Q: I’m looking for an Oval cut in the 2.5ct range I’m flexible on color and clarity but want a very good cut. Generally speaking what % off the rap would you expect for wholesale? Thanks for your input…

A: It looks like the “call stone” price for a stone like this is around 25% off rap.  That’s definitely not cheap, but that’s usually the case with unique stones.  It’s not too often someone goes around looking specifically for a 2.5ct Oval, so when they do, those who own them want to get a good high price.  If you would like some help in finding a good deal for a stone like this, then please let me know!  Good luck!

Q: I posted yesterday about a 2.5ct Oval and you stated you could help me find a good deal. I actually live in nyc, so if you have someone in the diamond district that you would recommend or could refer to me that would be great. Also, in the diamond district, I’m being shown a 3.01ct H Oval SI1, VG cut, sym, polish and girdle thin to vthick, no flor. It’s one of there own diamonds set in a ring (GIA Cert) They say, “We are willing to take a little loss on this one…$25,000″ What is really a fair price and what do you think it actually cost them?

A:  I see 2 3.01 H SI1s listed in NYC on an industry wholesale site.  One is listed for 27,600 and the other for 26,400.  Did you go to either Bellnor or Kashi?  (those are the 2 companies listing those stones).  So you can see, the price you were quoted is pretty good.  These prices are about 10-15% below Rap.

Anyway, I doubt the vendor you went to is really losing on that stone.  As I mentioned on the response to the comments, these kinds of stones are always listed for high prices on these industry wholesale sites because they know that if someone has that specific of a need, they’re going to end up paying for it.  Also, these kinds of stones, because of their lack of high quantities in the market, can have a very wide range of wholesale prices.

For example, I just found a 3.01 H VS2 in Israel (where business isn’t focused on “call stones” but on buying and selling and making quick small profits on the trades) for 25,826 which comes out to -35%.

Also, I just checked an online retail site and found an I SI2 3ct Oval for $17K.  Thats a big big savings over $25K and most likely you won’t be able to notice the difference in quality.  The vendor has a great return policy, so if you aren’t happy after you receive it, you can always send it back.  If you are interested, let me know and I’ll send you the link.

I have started offering a new diamond buying service where I will go into the diamond bourse in Ramat Gan (Israel’s diamond exchange) and buy the diamond for you for a 10% commission.  But in your case, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it because I also charge a non-refundable fee for my time which gets included in the commission if I end up buying something.  Since there’s so few available diamonds fitting your specific needs, it’s not worth your risk in paying me the up-front time fee.  It’s fairly likely I wouldn’t find a satisfactory diamond.