RapNet

Rapaport Trade, formerly known as RapNet, is a business-to-business online marketplace serving the international diamond, gemstone, and jewelry trade. The platform was launched in 1996 by Martin Rapaport under the earlier name Internet Diamond Exchange, or INDEX, before adopting the RapNet name. It was created to make professional diamond sourcing and selling more efficient by giving verified trade participants a digital venue for discovering inventory, comparing offerings, and conducting transactions. The service initially concentrated on loose diamonds, reflecting the central role of diamond pricing and distribution in the Rapaport Group's business. Over time, its scope expanded beyond diamonds to include additional gemstones and finished jewelry. The platform is intended for industry participants rather than general consumers, including jewelers, diamond dealers, gemstone dealers, manufacturers, and other qualified professionals. Access is subscription-based, and the marketplace is structured around trade verification and professional listings. Rapaport Trade operates within the broader Rapaport Group ecosystem, which also includes diamond pricing information, market intelligence, auctions, and industry news. The Rapaport Diamond Report is used as a reference point for diamond pricing, while the RapNet Diamond Index, commonly known as RAPI, tracks average asking prices for selected categories of diamonds listed on the platform. These tools help connect marketplace activity with price discovery and market analysis, although marketplace asking prices and published benchmark information are not identical to completed transaction prices. The platform has also made decisions about the types of grading reports accepted in its listings. In 2014, it removed diamonds graded by EGL laboratories, citing concerns about grading standards. In 2016, it began listing diamonds accompanied by reports from the GHI Gemological Laboratory and from De Beers' International Institute of Diamond Grading and Research, known as IIDGR. These changes positioned listing quality and laboratory documentation as important parts of the marketplace's trust model. In 2019, RapNet broadened its inventory beyond loose stones by allowing jewelry listings. In 2025, it added a colored-gemstone trading service in collaboration with the American Gem Trade Association. The move reflected an effort to make the platform more relevant to a wider range of professional suppliers and buyers while retaining its specialist trade focus. In 2026, RapNet was rebranded as Rapaport Trade as part of a wider Rapaport Group brand consolidation. The new identity is intended to place trading, pricing, market intelligence, auctions, and news under a more unified Rapaport brand architecture. The service remains an international digital marketplace for verified trade professionals sourcing and selling diamonds, colored gemstones, and jewelry.

Rapaport Trade began in 1996 as the Internet Diamond Exchange, commonly abbreviated INDEX, an early digital trading service established by Martin Rapaport. The venture was developed within the Rapaport Group, whose activities include diamond pricing, market information, auctions, and industry publishing. After its initial launch, the service was renamed RapNet and became a dedicated online marketplace for professional diamond trading. The original proposition was to improve the efficiency of diamond sourcing by bringing trade inventory and buyers together through an online system. Rather than functioning as a consumer retail site, RapNet served verified professionals such as jewelers, dealers, and manufacturers. Its subscription structure and trade-oriented access model distinguished it from open consumer marketplaces. The platform's core inventory consisted of loose diamonds, and its usefulness was closely connected to the broader Rapaport information ecosystem, particularly the Rapaport Diamond Report and the RapNet Diamond Index. Marketplace trust and grading documentation became important parts of the platform's development. In 2014, RapNet removed diamonds graded by EGL laboratories because of concerns about grading standards. In 2016, the platform added listings supported by reports from GHI Gemological Laboratory and De Beers' International Institute of Diamond Grading and Research, or IIDGR. These changes demonstrated that the service was not simply an inventory directory; it also made decisions about the documentation and standards associated with listed stones. RapNet gradually expanded its commercial scope. In 2019, it began allowing jewelry listings in addition to loose diamonds, creating a broader venue for professional jewelry inventory. In 2025, it introduced colored-gemstone trading in cooperation with the American Gem Trade Association. This addition extended the platform into a category adjacent to diamonds while preserving its business-to-business orientation. The platform's market role is supported by data and pricing tools. The Rapaport Diamond Report provides a widely used reference for diamond prices, while RAPI measures average asking prices for selected diamond categories offered through RapNet. Together, these resources connect marketplace listings with industry price discovery and analysis, though they do not represent a guarantee of transaction prices or value for every individual stone. In 2026, RapNet became Rapaport Trade during a broader Rapaport Group rebranding initiative. The change placed the marketplace under the same naming architecture as the group's other commercial and information services. The renamed platform continues to serve international trade professionals seeking diamonds, gemstones, and jewelry through a specialized subscription marketplace.

