The upgrade to end all upgrades...

[Arcadian]

@Cerulean considering some of us know round about the ballpark, I wouldn't be fedexing it either. (I hardly want to use them for fabric considering they poked holes in every one of my damn packages for 4 freaking weeks)

Considering how much it likely is, armored car and armed guard makes sense to me. I would too!

OP isn't selling so its very rude for anyone to try to get a price on it (not that people care, it is rude tho) And the vendor (rightly so) doesn't have to say how much it sold for either.

I think that OP sounds excited and over the moon. I would be too.

Reality is, we are not all at the same place in this life. Some can spend more than others. This being a jewelry oriented board and really all about the luxury at a high level, should people be excluded because they can "afford the best?"

Not being bitchy but I will say I don't think you're being very fair.

 

[Rfisher]

To whoever reached out to the vendor…can you honestly blame them? I sure as heck don’t.

I think it depends on intent?

Reaching out because they themselves have the cash to plunk down to the vendor to have the vendor go source them something similar?

Or because it’s bonding chit chat gossip time with their pal (but not really) vendor. Getting that sweet sweet insider info cred. I have to imagine a ballpark estimate wasn’t sufficient. Because yeah - that was already given here. Whomever is the PS’er must have really pushed and re-pushed for exact dollars. Pushed for what kind of ‘deal’ OP got.

 

[Cerulean]

@Cerulean considering some of us know round about the ballpark, I wouldn't be fedexing it either. (I hardly want to use them for fabric considering they poked holes in every one of my damn packages for 4 freaking weeks)

Considering how much it likely is, armored car and armed guard makes sense to me. I would too!

OP isn't selling so its very rude for anyone to try to get a price on it (not that people care, it is rude tho) And the vendor (rightly so) doesn't have to say how much it sold for either.

I think that OP sounds excited and over the moon. I would be too.

Reality is, we are not all at the same place in this life. Some can spend more than others. This being a jewelry oriented board and really all about the luxury at a high level, should people be excluded because they can "afford the best?"

Not being bitchy but I will say I don't think you're being very fair.

This has nothing to do with whether or not an armored vehicle makes sense. I honestly would probably hire one too. Really besides the point.

This also has nothing to do with how much anyone can or can't spend on jewelry. If I didn't make that clear, let me make sure it's suuuper clear. I LOVE the higher ticket items. I LIVE for it. That is half the dang reason I'm here. I'm sure most of us agree. Half of my previous post was to help explain that this isn't an accusation of jealousy or "how dare anyone come on this forum and flaunt something expensive" - omg absolutely NOT! I'd wither and cry if the more lavish posts went away.

Also, this diamond is SPECTACULAR and a dream diamond for many. I'm drooling! As an old cut girl with a hankering for high colored (as well as loooow colored) diamond, I couldn't imagine anything more than just beaming every time I wore this. I hope OP doesn't stop sharing pictures.

My point is, there is a huge difference between spending a lot and being graceful about it and waving it in people's faces. There is even away to be politely informative about a very expensive piece without being showy. Many RT threads are super price specific and some are for very expensive diamonds!

Do I think someone inquiring about the actual cost is rude? Absolutely. But when the subject is prodded multiple times over by none other than OP, how can you blame someone for maybe crossing that line?

Do I seriously need to cross reference the actual screenshot of a dollar figure in this very own thread with cost estimates of how far off it was from actual money spent? I mean seriously?

I know now I'm being b*tchy but I was actually floored.

Now, if you're gonna go ahead and do that...whatever! It's your diamond and you can do whatever you want. Own it then and don't admonish someone for being curious and picking up not so far from where you left off...

 

[Cerulean]

@Cerulean considering some of us know round about the ballpark, I wouldn't be fedexing it either. (I hardly want to use them for fabric considering they poked holes in every one of my damn packages for 4 freaking weeks)

Considering how much it likely is, armored car and armed guard makes sense to me. I would too!

OP isn't selling so its very rude for anyone to try to get a price on it (not that people care, it is rude tho) And the vendor (rightly so) doesn't have to say how much it sold for either.

I think that OP sounds excited and over the moon. I would be too.

