2-Carat Diamond Ring Buying Guide (7 Questions to Answer)

Last Updated on February 5, 2024 by Juli "Jewels" Church

So, we hear you’re interested in finding out if a 2 carat diamond ring is the best choice for you.

If so, you’re definitely in the right place. 

Let’s assume you don’t know a whole lot about diamonds, but you’ve decided you want a 2 carat. You can’t simply just go into a jewelry store or decide to buy diamonds online and order any old random 2 carat diamond ring.

2 carat diamond ring

You might be asking yourself, Wait…I can’t?

No. You can’t.

The truth is, there’s actually a lot of preplanning and predetermining that needs to go on before you hit the buy button. Not the research type? Fortunately, we’ve done the job for you.

Ahead lies a guide to give you all the diamond insider knowledge to help you gain confidence when making a purchase of this stature. By the end of this buying guide, you will leave having become the expert.

Where is the Best Place to Buy a 2-Carat Diamond Ring?

Because 2 carat diamond rings are rare and high in quality, you won’t be able to look at a 2 carat diamond ring in stores without some sort of down payment.

Due to insurance policies, most stores can’t even keep one in their store!

That said, online shops like James Allen and Blue Nile carry them in stock and at better prices than physical stores. Here's my top list.

Also, in case you're curious, we've also reviewed other popular carat weights for diamonds rings. See below:


What is a 2-Carat Diamond Ring?

A 2-carat diamond ring can usually be describing one of two things: a center stone in a ring with the weight of two carats, or a diamond ring with a total weight of two carats. 

Before breaking down the meaning of the two, let’s go over what carats are and how they are measured.

2 carat diamond ring inspiration

What is a Carat?

In jewelry world, you’ll hear the word carat or karat, thrown around in conversation. But don’t be fooled, the two are very different.

Karat, with a K, is the measurement of how much pure gold is in ratio to the amount of metal alloy in gold jewelry. All gold jewelry should be stamped with the number of parts of gold, followed by K, KT, or kt.

But the carat we’re talking about today is diamond carats. These carats are the measurement in which we determine how much a diamond weighs. One carat weighs about 200 milligrams, and each carat can be divided into 100 points (pts).

Read Also: The diamond carat weight explained!

Size or Weight?

While some jewelers may refer to the carat weight of a diamond by points, most of the time you’ll hear carats being mentioned in weights such as half, quarter, three-fourths, one-third, etc. 

However, it is good to be aware of the point systems as it can make a difference in the relevance of price.

For instance, if you compare a 1.90 carat diamond center stone and a 2.00 carat center stone, the difference between the sizes are going to be pretty minor. If we aren’t measuring on any other scale, the prices can be a world of different.

2 carat diamond ring vs 1.9 carat

People often confuse carat terms as the physical size of the stone, rather than the weight. When measuring the size across the crown of the diamond, it is usually measured in millimeters.

2-Carat Center Stone

When referring to a diamond ring that has a 2 carat center stone, you are looking at a much steeper price, as long as the other qualities are pretty sufficient. It is possible to get a great deal on one, but you may sacrifice other quality factors.

See below for an example from James Allen.

2 carat center stone

Make sure (when looking into specifications on diamond rings that are already assembled) that you verify the carat weight is referring to the center stone alone, not the entire diamond weight.

2-Carat Total Diamond Weight

A diamond ring that is 2 carat total diamond weight should be printed as 2TWD, but it is not always this way with every supplier.

Below is an example of 3 different diamonds all set together, which total 2 carats. The center stone is a princess cut in this case is 1.51 carats.

example of total carat weight 2 carats

These types of diamond rings feature different carat weights and dimensions of diamonds within the one piece. You can have 10 diamonds in a ring that are 0.2 carats a piece and the total diamond weight would equal 2 carats.

The price would be drastically different from a 2 carat center stone due to the fact the diamonds are smaller, and they don’t need to have as great of a clarity as a larger diamond would.

