To best answer the question, Can You Travel With Uncut Diamonds? We believe it is necessary to explain the importance of diamond cuts, their significance to the product, and the essential rules about diamond transportation and travel.
The most straightforward answer would be: Yes, it is possible to travel with uncut diamonds, but for this to be legal, you must have a KPCS document with you.
Now you must be wondering what the KPCS is? Many people aren’t introduced to this term, and there is a lot that is unclear in our initial answer, and an explanation of everything awaits you later in the article.
To better understand the answer we gave you, let’s start from the beginning, which is the difference between cut and uncut diamonds. So let’s get started!
What Is The Main Difference Between Cut and Uncut Diamonds?
Let’s take a look at some of the key differences between cut and uncut diamonds that will help you see the bigger picture related to traveling with uncut diamonds.
Cut VS. Uncut Diamonds – Key Difference?
Cut diamonds come in various forms that are cut precisely to have a flawless brilliance and a stunning appearance. A diamond’s cut may affect the stone in several different ways. For example, the cut determines a stone’s degree of sheen and shine, amount of sparkle, and appearance of cleanliness and precision.
But most significantly, the diamond’s cut determines how much it costs. On the other hand, what interests us more today are uncut diamonds and their travel possibilities.
Raw uncut diamonds are gems that have not undergone the polishing procedure or are shaped by a skilled cutter into any specific size or shape.
There are many different hues and forms of natural rough diamonds. Rough diamonds come in various colors, from pink to gray, blue to black, as natural diamonds come in both colorful and colorless kinds.
The octahedron is the most typical form of raw diamonds.
Although their quality is relatively excellent once mined, they still need to be cut and polished before being utilized in jewelry. So, the diamonds used in your diamond rings or bracelets appear incredibly different from raw, uncut diamonds.
Uncut diamonds resemble crystals that are translucent or transparent. These might have no color or a brownish or yellowish hue. A natural diamond may have rounded or angular edges.
Now that we’re done with the fundamental differences between cut and uncut diamonds let’s move on to the uncut diamond value.
Related Read: Do Raw Uncut Diamonds Have Resale Value?
Worth Of Uncut Diamonds
The value of a cut and polished diamond is based on the three inherent characteristics of a raw diamond: carat, color, and clarity. If we added a fourth item to the mentioned string to the letter C also known as Cut, we would get a rule often used in diamonds called Four C’s.
The very name of this rule is pretty clear why it’s Four C’s. However, if you want to know a little more about how the Four C’s contribute to a diamond, what all the diamond cuts are, and so on, you can find it at the following link.
With uncut diamonds, the value and price are entirely different. Raw, uncut diamonds will nearly always be less expensive than a cut diamond with the same carat, color, and clarity since cutting is time-consuming and skill-intensive.
A 1-carat diamond can cost anywhere from $1,300 to $16,500, depending on the diamond’s shape, color, clarity, and cut quality.
What about the selling price for an uncut diamond, you may wonder? The evaluated value and the price you can receive for it might not always coincide.
Sell it to a diamond buyer since uncut and unpolished diamonds are not suitable for use in jewelry and must first be cut and polished. Due to this, not all companies will be interested in purchasing your raw diamond.
So even though you own a diamond, its value drops drastically if not cut, and the money you can get for that product is highly reduced.
Related Read:
- Raw Uncut Diamond Price List: Rough Diamond Prices Guide
- Diamond Price List: How Much Is A 0.1 To 40 Carat Diamond Worth?
How Can You Be Sure Your Uncut Diamond Is Real?
Here are some tips to help you get an answer to this question; How to know are your diamonds real or fake?
Color, clarity, and most carat weight are predetermined by nature before the diamond is mined. However, a rough diamond only resembles a translucent rock. It is not sparkling. No rainbows appear when it flashes.
Look for rounded edges with small indentation triangles by placing the diamond under a loupe or microscope. On the other hand, cubic diamonds will have parallelograms or squares with rotation. A genuine uncut diamond should also have a vaseline-like coating on it. Sharp edges are given with cut diamonds.
Learn More: How Can You Tell if an Uncut Diamond Is Real?
Is It Legal To Own An Uncut Diamond?
Technically, uncut diamonds are lawful to own, but only under particular circumstances. The reality is that there is a means to carry out any action legally and follow the law.
If you choose to purchase uncut diamonds, you must do it from a registered vendor who will give you documentation of the origin and condition of the priceless stone.
Also, if you want to purchase uncut diamonds online, we suggest you first read the company’s legal disclaimers and customer reviews and ratings.
Therefore, provided you have certifications with more information about the stone, owning an uncut diamond is not against the law.
Always purchase uncut diamonds from a trustworthy source, whether online or in person. Make sure you have a receipt and every certificate the diamond is supposed to have. Even if they offer you a better price, avoid using dubious services or unreliable websites to purchase raw diamonds. Nobody wants to save a few dollars to end up paying the lawyer a lot in legal costs.
