercial" quality, which you will easily find in large stores, is H-SI (White on the edge of nuanced - Impurities that are "hardly" visible to the naked eye).
Need someone to (re) explain these terms to you in person, or to discuss with a diamond expert on the subject? Make an appointment for a free diamond initiation in one of our jewelry stores. Our team will be happy to guide and advise you.
The price of a 1 Carat natural diamond
You will therefore understand, there is not strictly speaking an estimate for a diamond with the only criterion being "1 carat". You will need more characteristics to estimate its price.
The table below shows the price ranges for diamonds of an ideal round stone (criteria "very good" or "excellent") of 1 certified carat.
Depending on the color and clarity, you can easily see the large price difference.
To read the table is simple: it is the average price per carat excluding taxes of a 1 carat diamond as it is negotiated between professionals on the different diamond exchanges in the world.
Chart of the price of a 1 carat diamond based on its quality
To have a simple reading of this table, each value is expressed in Euros excluding taxes per carat. For example, if you want to know the price of a 1 carat diamond as it is negotiated between professionals for the D / IF quality, the value will be 16900 Euros excluding taxes.
| IF | VVS1 | VVS2 | VS1 | VS2 | SI1 | SI2 | SI3 | I1 | I2 | I3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D | 16900 | 12300 | 9300 | 8600 | 8200 | 6300 | 5300 | 4800 | 4200 | 3300 | 1800 |
| E | 13800 | 11900 | 8500 | 7800 | 7400 | 5900 | 5200 | 4700 | 4100 | 2800 | 1600 |
| F | 12000 | 10800 | 8400 | 7700 | 7300 | 5700 | 5100 | 4600 | 4100 | 2800 | 1400 |
| G | 8800 | 8500 | 8300 | 7600 | 7100 | 5300 | 5000 | 4500 | 4100 | 2600 | 1600 |
| H | 7300 | 6800 | 6700 | 6300 | 5900 | 5000 | 4900 | 4400 | 3800 | 2300 | 1400 |
| I | 6200 | 5600 | 5500 | 5200 | 5000 | 4900 | 4300 | 3900 | 3400 | 1900 | 1300 |
| J | 5300 | 5200 | 5100 | 5000 | 4900 | 4800 | 3500 | 3300 | 3000 | 1400 | 1200 |
| K | 4800 | 4700 | 4600 | 4500 | 4100 | 3400 | 2900 | 2800 | 2700 | 1400 | 1200 |
| L | 4100 | 3700 | 3600 | 3500 | 3400 | 3300 | 2700 | 2600 | 2400 | 1500 | 1200 |
| M | 3200 | 3100 | 3000 | 2900 | 2800 | 2700 | 2600 | 2500 | 2400 | 1500 | 1200 |
| N | 3100 | 3000 | 2900 | 2800 | 2600 | 2300 | 2200 | 1800 | 1600 | 1500 | 1200 |
The price of the diamond is not enough to determine the price of the jewelry!
Keep in mind that the estimate of the price of a stone only includes the stone. You will need to add to this a setting (we recommend 18k gold or platinum).
To learn more, read the article: "Precious metals for your jewelry"
and take into account criteria such as the price of labor, the seller's margin, the quality of its customer service and after-sales service, even the reputation of the brand, depending on the structures!
Many elements that can come to be felt on your final bill.
By going through Celinni jewelers for your purchases, you benefit from direct manufacturer production, custom-made jewelry, support from our experts and controlled prices (up to -70% on market prices!).
The price of stones with different carats
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