9 carat diamonds are exceptionally rare. This means a premium in price. It also means poor grades in cut, color and clarity are more noticeable. Your aim when buying a 9 carat diamond ring should be to find the sweet spot between price and quality. At this price point, you can easily pay tens of thousands too much for grades that don’t have any clear difference to the naked eye.
We recommend looking for a diamond with grades between G and I for color, VS1 for clarity, and Excellent or Ideal cut.
To increase the chances of getting an exceptional diamond for a fair price, make sure you look for a diamond with a certificate from the GIA. Feel free to contact us, and we’ll help you settle on the perfect ring for your budget.
Why you should trust us
To help you with the diamond buying process we lean on our expertise and experience. The author of this article, our CEO, Mike Fried has over 20 years of experience in the diamond industry. Mike started from the bottom, sorting and evaluating hundreds of thousands of diamonds to learn every facet (pun intended) of diamond quality and value. Mike followed that up by spending years buying and selling diamonds on the wholesale market as well as selling tens of millions of dollars worth of diamonds to diamond retailers.
Where To Buy 9 Carat Diamond Rings
Due to their rarity, your options for buying a 9 carat diamond are pretty limited. You’re not going to find a diamond of this weight in any old jewelry store. If you did, it’s unlikely you’d get one with the minimum grades in color and clarity we’re looking for.
In most cases, shopping online is the best way to get proper value for your purchase. Online jewelry vendors James Allen, Blue Nile and Brian Gavin Diamonds are the gold standard when it comes to buying diamonds online. All three offer quality service and top-quality diamonds, carrying certifications from the GIA or AGS.
These retailers also offer an impressive range of diamonds, more than any brick-and-mortar store will. The range is obviously a lot smaller for rare diamonds of 9ct and above, however, you can expect to find a selection of decently graded diamonds. Check this 9.03ct F VS1 emerald cut diamond from James Allen.
One physical retailer that we do recommend is Abe Mor Diamonds in New York City. They offer personalized services to help you pick out the perfect diamond, and their specialty is large, rare diamonds. And even though you can make an appointment and meet them in person, they will also work with you remotely from anywhere in the States.
Deal Alert: Get 25% off engagement ring settings at Blue Nile!
Fancy Colored 9 Carat Diamonds
If you’re in the market for a colored 9 carat diamond, Leibish & Co is the place to find it. Leibish is simply the best when it comes to fancy-colored diamonds. They offer the best range, and their expertise in the area of colored diamonds is unmatched.
Check out this beautiful 9.50 carat VVS1 clarity fancy yellow diamond from Leibish & Co.:
9 Carat Diamond Ring Price
As you’re likely aware, the cost of diamond increases as its carat weight becomes larger, meaning not only do you pay more for a larger diamond, but you’ll need to spend more per carat. This is because large, natural diamonds are exceptionally rare, and the rarity commands a significant premium.
”The more scarce something is, the more it is worth. So a larger stone doesn’t just cost more. It also costs more per carat. A 1-carat diamond weighs the same as four 0.25-carat diamonds. But even if all the other quality factors are equal, the larger diamond is worth much more than the sum of the four smaller diamonds.” Gemological Institute of America (GIA)
The price of a 9ct diamond starts around $19,000 per carat, taking into account minimum grades of K/SI2 in color and clarity. Realistically you can expect to spend between $20,000 and $40,000 per carat for a decent quality 9 carat diamond. Significantly more even for an extremely high-grade diamond.
Diamonds of this carat weight are extremely rare, so you can expect a 9 carat diamond ring to be quite expensive. Anything cheaper than $19,000 per carat is likely to be too good to be true. You’re probably looking at a poorly graded diamond.
A low-color diamond, such as A K color diamond is an exception. If you’re looking for K and lower colors, the price, of course, goes down.
The higher up you go in color and clarity, the bigger the difference in price. You can save a lot by sacrificing a few grades, and still come out with a diamond that looks stunning to the naked eye. To understand diamond pricing better, check out our diamond price calculator.
We wouldn’t recommend going any lower than the grades above, however. You’ll save a lot in price, but the diamond is likely to be dull and lifeless. In that case, it would be better to drop down to a little lower carat weight, but pick out a stone that shines like a diamond should.
