Cutting a rough diamond can seem like an undertaking that can be quite complicated and cost a lot of money. Well, how much does it really cost to cut a rough diamond?
The answer to that question is not a simple one to give, since there are many things to consider when talking about this topic. Not only does that vary depending on how big a diamond can be, but it can also vary on how valuable a diamond is.
Also, it depends on if the diamond is rough or polished, but today we’re interested only in the process of cutting a rough diamond.
Without any further ado, let’s jump straight in and see all the factors that might influence the price of getting your rough diamond cut.
The Cutting Process
Before we get into the pricing, it would be good for you to understand the process that a diamond needs to go through in order to be cut. Several different processes are included in getting your diamonds cut, and all of them are different from one another.
To avoid talking about cutting processes that are too old to be present today, we’ve focused on the two main methods for cutting a rough diamond – cleaving and sawing. We’ll go more in-depth on how these processes work shortly, but the most important thing to remember is that these two are the most used ways of cutting a rough diamond.
Cleaving
Cleaving is the process of separating rough diamonds into pieces to be finished as individual gems.
During the planning stage, diamond manufacturers identify cleavage planes and use those planes to decide how they should split the diamond. Then, they cut a groove in the diamond with a laser or a saw and split the diamond with a steel blade.
This way of cutting diamonds is not widely available for diamond owners but is instead a more industrial-intended process to be used by mass diamond producers.
In general, this process might cost around $150 to $400 per carat, depending on the value of a diamond. Since this is done massively, it might cost individual diamond owners more since these machines used for cutting diamonds are made for massive amounts of work.
Sawing
Sawing is how diamond cutters use a diamond saw and laser to cut a rough diamond into separate pieces. Unlike cleaving, this step does not involve cleavage planes. This step is responsible for giving the diamonds their initial shape.
It is a more common way of cutting individual diamonds. If a person owns a rough diamond, they own it while it’s in the state suitable for sawing. After this process, the diamond needs to be polished.
Read Also: Can Jewelers Cut Diamonds?
What Influences The Price Of Diamond Cutting?
There are a few criteria that influence the price of cutting a diamond. As some of you might have expected, the size of a particular diamond is one of the biggest criteria when it comes to the price of cutting it.
Also, the size you want to cut your rough diamond into plays a significant role when discussing the price of cutting that diamond.
For example, if you have a diamond that needs to be cut into multiple pieces, like 3 or 4, that service will have a heftier price tag attached to it.
Another thing that also influences the price of said process is in what shape your diamond is. If it was just taken out of the ground, the price might be higher. Some diamond cutters don’t charge extra for rougher diamonds, though. Do your research!
One thing that also may influence the price of your diamond being cut is if the diamond has a visible crack or crack-like damage on the surface.
Some cutters don’t feel comfortable cutting a damaged diamond since that can result in devastating damage.
General Price Of Cutting Rough Diamonds
As we’ve mentioned, the general price of cutting a rough diamond is between $150 and $400 per carat. You have to consider that the price can fluctuate immensely depending on how many carats your diamond has. More fluctuations in price may occur depending on the state in which your diamond is.
Also, the part of the world you’re located in might be a factor you need to consider.
For example, if you’re living in a part of the world or a country known for extracting diamonds, there might be a diamond cutter or two that do it for a much lower price than $100-400 per carat.
On the other hand, you might find yourself in a country that’s famous for diamond cutting. These countries pride themselves on the diamond cutting business they offer, so the price there might be higher.
You should do your research and see the exact price of cutting a rough diamond, depending on the location. For example, Africa might be one of those continents where cutting diamonds is priced lower than you might expect.
On the other hand, cutters in North American and European countries might charge higher for their services.
Also, don’t think that if diamonds are more expensive in your country (or part of the world), that automatically means that diamond cutting will also be more costly.
Don’t get us wrong – in some countries, diamonds are sold at a high price, and cutting is also expensive there. Think Lesotho, for example.
But, these two professions (selling diamonds and cutting them) are different, and the prices for their services are different as well.
Learn More: Who Is The Best Diamond Cutter In The World?
Carats And Pricing
Diamonds are usually sold in 1-carat pieces. Some bigger diamonds do exist and are sold, but it’s the 1-carat diamonds for the most part.
What are carats, exactly? Well, we know that most of you already know what carats are, but here’s a brief explanation for those who don’t:
A carat is a unit of measurement used to specify the weight of a diamond. Carat is a diamond industry specially used word for the weight of a diamond stone. One carat is equal to 200 milligrams.
So from that, we can conclude that most of the diamonds sold weigh 200 milligrams.
If your uncut diamond has 5 carats or weighs a gram, the price you might pay for a diamond cutter to cut your diamond is between $750 and $2000, depending on the cutter.
That’s why we specified that the price we mentioned earlier is “per carat” or for every carat your diamond has. It’s simple – the bigger the diamond, the more work for a diamond cutter.
But, it’s highly unlikely that you have a diamond bigger than around 5 carats.
Most of the bigger diamonds are owned by big companies and corporations specializing in excavating and processing diamonds. A vast majority of the diamonds people usually see are the 1-carat or 3-carat diamonds, and sometimes the big 5-carat ones.
Learn More: Raw Uncut Diamond Price List: Rough Diamond Prices Guide
Could You Cut Your Diamonds Yourself?
Although this might seem like a fantastic idea that might save you up to a couple of thousand dollars per cutting session, this isn’t quite possible.
Even if you had access to all the machinery required to cut a diamond efficiently, you wouldn’t be able to cut it. Realistically, there are two main reasons you can’t cut a diamond by yourself: the machinery and the craft.
The machinery you need to cut a diamond costs several thousand dollars or even tens of thousands of dollars in some cases.
This machinery is also very hard to come by, and even if you could get your hands on some of the required machines for cutting diamonds, the chances are you won’t get all the equipment needed.
The second reason is the craft. The craft of cutting diamonds is quite old, and the people who do it have probably done it for years.
For example, India is the country that does 90% of cutting for all the diamonds in the world. These people consider that family business and the craft is passed on for generations.
That gives you a rough idea of how complicated the diamond cutting process can be and how difficult it is for learning. That’s precisely why the craft is the second reason you wouldn’t be able to cut your diamonds independently.
Precision, style, and overall way of cutting are not something you can learn online in a few hours. That’s why even if you had access to all the machinery needed for cutting a diamond, you wouldn’t be able to cut a diamond properly.
All-in-all, the best way for you to get your diamond cut is to get it cut by a professional. This is a good idea to do since if you go about cutting your diamond this way, it’ll guarantee that the diamond cutting process won’t chip or otherwise damage (or even destroy) your diamond.
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Our Final Thoughts
Since we considered all parameters needed to pinpoint an accurate price for cutting diamonds, let’s take a final look at the price you can expect when you want to get your rough diamond cut.
So how much does it cost to cut a rough diamond?
A universal price you can expect is from $150 to $400 per carat of your diamond. We’ve explained what a carat is and how you can easily measure how many carats your diamond has, leading you to a pretty accurate price for the diamond cutting process.
Also, if some of you had an idea of saving money cutting diamonds on your own, we advise you again – do not do that. If you’re still unsure why that’s such a bad idea, you can always scroll up and read about it again.
For the time being, we think that it’s a good idea to find a diamond cutter in your area or country and ask them for a general price. That’s an excellent point to start from and get an overview of the fluctuation of the prices.
From there, you can then decide if you would like your rough diamond cut or not. We wish you all the luck in your diamond-cutting journey!
Related Read: An In-Depth Guide on Diamond Cutting: How Are Diamonds Cut?