This is Like BAD Online Dating!

[T L]

I think the prices are listed in Lisa's online catalog. If you get on her mailing list, she periodically sends a link to it.

 

[iLander]

One never even responded to my e-mail, though he is selling the rough on his website of what I'm after. IT IS LIKE BAD DATING!

I have also had the experience of not getting a response, many, many times.

I try to be good, asking the right questions, like TL says, and I get no response. I've sent a couple of questions repeatedly to the same vendor, and have never gotten a response to them.

I don't know if it's because they just get so many inquiries (must be nice, in these tough economic times) that I just disappear into the email pile, or if they don't have what I want and don't want to say "no", or if I've offended them.

I don't get it.

 

[iLander]

I think the prices are listed in Lisa's online catalog. If you get on her mailing list, she periodically sends a link to it.

AH! Thank you, TL, I never would have known that.

 

[T L]

Maybe your emails were eaten by his spam folder. That sometimes happens too. I wish some vendors had more than one contact method, like a way to email them on their webpage directly. My husband emailed me something three times the other day to my email account, and I never got it. While some vendors do ignore people, I do think that some emails get eaten by spam software or other virus detection software.

 

[lelser]

More ranting; there is not enough updating going on! I want new stones more often. There are some sites that I almost completely forget about, because I know there will be nothing new. I am greedy. . .

But I'm cutting as fast as I can I update the catalogue once a quarter. That's enough time for me to have plenty of new gems. The website is just a gallery, really, and has only a few gems on it.

Lisa
www.lisaelser.com

 

[iLander]

That could be it, TL. Stupid filters . . .

This thread is turning into a real rant for me, sorry.

I guess it's because the way we buy jewelry is probably the most difficult way possible; first the stone (3-6 months), then the setting (3-6 months), then a setter (1 month or more). The whole process can take forever.

I'm not saying the results aren't worth it, because they are, but it sure is harder than just walking into a store and saying "I'll take that one (treatments and filling be d@mned)".

Guess I'm just getting discouraged . . .

 

[faegrace]

iLander ~

It is easy to get discouraged. I get discouraged too.

Please do sign up for Lisa's catalog though. She has SO MANY gems, a little something for everyone. In fact, I believe she has a catalog due out this month.

~ faegrace

 

[T L]

That could be it, TL. Stupid filters . . .

This thread is turning into a real rant for me, sorry.

I guess it's because the way we buy jewelry is probably the most difficult way possible; first the stone (3-6 months), then the setting (3-6 months), then a setter (1 month or more). The whole process can take forever.

I'm not saying the results aren't worth it, because they are, but it sure is harder than just walking into a store and saying "I'll take that one (treatments and filling be d@mned)".

Guess I'm just getting discouraged . . .

I do get looked down upon because I am an avid ebayer. Many people think most Thai sellers on ebay sell junk, and undisclosed treatments, and it's shark infested waters. For the most part, that is true, but I love the hunt. I have found a select few vendors (Thai , American and some others) on ebay that I buy from, although I don't buy certain gem species anymore, from them, or anyone else. Therefore, I am able to snatch up some untreated, unsynthesized gems, with lab reports, at very good to fair pricing, and with good color. I also buy my settings from ebay because in all honestly, I'm not as picky about settings as someone who needs a custom designed piece. The good 'ole halo works for me. I have amassed lots of rings in a short span of time this way, and some decent pieces. I don't recommend ebay for novices, as I've been an ebayer and a gem collector since ebay was ebay. I even collect antique American pottery and I have some pieces from there.

The problem for me is that although the lapidaries sell some nice material, I find way more selection and new stuff on ebay, and I love searching through the listings. As much as I love some lapidaries, my fingers aren't fast enough to get some of those stones in my cart. That being said, Lisa does have a huge catalog, larger than any lapidary I know of, so you might want to get on her mailing list as there may be more options for you.

 

[Michael_E]

So, I've returned four stones in the last month, and it's starting to remind me of bad online dating; the photos are NOT living up to Real Life.