Diamond Size vs Carat: How Big is a 9 Carat Diamond Ring?
One common misconception is that carat refers to the size of a diamond. Carat is actually a measurement of weight. Each carat is equal to 0.2 grams. Thus a 9 carat diamond weighs 1.8 grams.
There is obviously a correlation between carat weight and size. Any 9ct diamond is going to be extremely large. But the exact size depends on how the diamond is cut. A 9 carat round brilliant cut, the most common diamond shape, will be approximately 13.20 mm in diameter. Different shapes – such as an oval or pear shape – have a larger table and thus a larger appearance.
You can check out our comparison image below where we lined up the average sizes of the most common shapes in 9ct next to a US quarter:
Clarity Rating for 9 Carat Diamond Rings
Clarity is an important grade to pay attention to when picking out a 9 carat diamond ring. A diamond’s clarity grade refers to how clean the diamond’s appearance is. A high grade indicates the diamond is clear of any noticeable imperfections or inclusions. While a low grade in clarity means the diamond has flaws that are clear and obvious to the naked eye.
The clarity grades given by the GIA are as follows (highest to lowest):
- Flawless (FL)
- Internally Flawless (IF)
- Very Very Small Inclusions 1 (VVS1)
- Very Very Small Inclusions 2 (VVS2)
- Very Small Inclusions 1 (VS1)
- Very Small Inclusions 2 (VS2)
- Small Inclusions 1 (SI1)
- Small Inclusions 2 (SI2)
- Inclusions 1 (I1)
- Inclusions 2 (I2)
You should know that it’s not necessary to buy a diamond with the highest clarity grade possible. Above a certain threshold, there is no difference to the naked eye from one grade to the next. So a diamond with an FL grade won’t appear any different from a VVS1 or VVS2 unless you inspect it closely with specialized equipment. You will, however, pay a premium in price for the higher grade.
For diamond clarity, you want to make sure the diamond you’re buying is eye-clean – which means there are no blemishes you can see with the naked eye. Generally, a VS1 or VS2 diamond should have an eye-clean appearance. The larger the diamond, however, the easier it is to spot inclusions, so you would want to err a little on the higher side than if you were buying a 1 or 2 carat diamond.
As the AGS explains, diamonds in the VS clarity range typically only have minor inclusions, even when viewed under bright lighting and 10x magnification in a lab environment. In a “real life” setting, these diamonds often appear completely free of any inclusions or blemishes, all while costing significantly less than a diamond with an FL clarity grade.
In any case, it’s important to closely inspect the diamond before making a purchase, to ensure it actually is eye-clean.
9 Carat Diamond Ring Colors
Along with clarity, color is a majorly important grade for a diamond (particularly one as large and rare as a 9 carat diamond).
Diamonds are given a color grade from D to Z, showing how much color is noticeable in the diamond’s appearance. A D grade is the highest, indicating the diamond is completely clear and colorless. While a diamond with a Z grade in color has an obvious yellow or brown tint.
Color grades make a big difference to the beauty of a diamond. A white or colorless diamond is much more radiant and sought-after than one with a touch of discoloration. As with clarity, though, you can get away with a little under the highest grade.
We suggest aiming for somewhere between G and I for color. In this range, your diamond should appear colorless to the naked eye. Diamonds graded from D to F are significantly more expensive, but won’t have an obvious improvement in quality.
Another thing to consider with color when buying a 9 carat diamond ring is the ring’s setting. Your intention should be to get a diamond that appears white or colorless. The setting can affect this – a ring made from darker metals, such as rose gold or yellow gold, will make a diamond with a lower color grade appear whiter. You put the same diamond on a platinum or white gold setting, and the color becomes much more noticeable.
9 Carat Diamond Ring Shapes
Stunning diamonds are available in a variety of unique shapes. With rare 9 carat diamonds, though, your choices for diamond shape are likely to be a bit more limited. But if you choose to shop at a high-quality online store like James Allen, there should still be a small range of shapes to pick from.
Your decision on diamond shape should be based on the taste, style and finger shape of the wearer. One shape is not better or worse than another, as with grades like color and clarity.
