Diamonds As An Investment - "No"

Discussion in 'Jewellery & Gems' started by Holdfast, Sep 16, 2014.

  1. 1for1

    1for1 Well-Known Member

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    Any diamond can be an "investment" diamond.. you just need to get it cheaper than what you sell it for.. like any other investment you wish to flip in the future for a profit.. all the better if it continues to accumulate in value.. my best diamond investments were lower grade 3ct plus coloured diamonds.. at the time they were mud.. now they are specimens :)
     
  2. LAD

    LAD New Member

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    1 for 1, yes anything can be an investment if you're buying it the right way. With diamonds you usually have to cover the dealers mark up and VAT and as they appreciate slowly there are better investments out there. However, there are exceptions, large whites with a high colour and clarity and as you mentioned coloured diamonds. You still have to buy the right way but then it can be interesting. We were buying faint pink two to three grainers, eye clean for a client last year wholesale price was about 1500 USD per carat same stones now approx 9000 USD per carat so even the lower end can increase dramatically.
     
  3. Ele

    Ele New Member

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    Hello everyone. I registered here because of coins, but I cannot miss to write my first post here :)

    I believe there is only one rule in investment - you should know what you are doing! Thats why I agree with 1for1 - every diamond can be an investment.

    Oldsoul - good collection :) If you use the macro mode or a macro lens with a light source from above (usually, if you use white paper will be better) you will take much better pictures :)


    So - about me - appart form the gold and silver coins I have, I do have quite a collection of colour stones and diamonds. The first diamond I bought online on an auction - 0.44 pear cut, SI3 fancy brown diamond IGL certified for.... 60$. From then I just love to "hunt" for diamonds on auctions. I can admit that they are not an "investment" grade, as I cannot afford to pay few thousands $$ for a diamond, but to be honest it makes them easier to sell. About a month ago I needed money and sold 6 diamonds within 3 days with average profit of 40%. But I have one rule about diamonds - they should be not only certified, but either with laser engraved number or closed in a certificate. I will never ever buy not certified gemstone! I like the diamonds but really love my 350ct citrine, 3 ct tanzanite and 4 black pearls. :)

    And at the end - I collect gemstones and diamonds because I love them. I believe even when you invest, you should like what you buy not just to stack it :)

    Cheers

    Sorry if there are any errors - English is not my native language.
     
  4. Holdfast

    Holdfast Well-Known Member Silver Stacker

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    Not for new investor and definitely not for those folk who have no knowledge of gems...stay clear; the modern market place is full of trap-doors imo.

    And...fwiw...the market is turning to real gems!

    Gems like Sapphires and Zircons that have not been heat treated!

    The circle is turning! :cool:
     
  5. Oldsoul

    Oldsoul New Member

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    I think you are quite right on the cert and laser engraving. The 3ct tanzanite sounds very nice they are beautiful stones, the story of it's discovery and of course then there is the story story of Campbell Bridges and Tsavorite......(another very striking stone). Gemmology just brings out a fascinating world of characters and events whether it is the Hope Diamond or Campbell Bridges!

    I have quite an amount of 'stuff' I should photograph and post (such as kilo coins another poster wanted to see and interesting jewellery and coins) and when I do I will add some better pictures here. I have yet to acquire a black Perl! I do have a packet of citrines but I think the biggest is 12ct I think a 350ct would be specialist auction territory!

    I am rather exited to have been told by a gemmologist having finally got off my backside and had them checked that I have four fancy diamonds including a small red brilliant , a purple brilliant, a light blue oval and a pink heart argyle style ( I thought it was pink sapphire!!) that are apparently certainly worth sending to the GIA along with the 'regular' diamonds . Having checked the prices I am currently setting myself up for a disappointment (too good to be true territory) but I am blown away by the prices for how sub .4 carat fancy diamonds - either disappointment that or a very nice chunk of money and a new car!

    Apparently I may have done far better than I might have imagined. No counting chickens until they hatch though!

    I still have some packets of small stones (dark sapphire, small garnets etc) and vast amounts of mixed white stones (glass, cz, white sapphire, mossanite all mixed up) I should go though and have decided to get a refractometer and spectroscope just to have a bit of fun learning more about the stones I have. I need to learn more about pearls as I have a few pots full and no idea about them at all. Lots to learn!
     
  6. Aurora et luna

    Aurora et luna Well-Known Member Silver Stacker

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    There is a chance your red, purple, blue and pink diamonds may have been irradiated!
    Lower quality yellow and brown diamonds are irradiated to change their color to intense blue, green etc.
    For as little as $US400 per carat weight this process can transform a pretty average yellow diamond into a stunning coloured gemstone
     
  7. Ele

    Ele New Member

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    Hello
    From a long long time I think to buy a refractometer. Maybe I will soon :)

    I took some gemstones last week from the safty deposit box - I wanted to set them in rings but I gave up - I'm not a jewelry lover so it will be just a waste. But it was good to have them in my hands again.