Reality is, we are not all at the same place in this life. Some can spend more than others. This being a jewelry oriented board and really all about the luxury at a high level, should people be excluded because they can "afford the best?"

Not being bitchy but I will say I don't think you're being very fair.

Also, let's be honest - I'd prob be flying first class to pick up my own damn diamond with my own little raccoon paws rather than entrust anyone else on god's green earth...and i'd be whispering "my precious" into my suitcase the entire ride home

 

[Resonance.Of.Life]

Honestly this thread is so cringe. There are so many fabulous jewels on PS, some of which I know cost a fortune. Items that if I do quick mental math, are well beyond what I could ever hope to afford. Threads where the OP comes in with six figure budgets in a way that is matter of fact and boy do we chomp at the bit to help window shop because the lavishness is half the fun! I relish the chance to look at these precious jewels! It’s a privilege and I am humbled. And what a delight to see things on the other end of the spectrum, too.

Price transparency is also a great element of this forum too, but OP, I don’t know you at all…but you did everything but show us a receipt. From mentioning that FedEx is simply ~ beneath ~ your jewel, that you require an armored vehicle, to a screenshot of the price of your diamond on a competitor website…multiple insinuations of jUsT hOw mUcH u sP3nT. We got it. Message HEARD. You made it abundantly clear that your rock was EXPENSIVE with an air of superiority I’ve never seen on this forum and hope to never see again. Beautiful diamond, but wow. Maybe you didn’t intend to come off the way I’m perceiving it but… I’m frankly quite shocked

To whoever reached out to the vendor…can you honestly blame them? I sure as heck don’t.

That was how I found my diamond- it reappeared erroneously on rare carat as an oval and that was still not the highest price it was being offered at when I was searching for who had the best price. Several ig sellers had absurd asking prices over what rare carat listed it for.

Guess my point in talking about the various pricing is that each vendor has varying margins and it is to your benefit to shop around for pricing. Many vendors have access to the same stones unless it’s owned by a particular jeweler then the price is pretty set. I certainly was not going to be paying an absurd amount over what the diamond was originally offered for from Anup - that's just plain idiotic. Not to beat a dead horse at this point.

Re: shipping; FedEx was not recommended due to the value. While yes, it would be insured, it would take eons to find anything remotely close to it to replace it should it go missing . I already spent 3 years looking for a bigger cushion and I honestly didn’t intend on going this big but it’s my last upgrade- being GIA H and an authentic antique so it fit the bill.

However, this is also not the first time someone on pricescope has reached out to a vendor regarding a purchase of mine. Regardless of intent, it's just bad form to ask about pricing of a previous sale. You can ask how much something similar would cost, but to ask about my particular purchase is just invasive and unnecessary. I don't think it would be a good business practice to tell any random person asking for how much a client paid for something.

Honestly I’m just excited and over the moon that I was able to get my upgrade. I’ve worked hard and I’ve never been a snob (I told my husband I’d marry him with a ring from a Cracker Jack box). My only luxury hobby besides fostering medically needy dogs (I foot the Bill for their vet needs) is jewelry and I don’t own a lot of jewelry .

 

[Resonance.Of.Life]

This has nothing to do with whether or not an armored vehicle makes sense. I honestly would probably hire one too. Really besides the point.

This also has nothing to do with how much anyone can or can't spend on jewelry. If I didn't make that clear, let me make sure it's suuuper clear. I LOVE the higher ticket items. I LIVE for it. That is half the dang reason I'm here. I'm sure most of us agree. Half of my previous post was to help explain that this isn't an accusation of jealousy or "how dare anyone come on this forum and flaunt something expensive" - omg absolutely NOT! I'd wither and cry if the more lavish posts went away.

Also, this diamond is SPECTACULAR and a dream diamond for many. I'm drooling! As an old cut girl with a hankering for high colored (as well as loooow colored) diamond, I couldn't imagine anything more than just beaming every time I wore this. I hope OP doesn't stop sharing pictures.

My point is, there is a huge difference between spending a lot and being graceful about it and waving it in people's faces. There is even away to be politely informative about a very expensive piece without being showy. Many RT threads are super price specific and some are for very expensive diamonds!

Do I think someone inquiring about the actual cost is rude? Absolutely. But when the subject is prodded multiple times over by none other than OP, how can you blame someone for maybe crossing that line?

