How Much Are 1 Carat Diamond Earrings?

As Vogue Magazine puts it, the best earrings “are those that aren’t necessarily the center point of an outfit, but they help tie an entire look together.” The best thing about finding a good pair of diamond earrings is that you can practically wear them every day, always.

A high-quality pair of diamond earrings can withstand daily wear, which is great because many of the new styles of diamond earrings are designed to last. You don’t have to worry about spending a lot of money on a pair of earrings only for them to no longer match changing fashion trends.

Given that diamond earrings are a solid investment for a wardrobe staple, it’s not a bad idea to go ahead and pick the diamond size that matches every outfit. A pair of 1-carat diamond earrings is what many people consider the best size for diamond stud earrings.

But how much should 1 carat diamond earrings cost? Just because the cost of 1 carat diamond earrings can get you a lot of bang for your buck doesn’t mean that all cheap real diamond earrings are going to be equally good. Here’s our buying guide for finding the best price on 1 carat diamond earrings.

What Do 1 Carat Diamond Earrings Look Like?

If you’re trying to figure out the best size for diamond earrings for your personal style, you may want to know how 1-carat diamond earrings compare to different carat sizes.

It’s important to keep in mind that if you’re buying diamond stud earrings online, then the total carat weight listed is the combination of both of the diamond stud’s carat weights. So, a pair of 1-carat solitaire diamond earrings means that each diamond stud contains one 0.5 carat diamond.

In a cluster design diamond stud earring set, there are many small diamonds that provide a total carat weight of 1ct. This is a much more affordable option than solitaire diamond studs because as a diamond’s individual carat weight increases, its price goes up exponentially.

Here’s a size chart to compare different carat sizes of diamond stud earrings:

Keep in mind that this diamond earring sizes chart is based on the average round cut solitaire diamond stud earring sizes, not specific earring sets.

Princess cut diamond stud earrings, for example, will have slightly different dimensions. Furthermore, the metal around the diamond can affect the diameter of the earring. For example, bezel-set diamond stud earrings have a piece of metal that wraps around the edge of the diamond. This can make it look larger.

Another thing to consider is that halo setting diamond stud earrings are surrounded by a pave of smaller diamonds, which creates an optical illusion that makes the diamonds look bigger.

Average Cost of 1 Carat Diamond Earrings

What is the average price for 1-carat diamond earrings? The average cost of diamond stud earrings with 1 total carat is $2,200.

• The average price of diamond stud earrings with 0.25 total carats is $285
• The average price of diamond stud earrings with 0.50 total carats is $700

And remember that total carat refers to the carat weight of both earrings combined. However, there are many factors that affect 1 carat diamond earrings price. For example, a 1-carat pair of sterling silver diamond earrings are going to cost less than a pair of gold or platinum 1-carat diamond earrings. Let’s get into all the things that can affect the price of 1 carat diamond earrings.

Factors That Affect 1 Carat Diamond Earrings Price

The cost of a 1 carat diamond earrings ring, as well as every other carat size, comes down to a variety of factors—from the grade of the diamond’s 4Cs to the craftsmanship and materials of the earrings.

It’s important to know how different features of a pair of diamond earrings affect the price because you can save money if you know what to prioritize. If you know about which characteristics you don’t care about as much, you don’t need to buy diamond earrings that feature those elements, so they will be a good price.

Diamond Shape

Different diamond shapes, such as round cut, princess cut, and emerald-cut—affect the price of a diamond earring. Certain diamond shapes require higher expertise in cutting and take longer to do. The reason why some diamond cuts and shapes cost more than others for a diamond of the same carat weight is that it’s harder for the diamond cutter to achieve some shapes without losing parts of the raw diamond in the process.

For example, the round brilliant cut is a diamond shape known for its exquisite brilliance, however, cutting a diamond into this shape will remove about 60% of the rough diamond in the cutting process. That is why round brilliant cut diamonds will cost more per carat than other shapes, such as the emerald, radiant cut, and princess cut diamonds.

Since a set of 1-carat diamond earrings contains two 0.5ct solitaire diamonds, here are different 0.5-carat diamond prices for 1 carat diamond earrings for each shape. (Carat: 0.5, Color: G, Clarity: VS2, Cut: ideal, Lab: GIA).

1. Round: Average price: $2,602
2. Princess: Average price: $1,951
3. Emerald: Average price: $1,561
4. Oval: Average price: $2,384
5. Pear: Average price: $2,126
6. Marquise: Average price: $1,935
7. Cushion: Average price: $1,857
8. Heart: Average price: $1,564.18

These are some of the most popular diamond shapes for earrings. Popularity is another factor that plays a role in the price of different diamond cuts. In addition, retail vs. wholesale diamond price will differ, with loose wholesale diamonds being the cheapest.

Cut

In addition to shape, there are different cut grades for diamond earrings. The GIA cut grading scale applies to the most popular diamond stud earrings cut—the standard round brilliant. There are five cut grades: Excellent (EX), Very Good (VG), Good (G), Fair (F), and Poor (P).

Excellent Cut: The diamond is very bright. It’s cut in an even pattern with good contrast between light and dark spaces, making its reflections appear crisp and balanced. This means that the person who cut it used the best part of the rough diamond.

Good Cut: The diamond isn’t as bright. Its reflections aren’t as crisp and there are more dark/dull areas in the diamond.

Poor Cut: The diamond shows prominent dark areas or dullness throughout. Most people would prefer EX cuts or G cuts to this cut.

Sometimes, it’s hard to achieve an excellent cut with certain shapes, so a Very Good or Good cut is sufficient.

Here are the other terms used to describe diamond cuts:

• Shallow cut: the light is lost out the sides and the diamond loses its captivating brilliance.
• Deep cut: When a diamond is cut deep, the light escapes out the bottom and the diamond appears dark.
• Ideal cut: The ideal cut allows the light to travel freely through the diamond and exit in a rainbow of sparkles..

Average price for 1ct diamond earrings per cut:

1. Super ideal cut: $3,024
2. Ideal cut: $2,812
3. Very good cut: $2,502
4. Good cut: $2,374

Not every diamond lab certificate uses the same scale as GIA’s, so it’s useful to know both. All ItsHot.com diamonds are carefully selected and cut to perfection to emphasize the dazzling beauty of a diamond.

Color

The color grading scale is important for diamond earrings. Diamonds are graded on a color scale from D to Z, which indicates how much of a tint is noticeable in the diamond.

D is the highest color grade, which describes a completely clear diamond without any brown or yellow. A diamond with a color grade of Z has a noticeable yellow or brown tint to it. Here are the color grades of a diamond in more detail:

• D, E, and F – colorless diamonds (all appear colorless to the untrained eye)
• G, H, I, and J – near-colorless (most common diamond choices; they still appear colorless to the eye)
• K, L, M – faint (these diamonds have a slightly visible tint)
• N, O P, Q, R – very light (a more noticeable tint)
• S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z – light (brown or yellow tint is very noticeable)

Here are different 1-carat diamond earring prices per color (round shape, same clarity and cut)

1. D–E: $3,740
2. F–G: $2,845
3. H–J: $2,623

Even more valuable than D color diamonds are rare fancy colored diamonds: reds, blues, and green diamonds are quite rare, so they’re worth the most. Fancy colored diamonds are graded on a different color scale than white diamonds. 

Popularity and rarity also play a role in the price of fancy colored diamonds. For example, a black diamond is a very rare color, but its demand is lower than white, so black diamond earrings are cheaper per carat than white diamond earrings.

1. 14K gold 1-carat diamond earrings: $2,000
2. 14K gold 1-carat black diamond earrings: $490

If black diamonds aren’t your thing, check out our other colored diamond earrings for unique and rare diamond jewelry!

Clarity

The clarity grade of a diamond is determined by the number of flaws a diamond has and the visibility of the flaws. Flaws can either be cloudy areas or dark spots (less reflective). There are 11 main clarity grades. They can be broken down into six easy to understand categories:

Clarity grades:

• FL – Flawless No internal or external flaws; incredibly rare and valuable in natural diamonds.
• IF – Internally Flawless No internal flaws, but some surface flaws; still very rare and valuable.
• VVS1, VVS2 – Extremely slight inclusions Slight internal flaws; difficult to see even with 10x magnification.
• VS1, VS2 – Very slight inclusions Slight internal flaws that are just barely visible with 10x magnification. Flaws are not typically visible to the naked eye.
• SI1, SI2 – Slight inclusions Slight internal flaws that are visible with 10x magnification; they may be visible to the naked eye.
• I1, I2, I3 – Inclusions You can see these inclusions with the naked eye. These Inclusions may affect the diamond’s brilliance and clarity.

Here are some examples of how clarity can affect the price of 1-carat diamond earrings:

1. VVS1: $4,274
2. VVS2: $4,043
3. VS1: $3,814
4. VS2: $2,972
5. SI1: $2,687
6. SI2: $2,449

The more flawless a diamond is, the more it’s worth. That said, as the diamond carat increases, the flaws in the stone will become more noticeable as well, which may require you to choose higher-quality diamonds.

With a pair of 1.0-carat diamond earrings, you don’t have to worry about this—you can save money by buying a lower clarity grade diamond that has inclusions that are not visible to the naked eye. We recommend buying diamond earrings with either a VS2, SI1, or SI2 clarity grade. Their flaws will be less noticeable on earrings.

Metal

The type of metal used in diamond earrings setting also accounts for 1-carat diamond earring price differences. The most desirable metals for diamond earrings are gold (yellow, white, and rose gold) and platinum.

Another popular choice for diamond earring metals is sterling silver. Sterling silver requires more maintenance to keep it from tarnishing, although it’s a better option for cheap diamond earrings than gold-plated or platinum-plated jewelry.

