What Is a 1 Carat Diamond?
A 1 carat diamond is a diamond that is about 200 mg or 0.2 g in weight. The measure entails mass and not its physical size, as the diamond can be cut in one of many ways. It is an outstanding diamond to have on an engagement ring, but you can expect to spend a varying amount on that diamond.
How Much Is a 1 Carat Diamond Worth?
A 1 carat diamond can cost anything from $2,000 to $12,000. There are four essential factors that will determine the overall value of your specific 1 carat diamond.
What Is the Color?
Start by looking at the color of your diamond to review how much it is worth. Your diamond will feature a grade based on how much color is in that diamond. Diamonds that don’t have as much color will cost more than the ones that do.
Diamonds can become colored for many reasons:
- Structural defects
- Impurities within the source where the diamond material was harvested
- Excess stress on the diamond’s surface
- Trace elements interacting with the diamond’s natural surface during the diamond’s creation
The Gemological Institute of America grades diamonds on color on a score from D to Z. D is the best rating, as a D-graded diamond will be colorless and flawless. A Z-graded diamond will be less valuable as it has some coloring that is easy to notice.
A diamond with a K or further grade will have noticeable coloring and will cost less. But a diamond with a rating from D to J will have very little to no color and will cost more to purchase.
What Is the Cut?
The cut of your 1 carat diamond will also influence how much it will cost. The cut entails more than the shape of the diamond, as it also involves how the many sides and facets of the diamond can reflect light.
There are three factors used in reviewing the cut of your 1 carat diamond:
Fire – The fire involves how the white light through the diamond can produce a brilliant sparkling look. The sparkles should produce all the colors of the rainbow.
Brightness – The diamond should also reflect enough white light to where it appears bright and distinct. The fire will be easier to spot if the diamond is bright enough.
Scintillation – Scintillation is the amount of sparkle produced by the diamond. There should be a noticeable pattern of light and dark spots produced by reflections within the diamond. The spots should be positioned well to where the diamond will create enough of a sparkle.
A well-cut diamond will reflect light well and produce a symmetrical and proportional look, causing the diamond to be more distinct and therefore more valuable. A poorly cut diamond will appear dull and will be worth less money.
What Is the Clarity of Your Diamond?
The third part of how much a 1 carat diamond can be worth involves the clarity of the diamond. Clarity is a measure of how transparent the diamond is and if there are any noticeable blemishes. Internal imperfections called inclusions can also appear in a review of how clear the diamond appears.
The Gemological Institute of America uses six categories for determining the clarity of a diamond. These measurements are based on when a grader reviews the diamond under 10x magnification:
Flawless – The diamond does not have any noticeable blemishes or inclusions when reviewed under 10x magnification.
Internally Flawless – The diamond has no visible inclusions during a review.
Very, Very Slightly Included – There will be more inclusions on this diamond, but they are minor and hard for a grader to review.
Very Slightly Included – The inclusions are easy to spot and grade, but those issues are still minor.
Slightly Included – Multiple inclusions are especially easy to find under magnification.
Included – The inclusions are extremely obvious at this point.
Flawless diamonds are always worth more money, as they are essentially perfect in design. Be sure when finding a diamond, you look for something that is Very, Very Slightly Included when looking for something of value.
Conclusion
Be sure when looking for a quality 1 carat diamond that you understand what can influence its value. You could spend anywhere from $2,000 to $12,000 on a typical 1 carat diamond. But the color, cut, and clarity of the diamond will impact how much you’re going to spend.
