How much does a 2-carat lab-grown diamond cost?
In our latest comparison, a loose two-carat lab-grown diamond cost $520 to $2,100. We found the lowest prices at Ritani, while Brilliant Earth was the most expensive of the seven sellers we checked.
That range is for close round diamonds around two carats with E color, VVS2 clarity, IGI grading, and a high cut grade. It does not include the ring setting. Prices change with inventory and promotions, but the comparison shows something important: where you shop can affect the price as much as the diamond grades do.
The typical price across the seven sellers was $1,063. That is the median of each seller's benchmark price, so every seller counts once. Ritani's enormous inventory does not receive extra weight or pull the typical figure down.
If you want the shortest answer, start your comparison at Ritani. Its five lowest qualifying API results had a median price of $520, and individual matches started at $503.
Read our Ritani review See two-carat diamonds at Ritani
Two-carat lab-grown diamond prices in 2026
We checked seven well-known diamond sellers between August 30 and September 2, 2026. The table shows the closest useful sample from each seller. Ritani's result comes from its authorized Impact catalog API; Blue Nile and the remaining sellers use the current inventory research described below. Where enough close matches were available, we used the median of five results so one unusually cheap listing could not decide the comparison.
“Typical” is the median of the seller benchmark prices above. Each seller counts once, so a jeweler with a much larger inventory cannot pull the figure down simply by listing more diamonds.
| Seller and sample | Price | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| RitaniMedian of five lowest results from 2,604 qualifying API matches | $520 | Lowest in our test |
| Clean Origin2.01 ct public sale price | $694 | 33.5% more |
| Brilliance.com2.07 ct after public code | $924.70 | 77.8% more |
| With Clarity1.97 ct public sale price | $1,063 | 104.4% more |
| Grown Brilliance2.05 ct result | $1,615 | 210.6% more |
| Blue NileMedian of five close Ideal-cut results | $1,782 | 242.7% more |
| Brilliant Earth2.00 ct result | $2,100 | 303.8% more |
The cheapest diamond is not automatically the best purchase. Blue Nile and Brilliant Earth cost much more in this test, but both offer showrooms, strong inspection tools, and a more polished shopping experience. Grown Brilliance also has a much better selection of distinctive settings and finished jewelry than a price table can show.
Compare all seven sellers and their trade-offs
What changes the price of a two-carat diamond?
The four Cs—cut, color, clarity, and carat weight—still matter, but they are not the only reason two similar lab-grown diamonds can have very different prices.
Cut quality
Cut has the greatest effect on how a round diamond handles light. A poorly cut two-carat diamond can look dull even if its color and clarity grades are high. We would rather buy a lively, well-cut 1.9-carat diamond than a weakly cut stone that reaches the two-carat mark.
Use the grading report as a starting point, then inspect a real video of the diamond. Look for even brightness, good contrast, and a stone that does not appear dark or lifeless as it turns.
Color and clarity
Our price test used E color and VVS2 clarity so that the seller samples would be reasonably close. Those grades are higher than many buyers need.
For a round engagement-ring diamond, moving to G or H color and an eye-clean VS1 or VS2 clarity grade can reduce the price without creating a difference most people will notice without magnification. The setting color, diamond shape, and your own eyesight matter, so do not treat one grade combination as a rule for every ring.
Carat weight and visible size
Carat measures weight, not diameter. Two diamonds with the same weight can face up at different sizes because their depth and proportions differ.
Diamonds just below popular milestones often cost less. A well-proportioned 1.90- to 1.99-carat diamond can look almost the same size as a 2.00-carat stone while avoiding the premium attached to the round number. Compare the millimeter measurements before paying more for the label.
The seller
Our results show the size of the retailer effect. The most expensive sample was about four times the Ritani median even though the basic grades were close.
Part of that difference can pay for showrooms, service, brand experience, or a setting you prefer. But if two loose diamonds are closely matched, there is no reason to assume the more expensive one is better simply because it is listed by a premium jeweler.
Read our guide to the lab-grown diamond 4Cs
How to save without buying the wrong diamond
The guide focused heavily on price. That is still useful, but the goal is not to find the lowest number at any cost. These are the checks we use before buying:
- Choose cut before carat. Do not sacrifice sparkle just to reach exactly two carats.
- Search slightly below two carats. Start around 1.90 carats and compare the visible measurements.
- Avoid invisible upgrades. Paying for D color or flawless clarity rarely improves what you see in normal wear.
- Inspect the actual diamond. A real photo or video can reveal tint, haziness, growth marks, and poor light return that the report does not show.
- Open the grading report. Check measurements, proportions, fluorescence, and whether the listing matches the report.
- Compare the stone and setting separately. A low diamond price can be offset by an expensive setting, and the reverse can also be true.
- Read the return exclusions. Engraving, resizing, custom work, and some premium collections can change the return rules.
See our complete lab-grown diamond buying guide
What does a two-carat diamond look like?
