Lindsey, do you know what a green diamond price is? This is one of the questions our readers ask a lot. Well, we´ve got you covered.
Fancy colored diamonds seem to be more and more popular these days, with celebrity endorsements (J. Lo has one now) and the prevalence of lab-grown stones making these accessible to those of us who aren’t celebrities.
So, what is the price of green diamonds? Natural green diamonds with good-quality fancy color sell for between $50,000 and $300,000 per carat. Lab-grown green stones sell for around $3,000-$4,000 per carat.
If you are in the market for a green gem, or just want to learn about these rare and beautiful stones, read on. There is a lot to learn about green diamonds, how much they cost, and why.
Table of Contents
How Much are Green Diamonds?
You will find that fancy diamonds are graded just like white diamonds, using the 4Cs of cut, color, clarity, and carat. However, they use a color scale that goes as follows:
- Faint Green
- Very Light Green
- Light Green
- Fancy Light Green
- Fancy Green
- Fancy Intense, Fancy Vivid, and Fancy Deep
The lighter colors of green will cost less than the fancy colors. A diamond with pure green color will also cost higher than a diamond with multiple colors.
It is estimated that a 1-carat fancy green color sells for $50,000-$100,000 per carat.
A fancy intense color will go for around $150,000-$200,000 per carat.
If you want the most prized color, a green diamond rated as fancy vivid might sell for around $300,000 per carat or more.
Remember, those prices are per carat, not per stone.
Here are those numbers in a chart, and as compared to lab-grown green stones:
| Color | Price per carat | Color | Price per carat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Fancy Green | $50,000-$100,000 | Lab Fancy Green | $3,000 |
| Fancy Intense | $150,000-$200,000 | Lab Fancy Intense | $4,000 |
| Vivid Green | $300,000+ | Lab Vivid | $4,000 |
Here is a chart with a sample of prices for some diamonds. You can see how color and size affect price.
| CARAT | COLOR | CLARITY | CUT | PRICE | PRICE PER CARAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.01 | Very Light Green | VVS1 | Princess | $11,725 | $11,609 |
| 1.26 | Fancy Yellow Green | VS2 | Cushion | $36,400 | $28,889 |
| 0.25 | Fancy Vivid Bluish Green | SI1 | Cushion | $48,100 | $192,400 |
| 0.77 | Fancy Green | VS2 | Cushion | $45,675 | $59,318 |
| 1.00 | Fancy Intense Bluish Green | SI1 | Heart | $120,100 | $120,100 |
| 3.01 | Fancy Yellowish Green | VS1 | Oval | $120,500 | $40,033 |
| 1.34 | Fancy Intense Blue Green | VS1 | Cushion | $264,350 | $197,276 |
Here is a chart showing prices of lab-grown green diamonds. You can see how much cheaper these diamonds are.
| CARAT | COLOR | CLARITY | CUT | PRICE | PRICE PER CARAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.53 | Fancy Vivid Green | VS2 | Pear | $1,490 | $2,811 |
| 1.15 | Fancy Vivid Green | VS1 | Cushion | $4,470 | $3,887 |
| 1.22 | Fancy Intense Bluish Green | VS1 | Round | $4,960 | $4,066 |
| 2.24 | Fancy Green | VS2 | Round | $7,140 | $3,188 |
| 1.76 | Fancy Deep Green | VS1 | Radiant | $8,420 | $4,784 |
| 1.78 | Fancy Vivid Green | VS2 | Radiant | $8,510 | $4,781 |
| 2.0 | Fancy Intense Green | VVS1 | Emerald | $9,460 | $4,730 |
You can see that the average price per carat for lab-grown green stones is around $4,000, while the prices for natural stones fluctuate greatly with color.
The average price for intense or vivid colors is around $170,000 per carat in this sample.
Read also >> How Much Is a 1 Carat Uncut Diamond Worth?
Read also >> How to Identify a Raw Diamond (Easy Explained!)
Why Are Green Diamonds So Expensive?
They are expensive because of their rarity. Green diamonds are estimated to be the second or third most rare color of the diamond.
It is especially rare to find green diamonds with vivid and deep greens, so those are the most rare.
Are Green Diamonds More Expensive Than White?
Yes, by a lot. The price for a one-carat white stone tops out at around $30,000 for a flawless, colorless, ideal-cut stone. That’s less than you will pay per carat for a green stone, which starts at around $50K.
Lighter green stones are cheaper, though still often more expensive than white for similar quality.
Where Do I Buy A Green Diamond?
When buying green diamonds, it is very important that you go to a reputable seller so you know what you are getting.
Some colored diamonds have been treated or coated to make them colorful, but then are priced as natural fancy diamonds.
On occasion, other gems such as sapphires are sold as colored diamonds.
You should make sure you trust your jeweler. Every fancy color diamond should have a certificate from GIA, IGI, or AGS verifying the stone.
Leibish.com is a good place to start for natural fancy diamonds as they specialize in fancy colors.
If you are in the market for a fancy lab-grown stone, James Allen sells both natural and lab-grown colored stones.
