Recommended Colored Stones Venors / Cutters

[CharmyPoo]

I looked at the list of sites selling colored gemstones and it is very overwhelming. I was wondering if there are vendors known for specific types of stones - ex. who is the sapphire expert? Are there any gemstone cutters that are highly recommended?

Thanks in Advance.

 

[Tropicmaster]

I dont know about vendors specializing in stones, but I can HIGHLY recommend Jeff White as a cutter!!

 

[oliveg]

Hi
If you want to go to the providers of many of these vendors, it is easy...
you just have to go to these gemstones local markets

http://www.gemsbrokers.org/

It is definitely not only profitable but also an extremely rich human experience

Olive

 

[CharmyPoo]

Wow - that typo in my title is really annoying!

Thank you for the suggestions. Any suggestions on where to look for a rough stone?

 

[FrekeChild]

I recommend not looking for a rough stone yourself. Cutters have an idea of what to look for in a piece of rough, but most laypeople do not. There are certain shapes and sizes that will yield very different sized and shaped stones. And don't get me started on color--because rough that looks one color will look totally different once cut. I know that from experiments Unless you know cutting, you're not going to have any idea what to look for inside by way of inclusions.

If you look at Dan Stair's page, he puts up before and after pictures of the rough and then the cut stone--and sometimes you would never be able to tell that that cut stone came from that rough. So I would not recommend any person go out and buy their own rough, unless they are willing to lose some money making mistakes. And while a cutter can be surprised too, they have a lot more experience than laypeople do, and generally have a better idea of what can be done with a piece of rough.

As far as recommending cutters, I've bought 4 stones from Dan Stair, and he's a really lovely person, 3 stones from Barry Bridgestock/Artistic Colored Stones, and I've had numerous email contact with John B of GemRite, Richard Homer of Concave Gemstones, Peter Torraca his site, Jeff White of White's Gems and Gene of Precision Gems and I would recommend them any day of the week.

There aren't, to my knowledge, sapphire specialists, spinel specialists, etc. I waited for 2 months before finding a stone that *might* be my ering stone (blue spinel) and that was contacting ALL of these cutters. It's a matter of finding the right rough.

 

[CharmyPoo]

Thank you for your comments - they are so helpful. I contacted Jeff White and he was very nice and responsive. He helped me weed out two rough stones I considered. Too bad his business has grown too much to continue re-cutting and cutting other people''s rough stones.