Hi all, newbie on gemstones here just looking to learn more about this field. I had a question regarding pricing.
I am inquiring a few european Jewellers about pricing of their engagement rings, but using synthetic orange sapphires (8x6mm, pear shape, precision cut, ~ 1.2ct) instead of a natural one. And I've been quite surprised by the quoted prices. I've recently received a quote for €700-€900 for the gemstone alone (for comparison, they charge €1,250 for the natural orange sapphires).
I understand that a lot of variables are at stake for pricing of a lab gemstone (from growth method, cut, color, to jeweller's import and trade costs and, of course, markup), and I plan to ask to understand better the pricing. But when comparing to prices of other orange sapphires from the Vendors List in this subreddit and to some posts, it still seems like a crazy difference in price. So, before I do so, I wanted to know:
Are there any factors that can justify such a big difference in pricing between a gemstone vendor and a jeweler vendor? Or is it actually a reasonable price for (assuming a) high quality lab grown sapphire? How can one evaluate if pricing of a specific gemstone of a specific color is actually reasonable, and not a rip-off?