Wondering whether the 2 carat diamond ring price you are seeing at an online jewelry store is the best you can get? Read this guide for buying tips on 2-carat diamond rings.
Looking to find the best 2-carat diamond ring for you?
If so, you have landed in the right place!
For the sake of this guide, let’s assume that you don’t know about diamonds but are looking to buy a 2-carat diamond ring. So, you are not looking to buy just any diamond ring. You should not just walk into or do a random online search for a jewelry store to get a 2-carat diamond ring.
You can end up losing your money on a poor quality ring, if you do so.
So, buying a 2-carat diamond ring is not as easy as that.
There is a lot of research and planning that you need to do to find that beautiful ring. Thankfully, we have done the research for you.
In this guide, you’ll get in-depth diamond insider knowledge to be confident of purchasing a ring of your choice. When you finish reading this guide, you will have learned a thing or two about diamonds.
Best Place to Buy a 2-Carat Diamond Ring
Not many jewelry shops have 2-carat diamonds in their inventory. While rare, 2-carat diamonds are of high-quality. Some stores will require you to provide a down payment before viewing a 2-carat diamond.
Most jewelry retailers do not keep 2-carat diamond pieces in their stores because of insurance policies. However, stores like James Allen and Blue Nile have 2-carat diamonds in their stock. These two online jewelry stores also sell the diamonds at more affordable prices than most brick and mortar stores.
Here is our list of the best stores to buy 2-carat diamond rings:
We have also done a detailed review of other diamond carat weights, just for you. You will find reviews of:
- .5 Carat Diamond Ring Buying Guide
- 1 Carat Diamond Ring Buying Guide
- 1.5 Carat Diamond Ring Buying Guide
What is a 2-Carat Diamond Ring?
When a diamond is referred to as 2-carat, it could mean two things: the center stone is 2-carat in weight, or the ring’s total weight is 2-carats.
GUIDE: What is the Price of a 1-Carat Diamond Ring?
Let’s start with what a carat is and exactly how it is measured before we explain these two scenarios.
What is a Carat?
You most likely have heard about a carat and a karat, and are wondering what these two are. To start, they are totally different things.
Karat (with a K) is the unit used to measure the amount of pure gold in relation to an alloy of metals in jewelry. All gold jewelry is normally stamped with the number of gold parts in it. This number is usually suffixed by KT, K, or kt.
The carat we are dealing with in this guide is diamond carat (with a C). Carat is the unit used to measure how heavy or light a diamond stone is.
1 carat is equivalent to 200 milligrams.
A carat is also the same as 100 points.
GUIDE: Diamond Carat Weight Explained
Weight or Size?
The commonest way of referring to diamond weight is by whole number carats like ½, ¼, ¾, 1/3, etc. However, some jewelers also use points when referring to carat weight.
You should be familiar with the point system of carat weighting as this has an impact on the price of diamonds.
For example, if you compare the prices of a 1.90pt carat center stone and a 2.00-carat center stone, you will see that there would be a very big difference in the price, while the difference in carat points is very small.
Most people think that carat refers to the size of the diamond. However, this is incorrect. Carat refers to the weight. The size of the diamond measured on the crown is usually noted in millimeters.
2 Carat Center Stone
A diamond engagement ring that with a 2-carat center stone will be expensive as long as the other 3Cs are sufficient. You may get one good diamond attribute, but have to sacrifice on another.
The ring below from James Allen is one good example of this.
When shopping or when you finally assemble a ring of your choice, verify that the carat weight you see refers to the weight of the center stone and not the total weight of the diamond.
2-Carat Total Weight
When a diamond’s total cart weight is 2, it should bear the label 2TWD. However, not every diamond supplier puts the label.
Below are 3 different diamonds, each with a total carat weight of 2. The center stones are princess cut each weighing 1.51 carats.
