Black Friday Sales!

[elle_71125]

It’s that’s time of year again. I’ve noticed some vendors are starting their Black Friday sales early this year so please chime in if you see a good sale going on. Share your purchases or even what you’d love to buy if you could crack open your piggy bank.


Cecile Raley Designs looks like she’s got a 20% sale on pretty much everything. Nov 13th-28th.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/CecileRaleyDesigns?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=1295184355


Distinctive Gem has a lot of diamonds on sale.
https://www.distinctivegem.com/

 

[elle_71125]

I just bought these ruby cabs from Cecile Rayley Designs.

3mm round ruby cabs. No idea what I’ll do with them but they were just too adorable to pass up. Like itty bitty gum drops.




Now onto the I WISH list. Yvonne has this gorgeous pendant on sale. It’s right up my alley.



I‘m also dying for one of @Rhino ’s August Vintage European cut diamonds. They are the cream of the crop if you ask me.

 

[Avondale]

I spent my Black Friday funds on a new camera setup that’s expected to arrive on Monday so… no jewellery purchases for me right now. I’ll enjoy yours instead.

 

[elle_71125]

I spent my Black Friday funds on a new camera setup that’s expected to arrive on Monday so… no jewellery purchases for me right now. I’ll enjoy yours instead.

How fun! Do you take pictures for work or pleasure?

 

[Avondale]

How fun! Do you take pictures for work or pleasure?

For pleasure. To the point where what I’m spending for this camera borders on unreasonable splurging buuut… we’re going to Sweden in January for the Aurora and I want to be able to take decent pictures of it, you know? And as it stands, low light capabilities happens to be an expensive luxury for amateur picture takers whose phones are full of not much other than pictures of their pets and rings…

 

[Autumn in New England]

Yippee! I am waiting for one particular vendor to have a sitewide sale... momma needs a new pair of shoes (gems)!! Your wee gum drops are so yummy.

 

[elle_71125]

For pleasure. To the point where what I’m spending for this camera borders on unreasonable splurging buuut… we’re going to Sweden in January for the Aurora and I want to be able to take decent pictures of it, you know? And as it stands, low light capabilities happens to be an expensive luxury for amateur picture takers whose phones are full of not much other than pictures of their pets and rings…

I’m intensely jealous. That’s a bucket list item of mine. And for what it’s worth, I’d totally buy a great camera too. Besides, you could probably use it for bling pics too.

 

[elle_71125]

Yippee! I am waiting for one particular vendor to have a sitewide sale... momma needs a new pair of shoes (gems)!! Your wee gum drops are so yummy.

Ooh, do share.

 

[Autumn in New England]

Ooh, do share.

It's a blue spinel, but I'm holding out for a better price and praying it doesn't sell in the interim. Then, if I'm able to grab it at a discount, I'm hoping it's not too dark and doesn't have any gray/green. So lots of "ifs" at the moment! We shall see, my friend!!

 

[elle_71125]

It's a blue spinel, but I'm holding out for a better price and praying it doesn't sell in the interim. Then, if I'm able to grab it at a discount, I'm hoping it's not too dark and doesn't have any gray/green. So lots of "ifs" at the moment! We shall see, my friend!!

I hear you on that. I’ve lost out on a few gems that way but my frugal heart demands that I try to wait for sales. Makes my hubby crazy.
I’ll cross my fingers said item ends up on sale and you’re able to snag it.

 

[Avondale]

Besides, you could probably use it for bling pics too.

You read my mind. Hopefully it won’t be too long before I have new pebbles to photograph.

Oh, and one last thing - if the aurora is on your bucket list too, consider the opportunity within the next 2-3-4 years. We’re about to enter into the peak period of the solar activity cycle, so now’s the time, otherwise it’s another, like, 7 years of waiting until the next solar maximum.

Ok, no more off-topic from me. Black Friday bling time!

 

[Autumn in New England]

I hear you on that. I’ve lost out on a few gems that way but my frugal heart demands that I try to wait for sales. Makes my hubby crazy.
I’ll cross my fingers said item ends up on sale and you’re able to snag it.

Thank you, @elle_71125!

 

[LilAlex]

Big sale at Lang again, looks like. This was never a thing pre-COVID (IIRC) but keeps coming back.

Some "old friends" are disappearing!

Maybe it seems like I am always shilling for them -- I mostly like the armchair window-shopping aspect with lots of photos and reports. Not a lot of guessing required.

