Blue Nile charges more for GIA than AGS?

[winddrifter]

I have been doing some searches on Blue Nile Signature Collection and it seems like they charge more for lower GIA certified carrot diamonds at the same cut, colour and clarity than AGS diamonds.

Does anyone know why they would do this if AGS is meant to be a better grading company? Is it to make it look like GIA is better since it is better known?

Cheers,
WindDrifter

 

[yssie]

examples?



if anything AGS0s carry the premium.

 

[winddrifter]

Sorry:

AGS
Stock number: LD01754511
Price: AU$ 18,922
Bank wire price: AU$ 18,639
Price per carat: AU$ 11,753
Carat weight: 1.61
Cut: Signature Ideal
Color: F
Clarity: VS2
Depth %: 61.2%
Table %: 55%
Symmetry: Ideal
Polish: Ideal
Girdle: Thin to Medium, Faceted
Culet: Pointed
Fluorescence: None
Measurements: 7.58 x 7.63 x 4.64 mm
Cut: Blue Nile Signature Ideal
Color: F
Clarity: VS2

GIA
Diamond Details
Stock number: LD01269805
Price: AU$ 19,256
Bank wire price: AU$ 18,968
Price per carat: AU$ 12,668
Carat weight: 1.52
Cut: Signature Ideal
Color: F
Clarity: VS2
Depth %: 61.6%
Table %: 55%
Symmetry: Excellent
Polish: Excellent
Girdle: Thin to Slightly Thick, Faceted
Culet: Small
Fluorescence: None
Measurements: 7.41 x 7.37 x 4.55 mm
Cut: Blue Nile Signature Ideal
Color: F
Clarity: VS2

 

[yssie]

Those are incredibly close in price, don't worry about it.


Sometimes even with a single vendor stones are priced a little differently depending on when and where they were cut, what the prices of rough were like at that time, how quickly inventory is moving, the time of month, when the next blue moon will be... you get my drift. There are a thousand different things that could cause a difference of a few hundred in a stone worth tens of thousands.. if it was a three thousand dollar difference you'd have everyone's attention

 

[winddrifter]

But there is .09 carrot difference?

 

[yssie]

carat

1.5 is rather a magic number... diff between a 1.61 and a 1.52 is much less impressive (or expensive) than a 1.42 and a 1.51, say. Well, that''s the theory, anyway.

 

[winddrifter]

Ahh thanks for the advice. Sorry about Carat I think I am too hungry.

Thanks for your quick resposes too! Have a great weekend!

 

[yssie]

No prob

I''m already hungry and it''s 2am in these parts, the last thing I need is a discussion on carrots.


Good luck!

 

[John P]

Yssie is wise - as well as hungry.

I'd add that the AGS report format is not the most current. GIA is also more widely known in global terms and the US is not BN's only market. Those things, the additional clarity characteristic, the 41.2 PA, sourcing five months apart or something not discernable from the listings may have influenced the price dif.

 

[Rockdiamond]

I was speaking with a site holder yesterday who mentioned he felt AGS was trading at larger discount than GIA due to the fact there''s a perception GIA is more strict on clarity...


But more pertinent to the original question......any of the lists online show fairly large percentage differences between ostensibly similar diamonds. IMO this has more to do with the fact that there can be substantive differences between two diamonds with the same GIA or AGSL grade. -