Fair Price Checker
The quote in front of you: good deal or gouge? Benchmark it against the market ranges below — built on the Spec Finder recipe (Excellent cut, G–H color, eye-clean VS2/SI1).
Your answer
If a quote lands inside the ranges below, it's fair — stop grinding and buy the stone you like. If it's 15%+ above, you're paying for someone's rent: cross-check the same specs on an aggregator before signing anything. And remember the cliffs: prices jump at 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 carats, so buying at 0.9, 1.4, or 1.8 ct is the same look for meaningfully less money.
Fair-price benchmarks (round brilliant, G–H / VS2 / Excellent)
| Carat | Looks like | Fair range — lab | Fair range — natural |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.50 ct | 5.1 mm — dainty, everyday | $200–$400 | $1,000–$1,800 |
| 0.90 ct | 6.2 mm — reads as "1 carat" Buy shy | $450–$800 | $3,200–$4,800 |
| 1.00 ct | 6.4 mm — the benchmark | $500–$1,000 | $4,500–$6,500 |
| 1.50 ct | 7.4 mm — noticed across a table | $900–$1,700 | $8,000–$13,000 |
| 1.80 ct | 7.8 mm — reads as "2 carats" Buy shy | $1,100–$2,100 | $11,000–$18,000 |
| 2.00 ct | 8.1 mm — statement territory | $1,200–$2,500 | $15,000–$25,000+ |
| 3.00 ct | 9.3 mm — people will comment | $2,500–$5,000 | $35,000–$70,000+ |
Approximate market ranges for well-cut, eye-clean stones as of late 2026. Lab prices in particular keep drifting down — treat ranges as orientation and verify live.
Why carat is weight, not size
A 2 ct round is only ~27% wider than a 1 ct — twice the weight hides in depth you can't see, while the natural-stone price often triples or quadruples. That mismatch is the entire case for the buy-shy trick, for elongated shapes (ovals and pears show up to 15% more face-up area per carat), and for putting budget into cut quality, which makes a stone light up edge to edge and read bigger than its tape measure.
Is your quote high? The 3-minute check
- Pull the certificate specs (shape, carat, cut, color, clarity) off the quote.
- Enter the identical filters on an aggregator and read the middle of the resulting price band — that's the market.
- Quote within ~10% of market: fair; local service or a nicer setting can justify it.
- Quote 15–30% over: negotiate or walk — "I've found the same cert specs for $X" is a complete sentence.
- Quote under market by a lot: slow down and check the Red Flags list — too-good pricing usually has a reason.
Where to do this step
The shops that make this part easy:
Rare Carat
The price-comparison engine — pulls stones from dozens of vendors so you see the whole market.
Blue Nile
The biggest certified inventory online and frequent sales — the default first stop for most buyers.
Friendly Diamonds
Lab-grown specialist with sharp pricing — strong pick once you've decided on lab.
Ad disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links — we may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no cost to you. It never changes which option we point you to.