Sad Times for Setting Stones

[JewelFreak]

Sigh. This is a very nice piece of malachite that would make a terrific pendant. I can see it hanging from a simple, thin yg wire at the base of the neck. (I don't wear silver-colored metals; they look awful on me.) It is so inexpensive, you'd never miss the cost. BUT, thinking about settings for it is depressing: it weights 40.5 cts, 29.5 mm x 30 x 7 -- one heck of a lot of gold required! At $4K/oz., yike! Unless it was done w/simple prongs -- ok, but meh. Sorry to pass it up. I sympathize w/you jewelry makers trying to see a profit at those prices.

--- Laurie

 

[minousbijoux]

Laurie:

Not to enable but couldn't you always get it and hope for a market correction?

On a related note, I'd be curious to know if there are huge amounts of people raiding pawn and antique shops for the second hand gold and other precious metal? I'm embarrassed to say I've never even been in one!

 

[VapidLapid]

Pinchbeck!

But gold cant be $4k/oz now, I think it's ONLY $1460.

 

[JewelFreak]

Right, VL, typo, big one. Still out of reach.

What an interesting idea, pawn shops for gold. I've never been in one either, but there's always a first time.....

 

[Michael_E]

Pinchbeck!

But gold cant be $4k/oz now, I think it's ONLY $1460.

And that's for pure gold. 14K is under $40/gram for formed materials like wire, sheet, etc. That puts the cost of materials at under $200 for enough stuff to make a wire setting for that stone. Unfortunately the skilled labor required to make it will triple that cost, (or you could use unskilled labor and quadruple the cost...when you factor in the time required to fix it )

 

[Michael_E]

What an interesting idea, pawn shops for gold.

Pawn shops can be a good place to buy based on the overall cost of the pieces offered, since they don't have any built in labor as a cost of production. Pawn shops are the worst place to look for bargains based on the price of metals used. They are all connected and well aware of the values of the metals used in what they are selling. You might make out well on any gems involved, but the bigger pawn shops now have gemologists on staff. Basically if don't think they can sell something at over the cost of materials, they immediately scrap it and gain the value of the materials themselves. Still they often have good prices on things you would want to wear, (as long as you aren't thinking of scrapping them out for metal value alone).

 

[Pandora II]

What an interesting idea, pawn shops for gold.

Pawn shops can be a good place to buy based on the overall cost of the pieces offered, since they don't have any built in labor as a cost of production. Pawn shops are the worst place to look for bargains based on the price of metals used. They are all connected and well aware of the values of the metals used in what they are selling. You might make out well on any gems involved, but the bigger pawn shops now have gemologists on staff. Basically if don't think they can sell something at over the cost of materials, they immediately scrap it and gain the value of the materials themselves. Still they often have good prices on things you would want to wear, (as long as you aren't thinking of scrapping them out for metal value alone).

Ditto this. There was an advertisment the other day on the wall of my gemmology class looking for FGA's to work as gemmologists for a large chain of pawn shops. Any gold that comes in is automatically assessed at scrap value. It's getting very hard to get any bargains anymore.

I'm so sad that the price of silver has gone through the roof. You want to see the amazing Georgian silverware that is being melted down for scrap - makes me want to cry...

 

[jstarfireb]

I wonder how much it would be for a setting in rose titanium (like the BGD pins).

 

[Haywood74]

ditto on the pawnshops....no deals to be found there that I am aware of.....However, I have seen a fair amount of older jewelry showing up in antique malls/shops......no idea if it's worth pursuing though as it's a crap shoot as to what you will find there, every shop will be different....one month a place may be loaded with good stuff, next month might be junk....I will say I have one particular shop I check every week as someone has a booth there that sells old silver coins....2 months ago, I bought a whole box full of 1950's silver quarters for $3 each, which I could take to the local coin shop and sell at close to $7 each....every week there are more, so I have been buying as much as I could afford to....I'll ride it til it's done I guess

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I mostly rely on the second hand market for good deals. Occasionally I find something useful on ebay from private sellers too lazy to try to sell 2 or 3 things for gold weight. If all goes well I'm going to picking up my newest and priciest ebay find on Monday, lol.

 

[gsellis]

Have you considered a gold-filled wirewrap? I have not bought GF 14/20 (5% 14k) wire in a year, but it shows at under $60 per troy ounce right now. The folks who do it full time can have it done quickly. I have seen Roy Meade do complex pieces including rings with prongs in under an hour.... at a show.... while talking to everyone

 

[JewelFreak]

Pawn shops are the worst place to look for bargains based on the price of metals used. They are all connected and well aware of the values of the metals used in what they are selling. .

What I thought, Michael. They aren't stupid, it would be inconceivable that they wouldn't be getting the most out of what they have. Can't stay in business otherwise, right? I'd do the same if it were my store.

I'm so sad that the price of silver has gone through the roof. You want to see the amazing Georgian silverware that is being melted down for scrap - makes me want to cry...

No! Really? That's awful. Have you seen this, Pandora? Makes me want to sob too, what a total waste! Boggles the mind how short-sighted some people are, and curses on the business that would carry it out.

--- Laurie

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Tell me you are joking, please. Georgian silverware must be worth more as an antique than as scrap metal.

The worst thing is I know you aren't. *sigh*

 

[y2kitty]

No, my sister is an antiques dealer and people are melting silver.....

 

[Lee Little]

Yes, the scrap gold available for dealers to buy has become largely unavailable as people sold most of it to them when gold hit 1k an oz. Now those same dealers are starting to call for silver. Best regards, Lee