The Mercury Polished Pricing System produces wholesale market prices for individual polished diamonds at any point in time.

1. Comprehensive classification of diamond types

The system covers more than 18,000 diamond categories across the 4Cs, taking in diamonds up to 30 carats, with clarity ranging from Flawless to I3 and color from D to P.

When factors beyond the 4Cs are brought into the picture, the system covers millions of additional price points. It is a system we believe to be the most thorough in existence.

2. Comprehensive classification of diamond pricing factors

The system takes into account all factors that impact a diamond’s price, considering the 4Cs as well as comments and other irregularities.

For example, an irregularity called a crystal and its position in the stone can create a considerable price differential on two diamonds with identical 4C’s. A crystal at the center generates discount to the price of the stone’s top quality equivalent, while if the crystal is on the culet (the sharp edge of the bottom of a diamond) and reflecting it, this can generate an even higher discount.

3. Innovative data collection and assessment

The fully automated and traceable system gathers vast diamond market pricing data, including real market transactions and final market asking prices, from a variety of sources on like-for-like diamonds from precisely defined criteria, based on the 4Cs and over 400 irregularities.

It then uses a proprietary process of association to evaluate the prices of other diamonds. It does this based on the established industry principle that price changes of certain diamonds are closely linked to price changes in similar stones.