List of vendors who specialize in high quality but maybe low carat padparadschas
- Thread starter DotDiddy
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Official first occurrence of "y'all" and "padparadscha" in the same sentence
I doubt it.
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@Cerulean @Ionysis @Arcadian @LilAlex @elizat @idola @whitewave @Rfisher @princessandthepear @arkieb1
Would you mind offering your thoughts on this stone:
and this stone?
I've disappeared off the face of the earth and literally these are the only 2 I found to be kinda sorta what I'm looking for. They are RGL certified and I'd have to front the cost to have them sent to LOTUS, a total of like $300 after shipping and the actual cost of the cert. That being said, what would you pay for these?
Would you mind offering your thoughts on this stone:
and this stone?
I've disappeared off the face of the earth and literally these are the only 2 I found to be kinda sorta what I'm looking for. They are RGL certified and I'd have to front the cost to have them sent to LOTUS, a total of like $300 after shipping and the actual cost of the cert. That being said, what would you pay for these?
They are an option, but I am a little concerned with 1. Their hardness as compared to a diamond (which I have in my current ring) or a sapphire 2. They seem to be a beautiful cooler toned version of a pad, which I love, but am trying for this ring to get the warm hued glimmer. These garnets seem a bit like the African pads I've been seeing in that they appear a little darker. I have no idea what I'm talking about, it just seems this way.
Thank you, have done so!
Official first occurrence of "y'all" and "padparadscha" in the same sentence
The Oklahoma has never escaped me, not while working in NYC or NJ. Actively suppressing it in real life so as to not attract unwarranted attention in the East Coast as I'll never move back to OK! Haha
I am not sure what buying with contracts even means, honestly. Shows what I knowMy purchase was faith-based, and I knew that returning would be an absolute nightmare and didn't even consider it an option. Im sure he would have....but I wouldn't have wanted to deal with it.
The white glove is not just for high touch service, but also security. I just want to make that 100% clear!
Here's how the process went, it was bare bones:
- Selected stone on IG
- Inquired about pricing
- Asked for more images in different lighting - was pleased with images
- Requested official gem lab report verifying specs (I'd recommend Lotus, but I wasn't able to get lotus bc of lockdown, we used Royal Gem Lab which is not as reputable) - I believe I paid extra for report
- I was satisfied with report
- Final pricing discussions
- Paid for the gem (I actually paid his friend, who actually has a PayPal account, apparently PayPal is not easy to get as money transferring is complex in Sri Lanka)
- Gem shipped within a few days via DHL with insurance, he attached tracking # to PayPal receipt
- Gem arrived, in love! I could send to AGL (more reliable lab) but I do not intend to resell and don't care
I'm freaking out dude about to pull the plug and buy one and I am SWEATING over the decision lol
Ionysis
Brilliant_Rock
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The first one: nice orangey colour, not a bad cut for a pad but still a small window. Colour isn’t even but I rather like that. I’d expect to pay $500 - 700 for this.
Second one: pinker, more saturated but I see a bit of a brown modifiers in there. Lovely cut. Pretty small - you’re not going to get much finger coverage out of it. In my experience they always try to charge more for the pinker colours so even though it’s only a carat it might end up being a tad over the price of the one above.
If this is all you can find so far then I’d wait. Keep scouring the insta pages. You need to be quick with these little pads because if they are priced right they sometimes sell in hours. When the right one pops up you’ll know.
Second one: pinker, more saturated but I see a bit of a brown modifiers in there. Lovely cut. Pretty small - you’re not going to get much finger coverage out of it. In my experience they always try to charge more for the pinker colours so even though it’s only a carat it might end up being a tad over the price of the one above.
If this is all you can find so far then I’d wait. Keep scouring the insta pages. You need to be quick with these little pads because if they are priced right they sometimes sell in hours. When the right one pops up you’ll know.
Wow, thank you so much. I clearly don't know what I'm looking at when pad shopping! I was quoted a little over $1k for the pear and $2k for the oval. I can't see the difference between a pad that's worth $500 and one worth $5k/carat.. What are the blaring differences I should be able to see right off the bat? I was legit about to buy one of these and totally won't at these prices.
Ionysis
Brilliant_Rock
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Thats why it’s still for sale having been posted in September. You can tell from the commentary that someone whose native language is English wrote it. They look to be based in Columbo so are probably used to dealing with western tourists and know we will pay way over the local market prices. I don’t expect to pay the same as a local would but I object to paying double.
Did you negotiate the price on the pear? Usually the first price isn’t the lowest you could get. Although pads are in such demand it’s harder to negotiate down without being “gazumped” and losing the stone to a keener buyer. You might have got it lower if you bargained. But I get the feeling it’s not exactly what you wanted in colour or size.
Did you negotiate the price on the pear? Usually the first price isn’t the lowest you could get. Although pads are in such demand it’s harder to negotiate down without being “gazumped” and losing the stone to a keener buyer. You might have got it lower if you bargained. But I get the feeling it’s not exactly what you wanted in colour or size.
