Should you buy uncut diamond jewelry? Is jewelry made of uncut diamonds worth your money? And if it is, what is the worth of uncut diamond jewelry?
This article gives you important insights into everything you need to know about the value of uncut diamond jewelry.
What is uncut diamond jewelry?
The truth is that uncut diamonds can save you a great deal of money, but before we look at how much they are worth and how much you’d save, how about a look at the definition and meaning of uncut diamond jewelry.
The uncut diamonds are primarily rough or raw diamonds, as they are uncut, as the name suggests. These stones can be defined as unpolished and unshaped diamonds.
These diamonds could be lab-grown, but they are more likely naturally mined and available in various sizes and shapes.
Because they are unshaped, undefined, and unpolished, uncut diamonds are inexpensive than cut diamonds. The uncut diamonds are the ones that are dug out by the miners, contributing to the size and the quality of the uncut stones.
Essentially, the value of the diamonds is based on 4 important grading elements or the 4Cs – the diamond’s cut, color, clarity, and carat weight.
But out of the four grading elements for the diamonds, the cut of the diamond is the most important factor when it comes to the determination of the value of the diamonds.
This is important because the cut of the diamonds refers to and represents the proportions, the polish, and the symmetry of the stone, which are factors that determine and affect how the light naturally bounces off the stone, making it much more sparkly.
Essentially, the cut of the diamond takes a great deal of skill and effort, and it calls for the use of the best technologies for the best quality diamond cut.
So, if you are wondering why the raw or uncut diamond is cheaper than the cut diamonds, it’s worth noting that the diamond cutting technology is quite expensive, which translates to a higher cost of the cut diamonds compared to the uncut ones that are not polished or technologically cut using expensive engineering and technologies.
The quality of the natural diamonds is, therefore, tied to the value of the stone. Generally, the rough diamonds don’t have any sparkle, and the quality of the natural uncut diamonds will determine the overall cost of the polished or finished-cut diamonds.
So, how is the value of the uncut diamonds affected by the quality of the stones?
I. Carats
Generally, higher karat diamonds cost more than smaller and lower carat diamonds. But this is only true if the rest of the qualities of the diamonds remain the same.
That said, the smaller rough-cut diamonds with a higher level of clarity tend to be valued higher and cost more than the larger rough or uncut diamonds that are flawed.
II. Clarity
The clarity of the diamond determines the quality of the stone. That said, most diamonds often have flaws, but the diamonds with fewer flaws have a higher level of clarity.
The raw diamonds that are flawless are, therefore, worth more than the uncut diamonds with too many flaws, hence a lower degree of clarity.
III. Diamond color
While diamonds are sold off as sparkling white stones, the truth is that most of the natural diamonds, whether cut or uncut, have a tinge of brown or yellow. But in general, colorless diamonds are not only rare but also the most expensive ones.
The shape of the diamonds
The primary shape of the rough diamond affects its value significantly.
But it’s also worth noting that there are cases where the large uncut diamonds that are oddly shaped lose value because a lot of the roughness has to be removed to retrieve the smaller but higher quality and polished diamonds.
So, the size of the diamond may or may not have a direct influence on the value of the diamond.
What all these mean is that overall, there are several factors that play a role in the value of the diamonds, whether cut or uncut.
So, if you are looking for an engagement ring or maybe a family heirloom, you may want to make your decision based on your budget – uncut diamonds cost less, but the cutting process may cost more and leave you with a smaller stone, resulting in an even bigger price tag on the diamond, not to mention the time needed to create the perfect polished diamond; or how fast you need the stone (cut diamonds may cost more, but they are worth more and are readily available).
Pros and cons of uncut diamond jewelry
Pros
- The uncut diamonds are generally more affordable because less time is often spent on cutting, carating, and polishing of the stone.
- Uncut diamonds are conflict-free and come with the Kimberly Process Certificate, proving that the diamonds are from war-free regions.
- The Certification ensures easy transportation (import/ export) across the world.
- These diamonds boast a unique design, and you can find diamonds in artsy shapes and designs.
Cons
- These diamonds have no sparkle, making them less desirable
- The color of the uncut diamonds is rather dark and very unattractive
- Very hard to choose
Is it worth buying uncut diamond jewelry?
If you are thinking of buying diamond jewelry as a form of investment, then you may want to buy the cut and well-polished diamonds rather than the uncut diamonds. These tend to have no or a very low resell value.
The uncut diamonds won’t also be a great option if you want a sparkly adornment.However, if you are shopping for diamonds on a tight budget, then uncut diamonds might be a good fit for you.
Just know that the diamonds are unshaped and unpolished, meaning you don’t get to enjoy the sparkle of the cut diamonds. The affordability of uncut diamonds also stems from the fact that most of them are lab-grown and not mined.
How are rough uncut diamonds valued?
Generally, uncut diamonds are valued differently depending on the elements or features of the diamonds.
In terms of color, the color is the thing that determines the quality and the value of the diamonds.
Essentially, the rough and the uncut diamonds don’t have the best or the highest color profile, which means that unless the colors are bright and high on the polish diamond color profile, the value might not be the highest.
Essentially, the uncut diamonds are white or colorless, but they have a brown or yellowish tinge that is not often seen in the cut diamonds. Generally, the diamonds with the deeper color profiles don’t sparkle as much, which drives down the value of the uncut diamonds.
The clarity level of the diamonds also determines the value of the rough diamonds, with the diamonds possessing a high level of clarity, valued higher than the diamonds with a low clarity level.
The flawless rough diamonds are worth more than the loose or uncut diamonds, whose value is incomparable.
The shape determines the value of the diamonds too, but the rough and uncut diamonds have a lower value because they don’t fit into the RBC output level, and even when cut into a fancier shape, the value of the uncut diamonds will always be lower than that of the cut and polished diamonds.
Because of the larger size of the rough-cut diamonds, a lot of the rough has to be cut, meaning that the diamonds will be smaller and not be worth as much.
Is uncut diamond more expensive?
When it comes to the pricing of the cut and the uncut diamonds, it’s obvious that there is a huge pricing difference between the two, thanks to the extensiveness of the diamond cutting process.
Even so, uncut diamonds are cheaper (per carat) than cut diamonds because they don’t go through the expensive and rather complex diamond cutting process.
The cut diamonds also have to go through several polishing steps to attain the desired cut qualities and the shape of the bright and sparkly diamonds. If the sparkle of the stone matters to you, uncut diamonds may not be an ideal option.
Uncut diamond resale value
If you are thinking of buying the uncut diamonds to profit off them later, we advise against this because the uncut diamonds have a very low resale value.
The uncut diamonds cannot be reused after they’re set in jewelry, and the jewelers find it hard to remove set diamonds for reuse because they are very fragile and break easily.
Unless you are selling the uncut diamonds with the rest of the ring or necklace/ setting, you won’t get much money from it.
Conclusion
Uncut diamond jewelry is becoming increasingly popular and is even considered trendy. This is the case because uncut diamonds are affordable and conflict-free.
If you are not much into the sparkle of the diamonds, then these uncut pieces would be ideal for you.
But if you want the romanticized shine and sparkle of the cut diamond or perhaps a more valuable option, the uncut diamond might not be an ideal option for you.
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Tiger is a fashion&jewelry lover. He is also a fashion jewelry manufacturer that help thousands of small business to grow and also do business with some big fashion jewelry brands. He is a truly metal expert and he will share some information you are looking for.