Hello all, I was thinking of adding some loose precious and semi-precious gems to my stack. Can anyone suggest a fair online dealer who won't rake me over the coals? Just checking out Ebay has me a little uneasy because I don't understand the market and the pricing very well at this point. Thanks for any help! Chris
There's a few folk who dig their own who may be willing to sell...I have a few sapphires and zircons but they're not for sale. Your best bet would be to do a bit of home-study first and then perhaps join a lapidary club if you are really intent on buying gems. There's lots of gems which are heated treated or are...completely synethetic so be very careful. Never tell a dealer you are a noob and know nothing...study the topic before parting with a single dollar. H
There is a little place just around the corner from Cheltenham railway station Vic, called Dazlyn Gems, that may have a web presence for on-line purchases. They have very nice stuff at reasonable prices, and can get you anything in whatever price range you wish.
Hey thanks for all of the replies. I guess I need to get used to adding my location since this is such an international forum. I'm in Maryland in the USA. Sadly I don't think I will be getting down to Australia anytime soon. I have a few mates I'd like to visit so any trip down under would be for holiday not buying. I wouldn't consider myself a total noob really but I have been out of touch with the market for the better part of a decade. An ex used to work jewelry and I had a pretty good pulse on things back then but we have parted ways years ago. I'm sure the market has changed a lot in the past several years, too. I'll try to find a local dealer who won't gouge me too bad. Cheers! Chris
Yep the Tucson shows are a great place completely overwhelming but total fun... I am also in the states and have a ton of cut and uncut stones I would love to sell send me a PM if interested or just want any info , I been dealing with this stuff for 20 years as a jeweler and collector
Hello all, Just wanted to post a quick thank you to slappy70. He sold me a few sapphires and they are great looking! His prices are very good too compared to stuff I've seen on ebay or other online sites. If you are looking for gemstones he is a good guy to contact. I'll be buying from him again in the future. I don't have a camera that can do the gems any justice but they are very lovely. Cheers, Chris
Chris, Thank you for the plug. It was a pleasure dealing with you and I look forward to doing more deals in the future. Again, thanks!! Scott
Usual rules apply, I think. Try to get to a wholesaler not a retailer. Avoid tourism locations like a plague Hard sell = leave. Don't get out of your depth. As few retailers sell loose gems you *might* get a reference from them to a seller (or not). Yellow Pages might work, if you have a specific requirement, especially. If all else fails, try asking for cut 10-pointers in Cognac (non-fancy colours) - they are around a quarter of the caret price of 1 carat stones and give you a chance to see what else is on offer without showing too much of your hand. Over ten years ago I was looking for Champagne/Cognac (these have become more popular) Australian diamonds in Sydney and found a buyer/seller. The trade is by no means straightforward, as most cutting is done in various world centres, and the stones are then purchased as parcels. At the time I was looking for cut 10-pointers for a project I never had time to work up, and one could get nice diamonds around the 1 carat mark at between AU$1,000 and $1,200 a carat. Things I remember - Avoid 1 carat stones or any 'easy' numbers (1, 1.5, 2 et cetera), as a few percent lighter is a whole lot cheaper (marketing is a wonderful thing). A .98 carat may be two-thirds of the price of a 1.00 carat. Unless you have deep pockets, decide which aspect to focus on - I picked cut over colour, and tried to avoid inclusions. You can learn a lot by just looking with a loupe - a cheap purchase which might help with street cred. If you buy from a loose seller, it's usually easy to get them set by a mate of theirs.
Chris, I have an eBay store under the same screen name. I'm selling my inherited gemstones. Many are natural but some are irradiated. They mostly all have their original packaging from when my grandfather bought them, never out of the package. Please go take a look, I only post a few at a time but if you have specifics I can show you my supply. Of the heat treated ones I have been quoted $10 a carat and some are upwards of 30 carats. There are genuine stones like amethyst, sapphire and small rubies that I have no clue the carat or worth, honestly. If you have knowledge I'd be happy to know. I'm selling them dirt cheap from what I was told to sell them for, but they just won't sell at true value due to competition. I also do free shipping in USA. http://m.ebay.com/seller?itemId=271527669640&sid=elleloux3