14K White Gold Marquise Shape Three Stone Ring
The diamond rings have varying carat weights and each has different dimensions. You can have a ring with 10 diamonds, each having 0.2 carats. This means the total carat weight is 2 carats.
The price of such a ring would be much less since the diamonds are of smaller sizes. Such diamonds also do not need high clarity too as a large diamond would.
For the sake of this article, we are going to use 2-carats with reference to the weight of the center stone.
Is a 2 Carat Diamond Cheap or Expensive?
There are several factors that affect the cost of a 2-carat diamond. The most important factors are the 4Cs, developed by GIA.
In this guide, we talk about 1 C; Carat.
We already know that carat affects a diamond’s price. Other factors that affect the price of a 2-carat diamond ring are:
- Diamond cut
- Diamond color
- Diamond clarity
- Diamond brand
- Diamond shape
- Diamond settings
- Side stones
Diamond Cut
Diamond cut can mean either of two things: the diamond shape or how the diamond has been cut physically.
GUIDE: Diamond Cut Meaning
Let’s focus on the physical cut for now and save shape for later in this article.
The cost of a 2-carat diamond is greatly affected by how the diamond is cut. “Ideal” cut diamonds are the best-graded diamond cuts. Therefore, these diamonds cost a lot more than those that have a “Good” cut.
The rating scale for diamond cuts ranges from “Poor” on the low side to “Excellent” or “Ideal” on the high side.
An “Ideal cut diamond has precise and exact proportions and symmetry. This is the best cut for all diamonds.
The perfect “Ideal” cut is credited to Marcel Tolkowsky, who was a famous diamond cutter and mathematician.
The quality of cut in diamonds depends on three factors: the stone’s agility, cut design, and if the diamond is viewed from the crown.
- Agility
How the diamond is crafted is important when it comes to its cut. A poorly polished stone or one with bad symmetry dimensions will make the diamond have poor brilliance. As a result, the ring will look dull.
- Cut Design
This refers to how the weight of the diamond is distributed and its durability. If the weight is not properly balanced, the diamond becomes vulnerable and susceptible to breaking or wearing down.
- Crown View
This helps when grading since the diamond grader can assess the level of light dispersion, scintillation, fire, and brilliance. When a diamond rates high in all these factors, it is obviously a quality cut grade.
Tip: To know if a stone has a good cut grade, look at the thickness of the girdle. The girdle is the part of the diamond that separates the crown from the pavilion. The girdle runs around the diamond.
A good cut grade is made of a girdle that is slightly thick or medium-thin, not thin.
Clarity
Clarity is one of the other major factors that determine the price of a diamond. The standard scale for grading diamond clarity starts from I3 and goes up to FL. I3 is the lowest clarity while FL is the highest.
GUIDE: All About Diamond Clarity
When a diamond has a Flawless grade, it means you cannot see any natural blemishes in it. Diamonds that fall in this category are the most expensive, of the highest quality, and have the best cut.
Away from Flawless, we have VS1, VS2, VVS1, and VVS2 diamonds. These diamonds are also eye clean but inclusions can be seen under a 10x magnification.
GUIDE: Meaning of Eye-Clean Diamonds
By now, you already know that diamond cut and clarity do not only affect the price but also determine a diamond’s worth and how easily it can be found.
Clarity is the main reason why a diamond with the same carats may have different prices. Lower clarity grade diamonds are cheaper than higher clarity grade ones.
Let’s look at some examples.
Below is a loose excellent cut diamond from James Allen. It is a 2-carat round cut diamond with SI1 clarity grade. This is a Slightly Included (SI) clarity grade diamond. This means that you can see some traces of blemishes on the diamond, even without a microscope.
2.00 Carat Round Diamond
Then, there is this 2-carat diamond having VVS1 clarity. All its grades are similar to the one above, apart from the clarity grade. There is a price difference of more than $26,000 between the two diamonds.
