3 Carat Diamond Rings: A Price Guide and Where to Buy Them

Every diamond is entirely unique. Natural diamonds, taking millions of years to form within the mantle of the Earth, they are by far one of the most coveted natural creations known to man. Each rough diamond crystal possesses its own individual properties and it is the job of the cutter and the jewelry designer to unleash the beauty from each diamond.

One such attribute is the carat weight. Choosing a carat weight will depend upon matters of personal style and budget. A well cut 3-carat diamond is a dramatic weight for an engagement ring – it will have impressive impact and loads of sparkle, while still being suitable for every day wear. In this article we will concentrate on natural Earth-mined diamonds, but we will also touch on the new affordable option presented by lab grown diamonds.

To get the most from a 3-carat diamond requires an understanding of diamond quality factors and suitable choices of setting. Fortunately, we have created this guide to help you understand all areas of buying a 3-carat diamond ring.. And while we will focus on natural diamonds in this guide, we’ll also cover the game changing options in lab grown diamonds which make owning a 3-carat diamond more affordable than ever.

Carat is a measure of the weight of a diamond and is one of the more commonly known ‘Four C’s’ of diamond buying. One carat is equivalent to around 200mg. The image below shows an approximation of carat weight to millimetres in a well-cut, round brilliant diamond.

Although people often talk about the ‘size’ of a diamond, how large or small a diamond appears cannot necessarily be accurately ascertained through carat weight alone. The cut of the diamond and the shape (i.e. round brilliant, princess, oval etc) will affect the apparent size of the diamond even when the carat weight is the same.

The Four C’s of diamond buying are a great place to start when choosing a diamond of any carat weight. We encourage our customers to tune into their own personal desires for their diamond, however there are some basic guidelines that can assist you in your search.

For a 3-carat diamond, there is still a lot of flexibility when it comes to the color grade. We carry GIA and AGS natural certified diamonds from D-K in color and any of these would be suitable for a three-carat diamond ring. Many people adore the classic, icy white sparkle of a colorless or near colorless diamond – anything from a D to an I color grade would deliver this cool, colorless brilliance. Others like the warm glow the J or K colored diamonds bring; perfectly set in a warm rose or yellow gold, they are also a great way to save a little money for those who are not particularly sensitive to color.

When it comes to lab created diamonds, there is less reason to compromise on color because the price, and therefore the savings in trading down in color, is so much less.  Focusing on high color, high clarity and top cut quality in your lab grown diamond is the best way to ensure maximum beauty and value in a lab grown diamond. A grading report from a laboratory like IGI (a pioneer in lab grown diamond identification and grading) is your best way to understand everything essential about a lab diamond.

The larger the diamond, the more apparent inclusions can be. We use high-res images and 360 videos to give you a complete view of the diamond with magnification that rivals a jewelers loupe. Our suggestion would be to consider diamonds of VS2 quality and above to give an eye-clean, dazzlingly clear diamond.

The inclusions in lab grown diamonds are generally referred to as ‘growth remnants’, and again there is is less to be gained by trading down into the lower clarity grades.

Cut is the most important of the Four C’s. We created our A CUT ABOVE® brand of super-ideal cut diamonds to optimize light performance and unleash the full potential of round brilliant and princess cut diamonds. All of our in-house branded diamonds are accompanied by ASET, Ideal Scope, and Hearts and Arrows images, HD Video and Sarine reports so that you can see exactly how perfectly the diamond is handling light. Any compromise on cut quality will negatively impact the light performance of even a high color, high clarity, three carat diamond.

If you are looking for a high-performance, three carat diamond with the highest possible grades, our A CUT ABOVE® Collection Series is the way to go. These high precision diamonds are perfect for those with acute attention to detail who seek the very top tier of three carat diamonds.

A three-carat diamond is only as beautiful as the cut that gave it life. There is no substitute for a precision cut diamond and the result of this painstaking process is a sparkle like no other.

We use a fairly broad guideline for diamond quality as we understand that every individual is working to a unique budget. The grades we have outlined will ensure a beautiful diamond, but allow for flexibility between color and clarity grades to accommodate a range of budgets.

We stock gorgeous three carat diamonds starting from around $20,000 and we suggest this is the lower end of a realistic budget for a high quality natural diamond of this carat weight. To try and source a diamond below this price would mean making big sacrifices on quality and the result would be a diamond that simply doesn’t perform well.

For a truly remarkable three carat diamond like this F-VS1 round brilliant from our A CUT ABOVE® range, a budget of around $70,000 will allow for high color and clarity grades.

Laboratory grown diamonds, on the other hand, can be found at price points well below those of natural diamonds. And the budget savings can allow for things like premium quality designer brand engagement rings and fine jewelry settings.

For those looking to strike a balance somewhere in the middle, our A CUT ABOVE® diamonds include those within the I-K color range. This J-VS1 round brilliant is a precision cut diamond with perfect hearts and arrows – this exceptional cut will give an abundance of fire and brilliance. Pricewise this quality comes in around the middle of the budget range for beautiful three carat diamonds. When we say ‘mid-point’ make no mistake; these are super ideal cut diamonds. In fact, very few people can identify between one or two color grades especially if they display massive sparkle. This is all a matter of personal choice and assessing what works best for your budget.

If size is particularly important to you, consider how to make the most of your budget whilst still choosing a quality diamond. Halo settings are a great way of creating a dramatic and powerful appearance on the hand. This double-halo engagement ring by Simon G would beautifully enhance a central diamond and maximize on carat weight. There are many ways to find an engagement ring that makes a statement without sacrificing diamond quality.

Lab grown diamonds are also a great way to make owning a 3 carat diamond possible.

While fine natural diamonds at three carats and above can be extraordinarily expensive, the recent availability of high quality laboratory grown diamonds represents a huge opportunity to own a high quality diamond at a very affordable price. Lab grown diamonds are real diamonds with essentially the same chemical, physical, and optical properties of natural diamonds. But instead of having been created over billions of years deep within the Earth, lab grown diamonds are produced in factories over a few days or weeks, making them much more affordable.

A 3 carat lab grown diamond with top color and clarity that has been cut with precision for outstanding optical performance will rival the best natural diamonds in terms of beauty. Whiteflash offers such diamonds in our Precision Lab brand. These represent the very best available in lab grown diamonds. With the significantly lower cost basis, there is no reason to make much compromise on color or clarity, or to all-important cut quality.

One of the many benefits of choosing a lab created diamond is the ability to work a premium quality designer engagement ring into the budget. In many cases the whole budget is consumed in getting a high quality natural diamond, relegating the setting to something very simple and inexpensive. Lab diamonds afford the luxury of getting a spectacular designer setting and creating a show-stopping overall piece of fine jewelry.

Engagement ring settings should enhance your diamond, setting it center stage and complimenting its brilliance. Settings are where you can let your personality shine.

A one carat diamond continues to be the most popular carat weight for a diamond, so three carats is considered huge by comparison. Settings need to handle this size to provide durability and allow you to wear your ring with total peace of mind.

A six prong setting like this elegant knife-edge engagement ring by Ritani gives a classic look while providing maximum security to your central diamond.

If you prefer the appearance of a four-prong engagement ring, this Ritani solitaire uses subtle double prongs for an additional touch of security.

Many of our exceptional designers cater to a range of carat weights allowing you to focus on choosing a style to suit your taste and your lifestyle.