How to Buy a 1.5 Carat Diamond Without Selling Your House
What exactly is the perfect size engagement ring? Well, that depends majorly on what you’re shooting for in terms of style, but what about the rock facts?
The crowd fav has been the 1ct diamond forever, but the scales are beginning to tip in favor of a bigger stone. The real tea is that most couples prefer a bigger diamond and that 1.5ct fits the bill.
The thing is, a 1.5-carat diamond just hits different. It’s a small upsize with a big upside. And while it does cost more than its single-digit competition, there’s no reason to get salty just yet. Sometimes getting a bigger diamond at a smaller price just means knowing the cheat codes.
Above Average
The average size rock for an engagement ring is around 1ct. It makes total sense. It’s a nice little chunk of diamond, and it’s cute; there are no arguments here. Most couples stick around the 1ct mark because diamonds tend to get more expensive once you slip over the edge into larger carat sizes.
If you know where to shop (shhh, it's here) and what to look for (we'll tell you), you can totally snag the 1.5 carat diamond of your dreams. That little half-carat boost might not sound like much, but it makes all the difference.
Vibe Check
So, just how big is a 1.5-carat diamond anyway? Since a carat is a measure of weight rather than visual size, the size of a diamond will vary depending on the cut and shape of each stone.
A 1.5ct round brilliant measures about 7.3mm in diameter compared to a 1ct that lands around 6.4mm. That little bit of extra space is giving room for extra sparkle, and we're so here for it.
Different diamond cuts and shapes will all vary slightly in visual size. Check out these 1.5 Carat Moissanites. The round and pear cuts are visually much larger than the oval and Emerald cuts.
To be fair, these aren’t diamonds (tho they are fab), but they give you an excellent visual idea of how the shape can affect the size of a stone.
Pricy Purch
Ok, here's the deal, 1.5-carat diamonds are expensive, not gonna lie. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find the 1.5ct stone that rocks your world and not your wallet.
Diamond prices range quite a bit, and those differences hinge on oodles of factors. Here at Keyzar, we have 1.5ct diamonds that go anywhere from $1,500 to $32,600. But don't let that intimidate you. That vast range of prices means the perfect rock is out there, and you can totally find one to match your budget. You need to know a few things like what to look for and where to buy. And don't worry, we've always got you covered.
Check it out. Here’s a 1ct G VVS2 Emerald Natural Diamond. It’s stunning, yes, and it’s fairly reasonable with a 5k price tag. This 1.5ct G VVS1 Emerald Natural Diamond is basically a size up of a pretty similar stone. Yet, it costs a whopping 9k more than the 1ct diamond. But never fear. In the case of both diamonds, it’s totally possible to save a bundle and get the same dang diamond.
We Love a Lab Diamond
If you weren't already aware, there are actually two kinds of diamonds, natural diamonds and lab diamonds. They are identical down to the atoms. In fact, they only have two fundamental differences. First is their origins, obvi. One is made deep in the earth's center–is it hot in here?–the other is made, you guessed it, in a lab.
The second difference is in price. Lab diamonds are, on average, half the price of natural diamonds, which absolutely slaps. Lab-grown diamonds are also more sustainable and eco-friendly, but that's a story for a different day. Today you wanted to learn about 1.5-carat diamonds, so here's the tea.
Remember that pricy little comparison we just showed you? Well, this 1.56 Carat G VVS2 Emerald Lab Diamond is the most affordable of all three coming in just over 2k. It’s also the biggest.
So if you’re dead set on a particular stone, look for its lab diamond twin cause you might just find something even better. Lab diamonds really allow you to go home with the high-key sparkle for the low-key price, and who doesn't love that?
Click – Snag
Ok, so you're not about that lab-grown lifestyle. We can still save you a little dosh if you’re all about the au natural. (If you still stan for the lab rocks, this lifehack goes hard for you too.)
Shopping for a diamond online really ups your options, giving you the ability to find an eye-clean diamond in your price range. Make sure you're shopping with a reputable diamond dealer who can provide you with an HD 360 preview of the diamond.–Like us! These up-close and sparklicious previews allow you to check out the diamond you're buying beforehand from all angles. The magnified view lets you see all the tiny details you might miss while shopping in person.
Check out this 1.51ct J VS2 Princess Natural Diamond. It might be hard to spot inclusions on a stone like this in person, but with the HD 360, they’re easy to spot. It’s still sparkle city gorge tho.
Save Me C's
Ah, the big C's, cut, color, clarity, and carat. You've probably heard these terms get thrown around a bit, but here's the deal, if you know your C's, you can get the diamond you want and still stay within your budget. Here's the deal, we know you want a 1.5ct stone. That's why you're here, so let's run down the other 3 right quick and save you some skrilla.
Cut
Ok, off the bat, if you're looking for C to save money on, this ain't it. The cut is the most important of the 4c's. It's responsible for the stone's brilliance and fire. In other words, the cut brings the sparkle.
A poorly cut stone will let a ton of light escape rather than bouncing it back, giving the stone dark spots and a dim reflection. We don't want that, you don't want that, nobody wants that. Try to choose a stone with an excellent/ideal or very good cut.
Clarity
So clarity is defiantly the department you want to save a little dough in. The clarity grade is based on how many inclusions you can see with the naked eye. IF or VVS1 is basically the top of the charts in terms of clarity, and tbh you really don't need to spend the extra cash.
So long as you snag a well-cut stone–and you did go for a good cut, right?–a lot of the inclusions will be hidden by the stone's sparkle. This goes double for brilliant cuts like round, pear, cushion, radiant, oval, and princess. All those sparkles hide many imperfections, and that's a total W.
You can usually find an eye-clean diamond in the VS2 or even SI1 range. Check these two diamonds. They’re both excellent cut round brilliant natural diamonds. The one on the right is an SI1 Clarity grade, and the one on the left is a VVS2. If you watch the HD 360 view, you can see that these diamonds are gorgeous, sparklicious, and totally eye-clean. But the price difference is about $13k, definitely a good reason to check the tapes.
Color
Diamond color refers to the tint of the stone itself. A D on the color scale represents a perfectly colorless diamond, and a Z will have noticeable light yellow or brown hues. You don't have to spend all your money on a D-colored diamond to get one that appears colorless. Yet again, cut plays a super important role in picking the right stone, as brilliant cuts can hide a lot of color. This M Colored Round Brilliant is an excellent example of strong natural diamond coloring.
This I Colored Pear Lab Diamond, on the other hand, is a great example of how an H or an I-grade diamond can still appear colorless.
You can see some of its yellow undertones, but set in yellow gold, the stone, and the metal will complement each other, bringing out the best in both.
Ready for the 1.5ct Glow Up?
We thought so. 1.5-carat diamonds can be expensive, like very expensive. But they don't have to be. The lab diamond of your dreams is totally within reach and within your price range. And if you'd rather keep it organic, we've got you covered there too.
Sizing up to a bigger rock doesn't have to be a big yikes. You've got this, and we're here to help. Check out our selection of diamonds, and build the ring you've always wanted. You deserve it. You are the main character, after all.
