What’s the best value in a 2 ct round diamond?
Hi Danny, I’m looking to purchase a round diamond in the range of two carats, which is eye clean, and which will look good in a white gold six prong solitaire. I’ve narrowed down the options to two diamonds and am trying to figure out which one provides me with the best value. My research indicates that this is likely going to be something in the SI-1 or VS-2 clarity, and G or H color range. The diamonds which I’m considering are this 1.842 carat, H-color, SI-1 clarity, BGD Signature diamond; and this 2.153 carat, H-color, VS-2 clarity, Brian Gavin Blue diamond which are dramatically different in price. Which diamond delivers the best value for the money? – Spencer D.
The effect of diamond carat weight upon price:
Most people realize that the carat weight of a diamond is a contributing factor of price; however few people are aware that there are significant price increases that occur at what are referred to within the industry as the “magic marks” that occur at specific points, such as between the 0.99 – 1.00 carat marks, the 1.49 – 1.50 carat marks, and the 1.99 – 2.00 carat marks.
While both the two diamonds which are considering happen to be the same color grade, the 2.153 carat costs significantly more because (1) it is one grade higher in clarity, and (2) it breaks the 2.00 carat mark. If the 1.842 carat weighed just 0.158 carats more, the price would increase substantially… and yet if you compared the two diamonds side-by-side, the odds are that you would see very little difference between them, which makes the 1.842 carat, H-color, SI-1 clarity, BGD Signature diamond a pretty darn good value!
So why doesn’t everybody buy diamonds which weigh just short of the point where the carat weight of the diamond increases due to the magic marks? Primarily because diamonds which weigh just short of the mark, like the 1.842 carat, happen to be extremely rare because it is more profitable to cut a heavier diamond with less precise proportions if it keeps the weight of the diamond over the magic mark.
What effect does fluorescence have on diamond pricing?
From my perspective, the medium blue fluorescence exhibited by the 2.153 carat, H-color, VS-2 clarity, Brian Gavin Blue diamond makes it a great value because blue fluorescence in diamonds commands a discount, which has nothing to do with the effect of fluorescence upon the way a diamond looks. It is actually the residual effect of a diamond investment boom that occurred during the 1970’s where a bunch of investment bankers decided that diamonds without fluorescence were more marketable than diamonds with fluorescence…
I imagine that the decision to focus on diamonds without fluorescence had more to do with their not wanting to have to figure out how to explain what fluorescence was to their clients, than it had to do with the visual properties of blue fluorescent diamonds, because most people in the gemological community tend to be rather fond of blue fluorescent diamonds, and obviously we can choose anything we want when selecting diamonds for ourselves…
I can honestly say that I think that both of the diamonds which you’ve selected offer great value, each in their own right. But I must point out that diamonds are valued based upon the combination of their characteristics, such as carat weight, color, clarity, and cut quality; thus each diamond in our inventory presents an excellent value, depending on your own personal preferences with regards to carat weight
