comparing prices and apples on princess

[j123]

With my new and increasing knowledge I''ve enjoyed looking at diamonds online. My last search I decided to attempt to compare prices. First step was to compare prices for the same stone by searching virtual listings. Surprisingly there was a 500-900 swing for what appears to be the same exact stone. And these were all internet vendors.

This proved the importance of comparative shopping, something I had thought was negligible in the online diamond marketplace. A few percentages of mark up difference could mean hundreds of dollars and the difference between a deal and a good deal.

It gets more difficult for in house stones since it is impossible to find the same stone from store to store. This means I''d have to make adjustments between two stones to make it apples to apples.

IF I got my hands on a RAP sheet, I should theoretically be able to adjust for ct, color and clarity. The big variable is cut. I know this is a very complicated topic but can you please give me some thoughts on how changes to the table and depth impact price? Or even more generally, what is the change from a 2A to 2B to 3A and so on. There has to be a standard otherwise there wouldn''t be dealer negotiations on purchase.


Thanks

Ps is it pronounced A.S.E.T or "asset" or A-SET"?

 

[Paul-Antwerp]

j123,

You have done some homework, but I do not necessarily agree with your conclusions.

As you have seen, vendors indeed charge different prices for even exactly the same stone. If you know that you indeed want stone X, being offered by multiple vendors, it indeed proves your point of a need of comparative shopping. But how do you know that you indeed want stone X, and not Y or Z?

Going to the cheapest vendor, they will likely be less organized to give you the necessary information to confirm your choice. Most probably, the cheapest will drop-ship without ever wanting to inspect the diamond himself. Choosing the cheapest thus leads you to being in need of a service, that is not foreseen in the price and probably not offered.

Then there is the factor of the personality of a vendor. Some have standards, others have high standards and some have very high standards. Very often, the height of standards translates into a higher cost of doing business and a slightly higher price for the consumer. Since it is impossible to judge diamonds completely online, your efforts to comparison-shop, taking into account cut-quality are flawed.

Therefore, my advice is to concentrate more on people and less on prices. If you find out which vendor''s standards are most in line with your needs, that vendor will be your best choice.

Live long,

 

[ChunkyCushionLover]

Date: 3/10/2010 8:37:39 AM
Author:j123
With my new and increasing knowledge I''ve enjoyed looking at diamonds online. My last search I decided to attempt to compare prices. First step was to compare prices for the same stone by searching virtual listings. Surprisingly there was a 500-900 swing for what appears to be the same exact stone. And these were all internet vendors.

This proved the importance of comparative shopping, something I had thought was negligible in the online diamond marketplace. A few percentages of mark up difference could mean hundreds of dollars and the difference between a deal and a good deal.

It gets more difficult for in house stones since it is impossible to find the same stone from store to store. This means I''d have to make adjustments between two stones to make it apples to apples.

IF I got my hands on a RAP sheet, I should theoretically be able to adjust for ct, color and clarity. The big variable is cut. I know this is a very complicated topic but can you please give me some thoughts on how changes to the table and depth impact price? Or even more generally, what is the change from a 2A to 2B to 3A and so on. There has to be a standard otherwise there wouldn''t be dealer negotiations on purchase.


Thanks

Ps is it pronounced A.S.E.T or ''asset'' or A-SET''?

J123,

Welcome to Pricescope.

Show us what you mean (post link examples) to the SAME stone. We will tell you if it is really the same or if it just appears to be the same.

1) Does the same mean Carat Weight, Color, Clarity, Cut (Facet Plot, Depth % Table %, Crown Angle, Pavillion Angle), Fluorescence, Girdle Symmetry and Polish? Or Does it mean something else?
2) Did the same lab grade the diamond?
3) Rap is too general and is a sign of an inexperienced consumer if you are referencing it for specific pricing on one particular stone. Way too many variations from Rappoport for it to be used more than just a general overview of pricing.
4) Different vendors have different policies like 100% Upgrade, 80% Buyback, 30 Day Return, these often can affect the price of the diamond. In addition while the cheaper vendors are usually drop shippers (they never touch the diamonds) others will call in the diamond inspect it for you and run reflector tests before you have to purchase, this value added service is also worth considering. A drop shipper cannot provide you an ASET image of any stone as they never take posession of virtual inventory.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 3/10/2010 8:37:39 AM
Author:j123
With my new and increasing knowledge I've enjoyed looking at diamonds online. My last search I decided to attempt to compare prices. First step was to compare prices for the same stone by searching virtual listings. Surprisingly there was a 500-900 swing for what appears to be the same exact stone. And these were all internet vendors.

