To really understand the price of diamonds one needs a Diamond Price Chart.
Here is some information to help you understand how diamonds are priced.
Diamonds are priced according to a number of factors, Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat. These are called the 4Cs.
Each of these has a nomenclature or grading designation. Before we see a typical example of a diamond price chart lets look at these designations.
Firstly Cut. This describes the shape of the diamond. There are basically eight cuts of diamond.
Round Brilliant
Emerald Cut
Princess Cut
Heart Cut
Oval Cut
Marquise Cut
Pear Cut
Round Brilliant
These are graphically shown at the top of the page
The next is Color. All diamonds are graded by color and this is the scale that is used.
D Pure White - the most prized color
E Exceptional white - colourless group
F Excellent white - colourless group
G Good white - colourless group
H White - colourless group
I Slightly tinted white/ white when viewed from top
J Slightly tinted white/ commercial white
K Tinted white/ still acceptable white when mounted
L Tinted white/ needs yellow setting to look its best
M Slightly yellowish/Tinted color-champagne
N Slightly yellowish/Tinted color-champagne
O-R Yellowish/Tinted color
S-Z Yellow/Tinted color
Clarity is the next grading. This grading scale is as follows:
IF would have no inclusions and be internally flawless, perfect clarity in other words.
Both grades VVS1 and VVS2 would be very very small inclusions, pin pricks in fact.
VS1and VS2 are still very small and difficult to see.
SI1 and SI2 would be tiny but easily seen.
I1 is small and recognizable immediately.
I2 and 13 would have larger and/or numerous inclusions, obvious recognizable immediately
There is also third pique (pronounced peekay) sometimes written as p3.
Lastly there is diamond weight. Diamonds are weighed in carats. A carat is .2 grams. A gram of diamond would be a massive 5 carats. Very large in diamond terms although the actual diamond is small. A carat is further divided into Points, and there are 100 Points to a carat. So 1 point is .002 of a gram. Very small indeed.
There is a scale of weight for Diamonds and this is shown here:
The Rapaport is the industries guidelines for assessing the price of diamonds. This is for dealers only so this is where you ask a good dealer for a little help. There is no way to get a hold of a copy of the Rapaport price list except by asking a dealer. If you have not done so already, chose a good dealer from our best internet dealers or best local jewelers so you can continue.
Diamonds are the heaviest and densest material known to man. Diamonds are weighed in carats. A carat is .2 grams. A gram of diamond would be a massive 5 carats. Very large in diamond terms although the actual diamond is small.
A carat is further divided into Points, and there are 100 Points to a carat. So 1 point is .002 of a gram. Very small indeed.
Due to the minute differences in the weight of most diamonds they should always be accurately weighed on an electronic scale to the nearest 1000th of a carat (.001). Stones are always rounded up or down to the nearest 1000th of a carat by the way
Here is a Diamond price Chart example that can be used for practice.
As you can see the price variation from the best quality to the poorest in all grades is quite large. The heaviest highest grade diamonds will attractive a price far in excess per carat than an poor grade diamond.
All diamonds should have an appraisal or a certificate from an independent gemological laboratory which outlines the various characteristics and qualities of the diamond. You can check up on the quality then, using that certificate or appraisal and the diamond price charts above, find out the value and so the price of your diamond.
