Best gems to buy.

[Marshius Maximus]

Any advice on what gemstones are the best to invest in right now?

 

[Starstruck8]

Standard response: If by invest, you mean buy for the purpose of making a profit on resale, then gemstones are not a recommended investment for retail buyers. We buy at retail prices but have to sell at wholesale prices.

If by invest, you mean buy with the intention of getting a return in pleasure, (as in, I invested in a new dress) then buy what you like a price you feel comfortable with.

 

[seaurchin]

A few that offer decent "bang for the buck" imo: garnet, tourmaline, pearls, opal, zircon, aquamarine.

Disclaimers: This is very general because every gem type has very cheap and very expensive ones too. Also, you'd want to consider other factors too, such as if any treatments are permanent or not and durability.

I agree that gems are not good investments. Those who make money off them generally know about them very well, buy in volume for big discounts and so on. Amateurs typically lose money. Better to buy for enjoyment and consider it spending rather than investing.

 

[lovedogs]

None, as gems are awful investments.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Gems are terrible investments but you can buy them if you genuinely want an item to wear and have the funds, may as well buy it before prices rise.

Look at it this way! I bought this ruby ring for $3000 AUD back in the day. I probably can't recoup my costs but I sure as heck can't buy the same ring for $3000 AUD now. So it's not profitable but it saves me from paying whatever the price is now.

 

[icy_jade]

I’ve heard of people who invest in rubies, as in those unheated Mogok pigeon blood types or big rubies (>5 ct), hold for many years and turn a profit. Not for the faint hearted though as the cost is pretty high.

 

[Voodoo Child]

I’m heavily leveraged in red diamonds, Russian Alexandrite with Romanov provenance, and rose quartz. Follow me for more investment advice.

 

[vintageinjune]

If you have a lot of money to tie up that you won't miss if you never get back, you could try blue, red, and pink argyle diamonds. The cost of purchasing investment grade pieces is out of the realm of reality for most of us here on PS though, and you likely have to hold onto them for quite a while.

If you are talking more along the lines of the "best gemstones to have in my wardrobe", that really comes down to personal preference and how hard you are on your jewelry.

 

[CaseyLouLou]

Gems are terrible investments but you can buy them if you genuinely want an item to wear and have the funds, may as well buy it before prices rise.

Look at it this way! I bought this ruby ring for $3000 AUD back in the day. I probably can't recoup my costs but I sure as heck can't buy the same ring for $3000 AUD now. So it's not profitable but it saves me from paying whatever the price is now.

This is an excellent answer. My goal along with many other PSers is to find gems and set them into jewelry (to wear and enjoy) while trying to save money compared to retail pricing. And we know that we won’t be able to sell them for any kind of profit because we aren’t retailers.

 

[JackTrick]

Best way to make a small fortune with gems… is to start with a large fortune.

 

[RRfromR]

Any advice on what gemstones are the best to invest in right now?

It's a very interesting question, as I was reading that some people buy exceptional gems as an alternate physical asset to balance a stock portfolio, similar to investments in art or real estate. These gemstones sit in the banks' boxes and the majority are not set. So, from an investment prospective, buying this type of gem (like a huge, no oil, as close to perfection as possible emerald, for example) could be considered a good investment and there are gemologist scouts who specialize in this type of investment. To me, it's kind of sad, but I personally love old jewelry and believe that they're here so we can enjoy them and then pass them along to the next generation or admire them in a museum.

 

[kenny]

Any advice on what gemstones are the best to invest in right now?

Gems have about as much "investment value" as an extravagant vacation ... as in ... none.

But do buy gems you love.
I think of my Octavia diamond as a vacation I get to go on several times a day for the rest of my life.

 

[E H]

Gem definitely not a great way to diversify. Just like any other hobby like watch, antique, car, art etc. Three major problem with these "investment".
1. Liquidity, they are not liquid esp if you want to offload a big one.
2. Spread. You buy retail or close to retail, and sell wholesale.
3. Low return. Even gems with the highest price gain in the last 10y (such as paraiba, unheated strong fluo moz/mad/tan ruby, neon spinel) are lagging the no brainer passive index fund. Well, even the highest return hobby "investment" stuff like getting the panda daytona or certain AP model) dont stand a chance against the traditional stock heavy portofolio.

If you want to buy gems, buy them cause you like it.

 

[Neptune]

If you want to buy gems, buy them cause you like it.

This because I like to "invest" in myself.