• 2026

  RapNet becomes Rapaport Trade

  [1]RapNeten.wikipedia.org

  The service is renamed Rapaport Trade as part of a broader Rapaport Group rebrand.

• 2025

  Colored-gemstone trading introduced

  [1]RapNeten.wikipedia.org

  The marketplace adds colored-gemstone trading through a collaboration with the American Gem Trade Association.

• 2019

  Jewelry listings added

  [1]RapNeten.wikipedia.org

  RapNet expands beyond loose diamonds by permitting professional jewelry listings.

• 2016

  Additional laboratory reports accepted

  [1]RapNeten.wikipedia.org

  The platform begins listing diamonds accompanied by GHI and IIDGR reports.

• 2014

  EGL-graded diamonds removed

  [1]RapNeten.wikipedia.org

  RapNet removes diamonds graded by EGL laboratories because of concerns about grading standards.

• 1996

  Internet Diamond Exchange launches

  [1]RapNeten.wikipedia.org

  Martin Rapaport launches the service under the name Internet Diamond Exchange, or INDEX, to support online professional diamond trading.

A specialist, subscription-based B2B marketplace emphasizing verified trade access, diamond pricing intelligence, laboratory documentation, and international sourcing.

• Diamonds · 1996

  Loose diamond marketplace

  The platform's original and central offering is a professional marketplace for loose diamonds. Verified trade users can use listings to source stones from suppliers and present inventory to potential buyers. Diamond listings are connected to the broader Rapaport pricing and market-information ecosystem, and laboratory documentation is an important part of how stones are represented and evaluated on the service.

• Jewelry · 2019

  Jewelry listings

  Introduced in 2019, jewelry listings extend the marketplace beyond individual loose stones. The offering allows professional participants to display and source finished jewelry through the same trade-oriented environment, supporting dealers, retailers, manufacturers, and other qualified industry users.

• Gemstones · 2025

  Colored-gemstone trading

  Added in 2025 in collaboration with the American Gem Trade Association, the colored-gemstone service broadens Rapaport Trade's inventory beyond diamonds. It is designed for professional gemstone sourcing and selling within the platform's subscription-based trade environment.

• Market intelligence

  RapNet Diamond Index

  The RapNet Diamond Index, or RAPI, tracks average asking prices for selected diamonds listed on the marketplace. It provides an indicator of asking-price movement within the platform and complements the Rapaport Diamond Report, although index values should not be treated as guaranteed transaction prices.

• 2026

  Rebranding as Rapaport TradeStrategy

  Background

  The Rapaport Group undertook a broader effort to bring its trading, pricing, market intelligence, auction, and news activities under a unified brand structure.

  Action taken

  RapNet was renamed Rapaport Trade.

  Aftermath

  The marketplace continued under the Rapaport name with a brand identity intended to connect it more closely to the group's other services.

  Source

• 2025

  Launch of colored-gemstone tradingProduct launch

  Background

  RapNet sought to extend its specialist marketplace model into gemstone categories beyond diamonds.

  Action taken

  The platform introduced colored-gemstone trading in collaboration with the American Gem Trade Association.

  Aftermath

  The offering expanded the types of inventory available to professional buyers and sellers.

  Source

• 2019

  Expansion into jewelry listingsProduct launch

  Background

  The platform had historically concentrated on loose-diamond trading but sought to serve a wider range of professional jewelry businesses.

  Action taken

  RapNet began allowing jewelry listings in addition to loose diamonds.

  Aftermath

  The marketplace gained a broader product scope while retaining its professional subscription model.

  Source

• 2014

  Removal of EGL-graded diamond listingsOther

  Background

  RapNet reviewed the grading documentation associated with diamonds offered through its marketplace.

  Action taken

  The platform removed diamonds graded by EGL laboratories, citing concerns about grading standards.

  Aftermath

  The decision reinforced the importance of laboratory documentation and listing standards within the marketplace.

  Source

1. 1RapNeten.wikipedia.org
2. 2Rapaport Traderapaport.com