How Much Is a 1 Carat Uncut Diamond Worth?    

Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but they can also be your wallet’s best friend too if you are in possession of real gemstones – even uncut diamonds.

A 1 carat uncut diamond is priced based on the clarity of the stone with the lowest clarity being worth about $100 to $150 and the highest clarity worth over $2,000. There are ten categories of clarity an uncut diamond could fall into to determine any price point between these two approximations.

In this article, we will cover what factors can help determine the worth of a diamond, who sells and who buys uncut diamonds, and more.

Is a Cut Diamond Worth More Than an Uncut Diamond?

Cut diamonds are generally worth more than uncut diamonds because of the labor intensive process they go through to prepare them for a setting.

The cut is one of the factors that determine the price point of a diamond.

In other words, a diamond of the same clarity, color, and weight as another may be worth more simply because of the cut.

To compare prices, the highest quality 1 carat uncut diamond is the starting price point for a 1 carat cut diamond.

Cut diamonds that are 1 carat in weight are valued on average between $2,000 and $20,000. On the other hand, uncut diamonds start at around $100 and can go over $2,000 depending on the clarity.

Uncut diamonds are usually cheaper to purchase and have the potential to be worth more if they become cut. However, some people enjoy the raw look and have a diamond set naturally without cutting it.

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Is a Colored Uncut Diamond Worth More Than a Colorless Uncut Diamond?

Colored diamonds are usually worth more than colorless diamonds. The rarer a feature the diamond has, the more it is worth.

Naturally occurring colored diamonds are far less common than colorless diamonds because of the unique geological processes they endure when they are being created.

The color of an uncut diamond is usually graded based on the saturation and intensity of the hue. There are approximately thirty different base colors that gemologists have discovered to naturally occur in diamonds.

Lab created colored diamonds are worth less than uncut naturally occurring colored diamonds because of their availability.

In general, you can expect a colorless uncut diamond to be worth the least amount of money while a colored uncut diamond – especially if it is a rare color like red or blue – could be worth more than a cut colorless diamond.

How Much Is the Largest Uncut Diamond Worth?

Currently, the largest uncut diamond is the Sewelo diamond rumored to be worth around $50 million.

The 1700+ carat diamond was sold to Louis Vuitton in early 2021 and is only the second largest uncut diamond in the history of the gem’s mining. The largest was cut to create smaller diamonds for the British crown jewels.

There is great potential for the Sewelo diamond since the stone itself is the size of a baseball. There is no news as of yet if Louis Vuitton plans to cut the diamond and if they do, into how many pieces.

Undoubtedly, the value of the diamond would increase depending on the type of cut attempted.

The clarity of the Sewelo diamond is said to be either D or D flawless which ranks it as being very highly valued especially for its size.

Once the diamond is cut, its total value could potentially rise to over $100 million, making it one of the most expensive gemstones in the world.

Who Can I Sell an Uncut Diamond to?

There is a market for uncut diamonds, although it can be very easy to be swindled into selling a diamond for far less than it is worth.

If you are looking to sell your uncut diamond, first have the gemstone appraised by a trustworthy gemologist.

They will be able to certify the diamond and give you an estimate of how much the piece is worth.

If you sell your uncut diamond to a large company such as Diamond Buyers USA or World Jeweler Inc, be sure that the price they are willing to pay is close to what your appraiser notes the diamond is worth.

Selling diamonds is not an easy business considering the rise in blood money used to fund civil wars in Africa, so it can be difficult to sell uncut diamonds.

Alternatively, you can set the diamond as is and sell the piece on Etsy or eBay. Raw diamond jewelry is becoming more popular and can sometimes be easier to sell because the value is far less than a cut diamond.

What Cut Weight Equivalent Is an Uncut 1 Carat Diamond Worth?

A 1 carat uncut diamond is worth about as much (or maybe even less) than a quarter carat cut diamond. Depending on the clarity of the uncut diamond, it could be worth more.

The highest clarity uncut diamond could be worth the same as the lowest quality cut diamond by carat weight.

In general, however, when you compare uncut to cut diamonds, uncut diamonds are valued at hundreds of dollars while cut diamonds are valued at thousands of dollars. Since carat weight factors into the price of the diamond, the larger the stone, the more expensive it will be.