But, for this article, when we refer to a 2carat diamond ring, we are talking about the center stone weight.

Read Also: CTTW Meaning: Carat Total Weight Explained

How Much Does a 2-Carat Diamond Ring Cost?

A 2 carat diamond ring is going to vary in cost based on a number of different factors. The biggest factors are going to be what all diamonds are assessed with, the 4Cs.

Of course, in this case, we’re taking out the fourth C: carat. We already know that the amount of carat points in the ring is one of those factors. Here’s a list of other elements that contribute to pricing of a 2 carat diamond ring:

  1. Diamond Cut
  2. Diamond Clarity
  3. Diamond Color
  4. Diamond Shape
  5. Diamond Brand
  6. Diamond Setting
  7. Side diamonds

Cut

The cut of diamond usually refers to one of two things. Cut can be the way the diamond is physically cut, or cut is also referred to as the shape of a diamond.

Read Also: What do you need to know about diamond cut?

But we’re going to focus on the physical cut and talk more about shapes of the diamond a little later on.

The cut of a diamond is incredibly important when factoring the cost and the overall worth of your stone. A 2 carat with a “good” cut will definitely be less expensive than a 2 carat diamond ring engagement ring with an “ideal” cut.

Cuts are based on a rating scale from “Poor to Excellent” and of course, there’s ideal. An ideal cut is when a diamond is fashioned from precise symmetrical measurements and angles.  

This is the optimal cut for all diamonds. The ideal cut was created by Marcel Tolkowsky, a famous mathematician and known diamond cutter.

Diamond cut quality is graded based on three main factors: cut design, the view from crown of the diamond, and dexterity of the stone.

The ideal cut is only for round diamonds, however. All other shapes are Very Good at best cut quality. 

For better light return with fancy shape diamonds, there are recommended dimensions and proportions for each particular shape.

  1. The diamond cut design is referring to the overall weight distribution of the diamond and durability. If the weight is off, your diamond could be vulnerable to chipping and wearing down much faster.
  2. The face-up view helps determine grading because it allows a grader to look at the top of the diamond and assess how much brilliance, scintillation, fire, and dispersion. Diamonds with a high amount of these four aspects will undoubtedly give you a better cut grade.
  3. The way the stone is crafted is so important to the cut grade of the diamond. If the stone is not properly polished or the symmetry dimensions are off, you sacrifice the brilliance of the entire piece and the beauty is dulled.

Tip: a great way to determine a better cut on a 2-carat diamond is to look at the girdle thickness. The girdle is the edge all the way around a diamond that separates the top (crown) of the stone from the bottom (pavilion).

If the girdle thickness is but a hairline, it is not an excellent cut. Your girdle should be medium thin to slightly thick.

Clarity

Another big factor in determining the cost of a 2 carat diamond engagement ring is the diamond clarity. The clarity scale for diamonds ranges from flawless to included (F-I3).

Read Also: What do you need to know about diamond clarity?

A flawless diamond means you can't see any natural inclusions. These are extremely high quality and well-cut diamonds. 

You don't necessarily need a flawless clarity grade of diamond to have an eye-clean diamond. The VVS1, VVS2, VS1, VS2, are very good clarity grades and few inclusions can be seen only under magnification. 

Read Also: What is an eye-clean diamond?

If you haven’t learned by now, both cut and clarity are not only important due to the cost of a 2 carat diamond, but it’s two of the 4Cs that determine a diamond’s overall worth and rarity.

Clarity is probably the biggest reason why a 2 carat diamond ring may vary in price. With a lower clarity, the diamond prices will drop.

Look at this loose round diamond from James Allen. This is a 2.00 carat round brilliant diamond with a clarity grade of SI1, which is the grade of slightly included. In this clarity grade, you can see natural inclusions with the naked eye.

It is also an excellent cut rating. Now, if you take a look at this 2 carat diamond with a VVS1 clarity, it has every aspect other than clarity the exact same. With VVS1 clarity grade, the difference between the two is over $26,000!

