D&D 5E Calculating a fist-sized diamond

[Vyshan]

As going by carats, each carat of a diamond weighs 0.000440925 lbs. (0.20000021574225 grams)
And if we were to say that a diamond could weigh 10 lbs, then that would make it a 22679.6 carat diamond. (4535.92 grams)
The current largest diamond in the real world is the Cullinan Diamond which is 3,106.75 carats or 1.3698422661 pounds (621.35000000647 grams)
The Cullinan Diamond is worth $400 million dollars.

To humor the idea, let us briefly consider D&D people weighing a fist-sized diamond in its weight in gold.
The hand of an average adult human weighs approximately 1.03 lbs, rounded down to 1 lb.
Gold in turn has a weight of 1lb per 50gp.
That in turn would mean the diamond is 2267.96 carats and weighs 1 lb. (453.592 grams).
I think we can all agree that such a comparison means that the average person is getting scammed by 4550 gold pieces when they try to resurrect their dead friend.
If we wanted to stick to the idea gold and its weight and that somehow equating to 5000gp diamond, you would need to bring over 100 lbs worth in gold. (45359.2 grams)

For fun, I also have this old Dragon Magazine article (#8), since we want to chat about how 5e caputres that OSR feel.
Its stated that a 1 carat diamond is worth 200g on average. So simply put a 5000gp diamond is a 25 carat diamond.
However, a 25 carat diamond only weighs 0.0110231 lbs or 5 grams.
Nowhere near what a fist-sized diamond would be in size.
We already calculated it would be 2267.96 carats to be 1 lb so its about the same weight as a human hand.
Which 2267.96 carats aka 1lb worth in diamond (1 carat per 200gp) is worth 453,592 gold pieces.
If we wanted to use the Cullian Diamond instead which is even more approximate to a fist-sized diamond that would be 3,106.75 carats which is 621,350 gold pieces.

So a fist-sized diamond is worth either 50gp (weight value) or its worth 453,592gp (market value).

 

[Blue Orange]

I actually would expect a markup from going to the temple; they have to pay for priest(esse)s, acolytes, incense, vestments, upkeep of the temple itself... It's an awful big markup, but then you are literally raising the dead...

 

[OptionalRule]

So basically, like the value spread of magic items. Got it!

 

[Benjamin Olson]

I think in a world where by consuming diamonds with magic spells you can bring people back to life diamonds should have vastly more value than in our world where they don't bring the dead back to life at all.

 

[Dioltach]

For most of recorded history, diamonds had little value compared with other gems such as rubies (AKA any red stone), sapphires (any blue stone) and emeralds (any greem stone). It wasn't until the late Middle Ages, if I recall correctly, that cutting and polishing techniques were developed that showed the beauty of the stones and led to a greater appreciation.

Not sure how this helps, but it's an interesting perspective.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

I think in a world where by consuming diamonds with magic spells you can bring people back to life diamonds should have vastly more value than in our world where they don't bring the dead back to life at all.

Raising the dead requires a diamond worth at least 500GP.

So increased demand for diamonds for resurrection use will never empty out the market, it just means that as prices rise increasingly lower-quality diamonds will qualify as "worth at least 500GP"

 

[Shiroiken]

Raising the dead requires a diamond worth at least 500GP.

So increased demand for diamonds for resurrection use will never empty out the market, it just means that as prices rise increasingly lower-quality diamonds will qualify as "worth at least 500GP"

Kind of my thought, but I figured that spent material components are magically teleported to some place else they could be found (preferably by adventurers). Powders would be reformed into their original material, of course.

 

[J.Quondam]

For questions of diamond values, I always defer to the primary source material:

Spoiler: On dungeons & diamonds

Dungeon! the boardgame, of course.

 

[mrpopstar]

Raising the dead requires a diamond worth at least 500GP.

So increased demand for diamonds for resurrection use will never empty out the market, it just means that as prices rise increasingly lower-quality diamonds will qualify as "worth at least 500GP"

Funny how the only diamond listed on the gemstone tables in the Dungeon Master's Guide is worth 5,000 gp. You'd think they'd've included one on the list of gemstones worth 500 gp.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

Raising the dead requires a diamond worth at least 500GP.

So increased demand for diamonds for resurrection use will never empty out the market, it just means that as prices rise increasingly lower-quality diamonds will qualify as "worth at least 500GP"

Awesome. Fantasy economist studying the fluctuating value, and hence fluctuating magical properties, of diamonds just became my newest NPC idea.