Do I seriously need to cross reference the actual screenshot of a dollar figure in this very own thread with cost estimates of how far off it was from actual money spent? I mean seriously?

I know now I'm being b*tchy but I was actually floored.

Now, if you're gonna go ahead and do that...whatever! It's your diamond and you can do whatever you want. Own it then and don't admonish someone for being curious and picking up not so far from where you left off.

Yeah, you can’t really calculate based on what I posted even with the amounts because I never posted what the actual highest asking was. But again, we tell people to look around and see if it’s a “virtually owned stone” and get the best price right ? The amounts I posted was really more in my intent to be informative about not overpaying when I knew what the pricing originally was before it got sold when I passed on it. It was eye opening exactly how much profit some vendors were aiming for. Not that it is wrong to make a profit but holy heck not at that range .

If the person was actually interested in making a purchase vs trying to get “insider info” gossip type of discussions like Rfisher mentioned , that would be a different ball of wax. Because a person would ask ballpark vs what a specific diamond was sold for. I’ve asked for ballpark estimates on specs not a particular diamond kwim ?

I can see why you feel the way you did but I think here it’s hard to read tone. I figured talking about my final upgrade in all its glory would be welcomed . I’ve been a serial upgrader since my debut on the forum in 2011 give or take. I don’t wear a lick of jewelry to work and don’t talk about my luxury purchases at work with my patients or coworkers. Although I do dispense advice so my co workers don't get taken by a shady jeweler charging obscene amounts for a subpar diamond.

 

[oncrutchesrightnow]

I would be SO EMBARRASSED if an armored vehicle rolled up and some armed guard came over to my house with a package. Like dude, no.

 

[nala]

Funny enough, it was erroneously listed as an oval on Rare carat . The Gia cert is exactly the same lol.

The person who asked for the highest price is actually an IG seller

Late to this thread and catching up. I suspect that the person who asked the vendor for the price was curious to know how low the vendor could really go, given this screenshot. No. It wasn’t me, lol, but I can kind of see a PSer wanting to know how much of a price discrepancy there between vendors and not really meant to invade your privacy. But if that is not the case, I am sure the vendor can tell you who it is so that you don’t feel stalked.
It’s a shame this thread of such a gorgeous gem had to get derailed.

 

[Resonance.Of.Life]

I would be SO EMBARRASSED if an armored vehicle rolled up and some armed guard came over to my house with a package. Like dude, no.

Lol I didn't have it delivered to my house. It was sent to Grace to get the culet fixed. I flew to pick it up from her.

 

[Resonance.Of.Life]

Late to this thread and catching up. I suspect that the person who asked the vendor for the price was curious to know how low the vendor could really go, given this screenshot. No. It wasn’t me, lol, but I can kind of see a PSer wanting to know how much of a price discrepancy there between vendors and not really meant to invade your privacy. But if that is not the case, I am sure the vendor can tell you who it is so that you don’t feel stalked.
It’s a shame this thread of such a gorgeous gem had to get derailed.

The question is why wasn't it asked directly if that's the case vs asking a business about a private transaction? But margins vary from vendor to vendor right depending on the stone . And unless they asked every single vendor I inquired about the stone with- it’s really not telling. Also, not really telling because I never exposed the highest price- so you can't count backwards without the top price. Also- each vendor may negotiate a better price from a dealer, so that may influence their pricing as well. Just like any other industry right?

Maybe it's just me, but I was raised to not ask about the price of something someone bought because it's considered rude. I also never ask someone "is that real?" but I can tell you countless times that I've been asked that with every single ring I've had from 1 carat to my last ring, Isla.

 

[finerthings]

Why can't we all enjoy this thread and the incredible jewel that @Resonance.Of.Life purchased without slamming her? We are all here because we love jewels for crying out loud! Just sit back and relax!

 

[caf]

That was how I found my diamond- it reappeared erroneously on rare carat as an oval and that was still not the highest price it was being offered at when I was searching for who had the best price. Several ig sellers had absurd asking prices over what rare carat listed it for.

