Gemstone Prices--My Quest

[smitcompton]

Hi,
A few days ago I had a pleasant surprise in that I found my irradiated blue diamonds had gone up in price a whole lot. I thought i had better check out my other rings and gemstones to see what is happening in the gem world.

My first stop was Madagascar demantoids. I settled on the vendor that I originally purchased these from. I have a round 2.17, an oval 2.67(Jerry Newman closed a window), and a pear at 2.76. I have not set any. I am sincere in saying I am shocked, and wish verification or comments on the huge increase in these stones. These are not the color of Russian, nor do they have horsetails. The round is included, but has beautiful disperson. The oval has a small veil to one side. The pear is clean. For stones this size Thaigemstore start at $1100- 1300. He is usually inexpensive, so is this realistic? Also, I see that now they are calling a light demantoid, Mint- and are upcharging for this as they do to tsavorite garnet.

I am fully aware that many do not like Thaigemstore, but honestly, he made good on my complaints' He came on here to win you over but was unsuccessful. So please dont tell me the guy is a crook. IMO, he is not. Comment on these values, please. and perhaps what is happening in the colored gemstone world

Annette

.

 

[Rfisher]

Are we talking purchases of 15-20 years ago?
I think it’s somewhat reasonable to look at it as a comparison to retail value if comparing to the same vendor and with like material. Unless the ownership/management has changed in any way. Maybe different practices/ethics are in play then. Who knows?

I’d find it more compelling if I could find that same current comparison with a few other vendors as well though. And even more so if you can view the actual sold for price - I dunno if eBay still lets you see that?

What to do then with that information……

 

[fredflintstone]

Hi,
A few days ago I had a pleasant surprise in that I found my irradiated blue diamonds had gone up in price a whole lot. I thought i had better check out my other rings and gemstones to see what is happening in the gem world.

My first stop was Madagascar demantoids. I settled on the vendor that I originally purchased these from. I have a round 2.17, an oval 2.67(Jerry Newman closed a window), and a pear at 2.76. I have not set any. I am sincere in saying I am shocked, and wish verification or comments on the huge increase in these stones. These are not the color of Russian, nor do they have horsetails. The round is included, but has beautiful disperson. The oval has a small veil to one side. The pear is clean. For stones this size Thaigemstore start at $1100- 1300. He is usually inexpensive, so is this realistic? Also, I see that now they are calling a light demantoid, Mint- and are upcharging for this as they do to tsavorite garnet.

I am fully aware that many do not like Thaigemstore, but honestly, he made good on my complaints' He came on here to win you over but was unsuccessful. So please dont tell me the guy is a crook. IMO, he is not. Comment on these values, please. and perhaps what is happening in the colored gemstone world

Annette

.

For two carat stones, not a bad price. I've seen many double that.

Of course, I'd have to see the stone's quality to really give a good judgement.

 

[smitcompton]

Are we talking purchases of 15-20 years ago?
I think it’s somewhat reasonable to look at it as a comparison to retail value if comparing to the same vendor and with like material. Unless the ownership/management has changed in any way. Maybe different practices/ethics are in play then. Who knows?

I’d find it more compelling if I could find that same current comparison with a few other vendors as well though. And even more so if you can view the actual sold for price - I dunno if eBay still lets you see that?

What to do then with that information……

Hi,

Thank you for replying. Yes, they are from a good while ago. I did forgett to request vendors to check out for the new values. I made a small list of the stones I wished to check out today. Tsavorites, spessertites, aquas, and the demantoids.

Matate just posted asking for comments on her tsavorite purchases. I went to gem fix and checked out my list. He has a demantoid from Namibia that looks like my colors. Shockingly expenssive--1.12-995,00. The tsavorites were also high. I have 4 2.12 the largest I own set in a ring that has received my highest appraisal from amongst my jewels. So this is not such a surprise. I thought spessertites prices fell, but they dont seem to on gemfix. I have 3, 260 set in a ring, 2/33, and 2,44 loose. Not top manderin., but orangy with brown..

My biggest surprise is aquamarine. The SantaMaria color was always expensive, but now all aquamarines are expensive. I have a 7.5 aqua set in a nice setting. It is unheated and is more light rather than medium. This also was more than $2,000.00 for a stone of that color. I feel as if I have been turned upside down.