They probably never will. The reason for this is that pictures are set up to a show stones under lighting and at angles which are as close to perfect as possible. Vendors who are attempting to show a stone in an attractive manner will flood the stone with diffuse lighting of which surrounds the stone with light originating very close to the centerline of the stone, (the shooting through a hole in illuminated white paper trick). You may never see what the camera saw, since you are not looking at the stone in the way it was photographed. IN addition cameras do often take images which are true to the colors which people see, so they have to be manipulated a bit to make them look right. Many phototgraphers then go a little too far in helping their images and make the stones look too much better than they really are hoping that you will accept the stone anyway once it's in your hand.

But I will complain anyway ; where are they getting these colors? I looked at a couple and no matter how many different lighting conditions I tried, I couldn't come up with what their cameras saw. Some stones looked just too dark, some looked even when they were zoned, some looked well cut and showed up with a bay window.

How many lighting setups do you have at different color temperatures and different color levels. Some lights are specifically designed to show more blues, reds, greens than anything that you'd have in your house or work environment. Then their are the stones which can be quite variable. I've got a spinel for instance that I can make look a vibrant sparkling purplish red, which turns into a flat brown mudball under fluorescent lighting...which picture of this stone would sell? (Not that anyone would keep it, but the idea on the part of some vendors is to jest get the stones out the door and worry about returns later).

How can I reduce the amount of returns I am having to make?

You probably can't. When one is very particular and attempting to buy top colors at the lowest price level possible they will always be tempted by images and prices which may border on too good to be true and usually are. Once in a while you might hit the jackpot, but you've got to wade through the swamp first.

I ask questions, maybe not the right ones. Which questions do you ask?

As you've said, you'll often not get response to questions, so asking the right ones may not work. Better to ask yourself if what you are seeing in a picture is reasonable for the price asked, is the vendor usually pretty close in their descriptions and can are you seeing images taken in multiple lighting situations? If you are not getting questions answered, then that vendor is either trying to sell in volumes and can't take the time to deal with what they see as a "picky" customer, or they know that you will not like the answers. Neither of those attitudes is suitable for what you are trying to do, so you need to find vendors who will cater to your needs.

Are my expectations too high for my lowly budget? I bet that's some of it, but I am hoping the stone looks like the pic.

Probably. The threads on this forum can lead a person to believe that anything is possible if you are picky enough and wait long enough. Those same threads often revolve around very lucky finds which happens rarely. Often people don't mention what their "lucky" finds cost them, (either in time wading through junk or monetary cost, and it may be much more than you have in mind). I can't count the numbers of people who have asked me for things which I would find impossible to do, either at the cost that they want to buy at or in the type of material that they want. On the other hand, it never hurts to ask, so you should find a group of cutters who don't mind communicating with you and ask what they can do. You will quickly get a feel for what is possible and what is not.

How many stones did you have to return?

All the ones which don't meet your requirements and those that were too good to be true anyway.

Looking at the pictures in an analytical way is the first step. Here's an abbreviated version of the criteria I use:
1. If the picture does not look realistic, then it isn't. This means if there is no background and the stone's image is obviously pasted on to a single color background, then I'd skip it. Many stones on E-Bay are shown this way with a bright stone on a single color background.
2. Look at the background. If the background is reflective and the stone is evenly bright, then the stone is being lit by some circular means, (hole in white paper or a ring light) and the reflective background is bouncing light away from the lens so that you can;t tell how bright the light is. This is not bad, but the stone may never look like this in your hand except under very special circumstances. You need to know the material and if it really can look this way. If the background is white or gray look for how bright the lighting is and try to decide if the contrast between the different parts of the image is realistic. Is the stone being held by tweezers? How bright are they ? Someone posted a blue tourmaline the other day that was just electric blue. The tweezers holding them were extremely bright and this was a dead giveaway that the stone was being blasted with a very bright light and would never look like that in hand.
3. Look at the entire stone. There are usually at least four different colors showing in a picture. They are the body color, secondary colors from bright reflective objects in the background, direct reflections from a bright light source and dark reflections from your head/body. There can also be another color from light coming through a window or tilt window, but that can be used to help determine body color if you can get a good indication of how bright the background is. When looking at a picture you need to IGNORE the pretty, bright, direct reflections from a light source and look at the body color and those secondary reflections. Those are what can give you a good indication of what the stone is really going to look like most of the time.

