Gem Apprasial/Certifacation questions

[akefia]

Hello Everyone

I am in the military and currently deployed in Afghanistan. While I am here I am going to be buying loose gemstones. When I get back I want to get them looked at. I am currently in state of VA and near Langley AFB. Dose anyone live in this area that could give me advice on who to go to? Also give me some tips on what to look for so far I have bought some Afghan aquamarine that is off white almost clear in color. I will post pics soon to get peoples opinions on it. Thankyou for taking the time to read my post and respond.

 

[royalstarrynight]

Post some pics and give some specs. Some stones are not worth certifying unless they are above a certain value.

Thank you for serving our nation.

 

[minousbijoux]

Welcome, akefia! It is not uncommon to hear from those stationed in Afghanistan that have either bought cut stones or rough and want to learn more about the value and various other aspects of the trade. It is awesome that you are planning ahead and thinking this through. The stories I've heard here and on another well-known website that has "Gemology" in the title (ahem, in case you want to search for the site), which is a little more geared for those in the Trade, is that it is a tough thing to do successfully. Because there are so many foreigners over there chasing few resources, there are many fakes. I've heard that rough and even stones are brought in from elsewhere and resold as local material. I've also heard that the level of fakery is quite sophisticated and not easy to spot. I am not suggesting that you scuttle your plan, just that you go into it with your eyes open.

If you search this website for the name of Jim Rentfrow, you'll find some great narratives he wrote about his time spent over there. Jim is a cutter with a business called Flawless Facets (hopefully, there is a link to him on the pinned thread at the top of this page). He sells gorgeous, precision cut gemstones. A few years back, he was hired as a consultant to teach cutting techniques and start a gem/jewelry school (if I remember correctly) for Afghanis. He was there for quite some time and saw the business first hand. I'm sure he has been asked these same questions by others interested in exploring the gem trade in Afghanistan. He would be my starting point. He also happens to be a really, really good guy.

Good luck and let us know how it goes! And God speed on your deployment.

 

[chrono]

First and foremost, I'd like to thank you for keeping the US safe. Now, on to gems stuff. Unfortunately, the closer one is to the source of gemstones, the more likely it is to purchase stones that are highly suspect. Not only that, there is little to no recourse since you'll already be on US soil when you find out that the stone isn't what it is purported to be or that it is of very low quality. Aquamarine is prized by its colouration so the deeper the blue, the finer it is. An almost colourless aqua is not desirable and thus priced very inexpensively regardless of size. It would not be a stone that is worth the cost of appraisal.

This is the only appraiser found on PS.
https://www.pricescope.com/appraisers/virginia