Table of Contents
Looking for the perfect engagement ring is a big decision, and opting for a 4 carat diamond is even more significant. With its undeniable beauty, a 4 carat diamond engagement ring is sure to turn heads, but it’s crucial to consider the design of the ring as well. Despite the diamond’s size, the wrong design can make the ring look awkward and unappealing.
Before making your purchase, it’s essential to know the do’s and don’ts of selecting a 4 carat diamond engagement ring. In this article, we’ll explore the things you need to keep in mind to make your purchase a success.
How Big is a 4 Carat Diamond?
Carats are a unit of measurement of weight, just like grams and ounces. 1 carat is 0.2 grams, 0.007 ounces, or 0.0004 pounds. So, a diamond weighing 4 carats is four times that – 0.8 grams or 0.028 ounces.
The reason why carats are used for diamonds and other gemstones instead of other units of measurement – aside from tradition – is convenience. It’s easier to use carats than to deal with decimal points all the time.
This is all just weight, however – the actual size of the stone’s surface area is typically measured in millimeters and it can vary based on the diamond’s shape and cut.
So, while 0.8 grams may not sound like much, a diamond that weighs 4 carats is almost always over a centimeter wide when viewed from the top – about 10.1 mm for a Round cut diamond. Other cuts such as the Princess or the Emerald cut can have even wider tables, crowns, and girdles –the parts of the diamond that are visible from the top – while still weighing 4 carats. That’s because such cuts are usually shallower than a Round cut, so, they trade in some of their brilliance for more surface area.
4 Carat Diamond Ring Price
Acquiring a 4 carat diamond engagement ring is undoubtedly a substantial investment. The cost of such a ring may vary depending on the vendor but generally falls within the range of $30,000 to $60,000. Although it may seem expensive, it is possible to find a reasonable deal by considering several factors.
However, it’s not advisable to compromise on the clarity or visual appeal of the diamond for the sake of larger carat size. Any imperfection on such a large stone will be easily noticeable. Therefore, it’s recommended to prioritize quality over size.
The 4Cs of a 4 Carat Diamond
The world of diamonds can be overwhelming, and the 4Cs – Carat size, Clarity, Cut, and Color – are critical factors in determining a diamond’s value and desirability. When it comes to 4 carat diamonds, the carat size is predetermined, making it essential to focus on the other three Cs.
Clarity and color, while sometimes underrated, are especially important in larger diamonds like the 4 carat. These diamonds are incredibly striking and are often the centerpiece of a ring, making it crucial to ensure that any imperfections are minimal or invisible to the naked eye. This is why opting for a 4 carat diamond with a low clarity or color grade is not recommended.
However, if budgetary constraints exist, sacrificing carat size for better clarity and color can often be a wise decision. The choice is ultimately yours, but it’s crucial to ensure that your diamond is of good quality, even if it’s not the largest one available.
The cut of a diamond is just as crucial for a 4 carat diamond as it is for any other diamond. The round cut is the most popular choice for maximizing the stone’s brilliance, but a wide table and crown size with a princess or emerald cut can also be an impressive option. With a 4 carat diamond, the stone’s size and inherent brilliance often make up for any cut flaws, as long as the clarity and color grades are good.
Ultimately, the choice of which diamond to choose comes down to personal preferences. Some may prefer a large, flawlessly brilliant 4 carat diamond, while others may prioritize the cut or color. Whatever the choice, ensure you’re purchasing from a reputable vendor, as the 4 carat diamond is a significant investment that deserves careful consideration.
Lab Grown 4 Carat Diamond
We often recommend lab grown diamonds for most situations and we’re even more eager to do so for larger stones such as a 4 carat diamond. That’s because, while lab grown diamonds may sound like they are “fake”, they are actually just as real as diamonds that have been mined out of the earth.