You also want to be aware of the lighting conditions in which you are looking at gems. If your house doesn't look like a jewelry store, (with lots of point sources of light from all directions, then you will never get a gem to look as dramatically sparkly as you may imagine it should. You can always get some icicle type Christmas lights, hang them in one room in your house and call it your "gem viewing room". Guaranteed to make everything sparkle like mad!

 

[T L]

Many phototgraphers then go a little too far in helping their images and make the stones look too much better than they really are hoping that you will accept the stone anyway once it's in your hand.

I agree!

Looking at the pictures in an analytical way is the first step. Here's an abbreviated version of the criteria I use:
1. If the picture does not look realistic, then it isn't. This means if there is no background and the stone's image is obviously pasted on to a single color background, then I'd skip it. Many stones on E-Bay are shown this way with a bright stone on a single color background.
2. Look at the background. If the background is reflective and the stone is evenly bright, then the stone is being lit by some circular means, (hole in white paper or a ring light) and the reflective background is bouncing light away from the lens so that you can;t tell how bright the light is. This is not bad, but the stone may never look like this in your hand except under very special circumstances. You need to know the material and if it really can look this way. If the background is white or gray look for how bright the lighting is and try to decide if the contrast between the different parts of the image is realistic. Is the stone being held by tweezers? How bright are they ? Someone posted a blue tourmaline the other day that was just electric blue. The tweezers holding them were extremely bright and this was a dead giveaway that the stone was being blasted with a very bright light and would never look like that in hand.
3. Look at the entire stone. There are usually at least four different colors showing in a picture. They are the body color, secondary colors from bright reflective objects in the background, direct reflections from a bright light source and dark reflections from your head/body. There can also be another color from light coming through a window or tilt window, but that can be used to help determine body color if you can get a good indication of how bright the background is. When looking at a picture you need to IGNORE the pretty, bright, direct reflections from a light source and look at the body color and those secondary reflections. Those are what can give you a good indication of what the stone is really going to look like most of the time.

You also want to be aware of the lighting conditions in which you are looking at gems. If your house doesn't look like a jewelry store, (with lots of point sources of light from all directions, then you will never get a gem to look as dramatically sparkly as you may imagine it should. You can always get some icicle type Christmas lights, hang them in one room in your house and call it your "gem viewing room". Guaranteed to make everything sparkle like mad!

I will also add to this that you should never buy a gem that has a dark background as it's only background. If that's the case, ask to see a photo against a neutral background (light grey or white). I really think dark backgrounds enhance color. If a vendor refuses to provide additional photos, I typically don't go with them. I don't care for the "I only use fancy photographers" excuse either.

I went to a gem show and the vendor allowed me to evaluate a gem near the sunny window as the lighting in there wasn't sufficient to allow me to make a decision. You have to be careful when buying a gem in optimal lighting, as in jewelry stores. It may look great under their hallogens, but once you take it outside, or in your home, then

I love videos as they allow you to view the stone from all directions as Michael stated above. I think it's really important to look through the pavillion as sometimes, it's easier to see modifiers that way. They're not always as obvious from the table.

You know some of the people I've had the best luck with? It's weird, and maybe it's just luck, but I've had really good luck with vendors that take crappy and unenhanced photos. There's one dealer on ebay (not Tan) that I get some awesome spinels from, and I swear, he has the worst photographs. I always email him about tone, saturation and hue, and I get great responses, great cutting, great prices, fast shipping, and some really pretty stones, far better than what I paid for them. He has some ugly ducklings as well, but I think I know the right questions to ask this particular vendor to get the most for my money.

 

[minousbijoux]

This is a great thread - thank you, ILander!