The thaigemstore demantoid is almost the same as mine. So it is comparable. I went to Gemfix, Weinsteins, and litnon to vary the selection.
It looks to me something went crazy, as I lived my life not noticing. I am not a woke person, I think.

Annette

 

[smitcompton]

For two carat stones, not a bad price. I've seen many double that.

Of course, I'd have to see the stone's quality to really give a good judgement.

Hi,

I have a photo that is stored on pricescope. I just visited it, but I don't know how to get it up on the page. It says my attachments, so I push the button but it does not reach the page. It got to pricescope with the help of Chrono. So if anyone can tell me how, I will show you the demantoid.

This has been a profitable morning.

Annette

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,
I worked again today on researching my gems. I went to Gemfix, multi-David Weins company, and litnon. Here is what I found.
Rubelite Tourmaline--from Brazel I have 2 rings 3.25 ctw, and 2.20tcw. The price has gone up enormously. $1000.00 per ctw
Now this was strange to me--green tourmaline just plain green, not chrome or indicolite, This was litnon- doesn't make much sense to me as what looked like blue-green was reasonably priced.
Spinels--All have gone up- I do not have red or pink
Amythest- still reasonable for Zambian material.
Black diamond--about the same price as I paid. No increase. Blue irr did go up alot.2500.00 per ctw.

I went back to gemfix because they had a pair of spessrtittes on their website for $9,000. It is like the color that I have about 5 ctw vs their 9 ctw. I wanted to study why so much. They were taken off the website. I couldn't find them again .Way, way overpriced IMO.

I'm getting up to date. More to come.

Annette

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

I did my next batch of gems.
Tanzanite appears to be less expensive than it was 15 yrs ago. The top color, Block D, is as well. That seems strange to me as it is a one location gemstone. I have two tanzanite rings, 1.81 and 2.35, not top color, but I really like them. There is no real loss vs what I paid, as the settings, as I have discovered have gone way up,(doubled in price, so I think I am even.

Ametrine--Also a one location gemstone-Boliva. The only place that I found even sells them. JTV-- which is where I originally purchased mine. When I looked I thought they had gone up a lot, until I realized I was looking at the stone set in 14 ktw gold. The gold brought up the price. My stone is set in 14ktw gold so the increase in the ring has doubled--not due to the gem, but due to the price in gold. One other dealer had a beauty, litnon I think, of 27 ctw.. The division of color on that stone was clear and intense. Mine is 5.25 ctw.

OPAL-- Fire opal-- I have a red orange Mexican Fire Opal 1.14ctw. 9x7--one location gemstone--Mexico. I never set this, and this has become more popular. This has increased in price.
Brazian Fire Opal. I have a 7-8 ctw , set in 14 ktw gold. This increased a lot over the 15 yrs. I don'r particularly like this ring.
Ethiopian opal-- I love the stone. It is not set, and was so cheap, I'm embarrassed to say.

I found Pricescope doing what I am doing now. I came here because spessertites were being hyped at such high values, I wanted to find out the "truth". I am laughing now, as the hype was continuing on this website. UP, up, and away. Prices dropped since the hyper-inflation of them. At that time John Hughes, of Saphires and Rubies fame, also hyped them. Since I had already bought mine, they were not top color. They are nice though.
Rubies and emeralds are next. I don't have sapphires. Alex, your sapphire is the color I love. You have a beautiful
ring.

Annette

 

[Bron357]

With gem prices I guess a vendor can ask what they like. You wouldn’t know if the prices were negotiable after you enquire.
Certainly some gems become “fashionable” and their prices increase as demands increases, other increase due to rarity combined with demand.
I don’t imagine Burmese rubies (old stock) and Kashmir sapphires (true to type) will ever stop going up in value. Very little available stock.
Aquamarines are interesting, Santa Barbara colour as the “in” colour was very expensive (to me it looks too much like blue topaz) now people are swinging back to the paler tones. The slightly greenish tone was always my favourite and now that with ice blue seems the most popular.
Another interesting one is Apatite. Huh, Apatite? It looks like the best neon Pariaba Tourmaline without the glow. Now very popular.
An underrated gem to me is parti Colour sapphires. I have seen some fabulous two, even three toned gems and they are relatively cheap. Why they aren’t more loved, who knows. Perhaps we need a Royal to choose one for an engagement ring or have Cartier or Tiffany start using them in their jewellery.

