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How Much Does a 1.5 Carat Engagement Ring Cost?

by Willyou.net * Nov 14, 2021

Key Takeaways

  • 1.5 carat diamonds offer a little something extra to anyone designing an engagement ring and, as you can imagine, they have a price point to match.
  • A well-proportioned 1.5 carat diamond will be visibly larger than a well-proportioned 1 carat diamond, although the difference won’t be mind-blowing.
  • Cut remains the most important consideration here, as well as eye cleanliness and the absence of any visible color.
  • As always, you can’t entrust this decision to a picture on the internet. Find a jeweler to work with, and let them talk you through the specifics of your chosen diamond before you commit.
round halo diamond ring

Finding a way to meet all of those expectations, hopes and wishes your partner holds for their engagement ring is one thing – but surpassing every single one, and creating something even they couldn’t have dreamed up in their wildest daydreams is another thing entirely.

A 1.5 carat engagement ring does just that. Featuring a center stone that is noticeably larger than the US average for diamond engagement rings, it’s a great way to grab attention, set hearts fluttering, and show off your chosen diamond shape.

For these reasons – and many others – 1.5 carat diamonds enjoy a premium price point high enough to surprise some shoppers who may be more accustomed to the costs of a 1 carat diamond ring instead. So, how much does creating your own 1.5 carat engagement ring really cost? We look at all the details below.

The Basics

1.5 carats equates to 0.3 grams, or 300 milligrams. While that might sound like an incredibly lightweight, diamonds of this weight are capable of creating an impressive focal point on the finger. Here’s what you need to know.

Is a 1.5 Carat Diamond Worth it?

It’s a great choice if you’re looking to make a strong impression with your engagement ring, without paying the high premium cost of a 2+ carat diamond.

1.5 carats is noticeably larger than 1 carat and, while the overall cost of your engagement ring will certainly reflect that jump in size, the cost will be much more manageable than it would be for a diamond significantly larger.

It’s worth noting that 1.5 carats is considered a ‘magic weight’, which tend to fall on any carat weight ending in .00 or .50 (like 1 carat, 2 carats, 2.5 carats, etc.), and that these magic weights often fetch a premium price. For this reason, we’d recommend widening your search to include diamonds that fall between 1.35 and 1.5 carats in weight, since you might save a few hundred dollars on, say, a 1.43 carat diamond that looks as big as a 1.5 carat diamond.

How Big is a 1.5 Carat Diamond?

A Round Brilliant diamond weighing in at 1.5 carats will measure approximately 7.3mm in diameter, provided it is cut proportionately.

This is approximately 0.8mm larger than a 1 carat diamond which, though it sounds pretty minor, will be clearly discernible when you compare the two carat sizes side by side.

Here are the typical face-up measurements for 1.5 carat diamonds of other shapes:

Princess Cut Diamonds6.5mm
Cushion Cut Diamonds6.5mm
Emerald Cut Diamonds7.5mm x 5.5mm
Square Emerald (Asscher) Cut Diamonds6.5mm
Oval Cut Diamonds8.5mm x 6.5mm
Pear Cut Diamonds8.5mm (length)
Marquise Diamonds12mm (length)
Radiant Cut Diamonds7.5mm (length)

A 1.5 diamond is not going to look as extraordinary as, say, a 2 or 3 carat diamond engagement ring, but it is going to look beautiful and bold – and will be large enough to take center stage, even in a more elaborate ring setting, like this Platinum Halo engagement ring featuring a Cushion cut center stone.

For the best face-up appearance possible, it is important you understand the fundamentals of diamond proportion, since this won’t be reflected in any particular grade within the diamond’s GIA report.

How Much is a 1.5 Carat Diamond?

1.5 carat diamonds typically cost between $5,000 and $36,000, depending on many factors – most notably, cut quality, clarity, and color.

If you’re still pretty new to the world of diamond buying, the first thing you’re likely to notice is quite how much these diamonds can differ in price. This all comes down to quality, and the fact that larger diamonds are not necessarily more expensive than better quality diamonds of a lower carat weight, or cheaper than slightly larger diamonds of a lower quality.

Most people come into this process wanting a definitive answer to the question, ‘How much does a 1, 1.5, 2, or 3 diamond cost?’ While it may sound simpler, having a set price per carat would actually make it harder for shoppers – not easier.

While we’re never going to recommend you home in on the very lowest prices available for 1.5 carats, there is a sweet spot to be found way before you’re looking at the diamonds that fall in at the £36,000 mark. 

You’ll also notice there’s a pretty big jump from the average price range we gave for 1 carat diamond engagement rings, which tend to fall between $2,500 and $20,000.

This is simply down to the fact that size is a coveted feature in diamonds. Most people, if given the choice, would rather go bigger than smaller, so there’s always going to be a premium price attached to diamonds that fall above 0.90 carat mark.

Is a 1.5 Carat Diamond Considered Big?

It’s 0.50 carats above the average size for engagement ring diamonds in the US. So, while noticeably larger than a lot of diamonds out there, it’s not considered particularly large.

While this might not sound like the most enthusiastic answer, it’s worth keeping in mind that the 1.5 carat weight occupies a great middle ground between the ‘average’ one carat and the bulkier 2 carat. It grabs attention without being ‘too much’, and it fits the finger very comfortably without overshadowing the rest of the ring’s design.

So, to put it bluntly, the 1.5 carat diamond is not going to be considered ‘big’ big. The right diamond will, however, be considered beautiful, eye-catching, impressive and, above all else, romantic.

How Are 1.5 Carat Diamonds Priced?

According to many aspects of diamond quality, including the Four Cs, proportion, fluorescence and other visual features.

No diamond is priced on a whim. Any diamond worth your time and money will have undergone rigorous examinations from expert graders (preferably from a GIA lab) in order to ascertain the many benchmarks of diamond quality, then priced accordingly.

One poor feature is enough to bring down a diamond’s value by thousands of dollars.

In many cases, the buyer stands to benefit from this. Provided those price-lowering features are don’t impact the stone’s appearance, picking a diamond worth thousands of dollars less than another is an incredibly wise decision.

The cheapest 1.5 carat diamonds out there, however, will represent poor decisions. They will be noticeably lower in quality, and will noticeably bring down the appearance and quality of your engagement ring.

Our Summary: How Much Should You Spend on a 1.5 Carat Engagement Ring?

Ideally, your 1.5 carat engagement ring will cost between $15,000 and $20,000. Too low, and your diamond will appear low quality; too high, and you’ll have wasted thousands of dollars on features that are not noticeable.

1.5 carats is a great weight to look at. It is, by no means, as large as some of the engagement rings you see out there today, but it’s also noticeably above the average size – and will often appear closer in size to a 2 carat diamond than a 1 carat diamond.

It makes it much easier for you to get the most out of a beautiful cut, whether you’re using the traditional Round Brilliant or something a little different, like the Princess or Emerald, without being so large that you have to go for a much higher color or clarity grade.

Yes, it’s substantially more expensive than a 1 carat diamond engagement ring would be but, if it fits in your budget without forcing you to sacrifice on quality, then the 1.5 carat diamond is something we would recommend to any shopper looking to make a strong impression during their proposal.

You can take a look at our full range of GIA graded 1.5 carat diamonds here.