From my experience, I have noticed a couple of things.

First, this applies to all stones, not necessarily about perceived bargain stones, so I think its a disservice to make this a "you get what you pay for" issue.

Second, we need to do our homework and not cut corners. It is true that some vendors have photos that more accurately portray their stones in "every day" lighting conditions, and that some vendors are more forthcoming with information than others. I would agree totally that for me, with few exceptions, a lot of it comes down to contacting the vendor in advance and asking all my questions - about clarity, extinction, performance in various lighting, etc. Sometimes even after asking these questions I get stones that don't measure up. This is typically because I failed to ask a key question or they failed to answer it objectively (and I didn't pay attention), or I recognized that they failed to answer it objectively but didn't push the issue because I was in love with what I thought the stone would be and just wanted to get it - shame on me. If the vendor does not answer objectively, then I don't go back. If their lighting is way off, I don't go back.

Third, ebay is a whole 'nother story. I agree with TL that for me, ebay is about the thrill of the hunt, though I have to say that as time goes by, there are fewer and fewer from whom I hunt. And I would agree with Michael that if you add up all the hours of searching and checking I do on ebay, then the few bargains I've found might not be considered bargains due to the time component involved. (I can just say that there is something so enjoyable to me about the hunt that it is a relaxing past-time and a great way to end my day).

Fourth, I do find that as time goes by, my requirements are becoming more particular. I not only want the moonstone/chrysoberyl/corundum, I want it to be a particular size and shape, well cut, with vivid saturation, blah, blah, blah. In this case, I really don't want to settle and would not devote much time at all to searching for this on ebay, but go straight to the high end cutters. My analogy is ebay is like the Filenes Basement or Nordstrom Rack - you don't go there when you are looking for a certain specific outfit, you go there with an open mind looking for bargains, knowing you have to wade through a lot of, shall we say, heavily included and highly windowed items, to find something good. The cutters are like the Nordstrom personal shopping service - in quality, ability to hear what you're looking for, and in excellent service (if not this last category, I don't go back).

Finally, I am embarrassed by all the stones I have not returned either for fear of judgement by the cutter, or because I did not want to hurt feelings. I could pay for my son's braces with these stones (don't worry, he'll get them anyway ) and maybe some day I'll figure out how to sell them. As an aside, if I wasn't so concerned about the perception of disparaging the cutters, I would post these stones, because I'm sure that some of it is a matter of personal preference.

Oh, and I recently purchased a stone from a highly respected vendor, who discussed the stone in advance with me and sent me photos. At the end of the day, though, the stone, while glowy and beautiful, is not what I'm looking for and with the seller's incredibly gracious blessing, will be returned. This seller, by virtue of their kind response, has earned a customer for life.

 

[T L]

Third, ebay is a whole 'nother story. I agree with TL that for me, ebay is about the thrill of the hunt, though I have to say that as time goes by, there are fewer and fewer from whom I hunt.

I only shop from a handful of vendors on ebay. Most of you know I buy a lot from Tan, and I have probably a 10% return rate with him.

 

[minousbijoux]

Hey, 10% is pretty good!

 

[T L]

I think many people can relate, but once you find a vendor you love, you stick with them, and buy more and more. At least I save $$$ on not returning so much.

 

[lavatea]

I like this thread with one caveat.

I really think actual vendor experiences, with names, should be shared. PS is a consumer site. I know all of us over here in the CS world have become close (in a virtual sense) with our favorite vendors. But I think perhaps that's limiting our consumer advocacy a bit.

We can respectfully share the bad as well as the good, and it will give us all a more rounded view of what to expect. And it might help us to save some of those shipping costs if we knew which vendors used which enhancements to their photos and which answered questions in ways that help you "see" the stone as it really is. We'd have a better understanding of how to approach each vendor to get the most bang for our buck - stone and shipping wise.

