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SALES ALERT! Save at the best places to buy lab-grown diamonds online:
- 10% off ALL lab diamonds and up to 50% off jewelry at Ritani!
- Up to 50% off the Black Friday sale at James Allen!
- Free gift & $200 off first $1000+ purchase at Grown Brilliance!
- Free gift & $100 off at Clean Origin w/code: LABGROWNCARATS! (US only)
- Black Friday promo with free gift with all purchases at Brilliant Earth!
Welcome to our synthetic diamond price guide, where we will explain what synthetic diamonds are, the difference between lab-grown and mined diamonds, how to find the best synthetic diamonds, how to save money on them, and finally, we will compare and list synthetic diamond prices. We end our guide to synthetic diamond prices with our recommended places to buy lab-grown diamonds.
So how much do synthetic diamonds cost? It depends, is the answer. Diamond prices vary greatly depending on diamond quality and where it is purchased, and synthetic diamonds can range from $50 to hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on size and quality (the diamond’s 4Cs).
On average, the price for a 1-carat excellent quality synthetic diamond is $800-$1000.
Prices rise in lockstep with the carat. Continue reading our synthetic diamond price guide, where we will list the prices of larger and smaller synthetic diamonds.
Prices for lab-grown diamonds have dropped dramatically over the last five years. Synthetic diamond prices have dropped by 20-30% in the last year, according to our lab diamond price tracking!
Even with the decreasing prices of synthetic diamonds, purchasing any diamond is a significant investment. It is critical to understand how to find the best lab-grown diamonds and where to get the best value for your money. That’s why we’ve created a number of guides to assist our readers.
We recommend starting by reading these popular articles:
- Guide to Buying a Lab-Grown Diamond – Top Tips to Saving and Getting a Better Diamond!
- 10 Tips to Save Money on a Lab-Grown Diamond Engagement Ring
- Guide to the best places to buy lab-grown diamonds
- Our list of the best jewelers for lab-created engagement rings
How much does a 1-carat synthetic diamond cost?
3 of the cheapest places to buy synthetic diamonds
But, before we begin comparing synthetic diamond prices, we must first understand why lab diamond prices vary so much. So, to begin, we’ll define synthetic diamonds and explain how lab-grown diamonds are evaluated.
What are synthetic diamonds?
Diamonds created in a laboratory using advanced technology are known as synthetic diamonds. Synthetic diamonds are exactly the same as natural diamonds. It is critical to distinguish between genuine laboratory-created diamonds and imitations such as Cubic Zirconia or Moissanite.
Synthetic diamonds, also known as lab-grown, lab-created, or simply lab diamonds, are identical to mined diamonds in every way. However, there are a few significant differences for the consumer.
Synthetic diamonds are 60-80% cheaper than mined diamonds. That means you either save or can buy better and bigger diamonds with the same budget.
But there are more benefits to lab-grown diamonds.
Lab diamonds are more:
- Ethical and does not have the potential negative social impacts associated with mining, such as corruption, exploitation, or the economic export resource curse.
- More environmentally sustainable. This is especially true for lab diamonds created with renewable energy, which is becoming more common.
Understanding synthetic diamond prices
The diamond 4Cs are the first thing you should learn about lab-created diamonds. We recommend that you start with our easy-to-read guide to the synthetic diamond 4Cs. However, if you are in a hurry or simply want to know how much you will have to pay for a synthetic diamond, you can skip ahead.
In short, the (synthetic) diamond 4Cs are:
Keep these three things in mind when shopping for a synthetic diamond if you need a quick diamond-buying refresher.
- You should first understand that diamonds are all about the sparkle, also known as brilliance or fire in the diamond industry. Diamonds are distinguished by their radiance. So, if you only remember one thing, make it this: always go for the best diamond cut grade possible! Buy a large brilliant-shaped diamond with poor brilliance instead. Always prioritize brilliance over size. Even if you are purchasing a non-brilliant diamond shape, you should strive for a well-cut diamond.
- Quality is more important than quantity! A higher-quality lab diamond appears larger. Furthermore, a low-quality diamond will not appear to be a diamond! So, when determining the quality of a diamond using the 4Cs of diamond quality, prioritize the best cut possible, followed by color and clarity grades, and finally, carat weight.
- If possible, choose a synthetic diamond with a weight that is slightly lower than the popular “round” weights. Choose a 0.96-carat lab diamond over a 1.0-carat lab diamond, for example. Avoiding round weights can save you a lot of money, and the best part is that no one will notice.