The same processes that lead to the formation of natural diamonds over millions of years inside the Earth’s crust are used in labs to create lab grown diamonds in mere weeks. This means that lab grown diamonds are:
- Exactly as much real diamonds as natural stones
- Much more affordable to produce as well as purchase compared to natural diamonds
- Infinitely more ethical, conflict-free, and eco-friendly than any natural diamond that has had to be mined and refined
- Of even higher quality than most natural diamonds because lab grown diamonds don’t get any unwanted inclusions or blemishes from forming in the Earth’s crust
So, especially for stones as large and as pricey as 4 carat diamonds, going for a lab grown piece can save you tens of thousands of dollars while also giving you an even higher-quality diamond. What’s best, lab grown diamonds are rising in popularity so quickly, that they are sold by most major reputable vendors today.
How to Choose a Setting for Your Diamond Engagement Ring
There are many considerations you’ll need to juggle when choosing the setting for a 4 carat diamond engagement ring. It can be tempting to just look at how each setting looks but there are also safety concerns, especially with a stone that big and valuable.
In general, here’s what a ring’s setting is supposed to do:
- It enhances the beauty of the centerpiece stone. For example, with smaller diamonds, a halo or pave setting can add more volume to the overall piece and make your diamond look bigger than it is. This isn’t really necessary with a 4 carat diamond.
- The setting can also optimize the main stone’s brilliance. This is usually done through open and elevated settings such as a prong or a cathedral setting that leave as much of the diamond’s sides exposed as possible, to make sure there’s more light going in and through it. This can be an excellent choice for a 4 carat Round cut diamond with excellent clarity and color – or, it would be if it weren’t for the other main consideration.
- A ring’s setting is also meant to protect the centerpiece diamond from wear and tear, from accidental knocks and scratches, from snagging into clothes and hair, and so on. Such mishaps are not just annoying, they can completely ruin a 5-digit investment. This is where more protective choices such as a bezel setting come in – they envelop a big part of the diamond, usually leaving only the top side visible. This can drastically prolong the life of a 4 carat diamond and potentially allow you to safely carry it around on a daily basis.
Which is the right setting for you? Ultimately, that comes down to personal preferences and how you want to carry your 4 carat diamond engagement ring. If you only want to wear it for special occasions, going with something extra exposed such as a high prong setting can be the best choice as it will showcase the diamond’s beauty the most.
If you want to wear your jewel all the time, however – as is typically the case with engagement rings – we’d recommend something a bit more protective to keep your 4 carat diamond safe. Even with a bezel setting, the size and beauty of such a large stone still come true.
How to Get the Best Value for a 4 Carat Diamond Ring?
Size isn’t everything, so, just buying a 4 carat diamond for your engagement ring doesn’t guarantee that the ring will look spectacular or that you’d be getting good value for your money. The three major considerations we’d point to if you want to get the best value for a 4 carat diamond ring are as follows:
- Make sure the diamond has great clarity and color grades too, otherwise, the large size will emphasize the sub-par color hues or clarity imperfections. This doesn’t necessarily mean going for the highest possible grades – these are exceptionally rare – but staying at or above an “I” color grade and at or above a VVS2 clarity grade is strongly advisable.
- Get the right stone. Round brilliant cut natural diamonds are most people’s go-tos but other cuts can be slightly more affordable and offer wider surface areas while still looking stunningly good – a 4 carat diamond is always impressively brilliant if it has good clarity, after all, even if it’s not a round cut.
- Get a lab grown diamond. We understand that some people just want natural stones for the sheer status of owning a large natural diamond. Lab grown diamonds are just as real as natural diamonds, however, and they offer significantly better value for your money.
- There are always variations in the prices of different vendors for relatively identical diamonds. With the prices for 4 carat diamonds being as high as they are, however, buying your diamond ring from the wrong place can mean overpaying thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars for something you could have gotten at a much more affordable price elsewhere. So, let’s go over some vendor recommendations next.
Where to Buy a 4 Carat Diamond?
Where you’re buying your diamond is usually even more important than what diamond you’re buying. This is definitely the case with large stones such as 4 carat diamonds too. The two main reasons are that high-quality natural 4 carat diamonds are very rare and that vendors often overvalue them.