It is against the law to have in your possession any unpolished diamond unless:
- You are a producer, and you have recovered that diamond from a mine by a permit
- You manufactured that diamond if it is synthetic;
- You hold a license – whether as a dealer, beneficiation, a trading house, or researcher;
- You have a permit in respect of that diamond;
- It is following a written agreement with one of the abovementioned people or
- If you have otherwise come into possession of the diamond lawfully.
Now that we have defined the difference between cut and uncut diamonds, let’s go back to our original question regarding uncut diamonds and traveling with them.
Related Read: How Do I Get My Rough Diamond Certified?
Can You Travel With Uncut Diamonds?
At the very beginning of this article, we said that it is possible to travel with uncut diamonds; however, this certainly cannot be compared to wearing diamond jewelry on a trip.
All raw diamonds imported or exported must be accompanied by a current Kimberley Process Certificate granted by the exporting nation’s Kimberley Process authority.
The uncut diamonds need to be kept in a secure container. Therefore, it must demonstrate that it has been opened if someone opens it.
When moving from one nation to another, trucks or transportation vans must carry diamonds in a tamper-proof container. A Kimberley Process certificate given by the government is required for a container to enter a nation.
The majority of nations are making an effort to halt the smuggling of conflict diamonds. The honest answer lies in the following few paragraphs:
According to the law, no raw diamond, from whatever source, shall be imported into, or exported from, the United States on or after July 30, 2003, unless the rough diamond has been regulated via the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS).
Security firms must work with airlines and courier services to ensure diamonds are loaded into the appropriate aircraft and delivery vehicles since diamonds are frequently transported internationally as cargo on commercial airlines.
As part of the service, the client is relieved of control over everything.
Learn More: What Is the Best Way to Transport Diamonds? Let’s Find Out!
The Licenses and Other Significant Documents
The Regulator may issue any of several distinct license types. The license might be subject to restrictions and have time limits as well. You break the law if you violate any of the terms of a license, permission, or certificate issued to you under the Diamonds Act.
Any conditions attached to a license may be changed, revoked, or imposed at any moment by the Regulator. He may ask you to return the permit so the modifications may be approved. It is unlawful for you to disregard this request.
Except if you are an individual and have the Regulator’s consent, it is illegal to dispose of a license or allow another person to acquire any interest in it.
Without the previous written consent of the Regulator, it is illegal to take a controlling interest in any firm once it has received a license.
What are the duties of a licensed person, you may ask?
Here is the answer: A licensee must give their license and a certified copy of the certificate of incorporation. A licensee must provide it to the Regulator within 30 days after changing from one kind of company to another. Failure to do so is illegal.
If you want to know more about the law and rules on this topic, check this link out!
Can You Get Your Rough Diamonds Cut By A Jeweler?
Some individuals think that if they buy some uncut diamonds, they may save a lot of money by going to the jeweler to have them cleaned and cut. But if you want to do that, you might want to think again because it can still be quite expensive!
Even more challenging, the jeweler could decline to cut and polish the stone you wish to burnish if it doesn’t adhere to specific criteria.
The gem grade will thus be the jeweler’s initial consideration. If your rough diamond is gem grade, it may be carved into a respectable piece of jewelry. Gem grade denotes the diamond’s absence of internal fractures and light inclusions.
Another thing to remember is that a raw diamond must be massive to be transformed into an engagement ring-worthy stone. The reason is that the diamond will be around half its original size once sliced and polished.
For instance, a 3-carat raw diamond will become a 1.5-carat cut diamond once the jeweler’s job is done. So if you chose a rough diamond for the cost, keep that in mind.
You’ll also need to track down fundamental authorities on this subject.
To choose a rough diamond that can be cut and polished, you’ll need to spend some time doing research and locating an expert. Of course, you’ll also need to look for an expert jeweler.
Remember that it won’t be simple to discover a diamond cutter, especially one close to you. Most jewelers work for big businesses and are unlikely to accept minor assignments like cutting a few diamonds.
Learn More: How Much Does It Cost To Cut A Rough Diamond?
Final Thoughts
We believe we have addressed the initial query: Can You Travel With Uncut Diamonds? The simple answer will be Yes, you can.
Although we have given you as much information as possible regarding diamonds, what is the difference between cut and uncut diamonds, a reasonable explanation about licenses and other important documents, and many other things in this article?
We have tried to explain in detail in this article how the law related to the transport of uncut diamonds is regulated, and what the law allows us in terms of uncut diamonds and what not.
Also, we did our best to explain in detail the paperwork you need along with the procedure you must follow. We have singled out for you the situations in which you are not allowed, by law, to have uncut diamonds in your possession.
We hope you had as much fun reading this article as we did writing it!