How much is a 1-carat lab-grown diamond worth, and what sets the price?

ZKZ Editorial TeamMain answer · Product & gemmology desk

We cannot give a verified current price, and we do not quote one. Prices for lab-grown diamonds have been changing quickly and vary by quality, shape, report and seller. What we can do is explain what carat means and what to compare, and note what a recent trade report said about the direction of wholesale prices.

What we verified

Fact GIA says carat measures weight, not size, and that a metric carat is defined as 200 milligrams.

Fact JCK reported in April 2026 that, according to analysts it cites, wholesale prices for lab-grown diamonds declined 14% in the first quarter of 2026, and that 1 ct rounds fell 15%.

Fact A later JCK report (8 July 2026) says the wholesale price of 1 ct rounds rose 1% in the second quarter of 2026, and that wholesale prices for larger stones fell more.

Fact GIA says its Laboratory-Grown Diamond Quality Assessment classifies stones as Premium or Standard based on an overall assessment of clarity, colour and cut, and that stones that do not meet the minimum criteria receive no assessment.

What sets the price

• Weight, shape and measurements
• Colour, clarity and finish, as stated in the report
• Which laboratory issued the report, and what it says
• The seller's margin and what is included

Our advice Get quotes for the exact same specification from two or three sellers and write down the date.

It depends A 1 ct stone may look larger or smaller depending on its shape and proportions.

A practical way to get a number

Our advice Decide the quality you want, for example the colour and clarity from a report, then search for stones with that exact description. Use at least three sellers and note the date, the shape and the report laboratory. Take the middle of what you find, not the lowest, and ask what is included, such as shipping and the setting. That number is your own, current and checkable, which is more useful than any figure that cannot be dated.

Uncertain We could not verify what a 1 ct lab-grown diamond costs today, or whether prices have fallen further since the report. Any figure you see, including figures on other sites, should be treated as a snapshot.

Related reading: Can a Lab-Grown Diamond Pass a Diamond Tester? · How Much Do Lab Grown Diamonds Cost? Price Factors Explained

Sources

• GIA 4Cs, Nine things about diamond carat weight
• JCK, rising demand for lab-grown diamonds
• JCK, Lab-grown diamond prices show signs of stabilizing (8 July 2026)
• GIA press release, updated laboratory-grown diamond services (2025)

Fact = stated by the cited source. Our advice = editorial recommendation. Uncertain / it depends = limits of what can be said in general.