Brilliant Earth and New World Diamonds sell fancy green lab stones.
Are Green Diamonds Fake?
While many green diamonds sold are the real deal–they were grown underground and exposed to radiation, which made them green, there are also a lot of diamonds on the market that are considered to be “treated” stones.
Treated green diamonds generally are faked by exposing white diamonds to radiation even after they have been mined and these are not considered to be natural green diamonds.
It is very difficult to tell whether these diamonds are naturally-occurring greens or not since the process to make them is the same. Even experienced jewelers have difficulty identifying these treated stones.
If you want a green diamond and the treatment doesn’t bother you, you can look into purchasing a treated diamond.
However, many scammers are selling these diamonds at natural diamond prices (which, as we have seen, are exorbitant).
Make sure you work with a trusted jeweler who knows colored diamonds if you are buying green diamonds.
What Makes A Diamond Green?
Green diamonds are most often made because of radiation occurring when the diamond was formed (don’t worry, the stone isn’t radioactive now).
Green diamonds can also be formed when nitrogen, hydrogen, or nickel are present during the formation process.
Most green diamonds come from mines in South America or Africa.
Are Green Diamonds Rare?
Pink, red, and blue diamonds are more rare, though green is not far behind.
Lab-grown green diamonds are not rare, since they can be produced in a lab. This will be reflected in the price.
What Are the Most Expensive Green Diamonds?
The Aurora Green: a 5.03-carat rectangular cut, fancy vivid green, VS2 clarity, that went for $16.8 million at auction in 2016. At a per carat price of $3.3 million, this holds the record per carat for a green stone.
Prior to that, the record was held by the Ocean Dream diamond. Weighing in at 5.51 carats, with a unique trillion cut, the stone went for $8.6 million in May 2016. The color was a fancy deep blue color.
Starting off the trend was a 2.54 carat that sold for $3.08 million in 2009. It was rated as fancy vivid green.
In 2021, a 5.29-carat fancy intense green diamond went for $3 million at an auction at Sotheby’s.
Or there’s J. Lo’s ring, a whopping 8.5-carat green estimated to be worth between $5-10 million.
What Color is Cheapest Color Diamond?
Of the natural colored diamonds, grey, brown and fancy yellow are the cheapest, though they may still be more expensive than white diamonds.
The most expensive diamonds are blue, red, and pink.
This is only true for natural fancy colors, not lab-grown.
Should I Buy A Green Lab Diamond?
Lab diamonds are made in the full range of colors that would be available in nature. They are made by growing diamonds in a lab but introducing chemical elements that color the diamond.
This technology has made colored diamonds available to a much wider customer base than they were previously when they were some of the most concentrated value in the world.
Lab-grown diamonds are still diamonds, including the fancy colored ones. However, a lab-grown fancy diamond is not technically rare. The resale value of fancy colored lab stones will probably be lower.
That said, you can get a very beautiful colored green stone from a lab without spending your life savings.
FAQ
What is the rarest diamond color?
Red and pink diamonds are the rarest. This is because these diamonds get their color from the extra-intense pressure that forms them, rather than from chemical components like many fancy colored diamonds.
Are blue diamonds rare than green?
Yes, though green diamonds are also very rare–probably the third rare color. Blue diamonds are found very deep in the earth, which makes them harder to mine.
What colors do diamonds come in?
Diamonds are not just white. Naturally-occurring fancy diamonds come in colors such as red, pink, blue, green, orange, yellow, and black. Fancy-colored diamonds are often very rare.
You can also buy lab-grown diamonds in all of these colors, though they are created in labs rather than grown in the earth, so they are not considered to be rare diamonds.
James Allen is the leader in online diamond sales. Their imaging technology is the same as inspecting a diamond with a jeweler's loupe. They have the largest exclusive loose diamond inventory online and fantastic prices.
They also have the nicest collection of lab created diamonds online. Save 10% off select lab grown diamonds and 25% off ring settings during limited time sale!
WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT THEM:
- No questions asked returns within 30 days of shipment. James Allen will send you a paid shipping label to return the ring.
- Lifetime Warranty
- Free International Shipping
- Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
- Provide insurance appraisals
- One free resizing within 60 days of purchase
- Free ring inscriptions
- Best-in-class high quality imagery of all diamonds in stock
- 24/7 Customer Service
- Best-in-class packaging
Conclusion
If you are in the market for a fancy green diamond, these price tags of tens of thousands per carat would be enough to scare anyone off. After all, green diamonds are super rare and are priced to match.
That said, you can always go with a lab-grown green diamond. They aren’t rare, though they are significantly cheaper and have the same look as natural-grown stones.
References
https://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/spring-2018-natural-color-green-diamonds-beautiful-conundrum
https://www.brilliantearth.com/lab-created-colored-diamonds/
Recent Posts
Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but they can also be your wallet’s best friend too if you are in possession of real gemstones – even uncut diamonds. A 1 carat uncut diamond is priced...
Do you know how to identify a raw diamond? Well, you are at the perfect place to find the answer to such a question. A raw diamond does not look like the polished gemstone you're used to seeing....