Pricing Fancy Yellows

[kebrehm]

Most sites that attempt to give price ranges do not include the fancy yellows. Is there an general rule of thumb that would equate the yellow diamonds to white diamonds: somethjing like Fancy Light Yellow is similiar to H-I''; Fancy Yellow is similar to F-G; Fancy Intense is similar to E and Fancy Vivid is similar to D - or something like that? I am looking at a fancy yellow (not light or intense) that is 2.2 KT, VVS2 for $6800 per KT. It seems to have good proprotion based on everything else I''ve read but I am at a loss to put it in perspective. Any other resources I can access on this?

 

[Scintillating]

Check out DiamondsByLauren.com, they have lots of info on yellow diamonds.

Yellow Diamond Grading Page

They are also a great vendor for fancies.

Scintillating...

 

[oldminer]

The real problem with all fancy color diamonds is the inconsistency of how they are described and their actual color. No lab has a great handle on accurate and consistent color description. The Intense color stones are not going to dissapoint anyone, but the light fancy and fancy designations are pretty much all over the place. Without accurate descriptions, the prices, if published, would not make a lot of sense.

Sometimes you still need your eyes to shop.

 

[canuk-gal]

Date: 11/2/2006 10:09:18 AM
Author: oldminer
The real problem with all fancy color diamonds is the inconsistency of how they are described and their actual color. No lab has a great handle on accurate and consistent color description. The Intense color stones are not going to dissapoint anyone, but the light fancy and fancy designations are pretty much all over the place. Without accurate descriptions, the prices, if published, would not make a lot of sense.

Sometimes you still need your eyes to shop.

HI:

Interesting. How then is color accuracy determined--is there equipment that measures this or is it more visuals as you suggest? ? Whose then, or what grading scale do you use when appraising yellow colored gems? GIA''s? How does EGL''s assessment of colored stones rate in terms of color "accuracy"?

cheers--Sharon

 

[kebrehm]

I understand what you mean about inconsistency. there are definite ranges within each color. Among two fancy yellow''s that I was consdiering, one was at little deeper in color. Both have GIA certs indicating fancy yellow. I am a newbie but given the current choices (light, fancy, intense, vivid, is it fair to call it an inconsistency rather than acknowleging that there is a range and any differeence in price would be based on eye-appeal? Both are attractive but the larger one happens to also be VVS2 and the other VS and also a little deeper. I had seen the Lauren site that someone suggested and that''s where I started my education but I am still looking for some range of prices - even the Rapp report can''t be viewed in a vacuum for the "white" diamonds.

 

[kebrehm]

Thanks David:

I understand what you''re saying about consistency because between the two stones I am looking at - both just FY - one is definitely a deeper shade. But isn''t there honest disagreement bewteen D and E''s and F''s as well? If I had access to a RAP report would it show a separate category for the yellows? If so, does it somewhat equate with some categories of white diamonds. For example, would a vivid stone be valued at about the same as an "E" - all other things being equal (which they never are!). I see you have a website. I am in Jersey - not that far. If/when I buy this FY and set it as I like, it will compell me to get a jewelry rider. Can I bring all of my stuff (a few diamond pieces but mostly inexpensive but yet gold) to you and have you give me a descrptive list and value for insurance purposes. Can you do that and price by teh hour? For the yellow stone, I would at least like affirmation that the stone that lands in the ring is the stone on the GIA cert. Can you do that once set?

 

[oldminer]

Yes, we do all of what you need based on hourly rates, per the website.....
By appointment, while you wait and watch, right there with the items in your sight. Since you are close by, we may be the right place. If you were far away, there are many others here who are also well qualified and very willing to help people out.

There are some wholesale price sheets on fancy yellow diamonds, but not by Rapaport. Just like Rapaport, they can be quite misleading to consumers and they are all copyrighted for subscribers only. Sharing such information in a vacuum would be more dangerous than useful, so the copyright is a secondary issue. Everyone participating here has seen consumers left in a confused state from misinformation, too much information, too little information, etc.

Hopefully, some of us can balance out what you need and actually give you correct advice.

 

[kebrehm]

You are right on with your advice. I have a compulsion for research no matter what the topic. I told my cardiologist recently on a subsequent visit that I now had my medical degree and I was ready to discuss protocols for further testing. (fortunately, I didn''t have heart disease but you get the point!). One upside to doing the research is that you are able to ask the right questions and this has a tendency to put retailers on their toes when dealing with you. I want to pay a fair price for a quality stone. I have the GIA''s on a few I am considering and I think I will post the data and let the experts weigh in.

I am going to look for another thread on having a setting made. I found several I like but they are at B&M stores and they only sell the entire package. I have reservations about having a setting made from a pic. first because I believe in the designer''s right to his/her art and second, even if you used it as a concept, there is something to be said about trying before you buy!

thanks again for your expert advice.

 

[Richard Sherwood]

There was a post by David of Diamonds by Lauren in November of 2003 that I found helpful in my appraising. It's not the final opinion by any means, but is helpful when combining with other information in forming an opinion.

In it he compared fancy colored prices (in well made radiant cuts) with white diamond pricing. He stressed that this was over simplifying to the Nth degree, but thought it would be helpful to all in placing fancy color prices in the right ballpark by comparing them to white diamond pricing. I quote him verbatim:

Y-Z (natural light yellow) "I would say the pricing is something about what you would pay for an L/VS."
Fancy Light Yellow- "K/VS"
Fancy Yellow- "G/VS"
Fancy Intense Yellow- "D/VVS"
Fancy Vivid- "D/IF + 25 to 40%"