Actual value of Gems used in factory set Rolex?

[365DAS]

Tried doing a bit of a search but couldn’t really find anything where this has been discussed/identified etc so now has got me even more intrigued!

So I and aware and understand that Rolex are very meticulous when I comes to choosing what types of stones make the grade and only IF stones are used in their watches. Indeed, this is where the supply issues come from for the Daytona Rainbow 116595RBOW as I was told that Rolex will only use a specific gradient of stones and they have to be perfect or they simply won’t produce it.

Diamonds I know can vary in value depending on quality and obviously the bigger the stone then the bigger the value. What about the other gems (Sapphires, Rubies, Emeralds etc)...how are these valued?

I guess what I’m asking is the following,

“Do the stones on a Rainbow bezel and dial (for example) equate to being worth around 150% of the base watch?

Apologies if this has been covered somewhere already and if so, could anyone kindly point me in that direction as I’m interested to see/read if anyone has tried to identify the true value of the stones.


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[RJRJRJ]

Not even close. You're paying for the expertise of somebody to source, sort, and set the gems, along with the exclusivity. They stones certainly have a lot of value, but it's not anywhere close to the markup you pay. Having said that, they do it better than about anybody out there.

[365DAS]

Originally Posted by RJRJRJ

Not even close. You're paying for the expertise of somebody to source, sort, and set the gems, along with the exclusivity. They stones certainly have a lot of value, but it's not anywhere close to the markup you pay. Having said that, they do it better than about anybody out there.

Very true and that’s where the true appreciation for me is as the craftsmanship is quality and you’re able to see it when you’ve got it in your hand. Just wondered if there was anyone crazy enough to have been able to work out the individual/combined weights etc. Remember once seeing a video of a chap who did an exercise where he practically demolished a watch to work out the value of the metals and stones...scary to watch (smashing up something that we all adore) but the geek in me found it very informative!


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[jltait]

Precious stones certainly carry a price, though not necessarily a value. If for example you were to extract the gems from a rainbow Daytona and try to sell them individually, maybe you’d get 20 bucks. Only rare and important diamonds sell well on the secondary market.

[Chewbacca]

https://www.gemsociety.org/article/i...ngs-gem-trade/

[Jim Smyth]

I have been around the block a while and did some jewelry back in the day. I have many jeweler loupe magnifications and like looking at stones under magnification. My wife has benefited from my passion and has a lot of diamond jewelry. I recently bought my first diamond baguette hour marker Rolex. I can tell you the stones are set perfectly straight and are very very clean. No blue on any of them under UV either which many companies dont pay attention to. I am impressed with my one example by Rolex!

[365DAS]

Originally Posted by Chewbacca

https://www.gemsociety.org/article/i...ngs-gem-trade/

Very interesting read...thanks!!!


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[Chewbacca]

Originally Posted by 365DAS

Very interesting read...thanks!!!


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[schoolboy]

Originally Posted by jltait

Precious stones certainly carry a price, though not necessarily a value. If for example you were to extract the gems from a rainbow Daytona and try to sell them individually, maybe you’d get 20 bucks. Only rare and important diamonds sell well on the secondary market.

What? That can’t be right

[ronricks]

Diamonds have very little to no actual value.

[RJRJRJ]

Originally Posted by schoolboy

What? That can’t be right

20 bucks is likely an exaggeration, but if you try to sell a loose diamond, jewelers most likely won't even make you an offer because then you'd see how little they actually pay for them. It's not like they're rare, so they can just buy more. Rolex, while also not rare, can't just be reordered by an AD when they want another SS Daytona, so they actually have an interest in buying one from you. If you have a branded piece of jewelry like Cartier or Harry Winston etc, it should retain some of it's value.

[JoseR]

Originally Posted by Chewbacca

https://www.gemsociety.org/article/i...ngs-gem-trade/

Interesting link. Thanks..

[365DAS]

Originally Posted by jrubero

Interesting link. Thanks..

Not sure if you’ve seen this already but you may also find this quite interesting!


https://youtu.be/KVl0ahot1tQ


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[JoseR]

Originally Posted by 365DAS

Not sure if you’ve seen this already but you may also find this quite interesting!


https://youtu.be/KVl0ahot1tQ


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Wow, that guy is a mad scientist. vey interesting...

[schoolboy]

Originally Posted by RJRJRJ

20 bucks is likely an exaggeration, but if you try to sell a loose diamond, jewelers most likely won't even make you an offer because then you'd see how little they actually pay for them. It's not like they're rare, so they can just buy more. Rolex, while also not rare, can't just be reordered by an AD when they want another SS Daytona, so they actually have an interest in buying one from you. If you have a branded piece of jewelry like Cartier or Harry Winston etc, it should retain some of it's value.

Oh ok. I see what you mean.