You're ready to get engaged and now all you need is the ring! Buying a diamond engagement ring can seem daunting, but we are going to break down the process into 3 easy steps, along with the prices for natural untreated diamonds. So you can have a better idea of what to expect! To inquire or to request a quote, please send us an email at info@fineandflux.com!
What Is The Average Price For A Diamond Engagement Ring?
Let's start off with the prices for natural diamond. These prices are in Canadian dollars and do not include the price of the complete ring. Usually we recommend adding on an additional 2K for the gold shank on top of the cost of the diamond. Of course the price for the ring may fluctuate based on design and additional diamonds, but this is a good average cost to add, in order to give you a general idea for your budget.
Note: These prices were made July 2022 and may fluctuate based on market price*
0.5cts (5mm): From 1K to 2K
0.8cts (5.75mm): From 3500 to 6K
1ct (6.5mm): From 5K to 10K
1.5cts (7.3mm): From 13K to 25K
2cts (8mm): From 25K to 40K
3cts (9.1mm): From 60K to 90K
Understanding Diamond Qualities, The 4 C's
For the prices stated above we used the standard commercial quality SI1-color G. So what does this mean? When buying a diamond, they are priced in accordance to the quality of the diamond. The quality is made up of the "4 C's", these C's are:
1) Cut: The cut of the diamond is what will affect the brilliance, in other words the sparkle of your gem. If you have a poorly cut stone it can result in less refraction, dark spots and a thick girdle (rim of the diamond), among other things.
If your cut is bad and you have a diamond that is deep, it can add on additional carat weight (which will increase the price). For example the standard 1ct diamond should measure 6.5mm round. If it is a 1ct diamond with measurements such as 6.3mm round, you will know it has too much depth as a result of a poor cut.
2) Color: For colorless diamonds (white) they are graded on a scale that starts at D (colorless) all the way down the alphabet to Z (light color). The closer you are to D, the more the value will increase and the lower you go down the chain the more yellow your diamond will turn and the less desirable it will be esthetically.
SI1 is the standard quality for most buyers and is the standard "commercial grade" sold at jewelry stores. This is why we used it for our price list above.
4) Carat: Carat is another way of saying the weight of the diamond. Diamonds today are machine cut, so they have a standard weight to size ration. For example:
1ct round = 6.5mm
1.5ct round = 7.3mm
2ct round = 8mm
So when buying a diamond, you will be able to tell the carat weight you need based on the size you like.
You may be wondering why the prices vary so much within the same range of quality? The reason is because within the same spectrum, there will be nicer stones than others. In the image below, there is a pair of SI1 diamonds, but the price for the diamond on the left will be significantly higher than the diamond on the right. This is because the inclusions (imperfections, represented by red spots) are better placed. Having inclusions off to the side of your diamond, where we can hide them behind prongs, is a far better options than choosing the diamond on the right where the imperfections are front and center.
How To Buy A Diamond Engagement Ring? The Process
Now that you have a general idea of pricing we can go over our quick and easy process of what the steps will look like when buying your engagement ring. Please keep in mind this is the standard process for any engagement ring whether it's sapphires, emeralds or diamonds.
1) As a client coming in to work with us, all you really need to know is the shape of the diamond you would like to have (round, oval, cushion, etc..) and the general budget you have for the entire ring. Once we know those two aspects we will start sorting through diamonds that meet those criteria's. We have diamond vendors from around the world, from whom we will source your diamond from.
2) Once we've selected 2-3 of the best options we will send you high definition videos of the diamonds. We actually recommend this process because in viewing your diamonds online you are able to zoom in 10X the size of your diamond. Giving you a very clear understanding where the imperfections are. This is a much easier way to see and understand the quality of your stone, then going in person. This is because most jewelry stores use LED lighting, causing your diamond to have its maximum brilliance, making it hard to see the actual quality of the diamond. Each diamond presented to you will come with an estimate, so there will be no surprises!
3) Once you've selected your diamond, we will start the fabrication of your custom engagement ring and ship it out to you within 3 weeks! The process is easy, fast and you will have full control over the final design because we always make your ring in 3D and send you renderings before we actually make it. So you can request adjustments until it's exactly as you'd like!
To get started or to request a quote, please send us an email at info@fineandflux.com. You can also view our ready to order designs here or our custom jewelry gallery, of some of our previous personalized designs.
Are There Really Conflict Free Natural Diamonds?
Natural conflict free diamonds do exist and are a great option if you want to be sure your diamond has a clean origin report. We always recommend Canadian or Australian diamonds. These are diamonds that have been mined within strict environmental guidelines and respect labor laws (no child or slave labor, with respectable work conditions).
Canadian diamonds always comes with certification proving its origin, along with a matching serial number and Canadian maple leaf or polar bear laser engraved along the girdle (rim) of the diamond. Canadian diamonds are also known for being of a higher caliber in quality. Do keep in mind when buying Canadian, you can expect an additional 10% increase of the average price for non-Canadian diamonds.
If you are interested in ethically sourced diamonds, send us an inquiry and we will be happy to help! info@fineandflux.com
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