A well-proportioned round two-carat diamond is roughly 8 millimeters across, although the exact measurement varies. Elongated shapes such as oval, pear, marquise, and emerald cuts can appear larger because they cover more of the finger.
A two-carat center stone has plenty of presence in a simple solitaire. A halo or pavé setting makes the complete ring look larger and adds sparkle, but it also changes the price. Compare complete ring prices only after you have separated the center-stone cost from the setting.
Prices for fancy-shaped two-carat lab-grown diamonds
Fancy shapes can be excellent value. They often look larger than a round diamond of the same weight, and some cost less because cutting demand and rough-diamond yield differ. The trade-off is that cut grading is less standardized, so the actual image and proportions become even more important.
To compare shapes without mixing in different seller markups, we used the five lowest qualifying Ritani API results for each of ten shapes. Every diamond was 1.95 to 2.05 carats, E color, VVS2 clarity, and IGI graded. Round diamonds had Ritani's Ideal label; the fancy shapes had Very Good or better cut labels. In total, 4,670 Ritani diamonds met those rules.
| Shape | Median price | Sample range | Cut used |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round | $520 | $503–$520 | Ideal |
| Oval | $584 | $557–$596 | Very Good |
| Emerald | $545 | $535–$545 | Very Good |
| Pear | $558 | $505–$559 | Very Good |
| Marquise | $736 | $682–$750 | Very Good |
| Radiant | $571 | $546–$572 | Very Good |
| Cushion | $592 | $587–$599 | Very Good |
| Princess | $584 | $511–$593 | Very Good |
| Asscher | $598 | $551–$599 | Very Good |
| Heart | $581 | $578–$581 | Very Good |
Round was the least expensive shape in this particular sample, with a median of $520. Marquise was the most expensive at $736. That does not make round the cheapest everywhere: it shows the prices available from one seller under the same narrow set of grades.
Before choosing a fancy shape, check the outline, symmetry, bow-tie effect in ovals and pears, and dark areas in step cuts such as emerald and Asscher diamonds.
Compare lab-grown diamond shapes
Current two-carat diamond examples
These four Ritani listings show what the same basic grades looked like across different shapes when we checked. They are examples from the price sample, not blanket recommendations: inspect the video and grading report before choosing the individual diamond.
round · IGI
$503
1.95 ct · E · VVS2 · Ideal
Lowest qualifying round result in the API capture.
Visit Ritani
emerald · IGI
$535
1.97 ct · E · VVS2 · Very Good
Lowest qualifying emerald result in the API capture.
Visit Ritani
pear · IGI
$505
1.99 ct · E · VVS2 · Very Good
Lowest qualifying pear result in the API capture.
Visit Ritani
marquise · IGI
$682
1.97 ct · E · VVS2 · Very Good
Lowest qualifying marquise result in the API capture.
Visit RitaniRitani's catalog images show each diamond shape, not the exact stones in our sample. Listings and prices can change after our check, so confirm the current diamond on the seller's site.
Loose diamond price versus complete ring price
The prices above are for loose diamonds. Your final ring price also includes the setting, side stones, metal, customization, taxes, and any optional protection plan.
A simple solitaire keeps more of the budget in the center diamond. Pavé bands, halos, hidden halos, three-stone rings, platinum, and designer settings cost more. That extra spending can be worthwhile because the setting is what you see every day; it just should not be confused with the price of the diamond itself.
If the setting you love is sold by a more expensive jeweler, compare the complete ring there and at a lower-priced seller. Sometimes the design is worth the premium. Sometimes buying a less expensive loose diamond leaves room for a better setting.
Compare lab-grown engagement-ring prices
Where should you buy a two-carat lab-grown diamond?
Ritani: start here for the lowest price
Ritani is our first stop for a loose lab-grown diamond. It had the lowest price in this comparison, a huge searchable inventory, useful filters, and unusually clear cost and markup information. We have also bought a lab-grown diamond ring from Ritani and had a good experience with the finished order.
Read our Ritani review Visit Ritani
Blue Nile: best all-round experience
Blue Nile was much more expensive in our price test, but it remains one of our highest-rated sellers. Its diamond videos, ring builder, support, showrooms, and overall buying experience are excellent. Blue Nile also now carries the James Allen collection; James Allen no longer operates as a standalone store.
Read our Blue Nile review Visit Blue Nile
Grown Brilliance: best for design
Grown Brilliance is not our choice for the cheapest loose diamond. It is one of our favorites for distinctive engagement rings and finished jewelry. We have purchased and returned several pieces, and the design, finish, and presentation stood out.
Read our Grown Brilliance review Visit Grown Brilliance
Compare all of our recommended lab-grown diamond sellers
Are two-carat lab-grown diamonds worth it?
A two-carat lab-grown diamond can be a good choice if you want a large center stone without paying the price of a comparable mined diamond. Lab-grown and mined diamonds have the same crystal structure and optical properties, but lab-grown diamonds usually cost much less.
