How Draco Reprices a Competitor Quote
The process behind the beat my quote promise. We match the exact IGI certified specification, strip the retail markup layers, and show the direct price for the same stone. Here is how it works and what buyers typically find.
This article is published by Draco Diamond Corporation, a Canadian direct to consumer lab grown diamond brand with a commercial interest in transparent pricing. It describes the method Draco uses to reprice a comparable piece against a competitor quote. Every Draco piece is IGI certified, E to F colour, VS2 clarity or better. Readers are encouraged to verify all figures independently.
What happens when you send us a quote?
Repricing is a measurement exercise, not a sales pitch. When a buyer sends us a quote or a link to a comparable piece, we do not start from the price on the page. We start from the diamond described on the certificate. A lab grown diamond is defined by four graded characteristics and the laboratory that verified them. Two pieces with the same carat, colour, clarity, cut, and IGI certification are, for pricing purposes, the same stone.
From there the work is simple and repeatable. We identify the exact specification behind the quote, source or match a stone that meets or exceeds it, and price that stone at direct to consumer rates. The output is a like for like comparison: the piece you were quoted, and the same piece priced without the retail layers stacked on top. The diamond stays constant across both sides. Only the pricing model changes.1
"We do not discount the diamond. We remove the markup that was never the diamond in the first place."
Garrett McMartin, Founder, Draco Diamond
How do we match the exact IGI specification?
We hold five things constant so the comparison is honest. Carat weight, colour grade, clarity grade, cut grade, and the certification laboratory. IGI grading is an independent third party assessment. It does not change based on who sells the piece, which is what makes it a fair anchor for repricing.3
Where a competitor quote lists a stone at E to F colour and VS2 clarity or better, we match that floor and never quietly drop below it. If a quote is vague or omits the certificate, we ask for the report number or the grading details before we price anything. A quote without a certificate is not a comparison, it is a guess, and we do not build a repricing on a guess.
A specification match goes beyond the four grades. We read the cut quality, the measurements, and the report number, because two stones can share a colour and clarity grade yet differ in how they were finished. Matching to the report number, where one is supplied, removes any ambiguity about what was actually quoted. This is the difference between a marketing comparison and a like for like one.
Every Draco piece is IGI certified, E to F colour, VS2 clarity or better, sourced globally and set in Canada. That standard is the baseline we reprice from, so the stone we quote back is never a downgrade of the one you were shown. It is the same grade, priced differently.
What gets stripped out of a retail quote?
Traditional jewellery pricing carries a cost chain built for a different era of commerce. Each layer adds margin, and the buyer pays for all of it. The diamond cost is the same on both sides of the comparison. The difference is the layers stacked on top of it. Repricing does not touch the stone, the cutting, the certification, or the metal. It removes the overhead that funds a retail model rather than a diamond.1
| Cost layer | Retail quote | Direct quote | Why it changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lab grown diamond | Included | Included | Same globally sourced, IGI certified stone |
| Cutting and polishing | Included | Included | Same process, same standard |
| IGI certification | Included | Included | Same independent grade |
| Setting, metal, labour | Included | Included | Same craftsmanship standard |
| Physical showroom overhead | Priced in | Removed | No retail floor to fund |
| Wholesale and distribution layers | Priced in | Removed | Direct to consumer, one step |
| Brand and advertising premium | Priced in | Minimal | No celebrity or broadcast budget |
| What you pay for | The stone plus the model | The stone | Same diamond, fewer layers |
Published wholesale lab grown rough sits in a range of roughly 250 to 500 USD per carat, and that input is the same regardless of who buys it.2 When two quotes for the same certified stone differ by thousands, the gap is almost never the diamond. It is the model. Our lab diamond retail markup report measures this layer by layer across retail tiers.
Why does the same stone cost less direct?
