Diamond Buying Guide – Part Two
This is part two (of two) of our Diamond Buying Guide. Read Part One here.
For Diamond Connoisseurs
ASET image of a Super Ideal Cut Round Diamond
As mentioned earlier, how well a diamond is cut will determine its light performance. At the high-end, diamond connoisseurs seek out the “Super Ideal” or “Hearts and Arrows” cut diamonds.
These diamonds are cut for maximum light performance, and during the cutting process, the cutter will sacrifice carat size for optimizing the diamond’s proportions for the best sparkle and brilliance.
So for a given carat size these diamonds can be several thousand dollars more expensive.
Reflector technology tools such as the ASET (Angular Spectrum Evaluation Theory), introduced by the American Gem Society in 2005, can help the diamond connoisseur to objectively evaluate the cut proportions of these high-end diamonds,
Diamond Guidelines Pricing Table
According to The Knot’s third annual Engagement & Jewelry Study, the average price of an engagement ring is $5,403. In addition, the average size of the center diamond is 1.1 carats (source). Figuring a typical breakdown of 75% spent on the center diamond and 25% spent on the setting, then on average a 1.1 carat diamond will be $4052, with a setting of $1351.
Which interestingly enough is almost exactly what our diamond guidelines pricing table (below) says should be the price for a 1.1 carat diamond when optimized for best price.
Our diamond guidelines pricing table is our best recommendations and advice for selecting Round cut, Princess cut, and Cushion cut diamonds. There are three categories for each carat range: Best Price, Balanced and Connoisseur.
“Best Price” are diamonds optimized for carat size, with a J (nearly colorless) color, SI2 clarity (which should be visually inspected to be “eye clean”), and a Very Good/Excellent cut. While these diamonds may not sparkle quite as much as a “connoisseur” diamond, they will still have a pretty nice sparkle, with the added bonus of being around half the price!
“Balanced” are diamonds selected for a balance between best price and best light performance. With a color ranging between I,H,G (nearly colorless), VS2 clarity, and Excellent cut.
“Connoisseur” are diamonds optimized for maximum light performance (brilliance and sparkle). With a color ranging between I,H,G (nearly colorless), VS2 clarity, and “Super Ideal” cut. Typically, they will be AGS certified diamonds and will have ASET images for light performance evaluation. These will be the highest quality (and most expensive) diamonds for each category (Often twice as expensive as a diamond optimized for best price).
Diamond Guidelines Pricing Table
| Carats | Best Price | Balanced | Connoisseur |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
|
| 0.5 | Round J/SI2/VG, $1200 Princess J/SI2/VG, $790 Cushion J/SI2, $890 |
Round I/VS2/EX, $1600 Princess I/VS2/EX, $1020 Cushion I/VS2, $1000 |
– |
| 0.6 | Round J/SI2/VG, $1500 Princess J/SI2/VG, $1000 Cushion J/SI2, $1100 |
Round I/VS2/EX, $2000 Princess I/VS2/EX, $1200 Cushion I/VS2, $1200 |
– |
| 0.7 | Round J/SI2/VG, $1650 Princess J/SI2/VG, $1500 Cushion J/SI2, $1600 |
Round I/VS2/EX, $2400 Princess I/VS2/EX, $1900 Cushion I/VS2, $1800 |
– |
| 0.75 | Round J/SI2/VG, $1900 Princess J/SI2/VG, $1600 Cushion J/SI2, $1700 |
Round I/VS2/EX, $2800 Princess H/VS2/EX, $2700 Cushion H/VS2, $2600 |
– |
| 0.8 | Round J/SI2/VG, $2400 Princess J/SI2/VG, $2000 Cushion J/SI2, $1800 |
Round I/VS2/EX, $3000 Princess H/VS2/EX, $2300 Cushion H/VS2, $2100 |
– |
| 0.9 | Round J/SI2/VG, $3000 Princess J/SI2/VG, $2500 Cushion J/SI2, $2200 |
Round I/VS2/EX, $4500 Princess H/VS2/EX, $3700 Cushion H/VS2, $3000 |
Round I/VS2/ID, $6400 Princess G/VS2/ID, $4600 |
| 1.0 | Round J/SI2/VG, $3500 Princess J/SI2/VG, $2800 Cushion J/SI2, $2700 |
Round I/VS2/EX, $6000 Princess H/VS2/EX, $4400 Cushion H/VS2, $3900 |
Round I/VS2/ID, $7800 Princess G/VS2/ID, $6200 Cushion G/VS2, $8600 |
| 1.1 | Round J/SI2/VG, $4000 Princess J/SI2/VG, $3700 Cushion J/SI2, $3000 |
Round I/VS2/EX, $6900 Princess H/VS2/EX, $5200 Cushion H/VS2, $5000 |
Round I/VS2/ID, $8700 Princess G/VS2/ID, $6600 Cushion G/VS2, $9700 |
| 1.2 | – | Round I/VS2/EX, $7200 Princess H/VS2/EX, $6000 Cushion H/VS2, $5500 |
Round I/VS2/ID, $10000 Princess G/VS2/ID, $7300 Cushion G/VS2, $11000 |
| 1.5 | – | Round I/VS2/EX, $11000 Princess H/VS2/EX, $10000 Cushion H/VS2, $9500 |
Round I/VS2/ID, $15000 Princess G/VS2/ID, $12000 Cushion G/VS2, $18000 |
While you can get a slightly cheaper diamond by going below our guidelines, it’s not recommended. We don’t recommend a cut below “Very Good” as you lose just too much sparkle. You should also avoid I1-I3 diamonds as they have too many inclusions, which can jeopardize the integrity of the stone as well as its brilliance. However, you can try a K (faint yellow) colored diamond, especially if your ring setting uses yellow gold, which will help mask the yellowish tint of the K colored diamond.