Are pears and marquise cuts really worth 20-40% less?

[RedSpinel]

I was reading this article at Palagems site yesterday. They have a lot of info at their site, and some neat stuff. Anyway, they were talking about all the usual important aspects that make one gem worth more than another. It was mostly the standard fare, the 4 C's. They talked about the quality of cutting, such as symmetry, proper depth to width and height, etc.

Then they talked about comparing the value of a gem based on which type of cut is chosen. The long and short of it was that ovals are worth approx. 10-20% less than emerald or rounds, and worse yet, they claim that pears and marquise cuts are worth 20-40% less than emerald or rounds.

I dont know if there is some truth to this, and maybe its just a bit exaggerated. To be clear, they were talking about gems that were cut well. It wasnt comparing a quality emerald cut versus an uneven pear with a window. It was apples to apples. They were comparing gems of equal quality cutting, and equal size and overall gem quality, just different styles of cuts.

Lets imagine looking at 4 nice blue sapphires from the exact same parcel, the same color and clarity, all 4 of them cut well, and all the same ct weight, but of different styles of cuts. One is an oval, the next a radiant emerald cut, the next a pear and lastly a marquise cut. Lets say they are all 2cts even each. Now, imagine the price of the emerald and round cuts are $4,000 each, the oval is $3,200, and lastly the pear and marquise are $2,400 each. Does it really seem likely that the difference in price would be that great, just based on the styles of cutting, with all other concerns being equal?

 

[the_mother_thing]

I suppose it's a matter of supply and demand. I don't believe there is as much demand for pear & marquise shapes in recent years (though they seem to be making a comeback) whereas the rounds and emeralds are still in higher demand, thus priced accordingly.

Works for me though because I have been thinking about an E-W marquise ring project, so perhaps I oughta get on the ball before their prices climb back up.

 

[LoversKites]

Hm I really have no idea. I don't think I've seen enough pears or marquise cuts to notice a difference.

 

[JewelFreak]

If quality is equal, it is probably lower demand for pears & marquises. Possibly more so for larger ones in that those shapes are used for accents but not so much for center stones. If & when they come back into style, prices will rise.

 

[chrono]

If everything is equal for a top quality gem (colour, clarity, carat weight, treatment and cut), then yes, there will be a price difference for the various shapes. Rounds are so uncommon so they are priced higher. Ovals are the most common so they will be priced lower compared to the rounds but I'm sure the oval is still very expensive to begin with. The percentage will vary from gem type to gem type.

My guide is several years behind the times but you can see the comparison. Sadly, you can see how low price/ct used to be, even for top quality gems.