With a 2 carat, you are not going to want to compromise in the area of clarity. The recommended clarity grade for this size stone is VS1, at minimum.

If you compromise in clarity, you’re likely to see lots of inclusions, which will significantly impact your stone’s beauty and brilliance.

Color

Color is another one of the 4Cs, and will contribute to determining the overall price of a 2 carat diamond ring. The color grading scale from colorless to light yellow. In diamond specifications, you will see it as a letter grade of D to Z.

Read Also: What do you need to know about diamond color?

When choosing a color grade for your 2 carat, you should think about the grade in relevance to what metal you are setting it in. For example, a very faint light-yellow color grade doesn’t look so yellow next to a metal such as yellow or rose gold.

Any darker metal, really. The comparison to the diamond will make it look less pigmented.

Similarly, if you are putting a K grade diamond and into a ring setting made of white gold or platinum, the silvery color of the metal will make it look pretty yellow.

The other thing you might consider when you’re determining which color grade you want is if your 2 carat diamond ring has other stones in it. As a solitaire, you really only have to worry about the setting when it comes to color.

But if it has other stones in it, especially larger ones, you’ll want to make sure the color is the same in all the diamonds. If you have better color in your side stones than that 2 carat center, it detracts from the star of the show.

Shape

You might assume that all diamond shapes should have the same price.

This isn’t the case.

Did you know that a round brilliant diamond is the most expensive shape of diamond?

This is because this shape has the best brilliance and fire out of all the shapes. A round brilliant also accounts for around 70% of all diamonds purchased.

All other diamonds shapes are referred to as fancy shapes or fancy cuts. Compared to a round brilliant, fancy cuts can have up to a 43% lower cost.

There are many different shapes of diamonds and some of these shapes are only used as diamond accents, or side stones.

Below is an overview comparison from Blue Nile to show the price difference in a 1 carat in some of the most popular fancy cuts.

blue nile price shape comparison

With difference fancy cuts, certain ones are more susceptible to chipping and breaking. Cuts with sharper points, such as the marquise, trillion, and pear.

These cuts will be of a lower price due to this fact. Princess cut diamonds will always be less expensive than the round brilliant cut. 

Tip: The third most popular diamond shape is the cushion cut. This is also one of the least expensive diamond looks on the market. 

Brilliant cuts like the round brilliant tend to be more expensive than step-cuts like emerald cut and Asscher cuts. 

Brand

Prices are going to fluctuate on a 2 carat diamond ring with different ring designers. Name brands are always more expensive and often times, just as good of quality as a ring bought from a general line of jewelry.

You shouldn’t pay more for brand simply because of its name. Neil Lane and Vera Wang are great examples of this.

Vera Wang is a wedding dress designer who decided she could make more money by creating a bridal jewelry line. Similarly, Neil Lane had an affinity for jewelry and brings vintage designs to the table.

Neither of these designers have actually cut a diamond, all they do is put it together. Yet, these are some of the most bought-out and revered brands of our time.

But there is no technique to these brands. They get away with charging an arm and a leg, when you can pretty much purchase almost the same piece on a website like Blue Nile or James Allen, pay less, and actually choose your own stone.

If you are going to choose a brand name ring, make sure you do your research. Companies like Tolkowsky or Leo are excellent choices because they are priced based on the quality of their diamonds themselves and their cut techniques, not their names.

Setting

The setting a 2 carat diamond ring is set in is going to be another factor in determining price. Generally, the price should stay the same if your ring is set in yellow gold, white gold, or rose gold.

But if your ring is set in platinum, the price is going to increase. Check out this2 carat vintage pear diamond ring on James Allen. If you switch the different metal choices, you’ll notice this setting in platinum is $225 more than being set in gold.

Platinum is more durable than gold, so the price is going to increase. Not all rings have the choice to be set in platinum, especially if you’re going to a retailer that already has rings assembled.

