Whats the norm with comparison to the Rapaport???

[mystiqkal]

I''m just curious, for those of you who knew what the rapaport said when you bought your diamonds. Did you guys pay under or over the rapaport? What specs would make a diamond price go above the rapaport? I was under the impression that the rapaport price is used if the diamond is ex cut/polish/symmetry and that as the diamond lessons in quality it goes down from the rap price.

would high demand for a specific diamond make it go above rap? We just bought a diamond on Blue Nile and we were told by our jeweler that we paid a "fair price" and that it was about 12% above rap.

 

[swingirl]

I don''t think the Rapaport is a reliable thing to use because vendors are going to use their own mark-up. And does it even consider cut? And whether or not the stone is certified?

But you can compare what you bought to other stones on the internet by using the "Search by Price" (PRICES pull down menu) on PS.

Post your stone''s details, photo and price here. You might get some opinions or links to comparable stones.

 

[honey22]

Rap doesn''t talk into account cut. I honestly didn''t even give it a thought. I just found the best quality stone I could for my budget and asked myself if I was comfortable about spending x dollars on that particular stone.

If you are purchasing from an online PS vendor, I honestly don''t believe you can do better in price anyway, so the Rap is a moot point I guess.

 

[mystiqkal]

I''ve actually posted on our diamond before but i''ll repost, its a cushion brilliant, 8 main:

Here are the stats:
1.59 ct
F color
VS1
VG Cut
Ex Polish
Ex Symmetry
No culet
No florencence
Length to width ratio is 1.00
depth- 67%
table - 61%
Girdle is medium to thick
measurements: 6.99 x 6.97 x 4.67

he paid 16k for it, which we were told was above rap by about 12%

 

[mystiqkal]

Date: 7/19/2008 1:16:42 AM
Author: swingirl
I don''t think the Rapaport is a reliable thing to use because vendors are going to use their own mark-up. And does it even consider cut? And whether or not the stone is certified?

But you can compare what you bought to other stones on the internet by using the ''Search by Price'' (PRICES pull down menu) on PS.

Post your stone''s details, photo and price here. You might get some opinions or links to comparable stones.

we''ve also been trying to compare on blue nile and the search on PS but havent been able to find anything similar (if we''re taking all the specs into consideration) anything that comes close seems to run cheaper...but we''ve been told that we have a fairly unique cushion.

 

[swingirl]

These are similar in color, clarity and size. What make yours unique? I am not an expert on cushions. It's hard to find a perfect match but here are a few to compare. They are all less than $16k but only your eyes can tell if yours is the one for you.

GOG cushion 1.71 ct

GOG cushion 1.51 ct

Everyone raves over the cushions that Mark from ERD carries. A lot of satisfied PS cushion customers. But they don't show photos on the website. You have to call and Mark helps pick one out. Then they send photos.

ERD cushion 1.65 ct

ERD cushion 1.58ct

 

[mystiqkal]

Date: 7/19/2008 3:09:22 AM
Author: swingirl
These are similar in color, clarity and size. What make yours unique? I am not an expert on cushions. It''s hard to find a perfect match but here are a few to compare. They are all less than $16k but only your eyes can tell if yours is the one for you.

GOG cushion 1.71 ct

GOG cushion 1.51 ct

Everyone raves over the cushions that Mark from ERD carries. A lot of satisfied PS cushion customers. But they don''t show photos on the website. You have to call and Mark helps pick one out. Then they send photos.

ERD cushion 1.65 ct

ERD cushion 1.58ct

maybe unique was the wrong word, i thinking saying that its a bit more on the rare side would have been better. Cushions that have the 8-main cut are a bit harder to find (dc888 knows what im talking about). Also when searching for cushions cut clarity and size (as with all other diamonds i presume) are not the only thing that matters. We also have a diamond that is a perfect square and has excellent polish and symmetry, no culet or florencence- basically it fit all the specs my BF was looking for and it took him 2 months of hunting to find it.

I thought that it was because of all the additional specs this diamond had that made the cost go above rap or perhaps that they knew people were looking for this particular type of diamond and thats why they could charge more- but of course its all speculation on my part and i just wanted to see if anyone else paid over rap for a diamond they thought was exceptional.

I love my diamond...its perfect in my eyes and my BF adores it.......i was just curious...

 

[mystiqkal]

oh...and my jeweler said that the rap recently jumped in price too so thats another reason why the price might be higher...

 

[swingirl]

If you got exactly what you were looking for and it is more unique (facet configuration) then you only need to worry about getting it set and on your finger!!

 

[customcushion]

I thought that it was because of all the additional specs this diamond had that made the cost go above rap or perhaps that they knew people were looking for this particular type of diamond and thats why they could charge more

You''re right that quality cushions are rare. My guy searched high and low, and found 2 stunners for me at JCK in Vegas this year. All the stones he bought (He bought dozens, not just for me...), he paid well below Rap sheet price (which is a very broad pricing/value guide, and not indicative of the cost of the individual stone), and my cost was also below the price per carat listed on the Pear Rap sheet.

If the stone is a stunner on your finger, and from the pics I''ve seen it is, don''t worry about the price relative to the Rap.


Also, from what I understand, the Rap sheet for Cushions is the ''Pear'' sheet, and it encompasses other fancy shapes including cushions. Some of these shapes cost more than others, but all have the same Rap.

 

[Dancing Fire]

i've bought stones as much as 35% back of Rap depending on cut quality, lab report ,name brand,market condition,etc...

 

[mystiqkal]

Date: 7/19/2008 3:04:33 PM
Author: swingirl
If you got exactly what you were looking for and it is more unique (facet configuration) then you only need to worry about getting it set and on your finger!!

We having the setting custom made right now for the diamond...so excited! the BF designed the setting himself which makes it that much more special! I cant wait to get it so i can post pictures....we just looked at the wax last week and i accidentally broke it..man when they say that its fragile, its really fragile..hehehe. good thing a few things needed to be fixed on it anyways so i didnt feel so horrible when i broke it!

Just seeing the wide range of pricing available (for all diamonds in general) made me really curious about how vendors decide to price their diamonds. Its actually quite facinating to me. but i''m sure everyone is different on how they decide what the value of a diamond is.

 

[mystiqkal]

Date: 7/19/2008 4:20:24 PM
Author: Dancing Fire
i''ve bought stones as much as 35% back of Rap depending on cut quality, lab report ,name brand,market condition,etc...

Dancing Fire, what does "back of rap" mean? sorry, im not familiar with the lingo yet...

I guess diamonds adhere to the theory of supply and demand too. for some reason i had it in my head that everyone pretty much followed rap... i guess that shows how much i know..lol

 

[customcushion]

I believe he means a 35% discount to Rap