How Fortuna Doubled the Value of a Client’s Fancy Yellow Diamond
There are many things to take into consideration when purchasing a yellow diamond. Yellow diamonds are considered Fancy Colored diamonds, and therefore very rare. Only about 1 in every of 16,500 carats that are mined are yellow diamonds. Amongst these diamonds, there is a spectrum of saturation and vividness of color that contributes to making a yellow diamond more or less valuable. These color grades in order of value are: Fancy Light, Fancy, Fancy Dark, Fancy Deep, Fancy Intense, and Fancy Vivid. And as you can imagine, there is a huge difference in worth between yellow diamonds graded Fancy Light Yellow versus diamonds with a grade of Fancy Vivid Yellow.
The cut of a diamond can have a big influence on the color of a colored diamond when viewed face-up, however, it won’t always necessarily change the overall color grade. When a client came to Fortuna with a 4.5 CT Fancy Yellow diamond ring, our experts recognized the opportunity to increase the value of the diamond by recutting it. Recutting the diamond was no easy decision; if done incorrectly the worth of the diamond could have actually diminished by worsening the color grade or reducing the weight. A major consideration in cutting the stone was being able to maximize its value; the stone had to be cut to increase color vividness and reduce the appearance of inclusions and flaws, all while being cut into a shape that consumers desire. Fortuna is privileged to be in New York City, where the majority of the world’s best diamonds cutters are located.
Industry experts know that recutting a yellow diamond can increase its value, but not all know how to measure the risk and opportunity associated with doing so. If the consignors of this diamond ring had gone to a jeweler to sell this piece it would have sold for far less than Fortuna achieved. Furthermore, if the jeweler had recognized the opportunity to cut the ring and proceeded to do so successfully, none of the rewards would have gone to the original seller.
Our team of experts and our superb relationship with master diamond cutters sealed the fate of this diamond ring, once valued at $15,000 with its Fancy Light yellow grade, and managed to sell it at auction for $43,750 as a now Fancy Intense Yellow diamond ring.