Yellow color diamond pricing

[inyminy]

Hi,
Can someone please tell me what one would expect to pay per carat for W-X light yellow color pear shape 2+ ct diamond, VS1? How much does cut quality play a role in pricing on fancy shapes? I can't find any web sites to give me an idea about the pricing on such stones. Tried Bluenile, James Allen, Leibish, etc but none of them have stones on the bottom of the colorless scale that haven't made the fancy designation. Are such stones considered I don't want to say worthless, but a neither here nor there (not colorless and not fancy color) that make them not so valuable? Thank you!

 

[kenny]

A diamond on GIAs D-Z scale that got a grade near Z will be less expensive than if GIA determined it belongs in the Fancy Colored Diamond category.
Some look very similar to my eyes, at least in the pics I've seen, but GIA is the unquestioned authority.
Supposedly if one gets a Fancy grade the hue is more 'pretty' and 'clean' than the XYZ grades.
But I've seen some XYZs that are very attractive.

I suspect XYZs sell very quickly because some may perceive them to be a great value.
Some can look line an FCD, but for a much lower price.

Go ahead and enjoy and love your XYZ, but it is not same as an FCD.
An FCD is an FCD and a D-Z is a D-Z, which the buyer will find out when she/he goes to sell their XYZ.
They won't get as much money for an XYZ compared to a GIA-graded FCD, regardless of how much it looks like an FCD to the eyes of us mere mortals.
GIA's decision of which category to place it in is the elephant in this room.

I suspect that unlike the trend of prices going DOWN as you descend from D through, say, RST the price may actually start increasing as you approach Z ... but only on the individuals with prettier and cleaner yellow, not the not muddy, gray or brown ones.

Diamonds that are expected to get an FCD grade are not cut for light performance only for weight retention and color strength.
If they can facet it to keep the light bouncing back and forth in the colored body material more times before exiting out the top the light will pick up more color and the diamond may get a stronger color grade from GIA and be worth much more money.
That's why we see so many radiant cut FCDs but so few rounds, emerald and asscher cuts.

 

[inyminy]

Thanks Kenny, I expected as much. Would $3,500-4,000/ct be the going rate?

 

[kenny]

Thanks Kenny, I expected as much. Would $3,500-4,000/ct be the going rate?

Sorry, when it comes to FCDs or D-Z diamonds near Z, I avoid price predictions.
The quality and desirability of the hue can vary a great deal within one GIA grade, and so will the price.
This, combined with rarity of examples, makes price comparisons between vendors, or even at the same vendor, frustrating and futile.

ETA: I feel much more comfortable with a price that a vendor publishes on the Internet.
I don't feel comfortable with prices only revealed in secret after the vendor has sized you up.
If they feel you are not well-informed the quoted price may be higher.

IMO, vendors are very careful to publish prices that are appropriate.
If they price it too high compared to the competition it won't sell, too low and they won't make money.

 

[pinkjewel]

check with Diamonds by Lauren- David does get diamonds in that range. I have a Z that I bought from him- it was perfect for me as I wanted a more pastel look. I could easily have had it set to look deeper by picking a setting with a yellow gold "cup" underneath which will really amp up the color. Here is my Z surrounded by natural fancy pink diamonds. (Diamonds by Lauren setting,too). Mine is around 1.5cts

 

[inyminy]

Thanks Kenny, I expected as much. Would $3,500-4,000/ct be the going rate?

Sorry, when it comes to FCDs or D-Z diamonds near Z, I avoid price predictions.
The quality and desirability of the hue can vary a great deal within one GIA grade, and so will the price.
This, combined with rarity of examples, makes price comparisons between vendors, or even at the same vendor, frustrating and futile.

ETA: I feel much more comfortable with a price that a vendor publishes on the Internet.
I don't feel comfortable with prices only revealed in secret after the vendor has sized you up.
If they feel you are not well-informed the quoted price may be higher.

IMO, vendors are very careful to publish prices that are appropriate.
If they price it too high compared to the competition it won't sell, too low and they won't make money.

Excellent point Kenny. Pinkjewel, I like the pastel look more as well at the moment. Your ring is gorgeous! Didn't see anything online but I'll try calling Diamonds by Lauren.

 

[kenny]

FCDs of lower saturation look 'pastel' too.
Saying XYZs look more pastel than lower-saturation FCDs is not accurate.
GIA's five least saturated FCD grades of Faint, Very Light, Light, Fancy Light and Fancy can look pastel.

Nature does not place diamonds in the middle of GIA grades.
Nature gives us diamonds in a continuous graduation of hues, saturation and tone.
When GIA draws a line between FCD and XYZ some diamonds on each side of the line will look almost identical, but be priced very differently.

 

[Rockdiamond]

Hi All!

IN terms of the "lower alphabet" stones in general:
The market has shifted over the past few years.
We can see this in the offerings of some of the most prestigious Fifth Avenue stores, who used to carry only Fancy Intense Yellow, or Fancy Vivid Yellow. Now you'll routinely see Fancy Light Yellow in these high line places.
The shift is broad based- for example the Far East markets have also embraced the lighter colors.
Greater demand equals a shift in prices as well. In addition, it's not necessarily rarity that makes a Fancy Vivid Yellow cost so much more than a Y-Z- the lighter colored stones can also be quite scarce on the market.
As Kenny mentioned, nature does not place diamonds in the middle of grades- which also means that the difference between some Fancy Light Yellows, and Y-Z stones are quite subtle. This means the term "Fancy Colored Diamond" is more of a market based term as opposed to a reality based term. Many people will see a Y-Z and (correctly) identify it as a "Yellow Diamond". GIA grading attaches the term "Fancy" to Fancy Light yellow, but the eye may not. True that when one sells a Y-Z, th differnce to a Fancy Light Yellow may be marked- but a lower purchae price equalizes this aspect.
BTW_ GIA will not use the "Faint" "Very Light", or "Light" designation on yellow diamonds, these grades are reserved for the super expensive colors such as Pink and Blue.

About cut- My experience is that cutters can indeed focus on light performance when cutting lighter yellow- but as Kenny points out, the performance is different than many colorless diamonds.
In both cases you can find extraordinary cut stones, average cut, and poorly cut stones.
I'd look for stones that don't have a lot of dark areas, and look consistently bright throughout a range of motion. Another consideration is size for the weight- in general an overly deep diamond will look smaller than a more shallow stone of the same weight.

Hope this helps and Happy Hunting!

ETA- I just noticed that you're looking for a pear shape:
As opposed to colorless stones, where Cushion, and Radiant are approximately equivalent to Pear shape in pricing ( aside from branded or certain "chunky" cushions)- in Fancy Colored, and lower alphabet color stones, Pear Shape commands a premium in general as compared to Cushion Modified, or Radiant Cut.
Kenny also pointed out the rarity of step cuts and rounds in these colors, which can also make them cost more.