 

[elle_71125]

Big sale at Lang again, looks like. This was never a thing pre-COVID (IIRC) but keeps coming back.

Some "old friends" are disappearing!

Maybe it seems like I am always shilling for them -- I mostly like the armchair window-shopping aspect with lots of photos and reports. Not a lot of guessing required.

Thanks for sharing. I just spent way longer than necessary window shopping on their site.

https://www.langantiques.com/

And if money were no object, this magnificent beauty would be mine. You know, just a cool $38k. But check out the intensity of that blue!

 

[elle_71125]

Jack Weir & Sons is having a black friday sale. 18% discount site-wide.

https://jackweirandsons.com

 

[elle_71125]

Nutella Kitty is having a sale on her Etsy & Loupe Troop. 15% off rings and 10% off bands.

https://loupetroop.com/users/nutellakitty

 

[2Neesers]

eBay is offering 10% off Fine Jewlery.


The fine print

 

[elle_71125]

Jewels by Grace is having a holiday sale.

https://www.jewelsbygrace.com/collections/sale

 

[elle_71125]

Gran Gem is having a 10% off sale.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/GranGem?ref=usf_2020



Julia B Jewelry is having a 20% off sale.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/JuliaBJewelry?ref=usf_2020&section_id=1


Jewels with Stories sale.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/JEWELSwithSTORIES?ref=nla_listing_details&section_id=1

 

[maru8888777]

Inken is also having a sale:

Enhoerning Jewelry - Enhoerning Jewelry

Specialized in Rubies, Sapphires, Padparadscha, Emeralds and Diamonds. Experts in fine, untreated and Certified Colored Gemstones and Antique Jewelry.

www.enhoerning-jewelry.com

 

[JackTrick]

Shinypreciousgems on reddit is having sales from today to Monday!

Reddit - Dive into anything

www.reddit.com

 

[Betty Baguettes]

Ruby Lane is having one of their Red Tag 50% off sales.

Ruby Lane - Antiques & Collectibles . Art . Jewelry . Dolls . Fashion . Pottery . Glass: Fri, October 13th

Stroll down Ruby Lane's cobblestone streets to buy and sell quality Antique & Art, Doll, Vintage, and Jewelry items from the world's largest curated marketplace since 1998.

www.rubylane.com

 

[elle_71125]

I just noticed Gene from Precision Gem has a few of his sparkles on sale.
https://precisiongem.com/GemStore/gemstore.php?catalog/all/-/date/1

 

[Autumn in New England]

I think Africa Gems is still running a 25% off sale.

 

[LilAlex]

Bumping this for the current year for CS folks.

There is this in RockyTalky: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/black-friday-sales-2023-post-them-here.280685/

I know I am a day late for Black Friday but I have been following the sale at Lang. Inken at Enhoerning is having a serious sale and I have been poking around. I also see sales at Cecile Raley Designs (on Etsy) and Ivy & Rose Vintage. Recurring sale at GemsNY where I bought a small sapphire a decade ago.

Less happily, I see that another century-old local B&M jeweler in my neck of the woods is going out of business this month -- but it looks like it is mostly contemporary diamond jewelry.

Was just in a city far from home for TG and wandered into a store that featured Bayco and Omi Prive -- generally an IG-only experience for me so it was fun to see them in person. Pretty "entry-level" from these vendors and even then it was totally not a Black Friday experience for sure! Bayco had a spendy 3-4-ct-ish step-cut gray solitaire ring that no one in the store could explain what it was or why it was more than a nice new car. It was so unappealing that I thought it had to be an alex () but they were convinced it was a color-change sapphire. Goes from gray to...what? And I love gray -- but it was set in rose gold and was clearly not a spinel.. Still a mystery!

Please post-your not-to-be-missed holiday sales -- even if it's after you've done your own cherry-picking!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

i got an iceberg lettuce for $1 in the black friday sale at the supermarket
it is a good size and plump and juicy
i'm happy

 

[PrecisionGem]

For pleasure. To the point where what I’m spending for this camera borders on unreasonable splurging buuut… we’re going to Sweden in January for the Aurora and I want to be able to take decent pictures of it, you know? And as it stands, low light capabilities happens to be an expensive luxury for amateur picture takers whose phones are full of not much other than pictures of their pets and rings…

I've always wanted to see the Aurora. What camera gear did you buy?
I get these emails from Rachel Jones Ross for her guided photo trips to photograph the Aurora often. Here is one of her photos.