Now that you understand why synthetic diamond costs fluctuate, let’s compare pricing for various synthetic diamond carats. We collect and update synthetic diamond prices from the leading online diamond jewelers on a regular basis.
Using a reference diamond, we compare the pricing of synthetic diamonds. A round brilliant-cut lab-grown diamond with the 4C grades we suggest for most lab diamonds serves as the reference synthetic diamond. They are as follows:
- Carat weights: 0.5 to 6.0 (plus-minus a little)
- Cut grade: Excellent or Ideal (whichever is the best, depending on the laboratory)
- Color grade: I-J
- Clarity grade: VS1-VS2
- Shape: Round Brilliant
- Origin: Lab-created
Our reference diamond may not be the best for every jewelry necessity, but it is what we would propose for the most common and common lab diamond jewelry demands. Expect to pay more for higher-grade synthetic diamonds and less if you relax them. Just be careful not to reduce the diamond cut grade!
Synthetic diamond prices
The prices of synthetic diamonds from our top-rated diamond retailers are shown below. They are, in our opinion, the best places to buy synthetic diamonds and synthetic diamond engagement rings. They not only have the best inventory of high-quality diamonds, but they also provide the best shopping and customer service experiences. And, perhaps most importantly, they have the most affordable lab-grown diamond prices!
| Synthetic diamond carat | Best synthetic diamond price |
|---|---|
| 0.5 carat synthetic diamond prices | $400-500 (see at Ritani) |
| 1.0 carat synthetic diamond prices | $800-1000 (see at Ritani) |
| 2.0 carat synthetic diamond prices | $1500-1800 (see at Clean Origin) |
| 3.0 carat synthetic diamond prices | $2500-2800 (see at With Clarity) |
| 4.0 carat synthetic diamond prices | $3900-4200 (see at Ritani) |
| 5.0 carat synthetic diamond prices | $5500-5800 (see at Clean Origin) |
| 6.0 carat synthetic diamond prices | $7400-7700 (see at Grown Brilliance) |
Prices for synthetic diamonds are accurate at the time of writing in 2023.
*Includes 100% sustainable synthetic diamonds.
Why you should choose a synthetic diamond
To begin with, lab-grown diamonds are up to 60-80% less expensive than mined counterparts with identical diamond 4C grades. And if you’re lucky, you might be able to save even more money during lab diamond sales. We monitor the market closely and are the first to know when diamond retailers announce specials or sales.
However, it is not just the lower prices that make lab-created diamonds superior to mined diamonds. They are also more environmentally friendly and have a positive impact on society. You can find out a lot more about it in the following articles:
- Why lab-grown diamonds are the sustainable, environmentally, and ethical diamond choice
- What you need to know before buying a lab-grown diamond
Sustainable synthetic diamond prices
When compared to mined diamonds, synthetic diamonds are already the more sustainable and ethical diamond option. However, not all lab diamonds are created with or set in environmentally friendly materials. Expect to pay a premium of 30-40% for 100% sustainable synthetic diamonds. The average price for a sustainable 1-carat synthetic diamond is between $1200 and $2000.
Brilliant Earth (read our Brilliant Earth review) is one of the best places to buy sustainable and zero-emission lab-grown diamonds. Vrai is another option, but as you can see in our Brilliant Earth vs. Vrai comparison, we believe that Brilliant Earth is the best place to find sustainable diamonds (see our Vrai review). As you can read in our Pandora diamond review, Pandora is also concerned with sustainability. While we appreciate their environmental focus, they are not as good as Vrai or Brilliant Earth.
Where to buy synthetic diamonds and synthetic diamond jewelry
We review lab-grown diamond sellers and jewelers at LabGrownCarats.com to help you find the best places to buy lab diamonds and jewelry. In our lab diamond jeweler comparisons, we also compare the best lab diamond jewelers.
3 of our favorite places to buy a synthetic diamond
In-depth synthetic diamond price guides
We compile and list prices for the most popular lab-grown diamond carat weights. Compare synthetic diamonds in our detailed guides below.
- Prices for a ½-carat lab diamond
- Prices for a 3/4-carat lab diamond
- Prices for a 1-carat lab diamond
- Prices for a 1.5-carat lab diamond
- Prices for a 2-carat lab diamond
- Prices for a 3-carat lab diamond
- Prices for a 4-carat lab diamond
- Prices for a 5-carat lab diamond
- Prices for a 6-carat lab diamond
- Prices for a lab diamond engagement ring
- Prices for lab diamond earrings
