A diamond is only as desirable as the amount of fire and brilliance it gives; one reason why diamond buyers usually exercise due caution when shopping for the right diamond size and weight. Indeed, the bigger the size and weight of a diamond, the more sparkle it gives. However, there is an exception to this rule.

The brilliance of a diamond has a lot to do with numerous other aspects besides its sheer carat weight. But if all these other parameters were to be kept constant, you would most probably opt for a 2-carat diamond than, say, a 1- or 1.5-carat stone. In this guide, we will explore everything there is to know about a 2-carat diamond. By the time you reach the end of this article, you will be able to determine whether such a stone fits your needs after all.

What’s a 2-Carat Diamond and How Big is It?

Simply put, a 2-carat diamond is a diamond that weighs 2 carats or roughly 400 milligrams. To paint a clearer picture, a two-carat diamond weighs approximately the same as half of a raisin. Now, that might appear large or small depending on what you intend to use it for. For instance, a 2-carat diamond ring is not likely to draw any attention in a crowded street. However, the diamond can look significantly larger if the wearer is sitting right next to you in a place.

Certain professions, such as acting and modeling, often call for overt displays of flamboyance and glamor. As a result, you would be better off wearing a 2-carat diamond or even a larger one. However, if you work a job where appearance doesn't matter a great deal, your best bet would be to buy a diamond weighing anything below 2 carats—the same goes for those who work dangerous jobs, such as truck drivers and deliverymen. In such cases, you would want to conceal the diamond as much as possible whenever you feel your security might be threatened.

However, choosing something as priceless and timeless as a diamond should not only come down to your profession. As we shall find out, how big a 2-carat diamond looks also depends on numerous other factors such as how the stone is set on a ring, its cut, color, and clarity.

Another thing worth noting is that 2-carat diamonds are quite scarce; implying that you will not be able to find them in your regular jewelry store down the block. This element of scarcity alone adversely influences their price. Therefore, the best place to buy a 2-carat diamond is online. You will come across numerous online dealers offering elegant 2-carat stones at significant price variations. Buying a 2-carat diamond from a reputable online dealer is also up to 30% cheaper than buying the stone from a physical stone.

But costs aside, let us narrow down our focus on how big a 2-carat diamond looks and how you can enhance or diminish the size.

Factors That Influence the Size of a 2-Carat Diamond

The Diamond Shape and Cut

Diamonds come in various cuts and shapes. The size of a 2-carat diamond depends on its cut. It is noteworthy that for a diamond to appear bigger than it is, it must have excellent light-and color-handling properties that are primarily determined by the diamond cut.

For instance, a 2-carat marquise cut diamond comes with a surface area of 13.08×6.54 mm while a trillion diamond has a surface area of 9.75×9.75 mm. On the other hand, a 2-carat Asscher cut diamond features a surface area of 7.07×7.07 mm while the same 2-carat diamond measures 6.94×6.94 mm for princess cuts.

From the aforementioned data, we can deduce that trillion and marquise cuts have better light-handling properties than their Asscher and Princess counterparts, which is one reason why they create a better illusion of size. If you are shopping for a 2-carat diamond but cannot seem to settle on the right cut, the question to ask yourself is; how much of a sparkle do you want the diamond to give? For maximum brilliance, insist on cuts that come with greater surface areas. However, if the size and sparkle do not appeal to you (which will unlikely be the case), you can settle for cuts that feature smaller surface areas.

What truly makes some diamond cuts appear larger than others? As has already been mentioned, it all depends on how the diamond handles light and color. This, nevertheless, does sound more theoretical than practical.

When cutting and polishing diamonds, focus is often placed more on the carat weight of the stone than on its size. Diamonds that feature more facets and elongated sides tend to trap maximum light from their surroundings. The light is then focused onto the centerpiece stone, thereby making the stone look deceptively bigger.

But, going by this concept, why do round brilliant cuts also feature among diamonds with super light-handling properties despite their apparent lack of angles? It is so because the round shape implies that the stone has an infinite number of facets, and the higher the number of angles, the better the light-handling attributes.

The following table illustrates the surface areas of common diamond cuts.

Diamond Shape	Approximate Table Surface for 2 Carat
Round Brilliant cut	8.19×8.19mm
Princess cut	6.94×6.94mm
Cushion cut	7.34×7.34mm
Oval cut	10.23×6.82mm
Marquise cut	13.08×6.54mm
Trillion diamond	9.75×9.75mm
Radiant cut	7.28×7.28mm
Heart-shaped diamond	8.27×8.27mm
Pear-shaped diamond	11.4×6.87mm
Asscher cut	7.07×7.07mm
Emerald cut	8.42×6.24mm

Also, you should remember that there is no linear relationship between the surface areas of diamonds based on their carat weights. For instance, because the surface area of a 1-carat diamond is 66 square millimeters, it cannot be assumed that the surface area of a 2-carat diamond will be 132 square millimeters.

The diagram below helps to put this into better perspective.

A comparison of diameters and surface area

A comparison of diameters and surface areas across diamonds with different cuts and carat weights

Diamond Color and Clarity

Besides the cut, the color and clarity of a 2-carat diamond have a significant bearing on the diamond’s overall size.

The diamond color scale ranges from D to Z, where D represents the clearest diamonds while Z represents diamonds with visible tints of brown or yellow. Colorless diamonds have better light-handling attributes than colored ones. A 2-carat D-color diamond will look larger than a 2-carat K-color diamond even if the two stones are similar in all other aspects. But if you are looking for a 2-carat colored diamond that appears deceptively large, insist on fancy colors: examples are red and purple. Such colors absorb and reflect maximum light from their surroundings.

As for the clarity, diamonds are generally graded in terms of the visible flaws and inclusions in them. The clarity chart ranges from Internally Flawless (IF) to Inclusions 2 (I2) with many variations in between. It is generally observed that flaws in a diamond reduce its ability to absorb and reflect light. This ultimately influences how big the diamond looks.

The Size and Setting of the Engagement Ring

It would be naïve to go shopping for a 2-carat diamond without first understanding the right diamond ring size for you. Diamond rings are generally sized depending on the length of their diameters. For women, 5, 6, and 7 are the most popular diamond ring sizes. A size-5 ring has a diameter of 14.3 millimeters while a size-6 ring has a diameter of 14.7 millimeters. You must first establish your ideal ring size long before you deal with the setting issue. Doing so will save you the trouble of having to take the diamond back to the shop for resizing in the future. When it comes to the right setting, insist on a white color band because it reflects maximum light and hence will help accentuate the diamond in the ring.

Experts also recommend going for thinner bands; the more invisible the band is, the more prominent the diamond will look. Most importantly, choose ring designs where the diamond is centrally-placed and surrounded by pavé diamonds. The pave diamonds will trap maximum light and focus it onto the centerpiece, thereby enhancing the size of your 2-carat diamond.

A 2-carat diamond is big enough to be noticed. Furthermore, you can now enhance its size without necessarily increasing the carat weight. You only have to ensure that you go for the right color, cut, and clarity score. Also, do your research on the ideal ring size for you as well as the best ring setting for the diamond.