Advise on this emerald

[minnie35]

Hi, I came across with this emerald loose stone, the seller is saying is 6.64 ct, origin : Columbia, green to vivid green color, Minor oil treatment.

It is asking US$25k, is it a good price?

 

[minnie35]

Any comment are welcome.

 

[minnie35]

Thanks in advance!!

 

[Bron357]

Hi, emeralds are tricky to assess and price. Does this emerald come with proper certification?
I think the price is way too high. I attach a photo of a ring currently for sale in the US with a 17 carat GIA certified, no oil (very rare) Columbian emerald.
Look at the quality of this huge emerald, set, in a beautiful ring and it is $17k.

 

[minnie35]

Bron357, thanks for your reply!
The seller is sending it for certification, which should be ready by tomorrow. And said after getting the certificate, the price will be even higher. So trying to persuade me to buy it now.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Omg nooooooooo that is soooooo dodgy! Without certification that stone could be worth $20! Do they have a return policy?

I would stay away from this one based on that comment alone!

 

[Bluegemz]

Don’t feel rushed into it. That’s a big red flag. Why should the price be even higher? That sounds decietful with a desperation to sell.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

The seller needs a lab report from a reputable lab to sell this emerald. No one is going to spend 25K on an emerald without one and it is shocking that the seller is going to raise the price for obtaining this. Big red flag there.

 

[suzanne2]

I bought this Emerald recently and took a chance because there wasn't a certification. It is about the same size as yours and almost the same color. Once I received it I realised that it was probably dyed.
Rather than go thru the hassle of a return, I took the hit. Good thing I only paid $10.00 (ten) with shipping.

I'm not saying that your jeweler is trying to unload a dyed stone on you. But I am saying you should never never buy without a cert. It's SOP and shouldn't make the price go up.

 

[minnie35]

Thanks for all your inputs!! Right I think will just wait for the next gem then!

 

[whitewave]

Bron357, thanks for your reply!
The seller is sending it for certification, which should be ready by tomorrow. And said after getting the certificate, the price will be even higher. So trying to persuade me to buy it now.

I am seriously doubting certification will be ready tomorrow. AGL takes a few weeks.

This all sounds very sketchy.

 

[Rfisher]

Do I trust my money with the vendor?
Do I trust and agree with the vendors return policy?
Do I have a pre agreed scenario for return of money ( whole or partial) if the lab report differs?
Do I like the stone for the price?
Am I not feeling pressured by sellers tactics?
Do I (and the gem community) trust the lab for the validity of the report?
Am I not buying to make money?

 

[minnie35]

They sending it to GRS for certification and because there is expo in Hong Kong which provide express service with extra charge. That is why they claim the certificate will be reqdy today or tomorrow.

 

[Arcadian]

I think its always best to wait for a gem report on an expensive stone such as this. Unless you have the tools to check yourself (the tool set isn't terribly extensive but can be a bit pricy) and the experience (this is what matters), then pass. don't take the pressure to buy if you're uncertain.

These stones could still come back with some sort of treatment, and often do. Oil treatment is very common as is Excel. And of course it could also come back with a dyed too.

I really don't know of any reputable lab that pops out gem reports like pez. Not saying they might not have express services, but even when I dropped one off in NY it STILL took couple of weeks.

It could be totally legit buy my magic 8 ball says wait until you have more information.

 

[ShinyPink]

pops out gem reports like pez

Good one!

 

[Miki Moto]

Assuming the stone is legit, the price comes out at $3.7K per carat and to me, that is near retail price for a Colombian with minor treatment. It is a large emerald so you will pay a premium on the size alone though but not that much. The color is a drop too dark (for me) if it is more like last photo but color is a personal preference.

I recently purchased a 5.5ct Colombian, Muzo, Minor treatment, AGL, and it was only $12K, so about $2.1K per carat (you need to think in terms of price per carat as that is how the dealers think when selling colored gemstones).

If it were true Colombian, minor treatment, to me, $25K is retail price and the cut looks native to me so you should not be paying $25K for a native cut (I always think native cuts are cheaper as they are not as precise) from a non-brick and mortar dealer. I can see this uplift being at retail stores but then their stones would be cut better. To compare to retail, the replacement value for my stone is $22K, which is $4K per carat. My stone is native cut which I asssume yours is also. So your stone is near retail price.

There are other factors to consider such as the color rating, cut, windowing, etc. but I hope this helps with an idea.

Personally, I like your stone. I prefer a tad lighter green emerald color like the first photo. And large emeralds that are a nice color with decent clarity are hard to find. Most I have seen are very dark and / or included.

I am not an expert at all, but I love emeralds and I wanted to share my thoughts from having looked at stones for a while. I hope this was helpful.

 

[Miki Moto]

Oh... here is the emerald I purchased so you can compare. I purchased the larger lighter green one, but you can also see the darker green ones. All these stones are from Muzo. You can see how they are native cut, similar to yours.

Good luck to you! I do like your emerald.

 

[Miki Moto]

Oh... one more thought I want to share... the appraisal said the color of my stone was top notch, but the value took a hit due to the cut (native and not 100% symmetrical) and polish, not excellent. Had all been excellent, the stone would be around $40K. I knew all those issues when I bought the stone, but I wanted a 5ct stone with the perfect green (perfect green shade to me).

So when buying an emerald, it is a lot of trade offs and I did not want to sleep $40K for a perfect emerald. I saw a perfect 2ct, but that was so small to me and I do not need precision cut for an emerald (unlike diamonds) as the emerald is all about color first and foremost.

I wanted to share this too to help in your decision. Emeralds to me are the hardest stones to buy.

 

[Anne111]

The color looks very fine, the price seems too good for such clarity and cut. If only minor oil treatment and Columbian, I would have thought this to be closer to 10k/ct. Wait for lab results.....

 

[minnie35]

The seller said GRS’s result is intense vivid green with minor oil treatment.
But certificate is not yet out yet.
The seller is saying they could try to negotiate with the wholesaler if they can offer the same price to me, if I really pursue.
I liked and did requested to compare the stone like Miki Moto did. But by the time I request that, they claim the stone was sent to lab. I wonder if this is all the selling tricks.
But after all, I guess the most important thing is if the stone values for that amount....

I requested,but seller can’t give me more pic of the stone in a white light setting, so really make me difficult to make decision on such big investment.

 

[minnie35]

Oh... here is the emerald I purchased so you can compare. I purchased the larger lighter green one, but you can also see the darker green ones. All these stones are from Muzo. You can see how they are native cut, similar to yours.

Good luck to you! I do like your emerald.

I like the color of your emeralds a lot!! It is a very pretty green!

Is a Columbian emerald? The clarity look much better than the one I’m looking into.

 

[Miki Moto]

I like the color of your emeralds a lot!! It is a very pretty green!

Is a Columbian emerald? The clarity look much better than the one I’m looking into.

Thank you, and yes, it is Colombian, from Muzo, minor enhancement. If you are in the U.S., I got it at the Tucson Gem Show that is always in February. The dealer is a Colombian emerald dealer (who lives in Antwerp now), and buys from the mine, he’s been in the business 38 years, nice gentleman. He is an independent and told me he will most likely come back next Feb. I like his stones so much I plan to get some more for earrings and maybe a pendant and try to match the color. The stone I bought is the bigger one. You can see the color is a little lighter. The reference color is actually the smaller ones but I think they will be too dark for me once I set it. So it’s all preference.

 

[minnie35]

Thanks Miki Moto, unfortunately I’m not in the States.