Raw Black Diamonds Price (Buying Guide)


Raw Black Diamonds Price

Do you know what raw black diamond prices are? this is one of the questions our readers ask a lot. Well, we´ve got you covered.

Of all the different colors that diamonds can be, black is certainly one of the most unique and mysterious.

These particular gemstones also have some pretty special properties compared to the traditional diamonds that we are used to, but how much do they cost in their raw state?

In their rough, uncut form almost all diamonds are significantly cheaper. Raw black diamonds can be priced for as little as $100 – $200 per carat, depending on their origin.

Read on to discover all you need to know about these diamonds and how much they are truly worth.

Are Black Diamonds Real Diamonds?

One of the first questions that people have about black diamonds is whether or not they are the real thing, and the truth is that they are!

Though they have a very different appearance in some ways to the diamonds that we are used to, they are genuine diamonds with a few interesting differences that gave them their black color.

These are not the only colored diamonds that you will find on the market either. They are part of a subgroup known as “fancy color diamonds” that includes a wide variety of weird and wonderful shades and hues. You can find fancy color diamonds in black, red, pink, blue, green, brown, gray, yellow, orange, and many more colors besides.

In some ways, however, black diamonds are one of the most different and unique of all the fancy color diamonds, and they even have their own separate name: carbonados.

Read also >> Do Black Diamonds Exist? (All You Need to Know)

Read also >> What Is A Black Diamond Called? (Carbonados + More)

How Much Are Raw Black Diamonds Worth?

Now that we know what black diamonds actually are, and some of the properties that they have, we can take a look at how their prices compare to colorless diamonds in both their raw and cut forms.

In the table below, you can see the general price range that you might expect to pay for a black diamond, depending on the state that it is in and its carat weight.

These prices are just averages, however, as many factors will influence exactly how much an individual stone might sell for.

1-Carat2-Carat3-Carat
Raw Black Diamond$100 – $200$300- $450$800 – $1000
Treated Black Diamond$200 – $300$500 – $700$1,500 – $2,000
Natural Black Diamond$2,500 – $3,000$6,000 – $8,000$8000 -$10,000
Raw Colorless Diamond$2,500 – $3,500$4,000 – $6,000$7,000 – $9,000
Colorless Diamond$4,000 – $8,000$16,000 – $20,000$35,000 – $45,000

As you can see, black diamonds are generally more affordable than their colorless counterparts. In their raw state, they are particularly cheap and you can easily find many sources claiming to sell the genuine article online for even less.

It is important to ensure that you know the exact origin of whatever diamonds you are buying. Many of the examples that are put up for sale will actually be low-quality colorless diamonds that have been treated to give them a black color.

These can even be listed as “natural” black diamonds since they were originally mined from the earth as “natural” colorless stones.

Raw Diamonds Vs. Cut Diamonds

When you’re looking at the value of any diamond in its raw state, it’s important to understand the actual difference in what you are getting.

Raw diamonds are uncut and untreated, meaning they are generally as close to the form that they were in when they were first discovered or formed.

Cut diamonds, however, have been expertly shaped and polished to have a very specific appearance that is usually better suited to jewelry and display.

Most raw diamonds are used for industrial purposes, with only 20% of the rough diamonds in the world being sold to make jewelry. Despite this, many raw diamonds can still hold a significant amount of value.

This is generally determined by their color, clarity, and carat weight – since the cut is not a factor while they are still rough.

Read also >> How Much Is a 1 Carat Uncut Diamond Worth? 

How Do Diamonds Become Black?

All fancy color diamonds occur due to specific conditions that either affects the stone as it grows or causes a change once it has already formed.

Blue diamonds, for example, happen when trace amounts of boron are present within the crystal structure.

Pink diamonds are believed to be the result of specific shear pressure that causes malformation in the molecular structure, and a green color will appear in diamonds that are exposed to radioactive material.

Black diamonds, or carbonados, actually have a high number of inclusions which gives them their color. These are typically graphite and amorphous carbon, and they even affect the way that the crystal structure itself forms.

When they are in their raw form, black diamonds are typically quite small (about the size of a pea) or found as porous aggregates of lots of smaller crystals together.

They also look very different from any other kind of diamond before they are cut, as they are opaque and almost charcoal-like in appearance – rather than clear and bright.

There is another way that diamonds can become black, and that is through human intervention. Many of the black diamonds that you see for sale today are actually colorless diamonds that have been heat-treated to induce a black color, and these are much less valuable.

Where Do Black Diamonds Come From?

This particular color of diamond is very rare to find in a typical mine, as the conditions under which they form are quite specific – and they are not very well understood even today.

In fact, almost all of the raw black diamonds in the world have been discovered in Central Africa and Brazil.

An exciting theory about the origin of these miraculous stones actually hypothesizes that they could have formed as a result of a supernova that occurred around 4 billion years ago.

The carbonado material itself may have gathered together as it traveled through space before falling to earth as a meteorite.

One of the reasons for this line of thinking is that carbonados lack the mineral traces that are usually present deep within the mantle of the Earth, and they have never been found in the kimberlite rock where most other diamonds reside.

It is just a theory, but it’s a very interesting one that certainly adds to the mystique that black diamonds already have.

What Makes Black Diamonds Different?

Though their color alone definitely sets black diamonds apart from even other fancy color diamonds, they also have some useful and unique properties that make them quite special as well.

These gemstones are actually incredibly valuable for use in cutting, drilling, and grinding tools because of their physical characteristics – even more so than regular diamonds.

Black diamonds are:

  • Tough: Black diamonds are as hard as other diamonds, but they are much more tough.
  • Durable: These diamonds last longer and do not wear down as quickly.
  • Abrasive: Black diamonds are more abrasive, which makes them more effective when used for drilling and cutting tools.
  • Strong: The interlocking structure of black diamonds means they do not split apart or break as easily.

Despite these incredible features, black diamonds are not particularly sought-after compared to other types of diamonds, especially in their raw state. They are too rare and hard to come by for industrial use and they have historically not been particularly highly favored by regular consumers either.

More recently, however, alternative diamond colors have garnered more interest from the general public and black diamonds have seen a bit of an increase in their popularity and value as a result.

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Summary

So, what is the price of raw black diamonds? It is surprisingly cheap, given how intriguing and rare these stones actually are.

You can find raw black diamonds for sale at around $100 – $200 per carat, and even cut and shaped stones are much less expensive than most other diamond varieties.

It is important to note, however, that many of these stones are heat-treated rather than genuine, naturally-formed carbonados, which greatly affects their overall value.

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbonado

https://www.gemsociety.org/article/black-diamonds/

Lindsey

Lindsey graduated with an MBA in 2009. Since then, Lindsey has worked in the retail and consumer service industry as a manager, advisor, and marketer. Lindsey is also the head writer and Co-founder of Rvandplaya.com. Lindsey is based in Morgantown, West Virginia.

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