Guess my point in talking about the various pricing is that each vendor has varying margins and it is to your benefit to shop around for pricing. Many vendors have access to the same stones unless it’s owned by a particular jeweler then the price is pretty set. I certainly was not going to be paying an absurd amount over what the diamond was originally offered for from Anup - that's just plain idiotic. Not to beat a dead horse at this point.

Re: shipping; FedEx was not recommended due to the value. While yes, it would be insured, it would take eons to find anything remotely close to it to replace it should it go missing . I already spent 3 years looking for a bigger cushion and I honestly didn’t intend on going this big but it’s my last upgrade- being GIA H and an authentic antique so it fit the bill.

However, this is also not the first time someone on pricescope has reached out to a vendor regarding a purchase of mine. Regardless of intent, it's just bad form to ask about pricing of a previous sale. You can ask how much something similar would cost, but to ask about my particular purchase is just invasive and unnecessary. I don't think it would be a good business practice to tell any random person asking for how much a client paid for something.

Honestly I’m just excited and over the moon that I was able to get my upgrade. I’ve worked hard and I’ve never been a snob (I told my husband I’d marry him with a ring from a Cracker Jack box). My only luxury hobby besides fostering medically needy dogs (I foot the Bill for their vet needs) is jewelry and I don’t own a lot of jewelry .

Speaking of fostering - at my house we have “failed fosters” because I adopt them. My all time high was 5 dogs and 4 cats. Now we just have 3 dogs. But so good of you @Resonance.Of.Life to help the medically needy dogs!!! And your diamond is gorgeous!

 

[mrs-b]

Yeah, you can’t really calculate based on what I posted even with the amounts because I never posted what the actual highest asking was. But again, we tell people to look around and see if it’s a “virtually owned stone” and get the best price right ? The amounts I posted was really more in my intent to be informative about not overpaying when I knew what the pricing originally was before it got sold when I passed on it. It was eye opening exactly how much profit some vendors were aiming for. Not that it is wrong to make a profit but holy heck not at that range .

Hey there, @Resonance.Of.Life

I love (and I mean luuuuuuurve!) your new diamond! How immeasurably STUNNING! Congratulations, wear in good health always, and THANK YOU for sharing it with us!

I also have no issue with anything you've said re your purchase, prices, delivery etc, or feel there was any "tone" to speak of. You're proud of your new diamond: who the heck wouldn't be?!

However - re the average reader being able to calc the price or not, I would have thought it was fairly straight forward: you said people offered to sell it to you for 45-72k over what Anup offered to charge for it, and that the person on Rare Ct suggested 200k, and that they were the highest. So that makes it reasonably straight forward to work out....roughly, thereabouts, give or take whatever markup there might have been between 2022 and 2023.

Re prices of things on PS, I think it's a very gray area. For me, PS itself (as opposed to the people in it) is not so much a group of friends, or a social network, so much as a consumer education site for people buying (mostly) diamonds (obviously not only diamonds - a big shout out here to the mavens in the pearl forum!). But to that end, price is a large part of the purchasing experience, and I often feel that sharing price is as useful as sharing one's finger size when posting photos of finished pieces, so others can get a sense of proportion. In the same way, posting price allows people to get a sense of what their layout will be.

I don't do this all the time, obviously. But when I post diamonds bought on BN, for instance, I normally leave the price on the relevant page so people can get a sense of what's out there and for how much. I'm honestly just trying to be helpful.

So I can understand someone asking price information. Looking for comps isn't some people's strong suit. Nor, with an unusual stone, is it always possible. And vendors differ widely - as you said. Soooo.... there's an argument for it.

There's also a bunch of arguments against it.

To that end, I neither blame people who ask, nor misunderstand or disrespect those who choose not to post price - and that's also the majority. It's also me, most of the time. Money's a tricky issue in virtually every scenario and it makes sense to mentally 'leave space' for those with different approaches to one's own.

@Resonance.Of.Life - I sensed no tone. I sensed pride and joy. More power to you, sister! Would that we could all be so lucky!

Again - congratulations!

 

[missy]

Yes, a PSer messaged her. This is not the first time I’ve experienced this either. I don’t understand why people think they are entitled to that information if it wasn’t a listed stock item.

