How Much Is A 9-Carat Diamond Worth

Diamonds are one of the most precious, valuable, and popular gemstones gotten from underneath the earth; they come in different types and are graded under different categories to differentiate the ones with higher quality from the others. If you’re an experienced diamond collector, you must have heard about the grading attributes, including the 4 C’s (cut, clarity, color, and carat).

The carat is just as important as the other C’s. The higher the carat, the bigger and more expensive the diamond would be, so if you’re looking the buy a 9-carat diamond, then this means you’re willing to spend more which is extremely worth it because who doesn’t want a big and beautiful Stone that pulls the attention and admiration of everyone around.

Buying a notable and expensive stone like a 9-carat diamond should be done meticulously, especially if you’re new to the intriguing world of diamonds; the carat is an important factor in determining a diamonds worth, but it is not the only factor to consider, and if you don’t know these other factors chances are you may end up buying a fake or low-priced stone for a huge amount of money. So, in this article, I’ll take you through the important factors you’ll need to consider when purchasing a 9-carat diamond.

What Is A 9-Carat Diamond?

Carat is one of the 4C’s of a diamond grading attributes, it is the unit of measuring the weight of a diamond, and it is one of the major factors used in determining the price of a diamond. A 1-carat diamond is roughly around 0.2grams or 200 milligrams, and in some cases, when it is measured in points, a 1-carat diamond would be equal to 100 points. If we apply this measurement to determine a 9-carat diamond, it would be any diamond weighing around 1.8 grams or 1800 milligrams on a digital scale.

The practice of measuring diamonds dates back to ancient times; it was derived from an old method of weighing valuable materials like stones or metals against the seeds of the carob tree, these carob seeds were also believed to have the same weight as a diamond by ancient people, and in the year 1907 in the 4th General Conference of Weights and Measures, some diamond enthusiasts agreed that one diamond carat would be equal to 200 milligrams of a diamond. The carat system of a diamond is universal, meaning the same measurement method is practiced worldwide.

The 4C’s are equally important for a diamond to possess, especially when they are all accurate; however, most persons quickly notice the carat before noticing the cut, clarity, and color. Some also misinterpret the term, thinking it refers to the size of a diamond, and they tend to measure the diamond’s value based on how big the diamond is. In contrast, a small diamond could carry a higher carat weight than a bigger diamond; the shape it is cut into determines how large a diamond would look.

A 9-carat diamond would be visibly large and expensive since larger carat diamonds are cut from bigger rough crystals that are hard to come by. The carat would greatly affect the price of a gemstone, but it is not the only determinant as the cut, clarity, color, and shape would also add to the overall quality and price of the diamond.

What Determines The Price Of A 9-Carat Diamond?

A diamond is extremely valuable and expensive. Even though all-natural diamonds are mined from the ground, they have different compositions, which would affect the appearance and price in the market. The 4C’s are the common acceptable grading attributes for determining a diamond’s worth. While the carat is mostly used to ascertain the value, it is not the sole determinant as the other factors are also important.

1. The Shape Of The Diamond

One of these factors is the shape of a diamond; there are several shapes out there for a diamond to be cut into, like the round brilliant, princess, emerald, pear, etc., and each of these shapes would affect the size of the diamond, so the shape factor deals mainly with your taste and preference meaning that it is how large and brilliant you want your diamond to appear that would contribute in determining the size and the price of the gemstone.

The differences in the size of a diamond are observed from the diameter of their tabletop (which is the flat surface on top of a carved diamond); depending on your preference, you may end up picking a shape that would make your 9-carat diamond appear even bigger than another, and there are several shapes to choose from with some of the most common ones being; 

Diamond Shape Dimension Table Surface Area (Approx. in mm)

 Marquise 21.6 × 10.8 × 6.59 165.63 

  Pear 18.82 × 11.34 × 6.92 155.8  

 Oval 16.88 × 11.25 × 6.86 155.72 

Round Brilliant 13.52 × 13.52 × 8.15 143.56

Radiant 12.02 × 12.02 × 7.69 137.26

Emerald 13.89 × 10.29 × 6.69 135.78

Heart 13.65 × 13.65 × 8.19 134.15 

Cushion 12.12 × 12.12 × 7.76 132.2

Princess 11.46 × 11.46 × 8.25 131.33

Asscher 11.68 × 11.68 × 7.59 125.51 

The brilliant round diamonds are the most popular of all the common shapes because they give the best sparkle and come in different varieties; they are also quite expensive and common among diamonds with smaller carat sizes. The elongated diamond shapes like oval, pear, or marquise would give the diamond a larger appearance than other shapes regardless of the carat weight, so if you’re a fan of large diamonds, you should consider these shapes.

The Emerald, oval, and cushion are also very popular with 9-carat diamonds, but the Princess and Asscher cuts are less popular for a 9-carat diamond. Also, chosen shapes like marquise and heart may be hard to come by, especially in larger carat weight; you may likely get what you’re looking for when working with a diamond specialist.

2. The 4C’s Of A Diamond

After determining the desired shape you want your diamond to have then, you’d have to look at the other equally important factors like the remaining 4C’s; a diamond may have a high carat weight but would have a poor cut which would affect the brilliance and sparkle of the diamond, for you to make a good purchase there should be an equal balance of all 4C’s. 

With that being said, let’s take a proper look at these 4C’s and how they contribute to the overall value, quality, and price.