If you have decided to buy a 2-carat diamond ring, you should know better than to compromise on the clarity grade. In fact, the desirable clarity grade for a 2-carat diamond is VS1 on the minimum side.
If you gamble with clarity, you will see a lot of inclusions in the diamond. The inclusions will impact the brilliance and beauty of your ring.
Color
Among the 4Cs is the diamond color, which also has a direct impact on the price of a diamond ring.
The standard grading scale used measures the color of diamonds from light to colorless. The color of diamonds is normally identified by alphabetical letters from D to Z.
GUIDE: Diamond Color Explained
Colorless diamonds lie in grades D, E, and F while light yellow diamonds start from grade L to Z.
When considering the color of your 2-carat diamond ring, think about the metal in which the ring will be set. For example, if you select a faint yellow color for the diamond, it will not look so yellow when put in rose gold or yellow gold metal.
When you put a diamond stone in dark metal, it will obviously look like it has lost a bit of its pigment.
Similarly, if you take a diamond with color grade K and put it into platinum or white gold setting, the diamond will look a bit yellow because of the silver color in the metal.
Also, consider whether the 2-carat diamond ring you want comes with other stones. With a solitaire, you only have to think about the setting when it comes to pigments.
However, if there are other stones, and especially big ones, make sure all stones are the same color in all the diamonds. If the stones are of a different color from the 2 carats at the center, they will distract attention from the center.
Shape
All diamond shapes are not the same price.
The most expensive diamond shape is the round brilliant diamond. The high price is as a result of the high level of fire and brilliance it has.
Round brilliant diamonds are also the most bought diamond shapes in the market, accounting for about 70% of the sales.
All the other shapes you see in the jewelry store are called fancy shapes. Fancy shaped diamonds are about 43% cheaper than round cut diamonds.
There are several shapes that jewelers use to design diamond rings. Some of these shapes are commonly used as side stones or accents.
Check out the price difference in 1-carat fancy shaped stones from Blue Nile.
Certain diamond shapes have a greater risk of breaking and chipping. Such shapes include trillion, marquise, and pear.
Since they can easily chip, these diamond shapes are cheap.
There is also another popular shape called princess. Diamonds in this shape are cheaper than round brilliant diamond shapes.
Tip: The cushion cut is the third most common diamond shape. It is also among the low-priced pieces in the jewelry market.
Brilliant cut diamonds like round shapes are more expensive than step-cuts like Asscher and emerald cuts.
Brand
Jewelry designers price their 2-carat diamond rings differently.
Brands that have built a name over the years are more expensive than those which are just starting. The quality of rings from such designers is always as good as those sold by fine jewelry retailers.
Some brands will make you pay more for a ring just because of their names. However, this should not be the case. Examples of such designers are Vera Wang and Neil Lane.
Neil Lane is a vintage rings brand while Vera Wang decided to venture in bridal jewelry after making a wedding dress for a long time.
These two designer labels know nothing about cutting diamonds. Their work involves assembling the diamonds. However, they are among the most sought-after ring designs in the jewelry market.
These brand names do not use any special technique when putting together diamond rings. However, they sell their 2-carat diamond rings at very high prices. You can buy the same 2 carat diamond ring at a much cheaper price at online jewelry stores like Blue Nile and James Allen. You even get to choose your preferred loose diamonds.
If you are so much into brand names, you should do extensive research on the brand names that sell quality diamonds. For example, if you buy from Leo or Tolkowsky, you are sure of getting something good as their diamonds are priced depending on cut and quality and not the name of the brand.
Setting
The price of a two-carat diamond is also controlled by its setting. In general, the ring price should not increase or decrease if it is set in gold metal, whether rose, white or yellow.
However, if you choose platinum metal, the price will definitely increase. Platinum is more expensive than gold.
Go to James Allen and check the prices of this vintage pear diamond ring that is 2 carat. The ring costs $225 more when set in platinum than when in gold.