Wow. Sad to say I’m not that shocked however. It’s why I prefer animals over most people.
@Resonance.Of.Life your diamond is spectacular in every way. I have said it before and I’ll say it again. Breathtaking. Wear in good health and very blingy joy

 

[Mreader]

The question is why wasn't it asked directly if that's the case vs asking a business about a private transaction? But margins vary from vendor to vendor right depending on the stone . And unless they asked every single vendor I inquired about the stone with- it’s really not telling. Also, not really telling because I never exposed the highest price- so you can't count backwards without the top price. Also- each vendor may negotiate a better price from a dealer, so that may influence their pricing as well. Just like any other industry right?

Maybe it's just me, but I was raised to not ask about the price of something someone bought because it's considered rude. I also never ask someone "is that real?" but I can tell you countless times that I've been asked that with every single ring I've had from 1 carat to my last ring, Isla.

So just curious - I was thinking about the fact that a lot of us on PS are also very active on IG. And the seller has an IG account and they showed the stone there. Is it possible that the person just saw the stone on IG and asked about the price? And didn’t even know about the thread? Because sometimes people on PS aren’t as active on the forum as they are on IG and vice versa.

 

[Rfisher]

I suspect that the person who asked the vendor for the price was curious to know how low the vendor could really go

I can see this. With the line of thinking this vendor might always be on the low side of markup %.

I can also see someone expecting the same low markup and maybe not getting it and feeling confused or miffed. Whether it’s due to the item in question not being in the same $ bracket, or the personal relationship isn’t there.

Expecting to be treated the same by vendors on info gleaned here on PS from someone else’s account of their amazing transaction, is a form of entitlement.
I am certainly guilty of this in the past, before I considered it that way.

 

[Resonance.Of.Life]

Hey there, @Resonance.Of.Life

I love (and I mean luuuuuuurve!) your new diamond! How immeasurably STUNNING! Congratulations, wear in good health always, and THANK YOU for sharing it with us!

I also have no issue with anything you've said re your purchase, prices, delivery etc, or feel there was any "tone" to speak of. You're proud of your new diamond: who the heck wouldn't be?!

However - re the average reader being able to calc the price or not, I would have thought it was fairly straight forward: you said people offered to sell it to you for 45-72k over what Anup offered to charge for it, and that the person on Rare Ct suggested 200k, and that they were the highest. So that makes it reasonably straight forward to work out....roughly, thereabouts, give or take whatever markup there might have been between 2022 and 2023.

Re prices of things on PS, I think it's a very gray area. For me, PS itself (as opposed to the people in it) is not so much a group of friends, or a social network, so much as a consumer education site for people buying (mostly) diamonds (obviously not only diamonds - a big shout out here to the mavens in the pearl forum!). But to that end, price is a large part of the purchasing experience, and I often feel that sharing price is as useful as sharing one's finger size when posting photos of finished pieces, so others can get a sense of proportion. In the same way, posting price allows people to get a sense of what their layout will be.

I don't do this all the time, obviously. But when I post diamonds bought on BN, for instance, I normally leave the price on the relevant page so people can get a sense of what's out there and for how much. I'm honestly just trying to be helpful.

So I can understand someone asking price information. Looking for comps isn't some people's strong suit. Nor, with an unusual stone, is it always possible. And vendors differ widely - as you said. Soooo.... there's an argument for it.

There's also a bunch of arguments against it.

To that end, I neither blame people who ask, nor misunderstand or disrespect those who choose not to post price - and that's also the majority. It's also me, most of the time. Money's a tricky issue in virtually every scenario and it makes sense to mentally 'leave space' for those with different approaches to one's own.

@Resonance.Of.Life - I sensed no tone. I sensed pride and joy. More power to you, sister! Would that we could all be so lucky!

Again - congratulations!

Thank you! I simply was stating facts when I was regurgitating information. Or that’s how I felt when writing.


Rare carat by far was not the highest price when I was looking for the best price . So my comment stands on not being able to calculate because the highest in which I commented was 72k over what Anup asked for was still not mentioned and it was well above what rare carat asked for. But also that diamonds increase in price as they change hands so I had a pretty good idea based on what I ended up buying it for vs what an IG dealer asked for it what markups are like on this particular stone at this particular time.