Round brilliant diamonds like this one from James Allen are classic, timeless, and should fit anyone’s taste. They’re also the most common, so give you the widest choice for a beautiful 9 carat diamond at fair value. Otherwise, a longer shaped diamond, such as a marquise or pear shape, offers a larger “face-up” area, and thus a bigger appearance for the same carat weight (and price).
How to Get the Best Value for a 9 Carat Diamond Ring
9 carat diamond rings are rare, and thus generally quite expensive. However, at this price bracket, you can save a lot on the final price of your ring by prioritizing certain grades in the 4 C’s of dimaonds.
On the other hand, you can easily end up spending tens of thousands too much by putting your budget towards the wrong areas, or buying a diamond from an unknown or untrustworthy source.
To start with, the best advice we have for getting top value out for your diamond ring is to buy a diamond that comes with a GIA certificate. This is to give you confidence that the diamond is worthy of the grades it’s been advertised with, and these grades have not been inflated to drive up the price.
It’s also important to inspect the diamond closely before making a decision or having an expert inspect it for you.
We recommend looking for these grades when you buy a 9 carat diamond ring:
- Diamond cut: only buy a 9ct diamond with an Ideal or Excellent cut (for a round cut) or ideal proportions for other shapes.
- Diamond clarity: aim for a VS1 grade for clarity, to find the sweet spot between price and appearance.
- Diamond color: look for a diamond graded between G and I in color.
Finally, shop from a respected vendor like James Allen, Blue Nile, Brian Gavin, or Abe Mor to increase your chances of coming away with a gorgeous 9ct diamond within your budget.
Famous 9 Carat Diamond Engagement Rings
A 9 carat diamond ring is the kind you’d expect from celebrity proposals. One example is actress Kate Hudson’s engagement ring, marking her engagement to musician Matthew Bellamy. The ring features a 9 carat emerald cut diamond, flanked by tapered baguette diamonds and set on a platinum band. Her beautiful diamond ring is estimated to cost $200,000.
Final Thoughts
A 9 carat diamond ring is going to command attention anywhere it goes. A diamond of this size and beauty is incredibly rare. Most people will never see a diamond of this carat weight in their life.
Carat is not everything when it comes to diamonds, however. You need to pay close attention to the diamond’s grades in cut, color and clarity to ensure you come out with a truly beautiful diamond. The downside of buying a ring this large is that imperfections will be more noticeable. You don’t want to pay a premium price for a 9 carat diamond, only for it to have clear and obvious flaws.
If you’re ready to start your search, contact us and we’ll be happy to help you pick out the perfect 9 carat diamond ring.
Here are more carat size topics to browse:
- How to read a diamond carat/size chart
- What are diamonds worth?
- What does the average engagement ring cost?
- What is the price of a ½ carat diamond ring?
- What is the price of a ¾ carat diamond ring?
- What is the price of a 1 carat diamond ring?
- What is the price of a 1.5 carat diamond ring?
- What is the price of a 2 carat diamond ring?
- What is the price of a 2.5 carat diamond ring?
- What is the price of a 3 carat diamond ring?
- What is the price of a 4 carat diamond ring?
- What is the price of a 5 carat diamond ring?
- What is the price of a 6 carat diamond ring?
- What is the price of a 7 carat diamond ring?
- What is the price of an 8 carat diamond ring?
- What is the price of a 10 carat diamond ring?
What we love about them:
- No questions asked returns within 30 days of shipment. James Allen will send you a paid shipping label to return the ring.
- Lifetime Warranty
- Free International Shipping
- Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
- Provide insurance appraisals
- One free resizing within 60 days of purchase
- Free ring inscriptions
- Best-in-class high quality imagery of all diamonds in stock
- 24/7 Customer Service
- Best-in-class packaging
What we love about them:
- No questions asked returns within 30 days of shipment. Blue Nile will send you a paid shipping label to return the ring.
- Lifetime Warranty
- Free Shipping
- Free prong tightening, repolishing, rhodium plating and cleaning every 6 months
- Provide insurance appraisal
- One free resizing within the first year of purchase
- High quality images of about half of their diamonds
- 24/7 Customer Service
- 100% credit towards future upgrades (must be at least double in value)
- Best in class fulfillment
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