Diamond Price Per Carat
Diamond is currently worth $800 to $25,000+ per carat depending on quality.
Natural diamond prices per carat rise steeply with size because large rough is exponentially rarer — a 2-carat stone costs far more than twice a 1-carat. Color (D–Z scale), clarity, and cut quality then multiply or divide that baseline. Lab-grown diamonds now trade at roughly 10–20% of natural prices, which makes verifying origin the single most important step before valuing any diamond.
DiamondValue Chart by Carat & Quality (2026)
Retail price per carat for loose stones, by size bracket and quality tier.
| Carat | Commercial (K–M color, SI2–I1) | Fine (G–J, VS–SI1) | Top (D–F, IF–VVS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 0.5 ct | $800–$1,500 | $1,500–$3,000 | $3,000–$6,000 |
| 0.5–1 ct | $1,000–$2,500 | $2,500–$5,000 | $5,000–$10,000 |
| 1–2 ct | $2,000–$4,500 | $4,500–$9,000 | $9,000–$20,000 |
| 2–3 ct | $3,000–$7,000 | $7,000–$15,000 | $15,000–$35,000 |
| 3–5 ct | $4,000–$9,000 | $9,000–$25,000 | $25,000–$60,000 |
| 5+ ct | $5,000–$12,000 | $12,000–$40,000 | $40,000–$150,000+ |
Prices per carat for natural, GIA-graded round brilliants. Fancy shapes trade 10–30% lower; lab-grown diamonds run roughly 80–90% below these figures.
What Drives Diamond Value
The factors dealers actually price on — and how each one moves the per-carat number.
Natural vs lab-grown
The biggest single price fork. Chemically identical, but lab-grown diamonds wholesale at a fraction of natural — a 1.5 ct G/VS natural might retail $9,000 while its lab twin sells under $1,500.
Carat weight thresholds
Prices jump at the magic weights — 0.50, 0.90, 1.00, 1.50, 2.00 ct. A 0.96 ct stone can cost 15–20% less per carat than a 1.01 ct of identical quality.
Color grade (D–Z)
Each step down the alphabet trims value. D–F colorless stones carry premiums; near-colorless G–J is the value sweet spot; visible warmth at K and below discounts steeply unless the stone reaches 'fancy yellow'.
Clarity
Flawless is rare and priced like it. The market sweet spot is VS1–SI1, where inclusions are invisible to the naked eye. Visible (I1–I3) inclusions can halve a stone's value.
Cut quality
The only C humans control, and the one that drives sparkle. Excellent/ideal cuts command 10–15% premiums over Good; deep or shallow cuts that leak light trade at discounts no color grade can rescue.
What Is YOUR Diamond Worth?
Charts show the market — your stone has its own carat, color, clarity, and treatment story. Get a personalized estimate in under a minute.
These prices only apply to genuine diamond
Imitations and undisclosed synthetics trade at a tiny fraction of these figures. Run the diamond real-vs-fake tests before valuing or selling your stone.
Diamond Price Questions
Get answers to common questions about rock identification, rockhounding, and using our platform.
A natural 1-carat round brilliant typically retails between $2,000 and $20,000 depending on quality: around $2,000–$4,500 for commercial grades, $4,500–$9,000 for the popular G–J/VS–SI range, and $9,000–$20,000 for D–F colorless stones with high clarity. A comparable lab-grown 1-carat runs $500–$1,500.
Supply. Growing gem-quality diamond now costs little and capacity keeps expanding, so prices have slid year after year — roughly 80–90% below natural equivalents in 2026. They're physically identical; the price gap is pure rarity economics, which is also why resale values for lab-grown remain weak.
Natural diamonds resell at roughly 30–60% of retail through normal channels — retail markups, not depreciation, absorb the difference. Exceptional stones (D-flawless, fancy colors, 5 ct+) hold value best and can appreciate. Lab-grown diamonds currently have minimal resale value.
Start with the certificate — carat, color, clarity, and cut place it on the price grid above. No certificate? Upload a photo to our free gemstone value calculator for an instant estimate, then confirm with a GIA grading report for anything that looks significant.
More DiamondTools & Guides
Gemstone Value Calculator
Estimate what YOUR diamond is worth in under a minute.
Is My Diamond Real?
Diamond prices only apply to genuine stones — test yours first.
Diamond Identification Guide
Properties, colors, varieties, and photos in the encyclopedia.
Free Gemstone Appraisal
Photo-based appraisal estimate for any gemstone.