I posted comparables and honestly rare carat was negotiable for pricing- what they negotiated down to was very very close to what I paid for but it was still well above what Anup asked for. But again, diamonds change hands and thusly have increased their prices according to their margins and what they purchased the diamond for. I will say that 88 Star Jewels is very fair in her pricing when comparing vendors.

I will say I felt very very icky that it wasn’t asked on the forum but rather covertly, which leads me to believe they were either not a) having good intentions aka just being nosy to be nosy or b) I don’t have a good relationship with them and thusly could not ask me (which would be weird too). I would expect some modicum of privacy when conducting business transactions.

I’m comfortable saying a range but I’m not comfortable giving exact pricing. PS is great got learning and price transparency is certainly part of it.

 

[lulu_ma]

ROL, needless to say, your stone is stunning, but all of this pricing talk has really piqued my interest!

If you feel comfortable, can you rank the sellers by price range-without price specifics of course-and share that list with us? I think this would be a great data point for us old cut lovers.

ETA: I have not contacted any vendors about your stone!

 

[Mreader]

I will say I felt very very icky that it wasn’t asked on the forum but rather covertly, which leads me to believe they were either not a) having good intentions aka just being nosy to be nosy or b) I don’t have a good relationship with them and thusly could not ask me (which would be weird too). I would expect some modicum of privacy when conducting business transactions.

@Resonance.Of.Life but again is it possible they saw on IG and inquired without knowing of your thread? When I first read this, I assumed what you did which is they saw the thread then went to the vendor...but now I'm just wondering if it's the reverse since the vendor is on IG (which we all drool over) and featured the stone.

 

[Resonance.Of.Life]

So just curious - I was thinking about the fact that a lot of us on PS are also very active on IG. And the seller has an IG account and they showed the stone there. Is it possible that the person just saw the stone on IG and asked about the price? And didn’t even know about the thread? Because sometimes people on PS aren’t as active on the forum as they are on IG and vice versa.

They asked after I had posted- so I would find the timing suspicious. And I also know because they were aghast that I blasted the persons on here for trying to go to a vendor about a particular transaction vs asking how much something similar would cost. I will say even in the same size, carat, and clarity , pricing varies wildly as I’ve looked at hundreds if not thousands of prospective diamonds between 4-7 carats over the last 3 years .

I looked at two 5 ish carat Gia h si1 diamonds and the price difference was 40k between the two.

 

[Resonance.Of.Life]

I can see this. With the line of thinking this vendor might always be on the low side of markup %.

I can also see someone expecting the same low markup and maybe not getting it and feeling confused or miffed. Whether it’s due to the item in question not being in the same $ bracket, or the personal relationship isn’t there.

Expecting to be treated the same by vendors on info gleaned here on PS from someone else’s account of their amazing transaction, is a form of entitlement.
I am certainly guilty of this in the past, before I considered it that way.

I can see that- but I guess having bought and sold and upgraded over the years I also know each stone has their own pricing relative to other comparables due to faceting and how much the vendor ended up paying for the diamond on the trade side. I suspect you’d be able to get more of a discount on higher pricing just because there’s more margin than on a 1k stone. Kwim ?

 

[Rfisher]

I can see that- but I guess having bought and sold and upgraded over the years I also know each stone has their own pricing relative to other comparables due to faceting and how much the vendor ended up paying for the diamond on the trade side. I suspect you’d be able to get more of a discount on higher pricing just because there’s more margin than on a 1k stone. Kwim ?

Yes - that’s what I was meaning to say.

Whatever how low your vendor got in your specific transaction of course doesn’t necessarily transpose to someone else’s transaction.
Meaning ballpark should suffice. Pushing for exacts means little, as being able to utilize to someone else benefit, in the end.

And someone else’s benefit and sharing some knowledge is really what we are all here for.

 

[Resonance.Of.Life]

Yes - that’s what I was meaning to say.

Whatever how low your vendor got in your specific transaction of course doesn’t necessarily transpose to someone else’s transaction.
Meaning ballpark should suffice. Pushing for exacts means little, as being able to utilize to someone else benefit, in the end.

And someone else’s benefit and sharing some knowledge is really what we are all here for.

Oops, sorry it is still early here but yes- exactly! My fear is that people will calculate whatever margin they think the dealer has on my particular deal and try to calculate that out to whatever stone they're trying to get.

