A diamond's carat weight is the measurement of how much a diamond weighs. Gemologists and jewelers use carat weight as opposed to milligrams or pounds because the carat is a standardized form of measurement that has been universally adapted in the diamond industry.

On top of this, utilizing carat weight over other forms of measurement allow for an incredibly precise measurement of weight. A diamond is measured to three decimal places and is then rounded to the nearest hundredth. As diamond price exponentially increases with carat weight, it is easy to see why requiring such precise measurements is so important!

If you've got your heart set on a 10-carat diamond engagement ring, you may find that it can be difficult to find them in stock online and in-person at jewelry stores. But why is this?

Essentially, a 10-carat diamond is big. In 2022, the average size of a diamond that couples bought for engagement rings was 1 carat. A ten-carat diamond is 13 times the size of that! The diameter of 10-carat round brilliant diamonds is 14mm and it will weigh around 2.0 grams which is roughly the weight of a coke bottle cap.

What's more, not all 10-carat diamonds are created equal. That is, some diamond shapes will actually appear larger than their actual carat-weight. Elongated shapes, like oval diamonds, have a larger table than shorter shapes, like round brilliant or princess cut diamonds. So if you're looking to purchase a 10-carat diamond engagement ring that appears as big as possible, go for oval or Marquise cuts.

The price of a 10-carat diamond can greatly vary but at Clean Origin, you can expect to pay anywhere between $38,282 to $48,359 before buying a engagement ring setting.

Wondering why the price is so high? The following factors can all affect the price of a 10-carat diamond:

How Well the Diamond Scored in the 4Cs

The 4Cs are a universal grading system that scores diamonds on four factors: Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat. Low and high grades can affect the cost of your diamond equally, with a higher quality diamond costing much more than a lower quality diamond. As we've talked about carat weight above, let's go over the other three Cs in the 4Cs.

Cut: Diamond cut is one of the more important 4Cs as the cut of a diamond ultimatly effects the quality of light, brilliance, and sparkle of a stone. A brilliant diamond will expertly refract light while a poorly cut diamond may appear dull and lifeless.

Color: A diamond's color grade helps the buyer understand how saturated and deep the diamond color appears. When grading diamonds, colorless diamonds are rarer and therefore more desirable than colored diamonds and will generally be more expensive. However, fancy colored diamonds are also rare diamonds and may also drive up diamond price.

Clarity: Diamond clarity measures how often natural inclusions or blemishes appear in the diamond. When a diamond has noticeable inclusions it will receive poor grades in clarity, which will affect the price.

Diamond Shape

In general, round diamonds will always be more expensive than other diamond shapes. This is because round diamonds are both the industry standard for grading (fancy diamond shapes aren't graded within the Cut category of the 4Cs) and, also create the most rough diamond waste when being faceted. For example, 1-carat emerald-cut diamonds will be around $800 less than 1-carat round brilliant cut diamonds despite having identical grades.

Ring Materials and Style

Another important factor to take into consideration when determining engagement ring cost us the materials used to build the ring. A 10-carat diamond ring will always be more expensive than a 10-carat ruby ring thanks to the market demand and rarity of diamonds. Additionally, wrapping your gorgeous diamond in a platinum setting will be more costly than opting for a 14K yellow-gold setting.

Additionally, the style of your ring is another determiner in price. Ring styles that utilize extra accent diamonds like halo or three-stone will generally be more expensive than a simple yet beautiful solitaire style.

In our opinion, there is no such thing as a diamond that's too big. But ultimately its up to you to determine what carat creates the perfect diamond for you or your partner. When considering a 10-carat diamond ask yourself what type of activities you usually complete during the day and if you subject your hands to any intense activities like pottery throwing or cooking. This way, you can figure out how often your engagement ring might get in your way and whether it's worth it to invest in smaller or higher carat weights.

If you're looking to purchase a 10-carat diamond engagement ring, you really can't go wrong with lab grown diamonds. Lab grown diamonds have the same chemical composition of mined diamonds, they've just been grown in a lab that recreates the natural processes that occur deep underground.

And when it comes to lab created diamonds vs mined diamonds, it's clear who shines brightest. While naturally mined diamonds displace around 1,700 tons of earth for one carat of diamond, lab created diamonds displace 0. On top of that, you can always feel confident knowing that your beautiful lab grown diamond is completely conflict-free. Plus, because lab grown diamonds have a shorter supply chain you can expect to save 20-40% on your stunning diamond, allowing you to get the best diamond for your budget.

Yes! Clean Origin has a selection of stunning 10-carat loose diamonds just waiting to be paired with any one of our engagement ring settings. Want to see for yourself? Check out our brilliant lab created diamonds now.