They are not a financial investment. Resale values are weak, and falling production costs can push new-diamond prices lower. Buy the diamond for the ring and the years you expect to wear it, not because you expect it to hold its retail price.
Lab-grown also does not automatically mean sustainable. It avoids diamond mining, but energy source, production, cutting, metal, packaging, and shipping still matter. If environmental impact is important to you, look for specific information about the individual diamond and the complete ring rather than relying on a broad marketing claim.
Learn more about whether lab-grown diamonds are real
How two-carat prices have changed
We have tracked this category for years, so the figures are worth keeping. They show how far prices have fallen, but the old and current studies used different color and clarity grades and should not be treated as a formal price index.
October 2024 archive
$1,046–$7,620
6 sellers · Round diamonds near two carats, I–J color, VS1–VS2 clarity, and Excellent or Ideal cut; seller ranges rather than one shared aggregation.
August–September 2026 test
$520–$2,100
7 sellers · Round diamonds from 1.95 to 2.07 carats, E color, VVS2 clarity, IGI grading, and a high cut grade.
The dated and current ranges show how dramatically prices have moved, but they are not a like-for-like index: the studies used different color and clarity grades and reported seller ranges.
See our october 2024 fancy-shape archive
Starting prices near two carats, I–J color, VS1–VS2 clarity, and Very Good or better seller-reported cut. Individual listings are no longer current.
| Seller | oval | emerald | pear | princess | radiant | cushion | heart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ritani | $895 | $765 | $1,056 | $886 | $792 | $875 | $1,186 |
| Clean Origin | $1,329 | $1,251 | $1,231 | $1,194 | $1,214 | $1,220 | $1,311 |
| With Clarity | $1,391 | $1,325 | — | $1,288 | $1,311 | $1,350 | — |
| Grown Brilliance | $1,310 | $1,240 | $1,530 | $1,175 | $1,235 | $1,045 | $1,505 |
| Brilliant Earth | $2,990 | $2,430 | $2,460 | $2,410 | $2,400 | $2,420 | $2,670 |
| James Allen (historical) | $2,710 | $3,290 | $3,120 | $2,190 | $2,390 | $3,190 | $3,240 |
Our verdict
In our 2026 comparison, close two-carat lab-grown diamonds cost $520 to $2,100 before the setting. The seller-balanced typical price was $1,063. Ritani was the clear price winner and is the seller we would check first.
Do not let the lowest listing replace the basic checks. Prioritize cut, inspect the actual stone, compare measurements, open the grading report, and read the return terms. Then decide whether another seller's setting, showrooms, or service is worth paying more for.
Read our Ritani review See two-carat diamonds at Ritani
How we researched two-carat diamond prices
We research the seller comparison and the shape comparison separately. This keeps the headline range broad enough to compare retailers, while the shape table holds the seller and grades steady so the shape difference is easier to see. The typical price is calculated across seller benchmarks, not across every diamond listing.
We checked US listings between August 30 and September 2, 2026. The target was approximately 1.95–2.05 carats, E color, VVS2 clarity, and IGI grading; a few non-Ritani seller observations reached 2.07 carats where that was the closest useful result. Ritani's complete bounded API capture produced 2,604 qualifying round diamonds and 4,670 qualifying offers across ten shapes. Seller comparisons use the median of five close results where available and a clearly identified single observation otherwise.
The current shape table compares shapes within Ritani, so different seller markups do not distort the result. It is not a whole-market price ranking. The seller-balanced typical price gives each seller one benchmark, so Ritani's unusually large inventory cannot dominate the market summary.
For the seller-balanced typical price, we take the median of the seller benchmark prices. Each seller contributes one benchmark, regardless of inventory size.
The Ritani portion used a complete API capture limited to 1.95–2.05 carats and IGI grading, followed by local checks for shape, E color, VVS2 clarity, and cut. The other seller-table stones ranged from 1.95 to 2.07 carats. Where we could not collect five close results, we used the closest useful sample and identified its exact carat weight. Public sale prices or codes were included when a normal shopper could use them. Stock, supplier feeds, and promotions change quickly, so the check date above matters.
Compare prices for other carat weights
- 0.5-carat lab-grown diamond prices
- 0.75-carat lab-grown diamond prices
- 1-carat lab-grown diamond prices
- 1.5-carat lab-grown diamond prices
- 3-carat lab-grown diamond prices
- 4-carat lab-grown diamond prices
- 5-carat lab-grown diamond prices
- 6-carat lab-grown diamond prices
Update history
This guide was first published in March 2024 and has been updated as prices and sellers changed. The September 2026 update adds a seven-seller test, rebuilds Ritani's current figures from its authorized lab-diamond API, adds a seller-balanced typical price, restores a ten-shape comparison and current illustrated examples, preserves our October 2024 research as a clearly dated archive, removes James Allen as a standalone shopping option, updates the sustainability and resale guidance, and keeps the original practical advice and ring imagery that remain useful.