Price of Diamonds
By Woro Swasti
diamond price
Diamond jewelry such as eternity rings, engagement rings, diamond earrings, bracelet and necklaces are sold in wide range of prices. Since price is one of important factor when buying diamond jewelry, it is important to understand about the diamond prices.
The cost for mining diamonds from the earth can be expensive. And after being mined, diamonds are cut and polished. Then the diamonds are sold in wholesale prices for diamond dealers, who in turn sell them to jewelry retailers. Finally, the consumers purchase the diamonds in these retail stores. The cost to mine, prepare and market a diamond are part of which influence the end price of diamond jewelry.
The factors which determine the value of a diamond, and hence the price, are the four Cs, these are clarity, color, cut, and carat weight. Diamonds with excellent combination of these four Cs are the most valuable and thus the most expensive. The rarity of diamonds also affect the prices.
Diamonds are cut in different shapes, sizes and qualities. Any diamond that does not have round shape is known as a fancy shape diamond. Examples of fancy shape diamonds are cushion, emerald, heart, marquise, oval, pear, and princess cut diamonds. Round brilliant cut diamonds have the highest price because when cutting these diamonds there is a greater loss in rough, and they take longer to polish and cut than other diamond shapes.
The clarity grade of a diamond influences diamond prices the most. Diamonds with the highest clarity grade, IF or internally flawless, are the rarest and therefore are the most expensive. Diamonds with lower clarity grades such as SI1 or SI2 have a much lower prices.
Color also influences the price of the diamonds. Diamond color grade start at D color going down to Z color, which is applied for colorless diamond. Diamonds which show the least amount of color have the most expensive prices. The highest price also obtained by rare fancy color diamond, such as blue, pink, red, green, and black diamonds.
Cut influences sparkle and shine of the diamonds, and hence the diamond prices. Three main controlling factors for the diamond cut grade are proportion, symmetry, and polish. Excellent and Ideal Cut diamonds command a much higher price, followed with Very Good cut diamonds.
Size of the diamonds are measured in carat. Diamonds are sold by the carat weight. The higher is the diamond carat, the more expensive is the diamond.
You may want to check out my other guide on Diamond Wedding Band and Discount Diamond
