Facebook colored gem finds- post them here!

[Rfisher]

What’s for sale currently on FB? Great price for what it is, or a great specimen post them here!
There may be old threads - but a new one would be great.

Im not on Facebook - so be sure to screenshot all info and pictures so we can oogle and not be let down with the eye candy if the link goes dead.

no innuendos @fredflintstone -that baffles me.
If one wants FB vendors and their gems (and the safer purchasing environment there for consumers you prefer over IG) to be discussed on PS- someone needs to start the discussion. Not just state its superior, wonder why it’s not talked about here, and leave


hope to see much participation here

 

[Rfisher]

Ooh! 1st question!
Do the FB vendors do the ‘DM me for pricing - serious inquiries only’ thing, too????

any nice Paraiba for sale there?
Or medium tone /medium strong saturation sapphire? Any color really. Heat ok!
Or larger clean medium light grey spinel with no blue/purple undertones?

 

[fredflintstone]

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

Log into Facebook

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Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

Here is a good start. There are literally 100's and 100's more, but these are good start for what the members here would be interested in.

Also included is a couple of groups about gemstone scams and scammers, and gemology pages for those who want to learn more.

Many of these groups will have even more stones for sale under "Discussion," where you can see videos. Click on "Discussion."

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

I'm intrigued.
I don't do Facebook, but I might if I can get some gem deals that way.
If anyone knows of some awesome spinel deals- let me know, them's is me poison of choice!

 

[fredflintstone]

I'm intrigued.
I don't do Facebook, but I might if I can get some gem deals that way.
If anyone know of some awesome spinel deals- let me know, them's is me poison of choice!

You will have to set up a Facebook account and many of these groups are closed, which mean they are not open to the general public. You have to ask to join. This protects you from everyone seeing what you are posting, buying, etc.

There are many trade groups I did not list, as you have to be a trade member to belong.

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

You will have to set up a Facebook account and many of these groups are closed, which mean they are not open to the general public. You have to ask to join. This protects you from everyone seeing what you are posting, buying, etc.

There are many trade groups I did not list, as you have to be a trade member to belong.

Oh, okay.
Do I have to know a secret word or handshake? Will they just let a rando-scrub like me in?

 

[Rfisher]

I was hoping to see actual gems referenced by you, @fredflintstone
You may think I have an agenda against you. I don’t. I’d like to see gems you recommend to people who are looking. As you seem to have a good trained eye.

But this is a good start. Thank you.

maybe if someone else starts show and telling - I’ll create my first FB account just for it.

 

[fredflintstone]

These groups have literally 1000's of gemstones each. You can scroll down all day on some.


I may put some up at some time in the future, but what is more interesting is just browsing these sales groups and other groups I listed.

There are many gemstone sales groups on Facebook with 10,000 to over 50,000 members open to the public, but they are not policed. It does make for interesting browsing though.

 

[fredflintstone]

Oh, okay.
Do I have to know a secret word or handshake? Will they just let a rando-scrub like me in?

You would be welcomed in, but as I wrote, they are closed to keep people who would prey on their members.

Just create an account, click on these links and you will see "join." Click on that and a adminstrator will most likely add you to the group.

There are private pages on Instagram. Same thing.

 

[T L]

It’s nice to see actual PRICES!! One thing that really irks me about Instagram is the “DM for price.” Grrrrrrr!

 

[ShinyPink]

A lot of the IG vendors are on FB, too. I like seeing a few different offerings from them on FB.

 

[fredflintstone]

It’s nice to see actual PRICES!! One thing that really irks me about Instagram is the “DM for price.” Grrrrrrr!

That happens a lot on Facebook too, but I tried to list the best policed groups that demand prices be revealed, though some do sneak through without a price,

 

[westofhere]

It’s interesting that the FB groups are so tiny compared to IG. On IG, Dan Lynch has 11k followers; David Klass 47k; Dalan Hargrave 90k. Maybe FB sellers prefer much smaller client bases for some reason?

 

[westofhere]

Shaya Durbin, a jeweler I adore, has 338 FB followers and 8,165 IG. Maybe FB is better for hobbyist sellers and IG is better for those trying to make a living?

