Date: 2/17/2009 7:54:34 AM
Author: denverappraiser
1. I have been offered an opportunity to buy appx 4 carats of rough un-cut Kimberly approved diamonds.
You are being scammed. Run away.
2. Now is there any way to ensure that these are genuine diamonds and not a moissanite for example...?
Sure. Buy from credible sources. Have an expert on your side assist. It’s not actually all that difficult to recognize moissonite and the like but it does take a little bit of practice. There are FAR more difficult questions in this process if you expect to pass through with your wallet intact.
3. Where would I find a price comparison to rough diamonds? Cause I have no idea that the price asked for them is within reason / cheap or expensive…?
I guarantee that they’re expensive. Why? Because if they weren’t, they would be offering them for sale through more professional channels. You are being scammed.
There are lots of folks selling rough diamonds on ebay that you can look at for comparable prices but, of course, you know no more about those stones than you do abut the ones you are considering.
4. Where can I find an estimate quote to get rough diamonds cut into various shapes..? or in other words how much does it cost to get diamonds cut and polished.
Cutters charge between $25/ct and $400/ct depending on where they are and how much work you have to give them. Yield from rough, meaning the size of the finished stone compared to the original will range from 40% of the original weight down to about 5%. Estimating the yield as well as the resultant clarity and color that you can expect is an art form unto itself. You may be able to hire someone to do this but mostly they are already your competitors themselves and won’t want to do it. In the US I would expect this talent to cost you between $100-$300/hr.
Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver