1.5 Carat vs 2 Carat Diamond Rings - A Full Guide
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19 minutesIs comparison truly the thief of joy, or is it the way to finding exactly what your heart desires?
After all, the hardest decision we often have to make is finding the person we want to spend the rest of our lives with and if you’re about to pick out an engagement ring, it seems you’ve done a pretty good job at making that decision already.
When planning your wedding, you’re going to face many more decisions than you ever thought possible for a one-day event.
What color flowers look best as table centerpieces; should you opt for full tall centerpieces that leave guests thinking “wow” or something quainter and more elegant that doesn’t detract from guest conversations to be had?
Perhaps the overall color themes will have you in a pickle. Does the bride's favorite color clash with what the groom likes, and will the bridesmaids be happy to wear bright pink meringue-style dresses for the ceremony?
Maybe the most challenging decisions are who to invite and who not to invite to ensure everyone still gets along at the end of the day!
One decision that is entirely for the bride and groom, and one that will last a lifetime, is the decision of what diamond will seal the deal for the engagement ring.
Diamonds aren’t cheap; of course, the bigger the diamond, the bigger the price tag.
So, this will leave you questioning, “What is the real difference between carat sizes when it comes to diamonds?”.
This blog will look at the difference between 1.5-carat and 2-carat diamond rings so you can get the best view of what is suitable for your perfect engagement ring.
Let’s get to it!
In this article...
- 1.5 Carat Ring
- What are the best setting choices for 1.5-carat rings?
- What are the best color grades for 1.5-carat diamonds?
- Uses for 1.5-carat diamonds?
- How much does a 1.5-carat diamond cost?
- How large is a 1.5-carat ring?
- 2 Carat Rings
- What are the best setting choices for 2-carat diamonds?
- What are the best color grades for 2-carat diamonds?
- What are the best uses for 2-carat diamonds?
- How much does a 2-carat diamond cost?
- So, which should I choose?
1.5 Carat Ring
We’ll start with the 1.5-carat ring.
It doesn’t matter what diamond you choose; regardless of carat, a few things will make the price of the diamond vary, and these are usually determined by color grade, clarity and cut quality.
Color grades vary from D-Z, with D being colorless in appearance, all the way to Z, which will appear yellowish-brown in tint.
A lot of diamond experts would recommend remaining between the G and H range for the best appearance and value for what you are paying.
It is also recommended that you always want to aim to get a diamond of an excellent cut grade. When you get an excellent cut grade, the diamond will appear to have more fire and brilliance, as well as looking up to 10% larger in size because of the amount of light return!
Excellent cuts reflect almost all incoming light they receive; this lets the diamond sparkle incredibly and appear as beautiful as possible.
What are the best setting choices for 1.5-carat rings?
Your ring's setting is entirely up to you and dependent on your personal preference; however, there are specific settings that will make a 1.5-carat ring appear more stunning.
For instance, using the “halo effect” setting, which is where the largest diamond, in this case, the 1.5-carat diamond, is surrounded by a ring of smaller diamonds. Thus, appearing like a circle or halo.
In this particular setting, the 1.5-carat diamond is perhaps the largest diamond you would want choose and would sit beautifully amongst the smaller halo diamonds.
But, of course, you could still choose a larger 2-carat diamond, and it would suit this halo setting still if you want to go a little bigger.
Any larger, however, we would suggest looking for a thicker band to support the stone.
Not to worry though, as we have a magnificent selection of large center engagement rings that support every stone that is 2-carat and above.
These rings are exceptional choices for those who cannot get enough of the sparkle and are very popular, indeed!
You could also try out an Antique or Vintage style setting.
Our Gabriel Amavida Chelsea Oval Cut Diamond Engagement Ring is a perfect example of how you can combine old-world beauty with sophistication without having to hold back on the diamond!
This Gabriel Amavida ring showcases a warmer yellow 1.5-carat pear cut center diamond with a matching gold tone in the metal of the ring.
But if that’s not your style, that’s totally fine too!
We are super custom friendly here at Ben Garelick, which means if you like any setting on our site but want to change the color of the metal, or shape or size of the center stone, you can!
We can customize your ring to your needs and requirements, so if there’s something you don’t love about a certain setting, we can adapt elements to make it your dream ring and you can live happily ever after!
What are the best color grades for 1.5-carat diamonds?
As we mentioned in our introduction to 1.5-carat diamonds, it really is best to stick between grades G to H.
With a diamond of this size, it would be hard to notice a difference in color, so you will save far more money by avoiding D to F color grades and still essentially have the same appearance.
Uses for 1.5-carat diamonds?
Even though this blog is focused on setting a 1.5-carat diamond in an engagement ring, you can just about do anything with this size diamond.
They make beautiful highlights to almost any ring type, be it for a wedding band, engagement ring, promise ring, or statement piece ring. Due to it not being overly large and heavy, they are also great in bracelets, cufflinks and necklaces.
How much does a 1.5-carat diamond cost?
Regular mined diamond –as discussed above, many factors contribute to a diamond's overall cost, mainly clarity, cut and color. There is little need to go too high with the color grade, and you likely won’t be able to appreciate any difference in appearance.
If you opted for a round shaped 1.5 carat G VS1 excellent cut diamond, you’ll be looking to part ways with around $12,500. But there is no cap, and 1.5 carat diamonds can cost approximately up to $42,000!
However, these prices are really just a rough guide. So many factors come into play and diamond pricing fluctuates daily. The lab in which the diamond was graded plays a factor as does if the diamond has any fluorescence.