 

[elizat]

Shaya Durbin, a jeweler I adore, has 338 FB followers and 8,165 IG. Maybe FB is better for hobbyist sellers and IG is better for those trying to make a living?

I think FB is kind of antiquated.

I had an account for Facebook that I only set up to because the rescue group that I volunteer with has a members only page where they post information. I did not use any of the other features of Facebook beyond it and found it very clunky and frankly I thought the whole platform was annoying.

However, I do like Instagram.

I never posted anything on Facebook and I did not enjoy using Facebook. Whereas I routinely will waste time on Instagram!

 

[ShinyPink]

I know a good amount of people -all ages- who have left FB but are still on IG. Pretty much all of the twenty-somethings I know are on IG only. They keep FB but rarely use it. I know why the older ones left FB, but not the younger ones.

 

[fredflintstone]

It’s interesting that the FB groups are so tiny compared to IG. On IG, Dan Lynch has 11k followers; David Klass 47k; Dalan Hargrave 90k. Maybe FB sellers prefer much smaller client bases for some reason?

Oh, there are several stores from people like David Weinberg (Multicolor) with over 100,000 followers. You are making premature assumptions. After all, you do not use FB, right? So, it is understandable that you do not know the full scope of ways to sale there. Groups are only one aspect, then there are stores, personal pages, local buy and sale groups, it goes on and on. I sold on over 50 groups when active, and these people were not all necessarily my followers, but they were consumers. You cannot do that on Instagram.

Also, FB lets you advertise your store. Yes, you must pay for this, but this is how the business model works. You can get 1000 followers or more for $100.00.

The point is, it is best to utilize all online formats that can help with your business, and the same goes for buying. The more options, the more competition, the better to find deal, the better to do business.

 

[voce]

The last time I logged into Facebook was 2010. I was among the first people to join Facebook at age 19 and quit in my mid-twenties. I was uncomfortable with the lack of data privacy, and it seemed an unproductive use of my time, when I had other ways to procrastinate that I enjoyed more. I'm not on Instagram anymore, either. The Social Network documentary has convinced me I do not need either service. I prefer to request info through email and not be bombarded with ads that tempt me into spending money.

 

[fredflintstone]

I know a good amount of people -all ages- who have left FB but are still on IG. Pretty much all of the twenty-somethings I know are on IG only. They keep FB but rarely use it. I know why the older ones left FB, but not the younger ones.

Being a seller for four decades before retirement it is the people over 40 who spend the real money on disposable income luxury items such as gemstones. There are still plenty of them on Facebook.


There is 2.85 billion Facebook members, as compared to 1 billion Instagram members. Almost three times as many.

The smart thing to do is sale and buy on both formats, that is if you are going to use these types of formats for buying.

 

[fredflintstone]

The last time I logged into Facebook was 2010. I was among the first people to join Facebook at age 19 and quit in my mid-twenties. I was uncomfortable with the lack of data privacy, and it seemed an unproductive use of my time, when I had other ways to procrastinate that I enjoyed more. I'm not on Instagram anymore, either. The Social Network documentary has convinced me I do not need either service. I prefer to request info through email and not be bombarded with ads that tempt me into spending money.

Very good. Each to their own.

 

[voce]

Being a seller for four decades before retirement it is the people over 40 who spend the real money on disposable income luxury items such as gemstones. There are still plenty of them on Facebook.

I'm definitely not over 40 yet. According to @fredflintstone I don't spend real money on gemstones, even though according to my accounting tallies I've spent more than $100k in 3 years on them.

Individuals vary. Broad generalizations may be useful, but please realize the younger generation is a growing share of the population, and their spending habits are not going to correspond to those of the past decades you've experienced.

 

[fredflintstone]

I'm definitely not over 40 yet. According to @fredflintstone I don't spend real money on gemstones, even though according to my accounting tallies I've spent more than $100k in 3 years on them.

Individuals vary. Broad generalizations may be useful, but please realize the younger generation is a growing share of the population, and their spending habits are not going to correspond to those of the past decades you've experienced.

