No experience - Want to start collecting colored stone jewelry

[katrina_33]

Hello,

I have no experience buying colored stones or jewelry at all but am interested in buying a few things.

I don''t have tons of money to invest for now, so will be looking at things like tourmaline, spinel, pink or yellow sapphires, etc.

I live near the LA Jewelry district, and they have some vendors selling colored stones. I''ve also looked at sites like multi-colour.com, thaigems.com, etc.

I''m just wondering how to go about this whole thing...

In this price range, I''m just worried about finding pretty stones - not too picky about whether things have been heat treated or anything. Of course I don''t want to get ripped off.

I''m thinking of looking at stones that cost no more than a few hundred dollars, but then wondering how to go about getting them set? If I find a stone online or at the Jewelry district, where do I get an appropriate setting? Obviously, I don''t want to set a $250 stone in a $1200 platinum and diamond setting - the settings I''m already aware of are for e-rings. I don''t know where to get plain, white gold ring or pendant settings for just a couple hundred dollars.

Would I buy the stone and the setting separately? If so, who do I have set it?

Or are the settings that are shown on sites like thaigem.com that you can have them set your stone in decent?

I just don''t know where to start!

 

[katrina_33]

Or, at this price range, I'm starting to think it may be better to go with pre-fab rings from sites like ice.com, etc?

 

[strmrdr]

http://www.stuller.com/

inexpensive but decent quality settings that are a perfect match for lower cost gemstones and even the real expensive stuff.

http://www.jamminggems.com/cgi-bin/store.cgi/index.html

cheap settings for lower end gemstones.

edit to add:> just about any one in the business can get stuller settings for you.

 

[strmrdr]

http://gemstoneworld.com/jewlshop/settings/settingsmain.htm

one source online for stuller settings.
There prices arent the best but it will give you a ballpark at what your looking at.
Most dealers should be able to beat that sites prices.

 

[katrina_33]

Perfect, thanks!

 

[Cave Keeper]

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On 7/17/2004 5:48:21 PM katrina_33 wrote:
Hello,
I have no experience buying colored stones or jewelry at all but am interested in buying a few things.

I don't have tons of money to invest for now, so will be looking at things like tourmaline, spinel, pink or yellow sapphires, etc.
:
I'm just wondering how to go about this whole thing...
:

I'm thinking of looking at stones that cost no more than a few hundred dollars, ...
:
----------------

So you're interested in buying stones that cost no more than a few hundred dollars each.

If you buy ten or more, each a few hundred bucks, pretty soon you've spent half of ten thousand.

Perhaps you could start with buying a range of large obsidians of different colors. Then go on to collecting a range of tourmalines, except for Paraiba Tourmaline. Further on, collect a range of quartz crystals, including Amethyst and Citrine. Then onto Topaz. After that, you'll be going into smaller and more expensive stones. Since you possess a respectable collection of cheap colorful stones, you'll make a better judgement in deciding whether to spend money on the more expensive kinds of stones. Before you go on, consider acquiring only synthetics first, then heat treated and well-enhanced stones.

Only then should you upgrade to the high end, where Kashmir Sapphires, untreated Mogok Pigeon Blood Rubies, De Beers-mined untreated flawless, clear and perfectly cut diamonds rule the roost. Above all, avoid Paraiba Tourmalines at all cost, unless you wish to own expensive imitations of lightly colored Emeralds and Aquamarines at ten to hundred times their cost, or need to just shop and spend because you're feeling so bored.