Platinum is frequently the most expensive metal for diamond earrings, followed by gold, then other precious metals, including sterling silver. Market values fluctuate, so gold is sometimes more expensive than platinum, but typically only 24K gold. 8K gold diamond earrings should be cheaper than platinum diamond earrings (at least for the earring setting itself of the same weight).

The price of gold per ounce/gram depends on its karat purity. You can’t always trust charts you find online comparing platinum vs gold prices to be up-to-date. You’ll want to check gold vs platinum prices on sites that provide a comparison chart which they update regularly.

• Platinum round 1-carat diamond earrings: $3,400
• 18K Gold round 1-carat diamond earrings: $2,100
• 14K Gold round 1-carat diamond earrings: $2,000
• Sterling silver cluster 1.27-carat diamond earrings: $399

Above are some examples of how different metal types can affect diamond earring prices. As you can see, the sterling silver diamond earrings are much cheaper, but they also have a cluster design rather than solitaire.

How to Save Money When Buying 1 Carat Diamond Earrings

To get the best price 1-carat diamond earrings for your style preferences, you’ll want to figure out which qualities matter most to you. You’ll also want to find a reputable seller. Shopping at chain jewelry stores is not a good idea if you want to save money. Here are some tips for buying cheaper 1-carat diamond earrings without sacrificing quality:

1. Get a graded certificate on the diamonds. GIA offers diamond grading reports to better determine what diamonds are worth based on their grade. Some stores offer diamond certificates with their diamond earrings, which saves money so you won’t need to get one in the future.

Unfortunately, since most online stores sell their diamond stud earrings without a certification, you can never be certain of their clarity grade, color, or cut. A pair of diamond earrings might be listed as SI1 clarity, but without a certificate of certification, these earrings are most often a very low SI1 or SI2, and probably will have eye-visible inclusions. We recommend avoiding the unpleasant surprise and getting a certification.

2. Shop online stores that manufacture earrings. Brick-and-mortar stores rarely offer the same discounts on diamonds, so opt for buying online from a store that manufactures their own diamond jewelry. This will cut out the cost of the middleman stores that provide an upcharge on jewelry since they had to buy it from a manufacturer first.
3. If buying diamond earrings with a lower color grade, choose a warmer metal: The setting can affect how colorless a diamond appears.
   1. For lower color grade diamonds, opt for tinted/darker metals, such as rose gold or yellow gold.
   2. For high color grade diamonds, you can use white gold or platinum for the setting to make the high-quality color really pop.
4. Consider black diamond earrings for affordability and durability. Black diamond earrings for men are really popular, and they’re growing in popularity for women. Some people think black diamonds are cursed, but if being cheaper is a curse, we’re all for it. As an added benefit, back diamonds are the strongest material on Earth, even stronger than white diamonds
5. Choose prong settings to make diamonds look larger, bezel settings for lower-quality diamonds. Prong settings will make even low-carat diamonds appear bigger than they are. Bezel settings are great for hiding diamond inclusions and flaws, and pave settings can make multiple diamonds appear endless. Halo settings can make the diamonds look larger, so you don’t have to pay for a higher-carat diamond. Other settings are also good—specific settings maximize unique designs in diamond earrings and diamond qualities.
6. Check clearance sections. You can find good diamond earrings cheap in clearance sections and closeout sections. Again, your selection will typically be better online than in-store, and it’s really helpful to narrow your search filters to fit your budget and style preferences.

Find a Reputable Manufacturer for Unbeatable Prices

The perfect diamond stud earrings are truly unbeatable in their versatility—the ideal earrings fit into the realm that coexists between modernity and tradition, extravagance and practicality, comfort and personality, and quality and good price. That’s a tall order, but here at ItsHot.com, we’d like to help customers succeed in their search for the ultimate diamond earrings.

Here at ItsHot.com, we manufacture our own real diamond earrings, which makes them cheaper than retail prices. We helped pave the way in setting the standards for online diamond jewelry stores. Our vast inventory of unique diamond earrings is continually updated to stay on top of the earring style trends right now.

Our massive online inventory provides search filter tools, so you can sort 1-carat diamond earrings by price, gold karat, category, men’s, women’s, and unisex jewelry, total diamond carat weight, and more. Best of all, our variety of inexpensive diamond earrings is unique and special. We provide the option to create your own custom diamond earrings, and we also provide wholesale diamond earrings.
To assure the utmost satisfaction of our customers, we offer 30-day money-back guarantee returns, as well as a 1-year warranty. Our online store has diamond earrings for men for sale at great prices and reliable quality as well.

Denis Stepansky
Founder of ItsHot.com

Denis Stepansky is a founder of ItsHot, a diamond jewelry and watches store based in NYC. He has been in the jewelry business for about 20 years and owns such high-end jewelry brands as Luccello and Luxurman. As a jewelry expert, he has citations on well-known magazines and newspapers like Insider and Daily Mail.
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