Lab-grown diamond cost per carat

The average cost of a 1-carat lab-grown diamond (excluding all other “Cs”) is around $2,000. That price will go up or down depending on cut, clarity, and color. Fractions of a carat are referred to as "points.” A 50-point diamond weighs 0.5 carats or 1/2 carat, while a 1-carat diamond weighs 100 points. The difference between these points will change the price of the diamond. Since even a fraction of a carat can significantly alter its value, most VRAI created diamonds are rounded to the hundredth of a carat. As mentioned above, at the time of publication, a 1-carat round brilliant VRAI created lab-grown diamond excellent cut, H color, VS1 clarity costs $1,455. The same quality of diamond at 0.98 carats costs $1,426.

Lab-grown diamond cost by clarity

Clarity describes the visual purity of a diamond. Just like mined diamonds, a lab-grown diamond has inclusions or imperfections. These inclusions can make a diamond appear “cloudy.” The less inclusions a diamond has, the more valuable it is. At the time of publication, a 1.05-carat round brilliant VRAI created diamond with excellent cut, H color, and VS2 clarity (meaning it is [very slightly included](/journal/post/slightly-included-diamonds)) costs $1,398. The same quality of diamond with VS1 clarity (higher up on the diamond clarity scale) costs $1,566.

Lab-grown diamond cost by cut

Cut is often confused with shape, but refers to a diamond’s facets. The brilliance, or shine, of a diamond is affected by its cut. A diamond of a higher carat weight can appear smaller if its cut is poor. Therefore, the higher quality cut, the more valuable the diamond. At the time of publication, a 1-carat round brilliant VRAI created diamond with H color, VS1 clarity, and excellent cut costs $1,455. The same quality of diamond with an ideal cut (slightly higher up on the scale) costs $1,572.

Lab-grown diamond cost by color

A diamond’s color actually refers to the absence of color. A [colorless diamond](/journal/post/colorless-diamond-guide) is more valuable than a nearly colorless diamond, and a nearly colorless diamond is more valuable than a faintly colored (with hints of yellow) diamond. At the time of publication, a 1.01 round brilliant VRAI created diamond with ideal + hearts cut, VI1 clarity, and I color costs $1,164. A diamond of the same quality but G color costs $1,621.

Lab-grown diamond cost by shape

The shape of your diamond can affect the cost of your lab grown diamond. This has nothing to do with certain shapes being more “valuable” than others, but rather with how certain Cs are more important than others depending on the shape. For example, a round brilliant diamond’s appearance is true to its carat weight — it looks its size. But oval or marquise shapes have an elongated form that makes them appear larger than their carat weight. Meaning you can purchase an oval diamond of a lighter carat weight, and it will appear as large or larger than a round brilliant diamond of a slightly heavier weight. Learn more about [VRAI created diamond shapes](/journal/post/diamond-shapes) and which of the 4Cs should be prioritized to highlight their form.