Even though I ended up passing initially on really fantastic pricing, I am glad I didn't go for the first price that popped up and really looked around for sheesh, almost a year after it reappeared on the market. I've looked at the fluctuations in pricing over that time and it was really fascinating. Almost like tracking, a whale over the course of their migration route (har har Moby Dick).

I think though, I was able to get better pricing with rare carat because I already had a starting point where I knew where the value should be roundabouts and pointed it out that I was offered it previously at X price. The difference between 88 star and Rare carat was a few grand and honestly, I’d rather shop small than a big conglomerate if I can help it.

 

[Resonance.Of.Life]

Speaking of fostering - at my house we have “failed fosters” because I adopt them. My all time high was 5 dogs and 4 cats. Now we just have 3 dogs. But so good of you @Resonance.Of.Life to help the medically needy dogs!!! And your diamond is gorgeous!

We’ve had multiple heart failure fosters and senior dogs with a malady of medical issues . We had to take a break because it honestly hurt my heart that they leave way too soon.

 

[oncrutchesrightnow]

Lol I didn't have it delivered to my house. It was sent to Grace to get the culet fixed. I flew to pick it up from her.

That must have been a fun trip. Especially with airport and airplane lighting on the way back!

Speaking of lighting, we are on page 4 but have failed to hit the 500 photograph mark. Moar pics!!!

 

[88_star]

Hi everyone. As far as I am concerned it is standard practice to not disclose information on client sales that have completed; many shops archive sold items and remove pricing. I am happy to discuss pricing on available items with all potential clients whether they are ready to purchase at the time or simply curious.

There were several new followers after OP shared her stone here which of course I appreciate her business and support as a new business. It was not one singular person that approached me for this information so I simply wanted to make her aware and reassure her that I would not be discussing that information. I did not share with OP the names of anyone who asked me about the price as I was not trying to start a witch hunt and that was also not information that OP needed to know.

 

[Austina]

I hope what’s happened hasn’t in any way dampened your excitement over your absolutely amazing new diamond @Resonance.Of.Life

FWIW I didn’t read any ‘tone’ in your post, only your utter joy in finally getting what you want.

IF the person who reached out to the vendor was purely on a snooping expedition, then I find that really distasteful.

 

[Resonance.Of.Life]

That must have been a fun trip. Especially with airport and airplane lighting on the way back!

Speaking of lighting, we are on page 4 but have failed to hit the 500 photograph mark. Moar pics!!!

haha I tried to take pics but I looked like an utter lunatic trying to sneak pics.

Norcal is pretty gloomy so I have crappy photos all the time T___T

There's a video somewhere above !

 

[Resonance.Of.Life]

ROL, needless to say, your stone is stunning, but all of this pricing talk has really piqued my interest!

If you feel comfortable, can you rank the sellers by price range-without price specifics of course-and share that list with us? I think this would be a great data point for us old cut lovers.

ETA: I have not contacted any vendors about your stone!

I mean that's hard to do because obviously Anup would be the lowest as he sourced the stone and a year ago (so the market has changed since then). His pricing thus started my basis for what I was seeing how much margins were when I initially saw the diamond pop back up 3-4 months after it had been sold. Any vendor has to add their margins on top of the new cost from the dealer, as the dealer would be aiming to make profits too.

I don't know if I am rambling too much or if this makes sense? I will say 88 star jewels and rare carat (after I had negotiated with rare carat) were within a few grand of each other.

 

[lulu_ma]

I mean that's hard to do because obviously Anup would be the lowest as he sourced the stone and a year ago (so the market has changed since then). His pricing thus started my basis for what I was seeing how much margins were when I initially saw the diamond pop back up 3-4 months after it had been sold. Any vendor has to add their margins on top of the new cost from the dealer, as the dealer would be aiming to make profits too.

I don't know if I am rambling too much or if this makes sense? I will say 88 star jewels and rare carat (after I had negotiated with rare carat) were within a few grand of each other.

No, I get it-makes total sense. I guess it would be helpful for us (me) to know who a couple of the super high dealers were for future reference.

Of course, it’s great that you were able ultimately give your business to a small business owner!