However, uncut diamonds that weigh the same as their cut counterparts, are usually much less in value unless the clarity is markedly different.

Color can also factor into the value of a diamond with an uncut 1 carat colored diamond potentially having as much value as a 1 carat cut colorless diamond.

When uncut and cut diamonds are compared with all factors being equal though, a 1 carat uncut diamond is typically about as valuable as a quarter carat cut diamond.

Who Sells Uncut Diamonds?

Many small time jewelers have started to sell uncut diamonds since they are cheaper to purchase than cut diamonds and may be more popular because of their price.

Uncut diamonds are trendy since they are the natural form in which they came from the earth.

You can also purchase uncut diamonds from the companies that own the mines which the diamonds come from. However, it is important to research any company that sells uncut diamonds, especially if the diamonds are sourced in Africa.

Many uncut diamonds known as blood diamonds are used to fund civil wars and are banned from the diamond markets.

It is also important to have an appraiser look at your purchase and obtain a legitimate grading report to ensure that the uncut diamond you purchase is worth what you paid.

There are many fraudulent personas in the diamond trade, so it is important to know who you are buying from.

Rough Diamond Prices FAQs

How Much Is a 1 Carat Cut Diamond Worth?

In general, a 1 carat cut diamond can be worth anywhere from $2,000 to $20,000 depending on the color, clarity, and cut.

Colored diamonds tend to be a higher value than colorless diamonds. Similarly, diamonds with higher clarity and fewer imperfections will fetch a higher price than those with multiple flaws.

On average, you can expect to pay a couple of thousand dollars for a 1 carat cut diamond. The market value of diamonds fluctuates daily, but their value rarely dips too low.

A 1 carat cut diamond is also the perfect size for most jewelry pieces and is a common carat weight. If you are looking to buy anything larger, you may note that the jump in price can be substantial.

What Factors Determine a Diamond’s Worth?

Most diamonds have their value determined based on four factors: cut, color, clarity, and carat weight. Each of these variables can be broken down into multiple categories that help gemologists decide how much a diamond is worth.

Cut quality is based on the shape the diamond takes and the grade of the cut. For example, the most expensive diamond cut is a round cut, while an emerald cut is the least valuable. Likewise, diamonds that are cut so that the light perfectly reflects the facets are worth more than those that aren’t.

Diamonds with color can be worth far more than colorless diamonds. Some colors such as red and blue are the rarest and raised the diamond’s value significantly.

Additionally, the intensity and saturation of the color will determine how much the diamond is worth.

Diamonds that have perfect clarity are considered flawless and clarity can be graded on a multi-level scale. The fewer imperfections found in the gem, the higher its value will be.

Likewise, diamonds that are a greater carat weight are worth more than those that are smaller.

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Are Diamonds a Good Investment?

Diamonds can be a great investment as long as you know what to look for in a piece. Not just any diamond will be worth a large amount of money and many factors go into the value of a diamond.

The best way to invest in diamonds is to buy them from an independently certified source when the market value is low.

Diamonds that will retain or even increase in value when the market value rises are diamonds that are rare in color, round cut, and high quality clarity.

If you are looking to invest in diamonds to make money, you will need to be patient since diamonds are not a fast way to make a lot of cash.

Why Are Diamonds So Expensive?

The biggest reason why diamonds are so expensive is that it takes nature thousands of years to create them so there is only a finite supply available.

Many diamond mines are nearing the end of their production, so the supply of new natural gemstones in the market is dwindling.

They are still in demand which makes their value stay high and it can cost an exorbitant amount of money to properly cut the gems to increase their worth.

Conclusion

Diamonds are truly forever and can be worth a fair amount whether or not they are cut.

However, uncut diamonds tend to be worth far less than their cut counterparts with the highest clarity of uncut diamonds only reaching around $2,000 for a 1 carat stone.

The value of a diamond if it is uncut depends on the clarity, carat weight, and color.

Once the diamond is cut, its value increases especially if cut in a way that emphasizes the reflection of light through the facets like a round cut.

References

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/15/style/sewelo-diamond.html