Ok, let me rephrase this then.

The majority of people who spent the most money with me and others I know were 40 and over. That is not to say that there are not people under 40 who don't spend a lot of money too. But it is people who are a little older in many cases that have the money to spend after taking years of their lives to get where they are at, children are grown up, morgage paid off, etc. That does not change, and there is a lot more to spend that money on than 40 years ago.

No disrespect meant to younger people. All the more power to them, but you are basing your buying habits on your own spending. I am basing spending habits with what I sold and to whom over the years.

 

[westofhere]

For most of the college students I teach, Instagram is becoming passé. It’s what those “ancient” millennials use, ha! But TikTok—that they spend hours on at a time. Most of them either aren’t on FB or don’t check it. It makes sense that Fred would use it, as he’s around their grandparents’ age, which is FB’s target demographic.

One thing I don’t love about buying off Instagram is that gems and jewelry often sell within seconds/minutes of being posted. It’s frustrating to see “SOLD” over and over again.
I’ve found that the best use for the platform is to find gem cutters, goldsmiths, etc and then commission things.

 

[fredflintstone]

For most of the college students I teach, Instagram is becoming passé. It’s what those “ancient” millennials use, ha! But TikTok—that they spend hours on at a time. Most of them either aren’t on FB or don’t check it. It makes sense that Fred would use it, as he’s around their grandparents’ age, which is FB’s target demographic.

One thing I don’t love about buying off Instagram is that gems and jewelry often sell within seconds/minutes of being posted. It’s frustrating to see “SOLD” over and over again.
I’ve found that the best use for the platform is to find gem cutters, goldsmiths, etc and then commission things.

Yes, it can be frustrating when you might just hold off for a day or two, even an hour and lose that stone. This has happened to me buying for resale, and a lot.


But when you speak of the college kids you teach, they are for the most part not concerned with spending money on gemstones. They have all sorts of technology products they want to spend their money on, and though this is 2021, I do not think the average college student has the money to spend period, let alone buy gemstones. It is tougher and tougher now a days for young people to get a head, The whole world is competing for your job and your disposable dollar. The buying power in 1980 was much greater than today not to mention there was less things to spend that money on. Hell, there was not even CDs in 1980 (now consider way outdated for quite some time), not to mention all the options for media entertainment today that we all spend money on no matter the age. That puts a big drain on for money gemstones, jewelry, and other traditional luxury items.

I wish you well and have a great night, or day, whichever it might be.

 

[voce]

But it is people who are a little older in many cases that have the money to spend after taking years of their lives to get where they are at, children are grown up, morgage paid off, etc. That does not change, and there is a lot more to spend that money on than 40 years ago.

That is true in past decades, but your assumption that the timing/order of those expenses does not change and won't change, at least in the affluent cross-section of society, is off base, in my opinion.

The well-to-do affluent younger generation can, for example, postpone having kids and mortgages. They invest in the stock market early. In fact, my DF and I would consider buying a house with cash using stock market returns under the right set of market pricing conditions.

I can only speak to what is true for myself and the people I know. You speak from your experience. Both are forms of biases under statistical and data analytics principles. The interesting thing about markets and economics, at least to me, is that nothing is ever ever set in stone and cannot change. Humans just tend to be bad at staying open-minded without judging prematurely and fully accepting the changes that come their way.

 

[fredflintstone]

That is true in past decades, but your assumption that the timing/order of those expenses does not change and won't change, at least in the affluent cross-section of society, is off base, in my opinion.

The well-to-do affluent younger generation can, for example, postpone having kids and mortgages. They invest in the stock market early. In fact, my DF and I would consider buying a house with cash using stock market returns under the right set of market pricing conditions.

I can only speak to what is true for myself and the people I know. You speak from your experience. Both are forms of biases under statistical and data analytics principles. The interesting thing about markets and economics, at least to me, is that nothing is ever ever set in stone and cannot change. Humans just tend to be bad at staying open-minded without judging prematurely and fully accepting the changes that come their way.

No, nothing is forever and the younger generation at this time is not preoccupied with gemstones as in the past as a whole. There is just too much technology out there competing for their dollar and everyone else’s.

