fair price per carat for an unheated yellow sapphire?

[sweetleila]

I know this is one of those questions that is difficult to answer without certs, and without specs on cut, and without images. I am very close to purchasing a large unheated intense pure yellow (no orange/green brown tones) sapphire next week. I have been looking for over a year now, so I know a stone like this is hard to come by. That being said, I''d like an idea of fair market price per carat, in this economic climate, so that I am as informed as possible before the potential big purchase next week.

I''ve been using NSC as a barometer of market price, but it seems their prices are higher than other dealers, even for poorly cut stones. Their stones range from $900 to $1500 per carat. Can anyone offer any insight?

Assuming cut, color, and clarity are near perfect, how would you price a 4.5 carat stone? An 8.5 carat stone? What if color and clarity are near perfect, but cut is not, then how would you price the two stones?

thank you SO MUCH for your help.

 

[sweetleila]

Would $1,000 per carat sound right?

 

[chrono]

A 4.5 ct top yellow sapphire Y5/5 would be at least $1K/ct and upwards.
A 8.5 ct top yellow sapphire Y5/5 would be priced closer to $2K/ct and upwards.

 

[sweetleila]

Chrono thank you so much for your help. I''m sorry, but I''m not sure what Y5/5 means. Does that mean yellow sapphire and clarity and cut are a five out of five?

 

[chrono]

I am using the GIA grading scale of the purest yellow hue, top vivid saturation and medium to medium dark tone. Clarity isn't graded but the stone should be eye clean. Cut is also not graded.

This website provides detailed explaination of the colour grading. It's not the best system but is a good reference.
http://www.awesomegems.com/gemfacts.html#color-gia

 

[sweetleila]

Chrono thank you so much.