Why Should You Choose 1 Carat Diamond Engagement Rings?

Carat weight plays a major role for diamond buyers. Irrespective of its contribution to the quality of the stone, it always stands as a defining aspect of your diamond. Carat weight is looked upon as an aspect to be bragged about. Regardless to say that diamonds of higher carat weights are expensive. With regard to certain diamond cuts, an increase in carat weight almost doubles or triples the price of your diamond. The reason behind this will be discussed further down the article. Looking at other aspects, buying 1-carat diamonds always stands out as the better option. You must be thinking why should you not buy a 2-carat diamond or a 2.5-carat diamond? Also, would a higher carat weight make your diamond appear bigger? Why are 1-carat diamonds the best choice for diamond engagement rings? Let us answer these questions. 

Does Higher Carat Weight Translate to a Bigger Size? 

This is a misconception that most people have. Your diamond size has got nothing to do with your diamond carat weight. Before moving on with this argument it is important to mention that certain cuts do appear bigger. For example, a Marquise diamond will appear to be bigger than an Asscher diamond. However, this is primarily due to the shape of the diamond. The carat weight does not factor in at all. 

Let’s give you an example. Consider a  person weighing 100 pounds and another person weighing 120 pounds. There is no guarantee that the person weighing more will appear bigger. The built of the individuals will factor into their size rather than their weights. The same holds true in the case of diamonds. A carat is a unit of measurement of weight for diamonds. 1 carat is 0.007-ounce avoirdupois. It has got nothing to do with the size of your diamond. 

Why Is Carat Weight Important

Diamonds are priced per carat. The price per carat rises exponentially with regard to diamonds of higher carat weights. For instance, the price per carat of a certain diamond might be $4000, whereas the price per carat of a 2-carat diamond can rise up to $7000 or more depending on the kind of diamond. With regard to this comparison, we can see that it is a better choice to buy 1-carat diamonds. Here is what you should be looking at when buying 1-carat diamonds. 

Cut Quality of Your Diamond

The cut quality of your diamond is the most important aspect of the 4Cs. Your diamond’s cut quality affects its brilliance and fire. The brilliance of your diamond is its ability to reflect white light back to your eyes. The fire of your diamond is its ability to disperse white light into a spectrum or rainbow. The better the cut quality of your diamond, the better its sparkle. 

It is always recommended to buy GIA-certified ‘Excellent cut’ diamonds. However, the problem arises when buying fancy diamond shapes. The GIA does not grade the cut quality of these diamonds. In these cases, it is recommended to judge the diamond’s depth percentage, table percentage, and length to width ratio.  These aspects give us a clear understanding of a diamond’s cut quality. 

Dividing the top surface area of your diamond by its diameter gives us its table percentage. The ability of your diamond to reflect the light off its crown and facets is dependent on its table percentage.

Measuring a diamond from the culet to the top of the table gives us the depth percentage. A lower depth percentage affects your diamond’s ability to reflect light properly. 

If you divide your diamond’s length by its width, you get its length to width ratio. This ensures how proportionate your diamond cut is. For instance, with regard to heart-shaped diamonds, it is always recommended to have a length-to-width ratio of 1. Anything over or under that will make the heart shape too elongated or stubby.

Having a working knowledge of the 4Cs is good, but we recommend getting your diamond evaluated by an expert. Diamonds are formed under extreme conditions of temperature and pressure under the earth’s surface. This leads to inclusions within the diamond. Good cut quality is able to mask these very inclusions while giving your diamond an impressive sparkle. 

With diamonds of higher carat weight, these inclusions become much more visible. Also, diamonds equal to or less than 1 carat are found much easier than diamonds of higher carat weights. What this ensures is that your diamond is liable to have a better cut quality if it is of lesser carat weight. There are obviously exceptions to this statement, but this generally holds true. 

Clarity of Your Diamond

The clarity grade of your diamond determines how clean it is. The higher the diamond the cleaner it is. The GIA grades clarity from IF to I2. IF being internally flawless. It is not always a smart choice to buy diamonds of higher clarity grades. The reason behind this is the fact it is difficult to distinguish between close clarity grades. Even diamond experts have a tough time unless the diamond is viewed under 10X magnification. 

It is our recommendation to always buy eye-clean diamonds. Eye clean diamonds are diamonds that appear clean when viewed with the naked eye. It is easier to get eye clean 1-carat diamonds. Inclusions are more visible in diamonds of higher carat weights. 

Color Grade of Your Diamond

The same idea holds true for your diamond color grade. It is always important to check if your diamond is clean. Choosing the right ring setting is important as it can mask the color of your diamond. The GIA grades diamond color from D to Z. Choosing the right setting can allow you to drop your color grade to an H or J, depending on the diamond. It is important to always get your color grade evaluated by an expert. Hiding color becomes difficult for diamonds of higher carat weights. 

How Can You Reduce the Price of Diamonds of Higher Carat Weights

Buying diamonds under 1 carat are always a safe option. However, if you are looking to buy diamonds of higher carat weights, here are a few points to consider. 

• Compromise On Your Quality – Not the best option however choosing premium grades as far as the 4Cs are concerned can really elevate your price. It is best to choose a premium cut grade. However, if you want to put down the cost of your 2 carat diamond or 2.5 carat diamond, it is best to compromise on the quality of your diamond. 
• Lower the Carat Weight- Lowering the carat weight by even 0.1 or 0.2 can impact your diamond price by 15% to 25%. It sounds unbelievable but diamonds of higher carat weights are rare which causes a major hike in their prices. 
• Choose Fancy Colored Diamonds – Choosing fancy colored diamonds like, Yellow diamonds or brown diamonds will bring down their price. Fancy-colored diamonds can also be very rare and expensive. It is best to steer away from Red diamonds and Pink diamonds. 
• Go for Lab-Grown Diamonds – Choosing lab-grown diamonds can have a major impact on the price of your diamond. Lab grown diamonds are much cheaper than natural diamonds.
• Two-Stone or Three Stone Settings – You can increase the carat weight of your entire diamond ring with a three-stone or two stone setting. The three-stone setting highlights your central stone with the help of two flank stones on either side. Choosing three 1 carat diamonds can offer you a 3-carat diamond ring. This is a smarter option to increase the total carat weight of your diamond ring without having to pay an exorbitant price for a single diamond of a higher carat weight. 

The Best Place to Buy Diamond Rings

Whether 1 carat diamonds or 2 carat diamonds, a good jeweler can get you the best piece for the right price. Finding the right jeweler can be taxing and time-consuming, until now. We at Jewel Hero have come with a way to connect enthusiastic diamond lovers with the right jewelers. All you have to do is log in to our website and fill in information pertaining to your choices and that is it. Our awesome algorithm will connect you with jewelers near you. You can consult them directly or online. Your ideal diamond ring is just a click away. Visit our website and get a step closer to the diamond of your dreams.