Question 1

What is Clarity First?

Accepted Answer

Clarity First is a condition-adjusted clearing-price platform for wholesale polished diamonds. It produces a clearing-price band for any stone, built on seven input variables and three independent public data sources, and is designed for use at the counter, the bench and the buying table.

Question 2

Who is Clarity First for?

Accepted Answer

Independent jewellers, pawnbrokers, estate buyers, diamond dealers and insurers operating in the wholesale polished diamond market across the United Kingdom and the United States.

Question 3

Why seven variables instead of four?

Accepted Answer

The standard four Cs. Carat, Cut, Colour, Clarity. Are necessary but not sufficient. Three additional variables. Certifying Lab, Fluorescence, and BGM. Account for the majority of unexplained price variance between stones with otherwise identical certificates. Two stones with identical four-C reports can trade 15–30 percent apart at wholesale.

Question 4

What is BGM?

Accepted Answer

BGM stands for Brown, Green or Milky. Subtle undertones and internal cloudiness that are not captured by the standard clarity grade but are heavily discounted in the wholesale trade. A high-clarity stone with a brown tinge or a milky appearance can clear meaningfully below its on-paper grade.

Question 5

How is this different from the benchmark price list everyone uses?

Accepted Answer

The weekly benchmark you may know is an opinion list published by a private committee since 1978. It is not a record of transactions; it reflects an opinion of what stones should be worth. In 2024 the live index of what one-carat stones actually traded at on the world's largest B2B inventory fell 23%, while that opinion list only fell 13%. A ten-point divergence between opinion and reality. Clarity First uses live wholesale asking prices, the spread between those prices and the published benchmark, and realised prices from major public auctions to produce a clearing-price estimate that reflects what stones actually trade for.

Question 6

Do you display the standard industry price list?

Accepted Answer

No. Clarity First does not reproduce or display the standard weekly opinion benchmark, any associated inventory matrix, or any other proprietary benchmark price list. The output is an independently computed clearing-price band. Any reference to a benchmark is strictly directional. For example, an estimated discount to standard benchmark indices. Never a display of proprietary pricing.

Question 7

Do you cover lab-grown diamonds?

Accepted Answer

Lab-grown diamonds are treated as an entirely separate category with their own independent confidence bands. Natural and lab-grown data are never mixed. At launch, Clarity First focuses on natural polished stones; lab-grown coverage rolls out as a clearly distinct product surface.

Question 8

What markets does Clarity First cover?

Accepted Answer

Clarity First is live in early access across the United Kingdom and the United States. Germany and France are on the roadmap as the next two markets.

Question 9

Is the output a formal appraisal?

Accepted Answer

No. Clarity First provides indicative market intelligence estimates for professional buyers. It is not a formal appraisal, valuation report, or financial advice. Decisions to buy, sell or underwrite a stone should be made by qualified professionals using their own diligence.

Question 10

What does it cost?

Accepted Answer

Pricing is structured per market and per seat for independent jewellers and pawnbrokers, with enterprise terms for pawnbroking chains and insurer contracts. Request access for a quote that fits your operating profile.

Question 11

When does full access open?

Accepted Answer

Clarity First is currently in early-access onboarding across the UK and US. Onboarding waves run continuously. Request access and we will confirm timing for your market.

Frequently asked questions.