I haven't had a whole lot of experience yet. The tourmaline I bought from Lisa attracted me in the photo and looked even better in real life. I bought a suite of blue green spinel from her that looked much like the picture, but I'm one of her stone returning customers that decided it didn't work for my project. I also returned a blue spinel from her for the same reason. It was a lovely stone, but I am a spinel amateur and didn't realize how dark in tone the stones can be. I decided it was too dark to be bezelled and get the effect I was after.

I bought a stone from Jeff on commission which looks very much like the picture he took of it.

I bought a stone from Doug on commission which looks much like the pictures he took of it but only in certain lighting conditions. In others, it's not quite as bright as his pictures suggested. However, it's super sparkly and beautiful so I kept it even though it didn't hold its color. It's peridot so I'm not sure it would have held its color in all lighting anyway.

I've bought several of Uli's auction stones, and I have returned most of them. Most of them were darker than they looked in the picture and were too dark for me to do anything with (I buy my stones to be eventually set). These were very inexpensive stones, so some of that may be an issue of you get what you pay for. I do love the few I kept, though.

I think that's it so far.

 

[T L]

There are some people that are fiercely protective of some vendors, and if you name names, it could start a cyber-fight. I have been there, and done that, and I really wish I could name names, but I don't want to start a war. It's almost like you're personally insulting what they own when you post a negative experience with a vendor they love.

I will say this however, if someone were to tell me of a bad experience with a vendor I like, then I would be okay with it. Really, no vendor is perfect, and I understand that fully.

I do have a problem with people saying "ALL of ebay is bad" when that's obviously not true, as it is a huge marketplace with many vendors, and that is a generalization. Some highly respected vendors that have their own PS respected websites, also have ebay stores. Ebay gets a bad rap, and I think too many people generalize about it, I probably have in the past as well, and for that, I apologize.

 

[Arcadian]

@ minousbijoux Yes and agreed! I very rarely look on ebay anymore unless I'm bored or waiting for reports to generate. The field of vendors from there is small, less than 5.

Over time, I think we all get a little pickier, especially when the stones we're looking at get pricier! Thats when you know you have to work with a vendor that has all the things you're going to need to complete the sale, and if the stone isn't right, return it.

I don't have a problem paying for what I want in a stone though of course, nobody wants to overpay. Its a fine line.


-A

 

[lavatea]

There are some people that are fiercely protective of some vendors, and if you name names, it could start a cyber-fight. I have been there, and done that, and I really wish I could name names, but I don't want to start a war. It's almost like you're personally insulting what they own when you post a negative experience with a vendor they love.

I will say this however, if someone were to tell me of a bad experience with a vendor I like, then I would be okay with it. Really, no vendor is perfect, and I understand that fully.

I do have a problem with people saying "ALL of ebay is bad" when that's obviously not true, as it is a huge marketplace with many vendors, and that is a generalization. Some highly respected vendors that have their own PS respected websites, also have ebay stores. Ebay gets a bad rap, and I think too many people generalize about it, I probably have in the past as well, and for that, I apologize.

That's too bad b/c that's what PS is all about - sharing our positives and our negatives to educate the consumer, not propping up vendors as if they were some type of god. Not that I want any cyber wars. Those are just uncomfortable to read.

 

[iLander]

I do have a problem with people saying "ALL of ebay is bad" when that's obviously not true, as it is a huge marketplace with many vendors, and that is a generalization. Some highly respected vendors that have their own PS respected websites, also have ebay stores. Ebay gets a bad rap, and I think too many people generalize about it, I probably have in the past as well, and for that, I apologize.

So do I! There are a whole host of quality vendors on there, of which I am one! (I don't sell any jewelry or gems, or anything like that, so I can mention it. I also don't use this screen name, either.) I sell some of my old collections to finance this new crazy gem itch. I think I am similar to many "layperson" sellers, in that I list every little defect, take a jillion pictures, and post extra pics pointing out flaws and blemishes. I also follow up with people that have bought in the past, and sometimes I sell them 3 or 4 things, because they trust me (this last paragraph is making me think I should stop being lazy and sell some more stuff ).

