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A Guide to One Carat Diamonds


1-carat diamond rings provide the iconic look of a traditional engagement. The physical size ensures a substantial look of luxury in stark contrast to budget rings set with a mere sliver of diamond.  Both DeBeers and Tiffany & Co. romance through their marketing. A man stands ready to propose, with a gleaming 1-carat Diamond ring behind his back. The 1-carat solitaire diamond ring has become an iconic symbol of a dream proposal for many women. 


                              

                                 




                                                                                                                                                     


                                                                                    

What are Certified 1 Carat Diamonds?


Most diamonds over a certain carat weight (in better qualities) include a diamond grading report, also known as a diamond certificate. Whilst not all diamonds include a diamond grading report, most diamonds of this size go through a laboratory to assess their specifications. A range of diamond grading laboratories exist, but most use an established system of recording the diamond colour and clarity, according to the GIA system. Always carried out under laboratory conditions. 


In the video below, we show the Destiny engagement ring design set with a 6.5mm 1 carat diamond. 

Choice of Shape


There are many choices regarding the shape of the 1-Carat Diamond. Many of the fancy shaped Diamonds are less expensive than Round Brilliant cut Diamonds. Use our website pricing system to compare Engagement Rings with the same carat/colour/clarity in different shapes. You will observe a Princess cut will be less expensive than the Round Brilliant cut equivalent. For physical sizes - see our Diamond size guide. 

Cost Differences for 1 Carat Rings


The cost of a 1 carat Diamond can vary enormously. Study the 4 C's of Diamond grading and you will learn that the cost of a Diamond varies considerably from one stone to another. Within any one specific 

1. A single stone Diamond ring. One carat in weight. (£££££)

2. A Diamond ring with multiple Diamonds – making up one carat in total weight. (£££)

The difference between each of the above can mean quite a difference in price. 1-carat Diamonds are far more expensive in any given quality to the multiple Diamonds achieving the same carat weight. The smaller the Diamonds, the lower the overall cost. 

1 Carat Ring Types


There are alternative choices to the classic 1-carat solitaire. Selecting a design with more than one Diamond significantly changes the overall effect of the ring. A few suggestions include :

Two stone rings

2 x 0.50cts Diamonds.

3 Stone diamond ring 

3 x 0.33cts Diamonds. Alternatively featuring a larger central Diamond and two smaller Diamonds. i.e. A graduating Diamond set. Typically 0.50cts in the centre, surrounded by a 0.25cts Diamond on either side.

Centre stone with Diamond shoulders

Choose from any one of the rings in our Diamond shoulder range, perhaps choose a round solitaire with 0.80cts for the central Diamond and this will be provided with an additional 0.20cts in the shoulders. 

Diamond Halo Ring

Diamond halo rings tend to feature a larger central Diamond, achieving the total Diamond weight with small Diamonds encircling this, often including Diamond shoulders. We have many such designs in this style. 

Lab Grown 1 Carat Diamonds


Browse lab-grown 1ct diamonds


Lab-grown 1 carat diamonds provide incredible value for money. Compared to a natural diamond, lab-created 1 carat diamonds work out to around half the cost of a mined diamond. However, both types of diamond are identical. At the same time, a wide variety of colour and clarity grades are available for both natural and lab-grown options. View some of the 1ct diamonds available in our link above, available set into any of our ring designs. 

1 Carat Coloured Diamonds 


Fancy coloured diamonds in 1 carat sizes make a unique alternative to carat-sized gemstones. In addition to white diamonds, we source and set fancy-coloured lab-grown diamonds into all manner of jewellery designs including engagement rings, earrings and necklaces. Our photograph below shows two intense colours—blue and pink in carat weights just under the 1 carat benchmark.