29.01.21

How to Buy a 6 Carat Diamond Ring Without Losing Your Shirt

By Stephanie Dore

Oh, hello there, you marvelous lovebird—we see you surfing the internet waves in search of a 6-carat diamond ring. And we’re here for it. Who doesn’t want to rock a diamond the size of a (mini) gumball on their finger for, say, ever? But if you’re wondering just how much a 6-carat diamond ring is gonna cost you, you’re wondering the wrong thing my dear. What you should be considering is how to get the most (and best looking) diamond for your money. After all, a 6-carat diamond isn’t really going to make jaws drop if it’s a big dull hunk of rock, now is it. So here’s everything you need to know about how to buy a 6-carat stunner without losing your shirt.

Hot Commodities

The first thing to remember when diamond shopping is that pricing goes way beyond simple supply and demand. Diamond pricing takes into consideration the rarity, beauty, and craftsmanship along with the basic 4Cs. If your brain is already hurting, trust us, you’re not alone. Diamond pricing is complicated. Capital C.

Four carat oval solitaire

six carat pair of frank darling diamond studs — Six carat diamond studs

Judging By The Cover

Ah…so many Cs. No matter what size diamond you’re looking into purchasing, you’ll want to check their certificates. Diamond grading certificates, certificates of authenticity, whatever they’re called, are super important and will list out all of a diamond’s visual characteristics, giving you something that you can easily compare from one diamond to the next. Just make sure that the certs you’re looking at are from reputable diamond grading labs so that you can trust the deets. But, as we learned earlier, the cert doesn’t always tell the whole story.

Size ‘Em Up

It’s also important to remember that carat is NOT a measure of a diamond’s size, but rather it’s physical weight. Just like two humans who weigh exactly the same in lbs but look wayyy different in other measurements. One could be tall, one short, one big on top, one big on bottom, the list goes on. Same with diamonds. So while carat weight can give you an approximate idea of size, it’s very important to also look at a diamond’s overall measurements and cut to ensure you’re getting well-distributed weight and tons of sparkle. A six carat diamond ring can vary dramatically in size based on it’s shape, spread and measurements.

six carat diamond ring — Five carat two tone solitaire
with diamond details

frank darling emerald five stone diamond engagement ring — How can you ensure your diamond is well cut? Look for an even distribution of lights and darks and no areas where the light falls through the diamond.

Speaking of Sparkle

How to go about ensuring you don’t have dull on your digits? It’s all about that cut grade, cutie. The most important of the 4Cs, cut grade plays the biggest role in determining your diamond’s light return. You know, that sparkly stuff that you’re really on the hunt for. While only round diamonds have cut grades (for now), looking at the measurements, symmetry, and polish of fancy shapes can help you make that call if you’re not into circles.

Home on the Range

Like we said up top, all this stuff is supes important to your diamond search, no matter what size you’re looking to acquire. But if you really want us to give you the price of a 6-carat diamond ring, these days it’s anywhere from $40,000–$400,000…give or take. See what we mean…depending on the cut, clarity, color, and whether a diamond is mined or lab created, you could end up anywhere in that range. So you need to set yourself some parameters. Decide what’s most important. And what you’re okay compromising on. If flawless is your thing, and you’re willing to pay for it, then by all means. But if you’re trying not to pay for things you can’t see…well, we suggest a little balance.

Five carat cushion three
stone diamond engagement ring

Yes, We Mentioned Science

One of the easiest ways to save a few bucks (okay, more than a few) on a diamond is to go the lab grown diamond route. You’re not into fakes? Great. Neither are we. See, lab created diamonds aren’t fakes at all. They’re real diamonds! It’s like this: Ice is natural, but you make it in your freezer at home, right? Still ice. And way less expensive than trekking to the South Pole to dig up some fresh glacier (do not do this). Lab created diamonds are chemically, physically, and optically the same as any Earth-grown, man-mined diamond. But for a fraction of the cost.

Shape and Shy

Other ways to save a little cash? Try shapes other than round (which tend to be the most expensive, and look smaller for their weight than other shapes like ovals or emeralds which have more spread). Or use the “buy shy” trick. Diamond prices jump at whole carat weights like 1-carat, 6-carat, 10-carat…you get the idea. If you buy just shy, say a 5.9 carat instead of a 6, and stick with a high cut grade, your diamond won’t be visibly smaller but your bill will be.

An oval diamonds generous spread
is just one of many reasons to love
this elongated shape

Set it and Forget It

Some settings scale-up…and others don’t. A 6-carat diamond ring is going to be big, sit higher, and be a bit top-heavy. You might consider going for a slightly thicker band to increase stability, or an open gallery to reduce the overall setting height because who doesn’t want a low profile ring. But really, if you’re shopping in this size range you’ll most likely want to custom design a setting to match. Get started with our ring quiz, or browse settings. These are some of our favorites engagement ring styles for getting that bigger look and a few you should avoid.

Frank darling custom engagement ring setting the plunge in platinum — An open gallery (like on the plunge) is going to reduce the overall setting height, and makes a practical choice for a 6 carat diamond ring setting.

frank darling custom three stone emerald cut diamond engagement ring setting with trapezoid side stones — If you’re thinking side stones, traps are a great choice. They won’t take up much real estate — making room for a larger diamond

While we love tapered baguettes as much as the next person, a big diamond doesn’t leave a ton of room for this elongated side stone shape.

frank darling custom kite set asscher diamond engagement ring setting — A kite setting can be a fun way to add a playful twist to a larger stone. Just make sure to pay attention to the ratio so it doesn’t look wonky!

Mason No. 2 by frank darling featuring a 2 carat emerald cut diamond set in a yellow gold half bezel ring setting — A half bezel setting can accent the length of the diamond while framing and protecting the corners (and your investment).

East west settings are more popular than ever, but this setting style is better suited to a smaller stone. This setting style maxes out around 3 carats.

The Buddy System

With all that in mind, we set you free to explore your 6-carat diamond options. But don’t be too surprised if you find them limited. See, the bigger the diamond, the more rare it is. You won’t have nearly the assortment to choose from as you would with a smaller stone. Not to worry, our diamond concierge is here to help. Simply send us a quick note at hello@shop.frankdarling.com with some info on what you’re looking for (and your budget) and we’ll jump into action to track down the diamond of your dreams.