Hearts&Arrows and Rappaport pricing

[cool_rock]

On several postings, I have read warnings about trying to make sense of the Rapaport pricing as a consumer. I do not want to revisit the same issues here.




But, my inquiring mind wants / needs to know the answer to the following hypothetical situation:




Assumptions: Two loose 'ideal cut' GIA diamonds (Diamond A and Diamond B) have the equal color, carat, clarity, certificate and more. Diamond A has the crisp Hearts and Arrows patterns, and Diamond B trades at exact Rapaport price.




What would be the Diamond A's percent increase in price over Diamond B's due to the Hearts and Arrows patterns?

 

[mdx]

Hi cool_rock
The calculation you are trying to do actually cant be done. Rapaport is not a price list and does not reference things like cut, polish,flouro,symmetry etc. Think of it as an international demand language used by the trade.

Johan

 

[Griffin]

Oh c'mon MDX, figuring rap is easy. Just follow these simple steps:

1) Take the current angle of the sun in Tahiti divided by the number of marsupials in Madagascar times how many licks it really takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll pop plus the number of times Bush mispronounced "Nukalur" that week.

2) Figure out this number, write it down on a small piece of paper with a brightly colored crayon, then promptly forget about this number. You won't be using it.

3) Make a wild-a**ed guess.

*note; while it would appear you can skip steps 1 & 2, they are pivotal in convincing your equally befuddled buyer you know something they don't.

*If on a phone, substitute 1 & 2 by putting them on hold often and making important paper shuffling noises! This is key.

Now you know the ancient and closely guarded secrets of working with rap sheets. Good luck!

 

[mdx]

Griffin
Now look what you have done.
You know you where sworn to secrecy
Johan

 

[Rank Amateur]

I'll re-phrase cool_rock's question, leaving RAP out of it.

All other things being equal (lab, fluo., polish, symm., color, shape, proportions, inclusions, etc.,) roughtly what additional premium does a hearts and arrows image bring over a stone without the image?

5%? 10%?

Depends on the skills of the seller? Depends on the predisposition of the buyer?

 

[strmrdr]

Even the revised question is hard to answer for example if the h&a diamond is off the internet and the non in a b&m the h&a could be a lot cheaper.

On the other extreme the h&a could be an 8* and 40-50-60%+ more than the b&m non-h&a.
It is really impossible to answer.

Some of the experts have put the number in the 10% range all else being the same.
Im not sure that even that number is useful there are just too many variables.

 

[cool_rock]

Thanks everyone for such informitive (and entertaining) answers!






Let me further clarify my question:


1. About internet vs. B&M pricing, I had internet pricing in mind.


2. I am refering to only non-branded stones: so non-branded H&A.




Wouldn't there be a typical range of percentages for the premium?




10% is what I thought would be the premium, everything else being equal. Isn't that correct?

 

[Rhino]

LOL... what a thread. Great response Griffin.

You're about there cool rock but don't write that 10% in stone. There are many factors that can sway the Rap pricing with manufacturers. For example D-F VS and higher in the best cut goodies are demanding premiums and the manufacturers that have the high quality goods are not so fast to give them away. Demand for high quality rough is on the rise and there are now some qualities we are patiently waiting for in our top of the line goods (certain clarity/color/carat combinations). There are many instances where non H&A ideal cuts are getting the same numbers as H&A depending upon the demand and clarity/color combos.