Plain-English answers to one question: what is it worth?
Fair Carat is an independent buyer’s guide to gemstone value. We exist to help ordinary buyers understand what a stone is actually worth — and avoid paying more than it should.
Who we are
Fair Carat is written and maintained by The Fair Carat Editors, a small research team that reads dealer listings, auction results and gemmological references so you don’t have to. We are deliberately a consumer-value publication, not a gemmology textbook and not a wellness site — our single lane is price and value: what a stone costs, why, and how to avoid getting ripped off.
How we value a stone
Every guide follows the same method, so our verdicts are repeatable rather than opinions:
- The four value factors — colour, clarity, cut and carat — following the framework set out by the Gemological Institute of America.
- Real market ranges — we triangulate dealer, marketplace and auction prices, and always publish a range rather than one flattering figure.
- Treatments and fakes — heated, dyed, glass-filled, reconstituted or lab-grown material is identified and priced accordingly, drawing on resources such as the International Gem Society.
- A clear verdict — a value rating out of five and a plain-English summary on every guide.
Our independence pledge
- No paid rankings. Sellers cannot buy a better verdict, a higher rating, or a place in a guide.
- Affiliate links are labelled. Where we link to a shop we may earn a commission, marked as a commercial link — it never changes a rating.
- Ranges, not hype. We don’t publish inflated “retail” anchors designed to make a discount look bigger.
- We don’t sell stones. Fair Carat has no inventory to talk up.
Corrections & standards
Prices move and we get things wrong like anyone else. Every guide carries an “updated” date, and we revise figures as the market shifts. Spotted an error or an out-of-date range? Tell us and we’ll fix it and note the change.
Who publishes Fair Carat
Fair Carat is published by KEVALEX, the group behind a family of specialist minerals and gemstone media. Editorial decisions and verdicts are made independently of any retailer.
Fair Carat provides general information about gemstone value. It is not a formal appraisal and not financial advice. For insurance, estate or resale purposes, obtain a certified appraisal from a qualified, independent appraiser.