Is there any wiggle room on the listed prices for diamonds?
- Thread starter redmess
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adrift02
Rough_Rock
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Re: Is there any wiggle room on the listed prices for diamon
While there is always wiggle room for the sales people, I can only speak of my own experience at White Flash. I was given a discount , it came to around ~$200 on top of the Pricescope discount. Couple things that may affect "wiggle room", whether you are bundling items (even a diamond+setting), also if the stone is their top selection or "virtual inventory".
While there is always wiggle room for the sales people, I can only speak of my own experience at White Flash. I was given a discount , it came to around ~$200 on top of the Pricescope discount. Couple things that may affect "wiggle room", whether you are bundling items (even a diamond+setting), also if the stone is their top selection or "virtual inventory".
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Re: Is there any wiggle room on the listed prices for diamon
Must buy the stone from the manufacturer at whatever current cost is, add surcharges for time spent on evaluation/photography and upgrade/long return/buyback policies...
Must buy the stone from the manufacturer at whatever current cost is, add surcharges for time spent on evaluation/photography and upgrade/long return/buyback policies...
Black Jade
Brilliant_Rock
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Re: Is there any wiggle room on the listed prices for diamon
Whiteflash negotiated with me but it was Sept/Oct. 2008, not many people were making significant diamond purchases at that time.
I don't know if they would nowadays, especially with the prices having shot up so much recently, but it never hurts to ask.
Whiteflash negotiated with me but it was Sept/Oct. 2008, not many people were making significant diamond purchases at that time.
I don't know if they would nowadays, especially with the prices having shot up so much recently, but it never hurts to ask.
adrift02
Rough_Rock
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Re: Is there any wiggle room on the listed prices for diamon
Just that diamonds that are branded in the "top" category (ACA for example) have more of a fixed price as they have been thoroughly evaluated. You pay for the "gurantee" in a sense, that the stone is a top performer.
redmess|1305583330|2923439 said:
Just that diamonds that are branded in the "top" category (ACA for example) have more of a fixed price as they have been thoroughly evaluated. You pay for the "gurantee" in a sense, that the stone is a top performer.
lbbaber
Brilliant_Rock
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Re: Is there any wiggle room on the listed prices for diamon
I bought a stone from WF in March that ended up being 1,534 less than the listed price. The stone was around 11,000 originally. It was an 'Expert Selection' though...it missed the 'ACA' mark bc it has a thick girdle. Beautiful stone at a great price. I also bought my setting through them.
It can't hurt to ask. I worked with Tracy and she was wonderful. Let the vendor know your budget and they will do their best to get you what you need. PS vendors are fantastic.
I bought a stone from WF in March that ended up being 1,534 less than the listed price. The stone was around 11,000 originally. It was an 'Expert Selection' though...it missed the 'ACA' mark bc it has a thick girdle. Beautiful stone at a great price. I also bought my setting through them.
It can't hurt to ask. I worked with Tracy and she was wonderful. Let the vendor know your budget and they will do their best to get you what you need. PS vendors are fantastic.
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Re: Is there any wiggle room on the listed prices for diamon
Some years a go a good gemologist buddy of mine actually published quarterly diamond price information which not only broke diamonds down by shape, weight, color and clarity, but by cut grade. Strange as it may seem, the diamonds with the poorer cut grades almost always had the highest asking prices. All the prices published back then had to do with asking prices as there was no public internet display of actual diamond selling prices. We gave it a great deal of thought as to why the very best stones did not appear to command the highest asking prices and then we had a moment of genius where we began to better understand the diamond market. Dealers have, or allow themselves, the most wiggle room on their least desirable stones. They must be highly competitive in their best cut stones, but they can allow the client to wiggle into a comfort zone more readily on diamonds that are not so fabulous and need to be moved out to make room for others being cut. If a customer was not too smart, they'd overpay on the poorest stones. Not many fools around, but the possibility existed and surely happened from time to time.
Any time you are looking to compromise some element of quality, especially in the cut quality of a diamond you are about to buy, the wiggle room may be somewhat larger than if you are going to stick to only shopping for the very best. Those who insist on getting the very best have to bite the bullet and pay the price, or very close to it. If they don't, someone else will. On lesser stones, the dealer may see a somewhat lower offer as acceptable.
A large part of success in negotiation is based on the attitude, or lack of an attitude, that you are able to convey. You want to negotiate based on some knowledge, not just based on a concept that every price is a rip-off. You can't negotiate in good faith if the price asked is already a superb deal compared to other stones. If you are willing to do the homework necessary to make your case and to state it in a business-like way, the dealer may be inclined to budge sometimes. Done politely and with knowledge, a negotiation is not harmful, but mark-ups generally on-line and in competitive stores are not as high as they once were so don't expect big moves even if your delivery of a lower offer is perfect.
Some years a go a good gemologist buddy of mine actually published quarterly diamond price information which not only broke diamonds down by shape, weight, color and clarity, but by cut grade. Strange as it may seem, the diamonds with the poorer cut grades almost always had the highest asking prices. All the prices published back then had to do with asking prices as there was no public internet display of actual diamond selling prices. We gave it a great deal of thought as to why the very best stones did not appear to command the highest asking prices and then we had a moment of genius where we began to better understand the diamond market. Dealers have, or allow themselves, the most wiggle room on their least desirable stones. They must be highly competitive in their best cut stones, but they can allow the client to wiggle into a comfort zone more readily on diamonds that are not so fabulous and need to be moved out to make room for others being cut. If a customer was not too smart, they'd overpay on the poorest stones. Not many fools around, but the possibility existed and surely happened from time to time.
Any time you are looking to compromise some element of quality, especially in the cut quality of a diamond you are about to buy, the wiggle room may be somewhat larger than if you are going to stick to only shopping for the very best. Those who insist on getting the very best have to bite the bullet and pay the price, or very close to it. If they don't, someone else will. On lesser stones, the dealer may see a somewhat lower offer as acceptable.
A large part of success in negotiation is based on the attitude, or lack of an attitude, that you are able to convey. You want to negotiate based on some knowledge, not just based on a concept that every price is a rip-off. You can't negotiate in good faith if the price asked is already a superb deal compared to other stones. If you are willing to do the homework necessary to make your case and to state it in a business-like way, the dealer may be inclined to budge sometimes. Done politely and with knowledge, a negotiation is not harmful, but mark-ups generally on-line and in competitive stores are not as high as they once were so don't expect big moves even if your delivery of a lower offer is perfect.
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