Grillz, grills, or fronts: These are unique, funky types of jewelry that’s been popular in the hip-hop community for as long as I can remember!
We’ve seen a lot of celebrities like Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, Beyoncé, and Madonna flaunt them. Over the past couple of years, diamond grill designs have gotten more and more exotic, with several artists, athletes, and influencers joining the bandwagon.
There’s a good chance that you’ve seen artists like Quavo and athletes like Ryan Lochte show off their beautiful diamond smiles. And you might be curious to know: How much do diamond grillz cost?
How Much Is Diamond Grillz?
On the lower-end of the diamond grillz pricing spectrum, a single tooth diamond set in 10K gold will cost about $225, while a 8 teeth made in 10K solid gold will cost just over $110 per tooth. The more expensive diamond grillz can cost upwards of millions.
For example, the price tag for Katy Perry’s grill is in the 1 million dollar range. Hers is a unique grill encrusted with diamonds and precious gemstones. The roar singer’s customized piece was hand-crafted by the cosmetic dentist, Dr. William “Bill” Dorfman.
Overall, the price for real diamond grills will vary significantly depending on a number of factors, including labor (diamond setting), cost of the gold, diamond clarity, and the obvious – number of teeth to be covered.
Labor (Diamond Setting)
This is a no brainer. The more complex and sophisticated the design is, the more labor-intensive your iced out set of teeth. Most diamond grillz are set using a prong setting technique. This is where a prong, which resembles a small metal claw, is used to hold your gemstone in place.
The prong technique allows for optimum amount of light to hit the gemstone from diverse angles, creating a beautiful glowing effect. A popular alternative to the prong setting is the invisible setting. In this setting, diamonds are squeezed close to each other to prevent the stones from falling out of the grillz.
An invisible setting hides out the prongs and gives the impression that your stones are magically held in place without prongs or adhesive. Of course, this diamond setting is expensive and time consuming.
For instance, it’s in the public domain that famous American rapper Quavious Keyate Marshall, known by his stage name as Quavo, paid slightly over $250,000 for his set of custom diamond grillz.
Quavo’s unique emerald cut diamond grillz are encrusted with invisible-set VVS baguette stones. While emerald-cut diamonds are known to be cheaper than the round- or princess-cut diamonds, Quavo’s creation is the first of its kind in the world –more intricate than the average baguettes!
The Cost of the Gold
Gold pricing depends on your preferred gold purity. You’ll find a slew of options, including 10Karat gold, 14Karat gold, or 18Karat gold.
Most people choose 14Karat or 18Karat because of their higher purity, which lends a naturally brighter glow. However, this doesn’t mean that 10Karat gold won’t turn out as beautiful.
It’s important to know that gold prices fluctuate more often than the stock market does. As a result, the cost of grillz changes on a daily basis depending on the cost of raw materials, gold.
Diamond Clarity
The diamond clarity refers to the quality of diamonds used. The more rare and exotic the diamonds are, the more expensive the grill is. Diamond clarity has a major influence on the price of your grill.
Diamonds fall in either of the following six categories:
- FL (Flawless): This is made up of less than 2% of all stones.
- IF (Internally Flawless: Stones in this category contain small surface blemishes that you can only see under a 10X magnifying class.
- VVS1/VVS2: Stones have very very slight inclusions that you can only identify under a professional 10k magnifying glass.
- VS1/VS2 (VS+): Stones contain very slight inclusions that need a magnifying glass to notice. Minor flaws aren’t visible to the baked eye.
- SI1/S12: Stones contain slight inclusions that are noticeable to the naked eye.
- I1: Inclusions to 1st degree means the stone is visibly flawed and anyone can see the imperfections with the naked eye.
Usually, VVS natural diamond grillz are more expensive than SI or VS+ diamond grillz. This is because VVS stones are extremely rare to come by. Here’s a chart showing the average market prices for the three popular diamond grillz options:
|
Diamond Clarity |
Diamond Color |
Approx. Price Per Carat | Approx. Carats Per Tooth | Approx. Cost Per Tooth |
| SI | G | $425 | .85 | $925 |
| VS+ | G | $600 | .85 | $1,265 |
| VVS+ | D | $1,600 | .85 | $2,235 |
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SI Diamond Grillz Cost
SI diamond grillz are among the most sought-after diamond grillz for their price. If you’re strapped for cash but still need a diamond grill, this is definitely the way to go. With SI diamonds, you get to enjoy both worlds of affordability and quality.