 

[T L]

Garnet prices are all over the place, so I would shop around. Demantoid, spessartite, yellow grossular, and pink family garnets especially. I think tsavorite is in a class by itself and all prices are higher, especially above two carats.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

First, I wish to correct an error. I said John Hughes in a post, but it is Richard Hughes that is correct. At the time he said he thought that the red-orange spessartites should be the most valuable rather than the orange mandarin, as he thought they were more beautiful. --just a point of interest.

Yes, apatites. They are a nice stone. I remember them in the blue and the green. I could have bought them cheaply, but you can't buy everything. There was a point where I counted up how much I spent and I shocked myself, and so went on a gem diet. I had bought before pricescope, and so most were not top color which did get me down for a while. I stopped buying.

Sphene, sphalarite, were gems that were very reasonably priced, but I thought it was because they were soft stones, not suitable for rings. Now they are put in rings and have jumped in price.

I do know that emeralds and Rubies have gone up.
My emeralds are new grass green ,not top color. I bought two identical 4 tcw champaign diamond necklaces and had the jeweler put 5 emeralds (jump rings) at the stations to connect them to each other. It came out nice. I have a matching ring in a semi bezel 1.84 ctw and a pr of earrings. They are nice, but not the dark emerald everyone desires. One was sent to a lab. They were sold as no treatment, but came back as minor.
I am overweight emeralds. I have diamonds and emeralds in another piece. These emeralds are darker, but only ,50 They are my favorite stone. I don't really know what these are worth as they will be kept by my family.

Rubies for another day. These stones are complex. The values do depend on so many things, I don;t think I can evaluate properly.

Annette

 

[LilAlex]

I am overweight emeralds.

This is such a great line!

Gotta get that gem asset allocation back in line...you're a commodities trader!

 

[SomethingNew]

Hmmmm…. I am dying to see some picture….pretty please?

 

[jordyonbass]

With gem prices I guess a vendor can ask what they like. You wouldn’t know if the prices were negotiable after you enquire.
Certainly some gems become “fashionable” and their prices increase as demands increases, other increase due to rarity combined with demand.
I don’t imagine Burmese rubies (old stock) and Kashmir sapphires (true to type) will ever stop going up in value. Very little available stock.
Aquamarines are interesting, Santa Barbara colour as the “in” colour was very expensive (to me it looks too much like blue topaz) now people are swinging back to the paler tones. The slightly greenish tone was always my favourite and now that with ice blue seems the most popular.
Another interesting one is Apatite. Huh, Apatite? It looks like the best neon Pariaba Tourmaline without the glow. Now very popular.
An underrated gem to me is parti Colour sapphires. I have seen some fabulous two, even three toned gems and they are relatively cheap. Why they aren’t more loved, who knows. Perhaps we need a Royal to choose one for an engagement ring or have Cartier or Tiffany start using them in their jewellery.

Just in my own world, Opal has gone through the roof and then some. Admittedly I have taken a step back from the trade in the last couple of years as my other career (Surveyor) has absolutely boomed and I'm going to be opening my own Surveying company soon, but the last enquiries I made for rough Opal nearly made me pass out. If I were to buy parcels at current prices and sell at my usual price point - I'd literally lose money on every single stone and that's without even paying myself for my time.

On the positive - it has definitely made clearing out my old stock at original cost price a lot easier

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,
Thanks for responding Jordy. This quest of mine has been an eye opener My mind has been readjusting to the realities of the time. Gemstones have gone up more than eggs, which I was also shocked by, but now I have taken on new thinking. Gemstones very pricey, eggs cheap.

I watched a gemstone show last evening. They had a showcase of aquas that sold like hotcakes. You would think they were giving them away. They were all set , no Santa Maria and ranged from 1300 to 4400 most about 3000. My own aqua is quite similar to those sold.

I read the ruby thread and will comment on rubies, a bit later.

I must still do Kunzite, yellow beryl, and whatever else I have.

I do not have the knowledge to take or move pictures. I have given my collection to my niece., but have an inventory list that i can check. And as you can tell I still regard them as mine. I will; report back my findings to her to make her aware of these increases.

Annette