@Ionysis For sure, it's not the perfect stone. I'd rather wait forever to find the best one than look at it daily and wish I waited! I didn't buy it and won't try to negotiate down since you're right, it's not what I want. And I'm not paying double either! For that I'd buy one in the city haha. I'm on the standby for now and will continue to compulsively check IG handles until perfection appears. I have a lot more to learn before impulse buying without the expertise of people here on Pricescope. Honestly y'all are lifesavers.
Ionysis
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For context I bought this for $2,500 - 2.65ct, nice cut and colour but included.
This one was $1,000 because it’s lower saturation - very honestly described as peach by the seller 2.62ct.
With pads colour saturation is the biggest price differentiator IMO. The Sri Lankan sellers mark up significantly for pink over orange in my experience. The most expensive are a really vivid colour that I actually don’t like that much as I feel pads should be a “delicate” colour:
This one was $1,000 because it’s lower saturation - very honestly described as peach by the seller 2.62ct.
With pads colour saturation is the biggest price differentiator IMO. The Sri Lankan sellers mark up significantly for pink over orange in my experience. The most expensive are a really vivid colour that I actually don’t like that much as I feel pads should be a “delicate” colour:
Ionysis
Brilliant_Rock
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Ionysis
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Cerulean
Ideal_Rock
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Is there a pear I missed? I only saw the oval. It’s pretty, the cut ain’t bad, there’s obvious color zoning as stated (I don’t mind this either) but leans heavily orange. I’d want more pink IMHO. But that’s for you to decide!
id guess that stone is priced at 1.2k?
Also try HiGems on insta. They tend to be a bit more $$
id guess that stone is priced at 1.2k?
Also try HiGems on insta. They tend to be a bit more $$
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Color on the first is very orange. Looks clean, not muddy, good blending that I think most would like (some would tend to err more on the pink side) but its pretty zingy. Its got a giant window right in the middle.
the 2nd has a great cut, and is the right coloration, but I also see some mud in there. Might be environmental, not sure but could be a contender if the terms of sale were right.
CSpan
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For context I bought this for $2,500 - 2.65ct, nice cut and colour but included.
This one was $1,000 because it’s lower saturation - very honestly described as peach by the seller 2.62ct.
With pads colour saturation is the biggest price differentiator IMO. The Sri Lankan sellers mark up significantly for pink over orange in my experience. The most expensive are a really vivid colour that I actually don’t like that much as I feel pads should be a “delicate” colour:
Trying not to thredjack but I love your posts on Pads, I always learn so much. I'd love one but seem to run down in patience with my searches. Maybe if I see it ill know.
For context I bought this for $2,500 - 2.65ct, nice cut and colour but included.
This one was $1,000 because it’s lower saturation - very honestly described as peach by the seller 2.62ct.
With pads colour saturation is the biggest price differentiator IMO. The Sri Lankan sellers mark up significantly for pink over orange in my experience. The most expensive are a really vivid colour that I actually don’t like that much as I feel pads should be a “delicate” colour:
@Ionysis Literally what the heck? I can't fathom the prices you paid for those with what I'm being quoted for far inferior.. What beautiful gems. Teach me your wayyys! How are you going about talking with them, the dealers? How do you avoid the inevitable "Where are you from, miss?" that then lends into "Here, buy this 6k $25,000 gem"??
Thank you very much!!
That one was quoted at about ~$2k and I agree, it's too peach for me. I'm actually concerned if I were to send that to another certifier that it wouldn't pass as pad. The pear is here: http://instagr.am/p/B9Wx6nTFDvr/
I tried to link it in the first post but somehow missed the thumbnail so it's a floating link, lol. Thank you for the rec on HiGems, I reached out.
Thank you very much for the critique. The first one is out for sure, it is too peachy. And I am not good with noticing windows until it's pointed out, but if it is that obvious there is a window then I don't want it. The pear is an idea I'm toying with as a supplemental gem so I am happy to hear you find the cut and color reasonable. May I ask what "muddy" is so I can better weed out those non optimal traits? Does that mean it glimmers a bit brown?
Also there are no terms of sale. Dude just sells them outright with no contracts other than supplying a Royal Gem Lab cert and says he's done so based on "trust". I do have his business ID number and a copy of his dealer's license so I think he is more credible than some others I've been talking to thus far. That pear has been on the market forever.. weird..
Ionysis
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I hugely, massively, gigantically overpaid for my first pad. And it was a LOT of money. I’ve been chasing down cheap pads ever since - kind of like doubling down to see if I can make it back somehow! I’ve become a bit obsessed. If I ever buy one “investment grade” gem it’s bound to be a pad. But in the meantime i just dabble in the sub 3ct category.
If Covid ever ends I will do another trip over to the gem market at Beruwala in Sri Lanka and hopefully soft through every pad there until I find the dream one which will end my insatiable pad hunt.
If Covid ever ends I will do another trip over to the gem market at Beruwala in Sri Lanka and hopefully soft through every pad there until I find the dream one which will end my insatiable pad hunt.
