A 9 carat diamond is big, beautiful, and attracts attention wherever it goes. If you are looking to add a stone this size to your jewelry collection, one of the things you need to know is that a 9 carat diamond is extremely rare, which means it comes with a significantly high price tag.
Now, this may, obviously, get you wondering, “Exactly how much is a 9 carat diamond worth?”
Well, you can only determine the exact price of a 9 carat diamond if you understand the various factors influencing diamond prices, as discussed in this article. Keep reading.
How Is Diamond Priced?
The cost of a diamond is determined by its carat weight, clarity, color, and cut, commonly referred to as the 4C’s. These are the most important factors that you should keep in mind when shopping for your 9 carat diamond.
Ideally, the better the 4C’s, the higher the quality of the diamond and the more costly it will be. However, this does not necessarily mean that you have to pay a fortune to get a good quality stone. When it comes to buying your 9 carat diamond, your aim should be to pay more for the factors that influence its appearance and to pay less for factors that don’t.
Here is a short video that explains diamond pricing in detail to help you understand why a 9 carat diamond will be more expensive than a diamond with a lower caratage.
How Carat Weight Affects the Price of a 9 Carat Diamond
Carat is perhaps the most important aspect to consider when purchasing a diamond. It is used to describe diamond weight and the more the stone weighs, the larger it will be, and the more you will pay for it.
1 carat is equal to 0.200 grams, so a 9 carat diamond will weigh approximately 1.8 grams. As such, a 1 carat diamond will cost far less than a 9 carat diamond.
Also, a bigger stone is able to trap and reflect light in a more impressive effect, which means it can cost five or even ten times more than a diamond of the same quality that is half the size.
How Clarity Impacts the Price of a 9 Carat Diamond
Another important thing to think about when selecting your 9 carat diamond is clarity. The clarity grade tells you how clean the stone is.
If a diamond has a high grade, it means that it doesn’t have any noticeable inclusions or imperfections. A low grade, on the other hand, indicates that the stone has obvious flaws.
One thing you need to know is that you don’t have to pick the diamond with the highest clarity grade. Beyond a certain level, you won’t be able to tell the difference between one grade and the next unless you are using special equipment, yet you will still pay a considerably high price for the difference.
For a 9 carat diamond clarity, go for a stone that is eye clean, meaning, no inclusions can be seen with the naked eye. However, note that the larger the diamond, the easier it will be to spot the flaws, so you will want to lean a little more toward the higher grades than someone buying a 1 carat diamond.
Also, before you buy, make sure to closely examine the stone to ensure there are no noticeable inclusions and imperfections.
How Color Influences the Price of a 9 Carat Diamond
Diamonds have a grading system that shows how much color can be seen in the stone. All stones are graded from D to Z, with D being the highest grade. A diamond graded as D basically means that it is 100% clear and colorless. Z is the lowest grade, with diamonds having an obvious brown or yellow tint.
Like clarity, the color grade of a diamond plays a huge role in determining its beauty. A clear or colorless stone will be more radiant and most people will prefer this option to one that has some color in it.
But just like when choosing a clarity grade, you don’t have to pick the highest rating. Anything between G and I is still high quality and won’t cost as much as diamonds rated from D to F.
If the diamond will be used in an engagement ring, another factor to pay attention to when choosing your 9 carat stone is the ring’s settings. You see, you want the diamond to really stand out and appear as colorless as possible.
A ring made from yellow gold, rose gold, or other darker metals will make diamonds with lower color grades look whiter. If the same diamonds are used with white gold or platinum, the color will become more visible.
How Cut/Shape Affects the Price of a 9 Carat Diamond
Diamonds come in many different shapes, and which cut you go for will depend on your style, taste, and how much you are willing to spend.
Unlike with clarity and color, there is no rule that dictates which diamond cut is better than the other. However, a round brilliant diamond will cost you more than a princess cut diamond, cushion cut diamond, marquise cut diamond, or any other fancy shape.
Why?
Because plenty of raw diamond is wasted when shaping a round diamond than when producing square or rectangular cuts.
If you are on a budget, you may want to check out the other alternatives to round diamonds your jeweler may have. Cushion and princess cuts will shine just as bright as a round cut but will cost you considerably less.
How Much Does a 9 Carat Diamond Cost?
Now that you know what to pay attention to when buying a diamond, let’s get back to our initial question – how much is a 9 carat diamond worth?
Taking all the factors we have discussed above into consideration, a 9 carat diamond of decent quality will cost you anywhere between $20, 000 and $39, 000. An extremely high-quality stone can go up to $55, 000 per carat.
As we stated earlier, 9 carat diamonds are very rare, so be ready to pay a premium price for a decent piece. Anything cheaper than $ 20, 000 will likely be poorly graded.
Of course, you can sacrifice some grades in color and clarity and still find a stone that looks pretty to the naked eye. However, try not to go lower than I in color or Very Small Inclusions 2 (VS2) in clarity. Sure, you may end up saving quite an amount of money, but the stone will likely look dull and lifeless.
A diamond with a lower clarity rating will also have many flaws and will likely not retain its value. It is, certainly, not the stone you want to buy if you are looking for something that will be passed down the family tree or something you plan to resell in the future.
Tips for Getting the Best Value for Your 9 Carat Diamond
A 9 carat diamond is generally quite expensive. But you can get the best value for your money by applying the following tricks:
- Leaning more toward fancy shapes: Fancy shapes are fashionable, elegant, and typically more pocket-friendly than round cut diamonds. They are a great option for anyone looking for a unique diamond ring on a budget.
- Going lower on the scale: You don’t need a diamond with the highest clarity and color ratings. The difference in clarity and color will be quite negligible from one grade to the next, but the difference in price will be substantial. Try to balance clarity and color to achieve the highest value.
- Buying online: Apart from having a wide collection of shapes and styles to choose from, an online jewelry store will eliminate extra supply chain layers like brokers and retailers, guaranteeing you a lower price. Just make sure the shop is reputable. You can always check their customer reviews before making your purchase.
- Considering loose diamonds: If you are buying an engagement ring, consider buying your diamond somewhere else rather than from the same store you buy the ring. Sometimes the package deal may be more costly than buying each component individually.
- Comparing prices: Don’t just buy from the first jeweler who promises to offer the “best price”. Do your homework to find out how much the same diamond goes for in other stores.
- Buying Certified Diamond: This is probably the first thing you need to consider when shopping for your 9 carat diamond. Make sure the stone comes with AGS or GIA certification. It will give you confidence that what you are buying matches the quality grades it has been advertised with.
The Takeaway
A 9 carat diamond is one of the rarest stones. As with all diamonds, its price is determined by its clarity, color, cut, and carat weight. To land a stone that gives you the best value for money, try to balance these four elements.
If you would like to learn more about 9 carat diamonds and diamond pricing in general, leave us a comment below.