Tip: If you can’t afford platinum, but don’t want to compromise durability, sometimes you can get a platinum head on your ring, which is great because the prongs don’t wear down near as fast as it can with gold.

Aside from the gold, other details such as the style may have an impact. If your diamond ring has a milgrain style to it, it could be more expensive. Check out this milgrain ring below.

james allen 2 carat engagement ring

Other Stones

The last thing that might impact the cost of a 2 carat diamond ring will be if the ring has other side stones. If it’s a solitaire, then the point is moot. But if you have a three-stone anniversary ring, you’ll have to account for the cost of the other two stones and their individual characteristics.

If you have many smaller diamonds in the piece or a popular halo setting, you will indeed pay for all the other stones. If that is your personal preference, small diamonds aren't too expensive either because you don't need to sweat about small diamond costs. 

As you can see, the cost of a 2 carat diamond ring is dependent on a number of different factors, but the biggest ones are cut, clarity, and color. In general, a 2 carat diamond ring can cost between $5,000 to $50,000.

The following video will tell you more about diamond size and price comparisons in different carat:

How Big is a 2-Carat Diamond Ring?

The size of a 2 carat ring depends on the shape. Because carats do not represent size, the surface area of a 2 carat stone will look bigger in another fancy shape, such as an emerald cut.

An emerald cut is going to look bigger than a round brilliant. The same is true with a princess cut as well. A 2 carat diamond is considered as a large diamond, and a great carat size. 2 carats diamond rings are considered an excellent diamond size among many. 

Remember that the bigger the fingers, the ring size will start to look smaller, especially if it is a solitaire.

2 carat emerald diamond ring

2 Ct Emerald

2 carat round brilliant diamond ring

2 Ct Round Brilliant

2 carat princess diamond ring

2 Ct Princess

What is a 2-Carat Diamond Ring Worth to Sell?

No matter the size of your diamond ring, they are never sold for what they’re paid for. When you purchase a diamond ring, your intent should be to enjoy the beauty and rarity in the moment, not as a monetary investment.

Most rings that are resold after purchase only retain 30%-70% of their total value. This is also true whether your diamond is of higher grades such as VS1 clarity, VS2 clarity, VVS1 clarity or VVS2 clarity, the value will still be within that range. This is important to remember when you buy vvs diamonds, or any other clarity grade diamonds for that matter.

If it doesn't meet high quality standards, such as being poorly cut, this can be an important factor in the value and worth of your diamond. 

Rather than think about what your 2 carat might be worth to sell, it might be beneficial to think about sentimental value. Maybe you’ve got kids and one of them might like to own your ring after you’ve left this world.

A 2 carat diamond rings will make a great heirloom piece and may even increase in value over the years.

How to Get the Best Value When Buying a 2-Carat Diamond Ring?

When choosing a 2 carat diamond, we want you to be able to purchase one knowing all of the different factors that amount to the price. You should be able to purchase one without fear of not getting the best value.

You should always get a GIA or AGS certification. Special bonus points if you get a GemEx certification, which lets you know the light and brilliance scale of your diamond ring. This will help you make sure your diamond is exactly what it claims to be.

Diamonds without a certification may not be exactly what they say they are, or they won’t even tell you the clarity or color. In some places, they give you a general range. That’s why you should always custom create your 2 carat diamond ring so you can be sure you’re getting exactly what you’re paying for.

Final Thoughts On 2-Carat Diamond Rings

You may have come into this guide blind, but we hope you’re leaving us better equipped to pick out your very own 2 carat diamond ring. You now know what to expect in pricing and many different factors that go into that cost.

Remember, you should always get your ring certified by the GIA and make sure you don’t compromise when it comes to clarity and cut above all else.

Outside of diamond specifications, you should also choose the diamond that is fit for the one you are giving it to. Diamonds are a beautiful representation of love and should always be first and foremost when picking out your perfect 2 carat diamond ring.

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