 

[Avondale]

I've always wanted to see the Aurora. What camera gear did you buy?
I get these emails from Rachel Jones Ross for her guided photo trips to photograph the Aurora often. Here is one of her photos.

For the body I settled on Sony Zv-e10 (stupidest name in history, it’s one of the budget options in the alpha series that sports a trusted sensor), but for the lens I splurged on tamron 17-70mm f2.8. The aperture is consistent throughout all focal lengths and it has OIS which was another expensive but worthwhile feature.

Here are a couple of photos:





The camera is probably capable of much better but I wasn’t experienced enough plus I haven’t really put these through any meaningful post processing.

For the record, if you’d like to see the aurora, now is the time - this and the following year. We’re currently experiencing quite a spectacular solar maximum. Just a couple of weeks ago there was a magnetic storm so strong, the aurora was seen as south as Turkey!

 

[maru8888777]

Bumping this for the current year for CS folks.

There is this in RockyTalky: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/black-friday-sales-2023-post-them-here.280685/

I know I am a day late for Black Friday but I have been following the sale at Lang. Inken at Enhoerning is having a serious sale and I have been poking around. I also see sales at Cecile Raley Designs (on Etsy) and Ivy & Rose Vintage. Recurring sale at GemsNY where I bought a small sapphire a decade ago.

Less happily, I see that another century-old local B&M jeweler in my neck of the woods is going out of business this month -- but it looks like it is mostly contemporary diamond jewelry.

Was just in a city far from home for TG and wandered into a store that featured Bayco and Omi Prive -- generally an IG-only experience for me so it was fun to see them in person. Pretty "entry-level" from these vendors and even then it was totally not a Black Friday experience for sure! Bayco had a spendy 3-4-ct-ish step-cut gray solitaire ring that no one in the store could explain what it was or why it was more than a nice new car. It was so unappealing that I thought it had to be an alex () but they were convinced it was a color-change sapphire. Goes from gray to...what? And I love gray -- but it was set in rose gold and was clearly not a spinel.. Still a mystery!

Please post-your not-to-be-missed holiday sales -- even if it's after you've done your own cherry-picking!

I've been following Lang and Enhoerning too! I've been looking for stuff and Lang, but Inken has some gorgeous things... I just don't know how this "make a bid" thing works and am shy to go through that process.

 

[cloud_less]

we’re going to Sweden in January for the Aurora and I want to be able to take decent pictures of it, you know? And as it stands, low light capabilities happens to be an expensive luxury for amateur picture takers whose phones are full of not much other than pictures of their pets and rings…

For the body I settled on Sony Zv-e10 (stupidest name in history, it’s one of the budget options in the alpha series that sports a trusted sensor), but for the lens I splurged on tamron 17-70mm f2.8. The aperture is consistent throughout all focal lengths and it has OIS which was another expensive but worthwhile feature.

Here are a couple of photos:





The camera is probably capable of much better but I wasn’t experienced enough plus I haven’t really put these through any meaningful post processing.

For the record, if you’d like to see the aurora, now is the time - this and the following year. We’re currently experiencing quite a spectacular solar maximum. Just a couple of weeks ago there was a magnetic storm so strong, the aurora was seen as south as Turkey!

Sorry for going off topic, but I just returned from an aurora trip to Alaska! Yes the solar activity is strong this year (and even stronger next year) so I booked the trip on a whim. Sure enough, we had kp > 4 and a clear sky for two nights in a row. The second night we happened to be stationed right underneath the aurora corona, where it exploded and covered the entire sky in an instant. We were staring right into the eye of a geomagnetic storm...

I take photos for fun too on outdoor trips but my tiny Sony cyber-shot isn't suited for this task with 0 low-light capability. But to my surprise my basic iphone14 can do it at least to some extent. I took some videos too, not great ones but enough to cherish the moment.
Photos I took with my phone:


Photo our guide took with a proper camera:

The activity was so strong the preset didnt work and overexposed - they had to reduce the exposure time to a fraction of a second to capture this moment when it was morphing so fast.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. True to the PS spirit, I now want some aurora-themed CS to commemorate it. So far I've found some black opals and the 5ct vivid green diamond named Aurora, next Black Friday, maybe?