How Much Is a Small Diamond Worth?

Small diamonds from 0.001 to 0.18 carats, referred to as melee diamonds, include diamond chips. Diamond chips have become a popular jewelry choice and can be seen on rings, bracelets, and more—but do these fragments have any value? We’ll attempt to answer this question below.

Do Diamond Chips Have Any Value?

Compared with diamonds that have gone through the cutting and polishing process, diamond chips come in at a far lower diamond price per carat. This is due to their small size, but also because they don’t contain the facets that give cut diamonds their sparkle. Therefore, a diamond chip cannot reflect or bend light nearly as well as its faceted counterpart.

Diamond chips are not polished and have a rough surface, which also has a negative effect on their sparkle. All of these factors contribute to the low value of diamond chips.

How Diamond Chips Are Evaluated

Diamond chips are evaluated according to the same characteristics as diamonds that have been cut and polished. These characteristics are known as the four Cs:

• Clarity
• Color
• Cut
• Carat

The above characteristics will provide a lot of information about any piece of small diamond jewelry you may be looking to sell.

Diamond Chip Clarity

Clarity is a characteristic that refers to the number of flaws in a stone. There are several clarity grades, but the fewer the flaws, the higher the value. It is true that flaws in small diamonds and chips can be so small that they are not visible to the naked eye. However, prominent inclusion can still be present. Where this is the case, it’s probably best to have another piece of jewelry evaluated for its worth.

Diamond Chip Color

The color of any shape of diamond is just as important as color in a cut stone; the farther away from yellow that a small diamond is, the more valuable it will be. Color also refers to the way in which diamond chips are arranged on jewelry; ideally, they should appear uniform in color across a diamond ring, and not be in patches of light and dark colors.

Diamond Chip Cut

Because it isn’t possible for diamond chips to be faceted, assessing their cut is not applicable. As well, because a chip has no cut, its value can be far below that of a brilliant cut diamond of the same size.

Diamond Chip Carat Weight

Just like faceted and cut stones, the larger and more flawless a diamond chip is, the more it will be worth per carat. The smaller the chip, the lower the worth.

Difference Between Single-Cut Stones and Diamond Chips

A single-cut stone typically comes in at under 0.2 carats and is faceted. However, because these stones are smaller in size, they also contain far fewer facets than full-cut stones of a higher carat count, which may contain as many as 57 or 58.

Also referred to as diamond accents or accent diamonds by many jewelers, single-cut stones are typically seen in halo settings where they’re placed in a manner that complements a larger center stone.

In the past, jewelers weren’t able to cut a faceted stone out of small diamond pieces, simply because stone-cutting technology hadn’t yet evolved to that point. As a result, diamond chips were used. Today, the single-cut diamond is chosen in favor of loose diamonds.

One important thing to note when selling jewelry with diamond chips is that this term is also used to describe single-cut diamonds. Therefore, when selling your diamond jewelry, the appraiser should know whether the stones are actually faceted or completely uncut.

Diamond Chip Pricing

It is true that the value of any diamond or other stone will vary over time. As well, the price of diamonds will differ between retail and wholesale.

Today, the quoted prices for what’s referred to as a “chip” will typically pertain to single-cut stones. This is because it’s very rare to find real diamond chips on jewelry. If the small stones on your diamond engagement ring are between 1 and 2 points (0.01-0.02 carats), it may be appraised at a price range of $300 to $700 per carat.

Larger chips or stones at 0.10 carats may result in you being able to get $1000 or more for your jewelry if the diamonds score high on clarity and color.

How to Sell Your Small Diamonds

Knowing how much melee diamonds are worth requires both skill and experience. Taking your diamonds to a jeweler can often mean getting less than true value.

The right buyer will be able to professionally appraise your jewelry and also consider the  materials in the setting when appraising your piece. They’ll also have experience with diamond and jewelry purchases and be able to complete the transaction quickly and securely.

Experience, Professionalism, Value

Diamonds USA is an online diamond buyer. Because we don’t have the high overhead of a physical location, we are able to offer you far more for your melee diamonds than offline jewelers and other buyers.

Our experienced appraisers are certified by the GIA or Gemological Institute of America. The GIA is the most highly respected and largest gemstone research and education organization in the country and holds their appraisers to strict standards.

We possess almost 40 years experience with individuals and Fortune 500 companies. Our ability to also assay gold, silver, and platinum settings means that we can offer prices that would otherwise only be offered to private companies.

With Diamonds USA, you never have to wonder how much your tiny diamonds are worth. Every piece we receive goes through a comprehensive, careful, and accurate appraisal by our qualified and experienced team, and you’ll receive a check for the full and actual value of your jewelry.

Diamonds USA makes it incredibly safe and easy to sell your melee diamonds. Just request your appraisal kit. When your insured Appraisal Kit mailer arrives, place jewelry inside, seal and send, and wait for your check or Paypal deposit. Ready to get started? Request your free appraisal today!