Lab-grown diamond –with this in mind, you may want to consider a lab-grown diamond. They are the same as mined diamonds but grown in a lab.
Of course, mined diamonds are still super high in demand and rarer, impacting the cost.
For the same 1.5 carats G VS1 diamond but lab-grown, you could be looking to save around 50-60% and maybe even more but you must always consider the variety of factors at play that may determine the diamond's overall price and the current supply and demand.
How large is a 1.5-carat ring?
If you’re looking at the size of the diamond itself, if you go for a round cut, the diamond will be around 7.3mm in diameter overall.
Which isn’t too large and isn’t too small, it will look perfect on your bride-to-be’s hand, and people will be paying her compliments on its appearance.
2 Carat Rings
Shall we up the game a little then and see what all the fuss about 2-carat rings is?
Well, it’s self-explanatory that 2-carat rings are bigger, weightier and come with a bigger price tag.
However, like all of our above points regarding 1.5-carat diamonds, many of the same factors benefit the price difference and appearance of a 2-carat diamond.
As expected, the price will hike when considering a 2-carat diamond – this is possibly the most significant thing you’ll need to consider between the two when deciding.
But let’s look at some of the same factors we did for the 1.5 carats against the 2 carats, so you have a good picture of what really differs between the two!
What are the best setting choices for 2-carat diamonds?
When setting a 2-carat diamond, they would still look great in a halo or three-stone setting. However, the diamond may appear more prominent and potentially over the top, depending on your preference.
Of course, it’s important to remember that the diamond size and carat aren’t the same, carat refers to the weight over size, but as carat increases, it often means the overall size of the diamond will increase too.
Solitaire settings are optimum for showing off your 2-carat diamond and all its beauty – it’ll be the star of the show and can really stand its own ground.
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In the same respect, any white gold, platinum or silver-colored metal would make a 2-carat diamond shine beyond your wildest desires as the colors are the most reflective and give the diamond that extra sparkle.
What are the best color grades for 2-carat diamonds?
Again, there are not a lot of variances between the 1.5 carat and 2-carat diamonds; therefore, you are best sticking between the G and H color range. Going for anything above would cost far more money and you’ll be unlikely to notice much more difference in the appearance of your diamond.
What are the best uses for 2-carat diamonds?
We’d put diamonds on everything if we could, but it’s really up to the wearer. The 2-carat is often more significant in appearance, so they work best on statement pieces such as the engagement ring or a stunning necklace.
Nothing stops you from wearing a 2-carat diamond in any piece of jewelry, though as the carat has increased, so has the weight. You will need to consider how comfortable and wearable the piece of jewelry it will be adorning will be.
Once you hit 2-carat or beyond, you enter the realms of large diamond engagement rings which in themselves, are also very popular for a particular type of wearer who loves sparkle and glamor!
How much does a 2-carat diamond cost?
Regular mined diamond –if you’re looking to give your fiancé a 2-carat engagement ring, you may be looking to spend tens of thousands of dollars. And if you plan on going higher than a grade G in color, well the price tag is really limitless to some degree.
Lab-grown diamond - If you want to save a bit of cash, then why not check out a lab-grown diamond? Again, much like the 1.5 carat diamonds, you could be looking to save upwards of 60% plus on a lab-grown diamond but all the same, factors come into play so you have to do your research when looking at a specific diamond.
How large is a 2-carat ring?
Round cut 2-carat diamonds are roughly around 8.00mm in size and weigh somewhere in the region of 400 milligrams. So overall, bigger and heavier than the 1.5 carats which is around 7.25mm in diameter, making the 2-carat larger but not by a huge amount!
So, which should I choose?
Deciding which carat diamond to choose comes down to two things ultimately: The amount of sparkle you want and what you can afford.
As we’ve discussed, there is very little difference between the two, but if you’ve got the budget to stretch, then a 2-carat diamond may be exactly what you want to go for.
If your budget is on the tighter end, however, a 1.5-carat diamond is hardly going to look much more different than the 2-carat – either way, we think you’ll be over the moon with whichever you go for.
Video of Size Difference Between a 1.5 Carat & 2 Carat Round Cut Diamond
2 Carat is on the Left & the 1.5 Carat Diamond is on the Right side
The Takeaways
All that decision-making best be worth it, you’re probably thinking!
Getting married is one of the most important decisions of your life, so it makes sense that you want to ensure every detail is perfect.
The engagement ring is the thing that really kicks the show off, and we know you’ll want your fiancé-to-be to feel absolutely astounded when they see you open that ring box for the first time.
When choosing between 1.5 carat and 2-carat diamonds, you can’t go wrong, and we’re yet to find anyone unhappy with either.
The best thing to always do is come into the store so one of our Ben Garelick diamond experts can show you the differences in person and see exactly what they look like.
If you can’t make it into the store, then you are more than welcome to compare them at home via our free postal service.
We will provide you with the ring style/s of your choosing which come embellished with a cubic zirconia that matches the size and weight of the diamond you are interested in so you can get a real-life feel for what your finish piece will look like.
Once you’ve decided, you can purchase the ring of your choosing online.
We promise, that once you see the diamonds for yourself, your choice will be easy – it’ll be whichever you fall for first.
The hardest part is then actually finding the courage for the proposal, but whichever diamond you choose, they are guaranteed to say yes when they see it!
Visit us at our Buffalo, NY store today. Not nearby? Not to worry - chat with our diamond experts online 24/7, call us on (716) 631-1584, or text (716) 574-0966. Let’s make your engagement the memory that will last a lifetime!
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