I'd say their are a few bad apples on ebay, but a lot of ebay is honest, professional vendors, and just regular people who want to sell stuff for slightly more than they could get at a yard sale. I've seen some really big companies (Dolce & Gabbana, Prada) on there, selling items for charity, I've seen brick and mortar stores selling clearance clothes and housewares,etc. Plus I've seen a few of our PS dealers also have ebay stores.

So no more negative broad brush about ebay, it's just not true.

As far as buying from Asia, I don't see why anyone would look down on this. Doesn't EVERY retailer do this? Isn't practically everything from China these days? So we're cutting out the middleman, so what? The only one that minds is the middleman. . .

 

[T L]

There are some people that are fiercely protective of some vendors, and if you name names, it could start a cyber-fight. I have been there, and done that, and I really wish I could name names, but I don't want to start a war. It's almost like you're personally insulting what they own when you post a negative experience with a vendor they love.

I will say this however, if someone were to tell me of a bad experience with a vendor I like, then I would be okay with it. Really, no vendor is perfect, and I understand that fully.

I do have a problem with people saying "ALL of ebay is bad" when that's obviously not true, as it is a huge marketplace with many vendors, and that is a generalization. Some highly respected vendors that have their own PS respected websites, also have ebay stores. Ebay gets a bad rap, and I think too many people generalize about it, I probably have in the past as well, and for that, I apologize.

That's too bad b/c that's what PS is all about - sharing our positives and our negatives to educate the consumer, not propping up vendors as if they were some type of god. Not that I want any cyber wars. Those are just uncomfortable to read.

Okay, before I state these experiences, I want to say that perhaps some of these issues were my fault in not perceiving the color properly on the vendor's website, or buying stones that were probably not for me. I know people are very very happy with these vendors, and rightly so, therefore, I don't want my personal experiences to be a detriment to them, and I'm sure they won't be.

I had two malayas from Barry that while I thought I liked them at first, the peachy color in sunlight got to me, and I have sold one, and the other sits in a gem box. I also sold a rhodolite I bought from Barry, it was too dark for me, but the buyer loved it. I also returned a violet spinel, but that was when I first started buying spinels, and I should have known better than to buy one that was so dark. I know better now. Barry is still an awesome guy, and now knows my tastes, and will point out to me what I probably should/should not buy, but you all buy his best stuff so quick, I think I get the left overs!!

I returned a malaya, mint garnet, mahenge spinel, & mint tourmaline, to Gene. I have two of his stones I have kept, a spessartite and a smaller mint tourmaline. The stones I returned just didn't live up to my expectations color wise, but others have bought those same stones and are very happy with them. Gene is great with returns, and I think he's a great, honest guy. He's also a very skilled lapidary. I do adore the stones I have kept from Gene however. I also think Gene has very fair pricing.

I bought two stones (both Afghan tourmalines) from Jeff White, and I wasn't happy with the color at all, especially for the price point. One had a non refundable fee that was rather high, so I kept it, but I will never ever set it. I think some people would be delighted with it, but the color was just not for me. I also returned another Afghan tourmaline to Jeff because it was way too extinct. Someone else has since bought it and set it, and loves it.

I bought one stone from Dan Stair, a mint tourmaline, which has since been bought by someone else, and has been sold twice on another site I keep track of. It was way too pale, but again, I just think I misjudged his picture. It looked pale in the photo and I thought since his photos were thought to be paler than normal, this would have a darker tone. I was wrong, as the photo was very accurate. Some times I take chances like that, but it failed. I get the feeling he won't deal with me again, as he seemed a bit perplexed at why I returned it, but so be it.

I returned three or four stones to Multicolour.com (I forget since it was so long ago). I think you get what you pay for with them, and as a person that likes to find bargains, well, I don't deal with them anymore. I bought two mahenges that were not as saturated as I thought they would be by the GIA gem set he used, and I bought a grossular that was a bright yellow in the photo, and when I got it, it was brownish.

I bought a spessartite from gemrite that was too yellow ocre for me although John said it was an O 5/6 on the GIA gem set scale. He was great about the return, and even refunded my S&H.