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@DotDiddy muddy is where the colors look....not right. And in a pad your colors should blend and be harmonious.
@Ionysis called it brown, In my world, mud didn't always brown...lol What I consider muddy is when the color situation doesn't always look ideal. This could be due to many factors like, how the video was taken, where it was taken, the lighting angle and other conditions. Could be just I don't like the undertone.
I could be seeing stuff in the environment thats reflecting unfavorably + undertone. But I still think its worth the in person inspection. Just because I see it, you might not, and a stone in your environment, in the light you're used to seeing things in, can make the difference between a keeper or not such a keeper.
When a seller has lots of stuff in the image with the stone, it can make it harder to read in a video and a picture. Colors from clothing and other items can have a tendency to bounce off the stone and make it sometimes look way better, or, way worse.
My personal preference is to read stones in a neutral environment, grey or white background preferred.
@Ionysis called it brown, In my world, mud didn't always brown...lol What I consider muddy is when the color situation doesn't always look ideal. This could be due to many factors like, how the video was taken, where it was taken, the lighting angle and other conditions. Could be just I don't like the undertone.
I could be seeing stuff in the environment thats reflecting unfavorably + undertone. But I still think its worth the in person inspection. Just because I see it, you might not, and a stone in your environment, in the light you're used to seeing things in, can make the difference between a keeper or not such a keeper.
When a seller has lots of stuff in the image with the stone, it can make it harder to read in a video and a picture. Colors from clothing and other items can have a tendency to bounce off the stone and make it sometimes look way better, or, way worse.
My personal preference is to read stones in a neutral environment, grey or white background preferred.
CSpan
Brilliant_Rock
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This. So much this. I start and stop asking because it gets so frustrating. Heck I'd buy off someone just to avoid having to deal with all the "excellent deal $12squillion dollars"
Cerulean
Ideal_Rock
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Thanks for resharing the pear. I like the color a lot more and the cut seems pretty nice - pears are really tricky for cut and a lot of them are a mushy mess. (A different "mush" from the color mush being described - many the facets become indistinct and therefore "mushy")... Esp for colored stone pears - color can be concentrated towards the point in the pear. There looks to be a little color zoning and a small window but honestly I think its a very pretty stone.
I don't think there is anything fishy just bc its been on the market for a while. Keep in mind he is in a bright sunny tropical region, so if you live in a place with 250 days of overcast days the performance with color will be different. You can ask him to send videos in different indoor/ outdoor lighting.
But your second paragraph...This is what you will likely encounter with many of these gem dealers. That is what I have been saying all along. If you desire more assurance than "trust" and expect contracts etc - I really don't know if buying this way through IG is for you. These dealers are one degree of separation (maybe two) from the actual mines in their respective regions of origin. There are some shady dealers this route too, and I got a good "vibe" from GemOcean which is why I went with him, not contracts. it is unusual for vendors like this to even be working directly with consumers - they often sell to vendors who handle gem certs on their own.
Cerulean
Ideal_Rock
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I also just wanted to say - the market you are playing in is very different than it was months ago due to covid. it isn't coincidence that ive seen a lot of American vendors playing more with lab stones now during covid. What they have in their inventory for sale might be what they have for a while, unless they stockpiled rough to cut or have the right connections. many of them go on buying trips in person which are impossible now. this impacts price and availability.
gem markets are impacted by demand (as cited in this thread, good pads are not only rare, but POPULAR), global economic shifts, environmental problems, violence or war that seems very far away from you in the USA. sri lanka is under strict lock down right now again due to COVID and experiencing a borderline totalitarian government. over in thailand, there is a lot of violence and protests. in another part of the world, very intense lockdowns in africa have left sri lankan gem dealers stranded there for months, or unable to trade at all. what do you think that does for sri lankan, african and thai gem mines and the gem trade? it crunches the markets and makes availability a challenge.
what the heck is my point? you are trying to buy directly from the source. these matters should factor into how you approach this, & think about what is a fair price.... finding an inexpensive pad is very very hard under normal circumstance, but especially now.
gem markets are impacted by demand (as cited in this thread, good pads are not only rare, but POPULAR), global economic shifts, environmental problems, violence or war that seems very far away from you in the USA. sri lanka is under strict lock down right now again due to COVID and experiencing a borderline totalitarian government. over in thailand, there is a lot of violence and protests. in another part of the world, very intense lockdowns in africa have left sri lankan gem dealers stranded there for months, or unable to trade at all. what do you think that does for sri lankan, african and thai gem mines and the gem trade? it crunches the markets and makes availability a challenge.
what the heck is my point? you are trying to buy directly from the source. these matters should factor into how you approach this, & think about what is a fair price.... finding an inexpensive pad is very very hard under normal circumstance, but especially now.
I live for stories like this lol. YASSS, avenge the first pad that broke your heart and wallet. The hero always needs a backstory.
Thank you, I have asked for another pear to be shown in this environment and will post it below in a separate response. I swear I am learning so much IDK even how much is being retained.
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