This proved the importance of comparative shopping, something I had thought was negligible in the online diamond marketplace. A few percentages of mark up difference could mean hundreds of dollars and the difference between a deal and a good deal.

It gets more difficult for in house stones since it is impossible to find the same stone from store to store. This means I'd have to make adjustments between two stones to make it apples to apples.

IF I got my hands on a RAP sheet, I should theoretically be able to adjust for ct, color and clarity. The big variable is cut. I know this is a very complicated topic but can you please give me some thoughts on how changes to the table and depth impact price? Or even more generally, what is the change from a 2A to 2B to 3A and so on. There has to be a standard otherwise there wouldn't be dealer negotiations on purchase.


Thanks

Ps is it pronounced A.S.E.T or 'asset' or A-SET'?

Hi J123

This isn't unusual, some virtual diamonds are listed with multiple vendors and as such the prices may vary, some vendors will price match on request. There are also a multitude of reasons why apparently similar stones vary widely in price, therefore each needs careful evaluation - particularly with Princess as in this case.

ASET can be pronounced either way, I say Ah -set but I have heard others pronounce A - set, I don't think it matters particularly.

What exactly are you looking for? We could make some suggestions if you like?

 

[WinkHPD]

I think of the three attempted pronunciations that you give I would say "asset" as you would hear it said in a sentence. When I listed to the folks at AGS talk about it I find the word indistinquishable in pronunciation from the noun.

Of course, I have never been very good about reading pronunciation guides in the dictionary and having a clue how to say the word if I have not heard it first. Which leads me to the thought that if you call one of the vendors here that provides ASET pictures and ask him about the images you will hear them use the word and then you will know how that vendor pronounces the word. Call enough vendors and you will have the sounds of several pronunciations said with various accents in your head, and you can then say it the way you like it.

Wink

 

[Karl_K]

Date: 3/11/2010 10:02:06 AM
Author: Wink
I think of the three attempted pronunciations that you give I would say ''asset'' as you would hear it said in a sentence. When I listed to the folks at AGS talk about it I find the word indistinquishable in pronunciation from the noun.


Of course, I have never been very good about reading pronunciation guides in the dictionary and having a clue how to say the word if I have not heard it first. Which leads me to the thought that if you call one of the vendors here that provides ASET pictures and ask him about the images you will hear them use the word and then you will know how that vendor pronounces the word. Call enough vendors and you will have the sounds of several pronunciations said with various accents in your head, and you can then say it the way you like it.


Wink

lol the best one I have heard was...
ASSSS-Set

 

[Rockdiamond]

To add to the good answers given so far....
Keep in mind that the diamond price lists may have certain inequities not necessarily apparent.
For example- the least expensive seller may not call the stone in for personal assessment and may not offer trade up or a lot of choices on settings.

You have mentioned 2a-2B and other specs.
The chart these specs are from is not used by virtually any dealer outside PS- and I doubt PS vendors use it either.....

 

[Dreamer_D]

Unless you are doing the price assessment for fun -- in which case more power to you

-- then I would suggest it is not really the best or most productive way to make sure you get a good value for your money on the diamond you pick. There will always be a less expensive diamond out there somewhere. But in the end the value of your ring is not just in the money you pay for the diamond. It is in the quality of the setting, the customer service and after care, and in the longer term policies the vendor may offer. Thinking about all of these things is a more productive way of buying a diamond than trying to learn the fine nuances fo diamond pricing in a short period of time.