The most precious diamond color is red, with Fancy Red diamonds being the rarest and most expensive per carat, followed closely by intense pink and blue diamonds, though truly colorless (D-color) diamonds are also highly prized for their lack of hue, with the Moussaieff Red and Pink Star holding records for value. Red diamonds are exceptionally scarce, with very few known, making them the ultimate collector's gem, often costing over $1 million per carat.
Red Diamond Prices
On average, red diamonds command prices exceeding $1 million per carat, making them the most valuable colored diamonds by weight. The largest red diamond ever sold at auction weighed 5.11 carats and fetched a total of $8 million, representing approximately $1.6 million per carat.
The most valuable and rarest color grade is a D color diamond, which is fully colorless. Diamonds graded D-F are the most colorless options available. That being said, the best color is one that matches your budget.
For example, because round diamonds are the most popular and desired diamond shape, a round diamond will fetch a higher price on the secondhand market than, say, a marquise diamond with the exact same attributes. The more popular the diamond shape, the more those diamonds will fetch.
Diamonds at the low end of the normal color range, which possess a pale yellow or brown hue, are the least desirable for jewelry.
The cheapest color diamonds tend to be light yellow and brown diamonds. These can often be found at lower price points compared to colorless diamonds.
This list showcases the most expensive diamonds in the world, each a symbol of opulence and prestige.
The Aquamarine name comes from the Latin word for seawater and is said to calm waves and keep sailors safe at sea. It is sometimes referred to as a poor man's diamond because of the pale color.
For a $5,000 budget, you can typically get a natural diamond ring with a center stone around 0.75 to 1.0 carat, depending heavily on the stone's quality (cut, color, clarity) and the setting's cost. You could also get a much larger, 3-4 carat lab-grown diamond, or a sizable stone of other gems like sapphires or moissanite, as these alternatives offer more carat weight for the same price.
The real difference between the two is price. An H color diamond with the same clarity, cut, and carat weight will cost less than a G. So if you're between the two and need to stay within a budget, H is an excellent choice.
Tiffany & Co. only accepts diamonds in the “colorless” to “near colorless” range, with those nearest to “colorless” being the rarest and most valuable.
A 2-carat diamond is considered large compared to the average size of diamonds used for engagement rings. The average diamond size for engagement rings is around 1.0 to 1.5 carats. Therefore, a 2-carat diamond stands out significantly and offers a more pronounced appearance on the finger.
Taylor Swift's engagement ring features a large, antique Old Mine Brilliant Cut diamond, which is a vintage style with rounded corners, a high crown, and large facets, giving it a soft, candlelit sparkle rather than sharp modern flashes, often described as an elongated cushion shape with a small, open culet. This historical cut, popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, was chosen for its romantic, nostalgic character, perfectly suiting the ring's yellow gold setting with hand-engraved details.
Because diamonds reflect white light, colorless diamonds produce the best sparkle and fire. In fact, the more color a diamond has, the less likely it is to reflect white light. And as a result, will produce less sparkle. A D-color diamond is the highest quality, and will offer the greatest sparkle.
2 carat round diamond prices usually range from $5,458 to $54,877 with an average price of $21,931.
This is primarily due to variations in yield, or the amount of rough diamond that is lost during the cutting process. Round brilliant diamonds are the most expensive, not just because they're the most sought after, but also because they involve more material loss and require exact cutting.
In general, diamonds more than two carats are considered big. There are a few factors that impact the average carat size, such as demographics and location.
How much cheaper is a lab grown diamond? Lab diamonds are typically 60% to 85% cheaper than natural diamonds. This is because the process of creating a lab diamond is more efficient and cost effective than the process to mine a diamond.
No, a jeweler generally cannot tell if a diamond is lab-grown just by looking at it with the naked eye; they need specialized, lab-grade equipment like GIA iD100 or X-ray luminescence (XRL) testers to detect subtle differences in growth patterns, impurities, or fluorescence, as lab-grown diamonds share the same chemical and optical properties as natural diamonds. While some jewelers have machines to test, professional grading labs (like GIA) use advanced methods to identify them, often relying on laser inscriptions and grading reports for confirmation.
Because inclusions are more visible in diamonds with larger, open facets, you should pick VS1 over VS2 when choosing diamonds in shapes other than round (particularly in step-cut diamonds such as emerald-cut or Asscher cut).
Sapphires and rubies follow close behind diamonds with a rating of 9. From there, emeralds and aquamarines rate at a 7.5-8 in hardness, and another popular choice for non-diamond engagement rings, a pearl, rates at 2.5-4.5. As the number gets lower on the scale, the stone is referred to as being softer.
The 69-carat Taylor-Burton Diamond, famously owned by Elizabeth Taylor, is now part of the private collection of Lebanese jeweler Robert Mouawad, who purchased it in 1979 after Taylor sold it to fund a hospital in Botswana. Mouawad had the famous pear-shaped gem recut, reducing its weight to around 68 carats, and it remains in his family's extensive collection of rare jewels.
Kylie Jenner was seen wearing a breathtaking 28-carat diamond ring—estimated at roughly ₹22 crore (US$2.5 million). While its dazzling presence left no doubt about the extravagance, speculation remains whether the piece was owned or simply loaned.
A diamond is often referred to as ice. Pop culture has an immense impact on diamond jargon and slang words used today. Due to a series of 007 movies, a diamond has been referred to as 'ice'. And who can forget the hit song 'Ice Ice Baby' from Vanilla Ice?