    This is a 3.59ct blue sapphire. It is gorgeous! It is one of my first stones I've got so I forgotten how amazing and fantastic it is.

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/1w4by0nj4gg8czh/P5173801.JPG?dl=0

    Here a 0.9ct brown diamond, VVS - very nice stone.
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/ep4rordvptvip54/P5173805.JPG?dl=0

    And this is 0.53 reddish-orange diamond, I1, not treated. It is graded by IGEC - not known for me Lab. It is a present and I cannot ask what is the price paid. Pitty it is closed in the certificate and I cannot have a good look but it looks right - maybe I will open it one day and send it to a better Lab.
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/56ztn29n4jdq9bu/P5173807.JPG?dl=0

    I cannot add the photos, hope the links work.

    I'd love to see some of your colour diamonds :)


    Aurora et luna - it is not important is it treated or not, what is important is what you pay. Even the treated colour diamonds are fantastic, but it is important to know it so you can set you budget :)

    Cheers
     
  8. Oldsoul

    Oldsoul New Member

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    I'm prepared to be disappointed but the person who checked them and the others out had a lab full of equipment and seemed very keen I should send them to the GIA. A quick search tells me they are likely to have an orange fluorescence if irratiated and that a lab can tell using an instrument known as a spectrophotometer checking the price for this instrument it is about 5K so I imagine that this was looked at but all I asked for was an opinion on whether they warranted submission to the GIA not a report. Most articles seem to say that most common irradiated colours are green, blue, yellow, brown and black diamonds and I only have one of those colours.

    http://www.modernjeweler.com/web/online/Diamond-Gem-Profiles/Irradiated-Diamond/2$290


    I certainly feel obliged to update this thread with the GIA results and pictures as soon as I know!
    So my 'lotto' numbers have yet to be drawn!
     
  9. Aurora et luna

    Aurora et luna Well-Known Member Silver Stacker

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    I have a gorgeous 20 point radiant cut irradiated blue diamond. Worth maybe $200.
    A natural one this size, up to $50,000
    You definitely need to do your homework!
     
  10. Ele

    Ele New Member

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    I've already did :) The most important thing is still what you pay for it. For example I had 0.11 ct green irradiated diamond and I got it for 22 Euro. I sold it for 43.

    Not everyone can afford diamond worth $50k, more people are willing to pay 200 for an irradiated one. Maybe I didn't say it right - if you can afford $50k diamond - then it is obviously important is it treated or not, but if you can't afford it, then it is not that important - because you can't afford it anyway - it is better to know what treatment the stone had and make sure you pay a fare price.

    Hope you understand my point.

    Peace
     
  11. Oldsoul

    Oldsoul New Member

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    There looks to be a fantastic cut on that sapphire. I need to sort out a way to take decent pictures of gems and coins - just using my phone produces rubbish pictures.

    I rang and ask the gemmologist about them being irradiated today. She sounded under pressure and a little annoyed I'd asked but said she had checked and she would not have advised me to send them to the GIA if they were...think asking the question may have been borderline insult to her professionalism. Oops!
     
  12. Ele

    Ele New Member

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    You need either a compact camera with a macro mode or a DRLS camera and a macro lens and a light source.

    I asked the local dealer about the colour enhanced diamonds and they told me that in general I could expect those diamonds to be 40-60% cheaper.

    Cheers
     
  13. Altima

    Altima Well-Known Member Silver Stacker

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    Hmm, came across this in the news:

    https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/worlds-first-diamond-exchange-launched-035100596.html
     
  14. -j-p-shmorgan

    -j-p-shmorgan New Member

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    I'm interested.....
     
  15. col0016

    col0016 Active Member

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    Isn't the value of a diamond based on much more than it's weight though?
     
  16. heileigdiamonds

    heileigdiamonds New Member

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    Jewels and gems last a long time, so good sales people will make claims like this is an "investments" and "will always be worth more than what they cost". But that assumes the goods rise in value and you can easily sell them with low sale costs. Demand and supply is everything.
     
  17. Stoic Phoenix

    Stoic Phoenix Well-Known Member Silver Stacker

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    Flaw/inclusions scale and colour scale are large indicators in relation to price col
     
  18. col0016

    col0016 Active Member

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    Exactly, so how are they being traded as a commodity? Wouldn't that imply they need a spot price? Even though two diamonds they weigh exactly the same might be worth very different amounts.

    Edit: Or would they be trading uncut diamonds in a kind of lucky dip?
     
  19. spannermonkey

    spannermonkey Well-Known Member Silver Stacker

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    here there everywhere
    There is a "spot price" for diamonds in each different grading
    Prices are NOT revealed to the public & you have to subscribe to the service
    Prices come out of New York in US $ daily
     
  20. -j-p-shmorgan

    -j-p-shmorgan New Member

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    Learn something new everyday!! :D
     

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