You see, there is a reason why SI diamonds get a bad or underserved reputation. And that is because most jewelers and celebrities keep pouring praises on VVS diamonds, to an extent that SI and VS diamonds appear to look inferior in the eyes of the consumer.
In reality, though, grillz made from high-quality, natural G-Color SI diamonds are beautiful. Plus, these pieces offer a good value to the budget-conscious shoppers. A single-tooth SI diamond grill goes for $925, while most bottom 8 diamond grillz iced out with SI diamonds start at around $6,545.
For the record, an SI diamond is sold for 10-20% less than a VS diamond. And the demand for SI diamonds – SII, in particular – is at an all-time high. The inclusions in these pieces aren’t obvious, and customers have the liberty to customize the carat and color.
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VS+ Diamond Grillz Cost
The VS+ has a range that comprises VS1 and VS2. Grillz made from VS+ diamonds are the ideal choice for customers interested in VVS diamond grillz but fall short of the finances.
From the outset, it is quite difficult to distinguish between the two stones with the naked eye. Even if you use a 10X magnification, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll be able to tell the difference between VS+ and VVS diamonds.
A well-cut, eye-clean VS+ diamond will look almost completely identical to a VVS diamond. The only way you’ll be able to set the two stones apart is if you take them to a lab and examine them under a high-powered microscope.
With that being said, a VS+ diamond will cost a lot less than a VVS diamond with FL or IF clarity grade. A single-tooth VS+ diamond grill in a nice G-Color will start at $1,265, while top 8 diamond grillz in VS+ stones in the same color will retail at around $9,125. Note that both stones have a .85 diamond carat weight.
Clearly, a VS+ diamond grill offers an excellent combination of exquisiteness and value for money. When you spend less of your total budget on clarity, you save a little more cash to spend on more carat weight or a more beautiful setting.
Here’s a video showing a Top 6 VS1 diamond grillz set:
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VVS Diamond Grillz Cost
Like I said earlier, VVS diamonds are rarely occurring, especially in the size stones used for diamond grillz. As expected, VVS natural diamond grillz cost an arm and a leg. They’re significantly more expensive than grillz made using both SI and VS+ diamonds. ‘
For example, you’ll part with no less than $1,600 for 1 carat of VVS diamond grillz made in a vivid D-Color. This is about $970 more than 1 carat of VS+ diamond grillz set in a brilliant G-Color.
More often than not, manufacturers sell their single teeth VVS diamond grills for around $2,235, with bottom 8 in VVS diamonds going for well over $16,445. This may look like a lot of money, but don’t forget that in 8 teeth, diamond grill makers use more carats to fully flood your grillz.
Nevertheless, you need be careful when shopping for your VVS diamond grillz. The jewelry industry is awash with scammers who pretend to be using quality VVS diamonds in their clients’ pieces.
The truth of the matter is, most jewelers ice out the grillz using nice colored VS+ diamonds. You won’t be able to know if it’s a real VVS set of teeth unless you examine the diamonds using a high-powered microscope. Furthermore, most buyers wouldn’t be able to afford the jewelry if jewelers used VVS diamonds.
From a diamond dealer’s perspective, selling a larger VVS diamond is much more profitable than cutting it down into smaller stones. Remember, stones have to be cut into smaller pieces so they can fully flood out your grillz. It’s possible to find actual VVS stones in the size recommended for grillz, but they’re extremely rare and expensive.
Summary
Teeth diamonds are one of the most expensive cosmetic dental procedures and a perfect substitute for a crown or whitening. If you’re on a tight budget, we recommend opting for SI or VS+ diamond grillz instead of VVS.
While a lot of grillz companies and celebrities continue to create a stigma that there’s a substantial difference between the three diamond grillz, that’s not the case.
As far as we’re concerned, the only major difference between them is the pricing. It’s quite to tell them apart unless you look at them under a professional lab equipment.
Meanwhile, if you have your eyes set on purchasing the quality VVS diamond grillz, be careful not to be ripped off. We suggest taking the piece to an experienced diamond grader to ensure they’re actually natural diamonds with VVS quality.
