When it comes to diamonds, most people think about engagement rings and wedding bands. However, there is a whole other world of diamonds that exists beyond those sparkling pieces of jewelry.
Uncut or raw diamonds are becoming more popular than ever before and for good reason! These natural beauties can be extremely valuable, depending on their size and quality.
In this article, we will discuss how much is a 9-carat uncut diamond worth and why they differ in price.
How much is a 9-carat uncut diamond worth?
Diamonds are undoubtedly one of the most precious natural resources in the earth’s crust, costing thousands or even millions of dollars. Hence, the cost of a 9-carat uncut diamond is between $15,000 and $2 million, depending on several factors as stated by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and the American Gem Society (AGS).
The GIA is an independent, non-profit governing body established in 1931 and was designed to grade the purity of gems, especially diamonds. They do not certify or appraise gems; instead, they protect jewelry buying and selling.
Why does the price of 9-carat uncut diamonds differ?
Diamonds are naturally-occurring gems which are formed as a result of crystallized carbon structures formed beneath the surface of the Earth’s crust under perfect temperature, pressure, and other environmental conditions. They are the rarest form of gems and also the hardest material to ever exist; their four outer electrons react to form very rigid chemical bonds that result in a tightly bonded, octahedral shape.
Because diamonds are naturally formed, their degree of purity and rareness differs, creating a price range as graded by several gems associations. Hence, the price of a 9-carat uncut diamond is determined by three factors: the cut, clarity, and color.
The Cut
Although the terms “cut” and “shape” are often used interchangeably, there are some differences between these two terminologies. A diamond’s cut refers to the strategic arrangement of the diamond’s cushion. At the same time, the shape talks about the exterior structural arrangement like heart, oval, or as determined by the personal choice of the individual.
Most gem certification agencies approve only a round cut on the scale of poor to exceptional. Round cuts are the only cut design that maximize the sparkle and bling of a diamond ring. This is because round cuts allow the diamond reflective curvature to interact appropriately with light.
According to GIA, only a round diamond has a cut grade from poor to excellent. This is very important because it maximizes the sparkle of your diamond.
However, a 9-carat uncut diamond will have a relatively lower price than a cut diamond as it has a lower resale value. Uncut diamonds are known to have little to no reuse as they are very hard to process or reuse in making other jewelry, and their fragility allows them to break under pressure.
The Color
Unfortunately, not all 9-carat uncut diamonds possess bright or crystalline colors. During the gradual diamond formation beneath the earth’s crust, biological structural defects can occur.
This results in impurities getting into the crystallized carbon, creating a hint or tint of other colors, like gray, blue, green, or yellow in contrast to its transparency and clearness.
The GIA has graded the colors of diamonds into alphabetic orders ranging from D to Z, with D being the purest diamond color and Z the poorest.
The clearer your 9-carat uncut diamond, the higher its alphabetic order in the GIA color scale and, proportionately, the more expensive its price.
The Clarity
Diamond clarity refers to hundreds of factors that determine the purity and rareness of a diamond as graded by the microscopic visibility under 10x magnification.
A diamond is graded flawless if it has a clear and pure view under 10x magnification, devoid of any internal foams or external blemishes, and is awarded a rating of 0.01%.
Aside from determining its magnification under a microscope, other factors like its size, number of facets, and position play a significant role, and the GIA has developed a clarity scale to rate them.
The GIA clarity scale has six categories that describe a diamond’s clarity:
1. Flawless (FL)
This is the highest rating a diamond can ever receive and is graded to diamonds with no internal defects or external blemishes as viewed under 10x magnification and the bare human eye.
2. Internally Flawless (IF)
This is also a high-grade rating when viewed under 10x magnification.
3. VVS1 and VVS2 (Very, Very Slightly Included)
They are grades for diamonds with noticeable blemishes. However, these blemishes are so minor that they can pass the eye of an unskilled viewer.
4. VS1 and VS2 (Very Slightly Included)
These are also slightly blemished diamonds; however, these blemishes can be viewed by both a skilled and unskilled grader.
5. S1 and S2 (Slightly Included)
These are very noticeable blemishes and can be viewed under 10x magnification and the naked eye.
6. I1, I2, and I3 (Imperfect)
This is the lowest rating a diamond can get. This grade shows that the diamond contains both external imperceptions and internal blemishes that can be clearly viewed even without the aid of a microscope.
How Big Is a 9-Carat Diamond?
Contrary to public belief, carat measures the weight of a diamond and not the size; hence, a high carat diamond can look smaller than it should. Diamonds which are high in carats are cut from bigger and rarer diamonds to source, hence a 9-carat diamond, according to international standards, weighs 1.8 to 2.0 grams, depending on the available scale.
In size, a 9-carat diamond can be compared to a tiny pebble, and it is one-third of the average American coin.
However, a bigger carat does not always mean quality as promoted by movies and social media; the cuts, color, and clarity judge a diamond.
9 Carat vs. 1 Carat
A one-carat diamond has a size range of 6.3mm to 6.5mm, and a 9-carat diamond ranges from 9.3mm to 13.5mm. Hence, there is a huge difference between these sizes. However, this size range does not necessarily mean a one-carat diamond will always be better than a 9-carat one. It is possible to have a 9-carat diamond with an Imperfect rating as graded by the GIA clarity scale and a one-carat diamond with an FL rating.
Big does not always mean better, since more carats does not necessarily mean expensive; the clarity scale determines the real value of a diamond.
Conclusion
The worth of a 9-carat uncut diamond ranges from a few thousand to millions of dollars and has no definite price. However, one should be prepared for a price range of $15,000 to $2 million to own one.