The price of platinum goes up because the metal is more durable than gold. If you go to a retailer that presets diamond rings, you will find that not all rings are set in platinum.
Tip: You can still get a durable ring without spending so much on a platinum setting. All you need to do is to put a platinum head on the ring. This way the prongs will last longer than if it were just gold.
Other than the type of metal, the style of the setting also affects the price of a 2-carat diamond ring. For example, Milgrain style diamond rings are the most expensive. Look at the milgrain ring shown below:
18K White Gold Milgrain Navette Engagement Ring
Other Stones
The price of a 2-carat diamond ring will also be affected by the side stones it has. The price of the ring will be negotiable if you choose a solitaire. However, if you go with a 3-stone ring, be prepared to spend a lot more.
If you choose several small stones in a halo setting, you have to meet the cost of those additional stones. This could be a good option for you since small diamonds are usually not expensive.
As you have seen, the price of a 2 carat diamond ring in the jewelry store is based on several factors. However, the main factors are color, cut, and clarity.
Generally, the price of a 2-carat diamond lies between $5,000 and $50,000.
Watch the video below to learn about the difference in prices of diamonds of different sizes and carat weights.
Is a 2 Carat Diamond Ring Big?
You can tell whether a 2-carat diamond ring is big or not by looking at its shape. Since the carat of a diamond does not represent its size, the table surface area of a stone with a fancy shape will look bigger. A good example of such a ring is the emerald cut.
A princess-cut and an emerald cut will appear bigger than a round brilliant.
Many people consider a 2-carat diamond to be a great carat size and a large diamond.
If you have big fingers, the diamond ring will look smaller. This will especially be the case if you choose a solitaire.
2 Ct Emerald
2 Ct Round Brilliant
2 Ct Princess
What is the Resell Value of a 2 Carat Diamond Ring?
A diamond ring will never be sold for the same price it was bought at, regardless of the size. Therefore, it is important to buy a diamond ring to enjoy its beauty and have a chance to wear rare jewelry. You should not buy to hold it as a financial investment.
If you resell a 2-carat diamond ring, you are likely to retain between 30% and 70% of the original value of the ring. This will also be the case if you have a diamond that has a high clarity grade like VVS2, VVS1, VS2, or VS1. With such high clarity grade, you can still retain almost the same amount of its initial value.
The resell value can greatly drop if the diamond has poor quality standards.
Instead of thinking about how much you can resell the diamond, why not think about the sentimental value attached to the ring? Consider passing the ring to your child as an inheritance instead of selling it.
A 2-carat diamond ring can be the best heirloom you can own. Moreover, it may even increase in value as the years pass.
Get the Best Value When Purchasing a 2 Carat Diamond Ring
We already know all the factors that affect the price of a diamond ring. Therefore, you should be able to buy a ring an get the best value for your money.
Getting the best value involves getting a diamond ring that has a GIA or AGS certificate. You stand to gain if you add a GemEx certificate that shows the brilliance and light effect of the diamond. With these certificates available, you can rest assured that the diamond you get is actually what the seller claims it is.
Diamonds that do not have grading certificates are not worth trusting because they do not tell you the exact grades of the diamond. Some do not even say anything at all.
Some diamond grading labs give a general range of diamond color, clarity, and carat. That is why it is good to custom design your own 2-carat diamond engagement ring. This way, you can be sure of what you are paying for.
Conclusion on 2 Carat Diamond Rings
You now know more about jewelry than when you started reading this guide. You know a thing or two about choosing the best 2-carat diamond ring for you. You know what to expect when it comes to prices and factors that affect the price.
Remember not to compromise the cut and clarity of the ring. This means you should ensure the ring’s quality is certified by GIA or AGS.
Apart from diamond grades, choose a diamond engagement ring that best suits the person you are going to give. Beauty should be an important factor as diamonds represent the beauty of love. Therefore, consider that when picking a 2-carat diamond ring.
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