1. Cut

The cut and the shape of a diamond may seem like the same thing, most people often use them interchangeably, but they are entirely different. The shape refers to the outline of the diamond, while the cut refers to the arrangement of the facets of the diamond, the cut of a diamond is more scientific. It affects the price, sparkle, and beauty of the diamond, while the shape of a diamond is based solely on a person’s preference, and it also affects the beauty of a diamond.

The cut plays a big role in determining the price and beauty of a diamond, and it dictates how well the diamond would sparkle and radiate, how well light would be able to pass through the diamond, and how expensive it would be. The cut is usually graded from Excellent to poor, so when searching for a diamond, you may want to stick to the first three levels: Excellent, Very Good, and Good.

2. Clarity

The process of diamond formation exposes it to several kinds of inclusions and blemishes; when these diamonds are graded to check for clarity, the size, nature, number, relief, and position of these inclusions are evaluated to determine how they affect the entire appearance of the diamond and while there is little or no perfectly natural clean diamond the fewer impurities and blemishes a diamond possesses the higher it’s value in the market.

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has about six categories for grouping diamonds; some of these categories are further subdivided, which results in a total of 11 specified clarity grades. When checking for clarity, a diamond can be grouped under one of the eleven grades on the clarity scale depending on its inclusions and blemishes. These first six grades include:

-Flawless (Clarity FL)

-Internally Flawless (IF)

-Very, Very Slightly Included (VVs1 and VVS2) 

-Very Slightly Included (VS1 and VS2) 

-Slightly Included (SI1 and SI2) 

-Included (I1, I2, and I3) 

The best quality of diamonds for clarity would be the FL grade which shows no inclusions and no blemishes visible under 10x magnification. In contrast, the lowest quality of diamond clarity would be the Included (I1, I2, and I3), which shows inclusions that are obvious under 10x magnification and may affect the transparency and brilliance of the diamond.

The Flawless (Clarity FL) are extremely rare and expensive, and you may have a higher chance of seeing the Internally Flawless (IF) in the market than seeing a Flawless (Clarity FL) but note that the higher the clarity, the more expensive it would be.

3. Color

Diamonds naturally come in different colors such as yellow, blue, black, red, green, purple, etc. These natural colored diamonds are rare, beautiful, expensive, and fancy colored diamonds.

However, a yellow tint in a colorless diamond may become a problem because it wouldn’t look as appealing and would prevent natural light from reflecting the eyes; with the natural colored ones, it may go unnoticed in some cases, but with the colorless ones, a slight tint would reduce the value of the diamond.

When colorless diamonds are graded, the ones that are clear and without any spot or tint are viewed as rare and high quality, while the ones that contain just a little tint are viewed as low quality. The GIA color scale ranges from D, which is the highest category for colorless diamonds, to Z, the lowest category containing light yellow or brown diamonds. You should note that between the D to Z, other color grades are placed into groups based on how similar they are; these groups include DEF, GHI, JKL, and MNZ.

4. Carat

Carat is one of the four C’s of diamond grading; it is the unit of measurement for a diamond’s weight, and it is one of the most important variables in determining a diamond’s price. A 1-carat diamond weighs approximately 0.2grams or 200 milligrams, and when measured in points, a 1-carat diamond equals 100 points. A 9-carat diamond would be any diamond weighing roughly 1.8 grams or 1800 milligrams on a digital scale.

How Much Is A 9-Carat Diamond Worth?

Once you’re familiar with all the qualities a good diamond should possess, you will be able to estimate how much you would spend for a 9-carat diamond. Still, for a more general price estimate, a 9-carat diamond would cost around $19,000 to well over $1,000,000, depending on the other 4C’s (cut, color, and clarity). The cut quality is crucial in determining the monetary value of a 9-carat diamond, and the stone becomes more valuable since the diamond has a large carat weight.

However, if you’re seeking to purchase a quality 9-carat diamond with a colorless appearance and flawless clarity, which are rare to find, then you may likely purchase it at about $200,500.

The average wholesale price is usually calculated by multiplying the price of 1-carat times the number of carats being bought. A 9-carat diamond would be calculated with the value of 1-carat times 9. However, the wholesale price for a 9-carat diamond certified by the GIA would cost around $123,201 and $1,804,815.

Tips To Consider When Buying A 9-Carat Diamond

After understanding the major factors that would affect the cost of a diamond, there are some little tips to note that would aid your decision-making when purchasing a 9-carat diamond.

  • Always look out for the best cut; the cut would affect the sparkle and brilliance of the diamond, but you should have in mind that the best cuts come with a higher price and make sure that the setting is nice and stable.
  • If you want to save some money on the cut style, choose other pocket-friendly fancy shapes over the famous round-cut shape; they would give a fancy and attractive look while saving you the extra expense.
  • If you’ll be making a 9-carat diamond purchase, it’s best to go with a certified diamond tester and ask for certification from the GIA or AGS. These organizations have trusted grading methods, and the certified diamond tester can make sure the information is accurate.
  • Buying from trusted online shops is a great way to cut costs on extra intermediaries like brokers and retailers; make sure the store is reputable.
  • Diamonds with color grades from G to I also gives good quality and is a cheaper alternative to the D to F grades; just make sure that when you’re using the G to I grade diamonds, you pair them with rings that would complement or hide the possibility of their warm appearance depending on your preference.

Conclusion

The 9-carat diamond is rare and beautiful, and to get the best value for your money, you should get one that balances the other 4C’s. Also, try to remember these tips when making your purchase and consult a certified diamond tester so you’ll end up getting the real deal.