So, it’s important that you find a vendor that both has 4 carat diamonds of good enough quality and offers them at fair prices. Most such vendors will also sell high-quality lab grown diamonds which is also great. Here are our suggestions:
- James Allen – A huge inventory of very high-quality stock at fair prices and arguably the best online store in terms of HD videos and 360-degree images.
- Blue Nile – The largest online inventory of diamonds, an excellent choice for fancy color diamonds, and a great customer-friendly online store.
- Brian Gavin Diamonds – The store of this renowned expert and designer is a great place if you’re looking for the highest possible quality, especially when it comes to Gavin’s signature Arrow and Heart cuts.
- Leibish & Co – For large fancy color diamonds, few vendors match Leibish & Co’s selection, quality, and prices. Coupled with this store’s excellent customer service, this makes them a mainstay on most “Best vendor” lists.
- Angara Jewelers – This store offers a selection of 4 carat diamond engagement rings in various designs and styles. Customers can choose from different diamond shapes and cuts, as well as customize their ring settings and metals.
Famous 4 Carat Diamond Rings
Curiously enough, when browsing through many of the celebrity diamond rings that have been in the limelight recently, there aren’t that many 4 carat diamond rings. The one prominent example we can think of is Reese Witherspoon’s 4 carat Ashoka cut diamond ring made by William Goldberg.
There are also Mary-Kate Olsen’s 4 carat European cut diamond ring with a setting of 16 sapphires and Leighton Meester’s 4 carat Cushion cut rose gold diamond ring.
There seem to be many more diamond rings around 3 carats and lots of others in the 5-6 carats range and above. There are also lots of diamonds and other gemstones that are estimated to be in the 3-5 carats range but those are often just guestimates as we can’t always know the exact size of a person’s diamond.
We’re not sure why other carat sizes are more popular with celebrities nowadays. It may be that those that want extra-large diamonds go above 4 carats while those that want more moderate stones go below, putting 4 carat diamonds in a sort of median place? Nevertheless, the preferences of celebrities don’t really make 4 carat diamonds any less impressive.
FAQs about 4 Carat Diamond Engagement Rings
How much does a 4 carat diamond engagement ring cost?
The price of a 4 carat diamond engagement ring typically starts at around $30,000 and can go up to $60,000 or more, depending on factors such as the diamond’s cut, clarity, and color.
Should I compromise on the quality of the diamond to get a bigger size?
It’s not recommended to compromise on the quality of the diamond just to get a bigger size, especially for a 4 carat diamond. Even the smallest imperfections in clarity or color can be very noticeable in a diamond of this size. It’s better to prioritize quality over size.
What is the most popular diamond cut for a 4 carat diamond engagement ring?
The most popular diamond cut for a 4 carat diamond engagement ring is the classic round cut, as it maximizes the brilliance of the stone more than any other cut.
Can I choose a non-traditional cut for a 4 carat diamond engagement ring?
Yes, you can choose a non-traditional cut for a 4 carat diamond engagement ring, such as a princess or emerald cut. However, it’s important to ensure that the clarity and color grades are good to avoid compromising the overall look of the diamond.
Are there any recommended vendors for purchasing a 4 carat diamond engagement ring?
While there are many vendors that sell 4 carat diamond engagement rings, it’s important to do your research and choose a reputable vendor that offers high-quality diamonds at a fair price. Some recommended vendors include James Allen, Blue Nile, and Tiffany & Co.
Wrapping Up
A 4 carat diamond engagement ring is a luxurious and impressive choice. While it comes with a hefty price tag, prioritizing quality over size is key to ensure that the diamond is truly stunning. When it comes to the cut, the classic round cut is usually the safest and smartest choice, although personal preferences may vary.
Ultimately, choosing the right 4 carat diamond engagement ring requires careful consideration and research, but the end result is a breathtaking symbol of love and commitment.