This is not about Instagram vs, Facebook, but about what has changed in the last 30 years in the consumers buying habits with new technological toys popping up all the time making the ones sold 3 years before or less instantly outdated. But thankfully there still is enough interest to keep the gemstone industry in business and there probably will be always enough to do that.

But let us get down to why Rfisher made this thread and not keep going back and forth. Get on Facebook and have a look. It cannot hurt to have more options to find the stones you want.

Have a good night.

An addendum to what I said about “nothing is forever.”

One thing that has never changed is you do not start at the top unless you were born wealthy or uncommonly lucky.

If you are ambitious, not afraid to try new things, whether it be running your own business or working your way up through the company, so to speak, this all takes time. Takes years in most cases, and that it why on average people have more money the older they get to spend. If they have the motivation and drive it takes. You are the captain of your destiny, where that lies is in good measure up to the you the individual.

 

[ShinyPink]

But TikTok—that they spend hours on at a time.

Oh my word- TikTok! Repeatedly, my daughter will ask me to grab something for her at Target or wherever. It will be sold out. I'll come home and say, "Sold out. TikTok?" and the answer is always yes! It's very influential!

 

[fredflintstone]

When I have time, later today or tomorrow I will post links up to Facebook vendor stores, many will be very familiar here and some not at all.

I will also post up links to the large gemstone sales groups that mostly are open to the public. These are not policed well, but they are like a huge flea market where you can find treasures and... fleas. They are their own cyberspace on going gemstone/jewelry shows onto their selves. Vendors from the world over are here. Very interesting.

I will also give the link the the largest trade group on FB or anywhere with few exceptions, but you must be a member of the trade to join, and they will ask for proof. Almost 23,000 trade members.

Fred

 

[LD]

Ok I have a confession! I’ve been on Facebook for years and a member of a few groups mentioned above but I have NEVER bought from any of them!!!! I don’t know why if I’m honest.

Curiously I have bought from two sellers on Instagram. One with awful results and the other with a phenomenal deal/stone. Instagram appears to me to be more of a selling tool and if you follow a few jewellers/gemstone vendors, suddenly loads follow you back (I have no idea how). So it basically gives you easy/quick access. I may be wrong but there seems to be younger people on Instagram as well.

The one thing I hate about Instagram as TL mentioned above is the “DM for price”. Grrrrrr that makes me so annoyed because (a) I feel they give you any price they want -which is probably being unfair to them but it’s how it makes me feel and (b) it can be such a waste of time because you can guess a price but it’s time consuming having to ask.

 

[fredflintstone]

Ok I have a confession! I’ve been on Facebook for years and a member of a few groups mentioned above but I have NEVER bought from any of them!!!! I don’t know why if I’m honest.

Curiously I have bought from two sellers on Instagram. One with awful results and the other with a phenomenal deal/stone. Instagram appears to me to be more of a selling tool and if you follow a few jewellers/gemstone vendors, suddenly loads follow you back (I have no idea how). So it basically gives you easy/quick access. I may be wrong but there seems to be younger people on Instagram as well.

The one thing I hate about Instagram as TL mentioned above is the “DM for price”. Grrrrrr that makes me so annoyed because (a) I feel they give you any price they want -which is probably being unfair to them but it’s how it makes me feel and (b) it can be such a waste of time because you can guess a price but it’s time consuming having to ask.

Thanks for posting that! Nothing to be ashamed of by being a FB member.


That happens on Facebook too. As soon as the source dealers see who you are and know you buy stones, they follow you and if you are a dealer, they hound you to death. Use to get up 20 different source dealers (there is thousands of them out there) a week send me messages trying to sale me stones. Some of them would only put the picture of the stone(s) up and nothing else, LOL! Most that would tell you what the stone(s) are would have to be asked for the carat weight, dimensions, and price.

This is how they do business over there, but some have found out that is not how the western world does business and have changed their tactics.


The same happens with IG. You see all these followers but many are other source dealers following them, not actual customers. Though just like FB, customers or potential customers do follow too.