Pricing & Grading index My pricing is for IF to VVS stones, I very seldom cut any lower clariy. When using my pricing guides if the stone is lower clarity then a lower price must be figured. People always ask me how to price and grade gemstones. So here are my opinions and experiences. Keep in mind that other people will have differing opinions and prices. Note: People will have to make up their own minds as to what pricing and grading will work best for them. Here is the Grading and Pricing I use.

Beryl Aquamarine Emerald Goshenite Helidore Morganite Garnets Almandine Demantoid Grossular Pyrope Spessertite Specialty Quartz Amethyst Ametrine Citrine Colorless Rose Smokey Treated Quartz Chrysoberyl Danburite Iolite Opal Peridot

Scapolite Spinels Sunstone Commercial Sunstone Sapphire Ruby Color Change Padparadscha Sapphire Topaz Blue Colorless Specialty Tourmaline Achroite Dravite Elbaite Indicolite Rubellite Specialty Verdelite Zircon Starlite Hyacinth Fancy

All pricing is a interpolation of the various factors involved in both grading and cutting gem stones. Some of the factor's effecting grading and pricing are:
Cost of Rough - This includes the initial cost of the rough as well and the cleaning, cutting, and waste loss.
Labor - High quality meet point cutting is labor intensive and it is talented labor.
Market Values - The gemstone market does effect pricing to some extend. How ever high quality meet point cut stones are always at a premium and in my opinion are more works of art than a down and dirty commercially cut gemstone and the pricing will reflect this.
Rarity - Rarity not only in the type, color, and quality of the gemstone but also the rarity of the cutting quality and the faceting diagram itself.

Of course there are other factors involved and I cannot and really do not want to cover all of them. But these are the basics.

My Pricing
When I price gemstones I am talking about my cutting or the equivalent quality of my gem stone cutting. In other words I am pricing high quality meet point faceted gemstones in modern quality, high performance designs. I am not talking about foreign cutting like Bangkok, India, Sri Lanka, or lower quality European, and American cutting.

Common Sense Gemstone Grading - by Jeff R. Graham copyright 2007
Use of this Grading System - For anyone who would like to use this system.

You will note that I do not use or agree with GIA's grading system and probably many other commercial grading systems in the commercial market. In my opinion a flaw, is a flaw and should be graded as such. A flawless gem stone can and does occur in any material and type.

Any type of gem stone that meets the below flawless grading criteria should be graded as a flawless gemstone in my opinion. I do not believe in creating "types" of gemstone catagories and adjusting the grading scale to fit what is most common or what some trade group(s) want to sell in those catagories.

Color is an arbitrary thing and people as well as countries all have different tastes, so there can be a fair amount of variance. In my opinion once the clarity of the stone is graded correctly, then people will decide what color(s) they prefer and make their choices accordingly. Yes, some colors are considered more valuable than others, and in general the more intense and bright the color of a gemstone the more valuable. But I personally feel that the best way to account for color ranges is in the pricing, not grading, because tastes and color perceptions vary so widely.

Tone - This is a method to help describe the tone/saturation of color of a gemstone. This does not describe color, only the saturation of the color.

Pale - almost colorless to 15% tone
Light - 15% tone to 30%
Light/Medium - 30% tone to 45%
Medium - 45% tone to 65%
Medium/Dark - 65% tone to 85%
Dark - 85% tone to 100%

Clarity
IF (internally Flawless) = Free of inclusions under a 10x loupe magnification.
VVS1 (very, very small inclusion) = Very small inclusion(s) under 10x loupe magnification, difficult to find.
VVS2 (very, very small inclusions) = A few, very small inclusions under 10x loupe magnification, difficult to find.
VS1 (very small inclusions) = Very few small inclusions recognizable by an expert under 10x loupe magnification.
VS2 (very small inclusions) = Some small inclusions recognizable by an expert under 10x loupe magnification.
SI (small inclusions) = Several small inclusions easily recognizable under 10x loupe magnification, but not diminishing the brilliance appreciably. This is what I would call "eye clean" but this term is often abused.
I (inclusion) = Inclusion(s) easily recognizable under 10x loupe magnification, but not diminishing the brilliance appreciably.
P1 (1st Pique) = Inclusions at once recognizable under 10x loupe magnification, but not diminishing the brilliance of the stone appreciably.
P2 (2nd Pique) = Larger and/or many inclusions, slightly diminishing the brilliance, recognizable with the naked eye.
P3 (3rd Pique) = Large and/or many inclusions diminishing the brilliance, easily recognizable with the naked eye.

None Known - No known treatments, please note that there could be a very small possibility of some treatment done that the cutter maybe unaware of at the mine or before the cutter aquired the rough/stone. In general there will be no treatments of any kind in this catagory.
Unknown, but likely heated - No known treatments, but this type of rough/stone is often heated.
Heat - Heat only. Heating is a fairly common practice and it is done to lighten or eliminate an unwanted color in some rough/cut stones.
Unknown, but likely treated - No known treatments, but this type of rough/stone is often treated.
Treatment(s) - Treatment(s) are a fairly common practice and there are various types of treatments, what ever the treatment is will be listed and defined.
Irradiated - Irradiation is used to change or improve the color of a cut/rough stone.
Uknown - I have no idea if any treatments have been done.

If you have any questions, please inquire.

I am not using GIA's grading system for colored stones. Except for the gemstones that I have had GIA certified.

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E-mail to inquire or order: jeff@faceters.com