A Guide to 4 Carat Diamond Rings: Quality, Pricing, and More

A high-quality, 4 carat diamond is an incredibly rare find. Although we may hear carat weights thrown around in conversation, seeing a 4-carat diamond in real life is truly a sight to behold. The average carat weight for an engagement ring in the U.S is 1.00ct which gives you an idea of just how significant a 4-carat diamond is. A remarkable feat of both mother nature and the skill of man, purchasing precision cut 4-carat diamonds requires a thorough understanding of diamond quality and a realistic approach to your budget. This expert guide will help you to make the best choices for your diamond.

The ‘carat’ describes the weight of the diamond, with one carat being equivalent to 200mg. It can be difficult to comprehend ‘size’ from carat weight. Different diamonds shapes and the overall cut quality will both affect how big or small the diamond appears.

In terms of national and international averages, a four-carat diamond is considered a ‘big’ diamond. In the right setting, it is an excellent carat weight for engagement rings and every day jewelry, but is also impressive enough to be reserved for evenings and occasions.

We believe that no matter what carat weight you choose, selecting a diamond with suitable grades is essential. However, it is perhaps even more important to scrutinize color and quality in diamonds with a bigger carat weight – the bigger the diamond, the less forgiving it will be.

If we set aside personal preference and budget for just a moment, our recommendation for color grades in 4 carat diamonds would be an H or above. An H color diamond is in the middle of the ‘near colorless’ range and the presence of any yellow/brown hues tend to be imperceptible to most people. The increased surface area in 4.00ct diamonds can emphasize yellow tones in lower grade diamonds, so we would not suggest going lower than an I color. H and above unless you prefer a slightly warm color.

A VS2 would work beautifully with a 4-carat diamond. In a VS2 diamond, inclusions are usually only visible with a jeweler’s loupe at 10x magnification. Take full advantage of our 360 video and high res images for a detailed analysis of your diamond. Going beyond a VS2 will give exceptional clarity, but be prepared for big price differences as you move up into the VVS and IF range. Diamonds of this weight and this clarity are extremely rare, and this is reflected in the price.

Cut is the most important quality feature in a diamond and will have the greatest impact on price and appearance. Go for the absolute best cut you can find and prioritize this over the other four C’s (if necessary). We offer all of our customers the opportunity to really familiarize themselves with diamond Cut across our education pages as we know it can be a tricky area to grasp. We created our A CUT ABOVE® brand of super-ideal cut diamond to prioritize cut quality and light performance. It is only with an exceptional cut that the stunning attributes of brilliance, scintillation and fire can be unleashed.

Do not be tempted to stray from the leading gem laboratories. The GIA and AGS are the top tier labs who give accurate and consistent grades across the board. They add value to a diamond and protect you from over spending on a low-quality diamond with inflated grades. Both labs are consumer focused with extensive information regarding the grading process.

Need help choosing a diamond? We have GIA and AGS trained diamond experts on hand to help. Use our live chat service to speak to a professional today.

Status is intrinsically linked with diamonds; they are entirely entwined with performance. Much like an exceptional sports car with all mods, many people want a diamond that has all the power under the hood and all the bells and whistles to go with it.

Our A CUT ABOVE® collection is the engine – the technical aspects that make these diamonds sensational. We even created our Collection Series for those who demand the most elite gems of all. These diamonds are at the top end of color, cut and clarity. A 4-carat diamond that earns the A CUT ABOVE® title and is part of the Collection Series is an exceptionally rare find. They are some of the most exquisite diamonds in the world.

A realistic starting budget for a 4-carat diamond would be $50,000. This J-VS2 round brilliant round brilliant is a good base point and is a beautiful diamond. It is perhaps a few color grades out of the ‘colorless’ range, however in a warm setting and with such a fantastic cut it would still deliver in all areas.

As you reach the upper echelons of four carat diamonds and move into Collection Series quality stones, a budget of around $250,000 would be suitable. As mentioned, these diamonds are extremely rare and special, however if you are looking for a diamond of this quality and cannot see one available online, please do not hesitate to contact us so that we can assist your search.

Shoppers looking for large high quality diamonds have another great option available today. Laboratory grown diamonds have come on to the market in a big way in the last few years. Technology is advancing and there are an increasing number of larger size lab diamonds becoming available. And they are considerably less expensive than natural diamonds!

Laboratory grown diamonds have essentially the same physical and optical properties as natural diamonds. Therefore, the durability and light performance (if precision cut) of lab diamonds is comparable to their natural counterparts. There are some small but potentially important differences that should be understood before purchasing a lab diamond. Our consultants can walk you through what you need to know to make a great choice if you are in the market for a lab grown diamond.

The market for lab diamonds, and especially larger carat weights, is rapidly evolving. Competition and technology advances in the lab grown diamond industry are together making lab diamonds ever more affordable. Until recently, larger diamonds were very difficult to grow. Still today you will see fewer lab diamonds in the 3 plus carat range, but that is changing. As this trend continues, look for 4 carat lab diamonds to become more available.

In such a changing market it is difficult to say what pricing is competitive, as this is a very fluid time in the lab grown industry. But by comparing diamonds across different vendors you can develop a sense of pricing at a given time. Be aware that there are some things to be on the lookout for in lab diamonds that do not appear on a laboratory report. A high quality diamond with a high quality cut is still the exception, even in lab grown diamonds. Whiteflash diamond consultants are friendly and knowledgeable and are trained in the intricacies of both natural and lab grown diamonds. They do not work on commission and are happy to guide you in your search.

We usually advise our customers to simply go with their heart when it comes to choosing an engagement ring setting, however things are a little different for a four-carat diamond. Not all settings can accommodate for a diamond this size and not all styles are suitable.

Fortunately, we work with the best in the industry so anything is possible. This beautiful Benchmark solitaire setting with diamond melee can comfortably hold a 4-carat diamond securely. The diamonds on the band are a G in color so they will give a dazzling white sparkle.

We stock a collection of settings that are suitable for a 4 carat diamond but we are also happy to work on bespoke settings if required.