Because the diamond was never the expensive part. Lab grown per carat prices have fallen sharply as production has scaled, and premium certified stones have reached a production cost floor. Direct market reference prices show how low the stone itself now sits, well below what legacy retail quotes imply.4
Direct market reference price per carat, 2026
Average per carat reference price for lab grown diamonds by carat weight. These are stone level anchors, not finished piece prices.
Source: StoneAlgo lab grown diamond price data, May 2026. Figures in USD per carat. Stone level reference anchors only.
A retail quote prices the stone as if it were still scarce. A direct quote prices it at what it now costs to produce and certify, plus fair margin. That is the whole of the gap. On comparable pieces, matching the certificate and removing the retail layers typically lands up to 64 percent below Blue Nile and up to 52 percent below James Allen for the same E to F, VS2 and better IGI certified stone.1 The margin has migrated from the miner and the showroom to the buyer, a shift we track in our diamond margin migration report and in the price per carat data.
How do you get your own quote repriced?
The process takes minutes on your side and one to three business days on ours. There is no obligation to buy, and every quote is reviewed by the founder before it is returned.
Repricing FAQ
How does Draco reprice a competitor quote?
Draco matches the exact IGI certified specification behind the quote, the carat, colour, clarity, cut, and certification lab, then prices the identical stone at direct to consumer rates. The diamond is held constant across both sides. What changes is the removal of retail markup layers such as showroom overhead, distribution steps, and brand advertising premium. On comparable pieces this typically lands up to 64 percent below Blue Nile and up to 52 percent below James Allen.
Is the repriced stone the same quality as the one I was quoted?
Yes. Quality in lab grown diamonds is defined by the IGI certificate, not the retailer. Draco matches your quoted floor of E to F colour and VS2 clarity or better and never drops below it. The certificate is issued by the same independent laboratory regardless of who sells the piece, so you can compare certificate details directly.
Why is the direct price so much lower for the same specs?
The gap reflects the retail model, not diamond quality. Sellers with physical showrooms carry rent, staff, and utilities in the price, and large advertising budgets are priced in as well. Published wholesale lab grown rough sits around 250 to 500 USD per carat and is the same input for everyone. A direct to consumer brand removes the retail layers and passes the difference to the buyer.
What do I need to send to get a quote repriced?
A screenshot, a PDF, or a link to a comparable IGI certified piece, submitted through Create Your Piece on dracodiamond.com. If the certificate details are missing, we will ask for the report number or grading information so the comparison is like for like. A quote without a certificate cannot be repriced accurately.
How long does repricing take, and is there any obligation?
A founder reviewed quote is returned in one to three business days. There is no obligation to buy. The quote is a like for like comparison of the piece you were quoted against the same certified stone priced direct.
Does Draco publish the retail markup evidence behind this?
Yes. The Draco lab diamond retail markup report measures how far final retail prices sit above fair direct pricing across retail tiers for chemically identical IGI certified diamonds. It is published for public reference on dracodiamond.com, alongside the diamond margin migration report and the lab grown price per carat data.
References
- Draco Diamond Corporation, Lab Diamond Retail Markup Report 2026, point-in-time retail-tier price analysis, February 2026. Accessed August 2026. Substantiated competitor comparison lines: up to 64 percent below Blue Nile, up to 52 percent below James Allen.
- Published wholesale lab grown rough range, approximately 250 to 500 USD per carat, industry reference. Accessed August 2026.
- International Gemological Institute, grading standards and certificate verification, igi.org. Accessed August 2026.
- StoneAlgo lab grown diamond price data, May 2026. Per carat reference anchors in USD: 1ct 564, 2ct 1265, 3ct 1865, 5ct 2588. Accessed August 2026.
Bring us your quote
Send us almost any comparable piece and we will beat it almost every time. Same IGI certified specification, direct pricing, up to 64 percent below Blue Nile. Founder reviewed, no obligation, a quote back in one to three business days. Every Draco piece is IGI certified, E to F colour, VS2 clarity or better, with 30 day returns, Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee, free ring resizing, free insured worldwide shipping to 25 markets, and signature on delivery.
