Buying a piece of jewelry can be something of an investment. If you are acquiring it for yourself, then the piece could appreciate over time. When you are buying jewelry for a loved one, then you want to know that you are giving something that represents quality.

 A 5-carat diamond ring will need some consideration before buying. This isn’t a regular ring that you might pick up at jewelers without thinking too deeply about it. A bigger diamond needs to be examined and understood before the money is parted with.

If you are in the market for a diamond on the slightly larger side, then a 5-carat gemstone may fit your requirements. But, there are aspects you should know before you jump in.

Would 5-carats be considered on the large side?

The Cape Town Diamond Museum has an interesting rundown on the largest diamonds the world has ever seen. Many of these have either hundreds or thousands of carats.

Of course, these are the exceptions and rarities of the diamond trade. These are the jewels that sold for millions and made people fortunes. The kind of diamonds that prospectors and mine owners would dream of.

In the real world, anything over 2-carats starts to be considered big. For many, 1-carat is perfectly ok, and over 2-carats becomes too much. However, carats refer to the weight not specifically the size, and the way a diamond is cut can make it look bigger or smaller.

Therefore, a 5-carat diamond may not be as huge as it sounds, but it is certainly to be classed in the higher category, and therefore will cost more.

How much would a 5-carat diamond cost?

If you are interested in buying a gemstone of this sort, then you will want to know how much it will cost. An estimate for a 5-carat emerald-cut diamond price would be anywhere between $40,000 and $228,000. This estimate was made by one jewelry expert who tracked the values between over 1 million different 5-carat emerald-cut diamonds.

Why the huge difference in valuations? This is because there are other aspects to evaluating a diamond than just how many carats it has. The cut of the diamond will enter into it as well as how good the craftsmanship was. For this estimate, the emerald cut was used, but there are other shapes too.

If you are going to invest in a high-carat diamond then you need to know what you are doing, or at least find an adviser who is a specialist in this sector to help.

What do you need to be aware of if you’re going to invest in a 5-carat diamond?

You already have an extremely rough estimate of how much a 5-carat diamond may cost, but there are three other factors to keep in mind.

These are what cut you will choose, how high the clarity needs to be, and how important the color is.

These are the things you need to know before buying a 5-carat diamond ring.

The cut you wish to have

The emerald cut was mentioned for the pricing example, but you can choose from other options. These can affect the price of the diamond.

For instance, elongated shapes produce less wastage from rough diamonds, so they are often cheaper. Round ones, for example, can be higher in price than a marquise cut diamond.

The cut can also affect the price because flaws may be more visible, thus you may need to select a higher level of clarity. The higher-grade you choose on the clarity level will influence the pricing.

What grade the clarity needs to be

There is a chart in place to grade the clarity of diamonds. According to GIA, the clarity chart runs from Flawless to Included, and the full chart is thus: 

• Flawless
• Internally flawless
• Very, very slightly included (2 classes)
• Very slightly included (2 classes)
• Slightly included (2 classes)
• Included (3 classes)

Therefore, if someone stated that a diamond’s clarity was SI1, then they mean it is at the high end of ‘slightly included’. VS2 therefore would be higher than SI1, while I1 would be less desirable.

SI1 is a good tipping-off point for a 5-carat diamond, although you may need to move higher for an emerald cut.

How the weight will affect the color

Like clarity, there is also a chart for the color of a diamond. D is the highest a diamond can be, while Z is the lowest. What you are looking for in a diamond is somewhere in the region of grade I.

This would mean your diamond was not quite colorless but in the very light region. This would be desirable for a 5-carat diamond as the bigger the gemstone, the more obvious the coloring will be.

Why would you want a high-carat diamond?

If you were interested in introducing statement jewelry into your life then 5-carats would be a good starting point. You may have simply always desired a larger diamond on your finger, or perhaps you want to give something impressive to your partner.

Whatever the reason for buying it, a 5-carat diamond can represent a good investment. The price of diamonds continues to rise, and a well-made piece of jewelry will never devalue. But, it is important to consider the clarity and color as well as the weight. A heavily flawed diamond will never be as valuable or as attractive as one with slight inclusions.

Summary

It may be too late to purchase Valentine’s day gifts that will make your partner swoon, but you might have another reason to buy a diamond ring. A 5-carat diamond would make an impressive engagement ring for example.

The diamond itself would also make a good investment but think wisely before settling on your choice. The cut can make a big difference, but the most popular shapes today are still the oval, the round cut, and the emerald. These are timeless choices.

If you have any additional doubts about what you need to know, then contact a diamond dealer who can assist with your purchase.