From Tan, I returned about four blue spinels, they were just too grey and/or dark for me. However, I have the most stones from Tan, as he has a wide selection, and I actually have a chance to get a great stone, not a left over. I can't even count how many stones I own from Tan, as a result.

I returned an Afghan tourmaline to Gary Braun, and he was great about the return. Again, the color didn't live up to my expectations.

Well, that's the scoop. I hope I don't offend anyone, but I think it's important to be honest. Apparently, some people love the stones I returned, and I'm sure I bought returned stones that people didin't love as much, so everyone is different, and we all have our tastes.

 

[faegrace]

TL ~

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences! You put the information out there in a very tactful and candid manner. As someone new to this, I appreciate reading what others have to say, truly.

~ faegrace


My limited experience thus far:

* I have two gems from Barry. He is a great guy but I find his photos completely unhelpful when purchasing. That said, his descriptions seem to be on point. I now know if he says medium/dark, it's not for me! He readily answers my inquiries as well.

* I have a spessartite from Doug Menadue. It is far nicer IRL than even his pictures show. He was wonderful to work with and offers a good discount.

* I have a custom cut aquamarine from Jeff White. It is exquisite. He is one busy man but always made sure this was a colloborative process. Honestly, I could not be happier with Jeff or the aqua. Oh, and his pictures were rather exact.

*I purchased a peridot from Michael at Gemline. He was easy to work with and so gracious when I returned the peridot. The color was gorgeous but the window would've bothered me had I kept it. His photos, in this case, were very representative. I simply lacked experience with cuts.

* Michael E. is currently making a ring for my BB chrome tourmaline. My experience with Michael, from initial introduction to design concept to in-the-works (where we are now) has been amazing. His prices are fair, he has great ideas and knowledge base without taking over the process, and is just a pleasure. I just sent him two more ring project pitches!

* I have spoken with Dana @ Mastercuts and found him to be very helpful. No purchases yet but I imagine there will be.

* I have also spoken with Gene @ Precision Gems; unfortunately, he did not return a second e-mail.

* I tried contacting Flawless Facets when I saw that they had the rough for my umbalite search. I never heard anything at all there. Maybe my e-mail was a victim of SPAM blocking but highly unlikely since I did go through the form on their website.

Again, TL, thank you for your candor and opening the door on ILander's initial post wide enough to get more light.

 

[PrecisionGem]

You think buying cut stones over the internet from pictures is tough, try buying rough stones! The last few years I bought very little with out seeing the stones in person. A few dealers it's possible to return stones, but most guys in Africa it's really not possible to return something without it getting stollen or paying around $100 for postage.

One observance I have had, is that for the most part, you ladies spend too much on postage when returning stones. I don't mind if it makes back to me in 1 day or 2 weeks. No need to get too fancy with the shipping.

 

[lavatea]

You think buying cut stones over the internet from pictures is tough, try buying rough stones! The last few years I bought very little with out seeing the stones in person. A few dealers it's possible to return stones, but most guys in Africa it's really not possible to return something without it getting stollen or paying around $100 for postage.

One observance I have had, is that for the most part, you ladies spend too much on postage when returning stones. I don't mind if it makes back to me in 1 day or 2 weeks. No need to get too fancy with the shipping.

I just had to laugh at that part. The few times I've mailed out stones, I've told the postman that I'd like the package sent "slow boat to China". I'm too cheap to pay for quick shipping unless there is some sort of deadline.

 

[FrekeChild]

My limited experience thus far:

* I have two gems from Barry. He is a great guy but I find his photos completely unhelpful when purchasing. That said, his descriptions seem to be on point. I now know if he says medium/dark, it's not for me! He readily answers my inquiries as well.

I find that interesting because I find Barry and Gene (precision gem) to have the most accurate photos by far.

One helpful hint with Barry is that when he says medium-dark, he's probably exaggerating towards the dark side. He has learned that if he doesn't add that dark onto medium that people return it saying that it's too dark and not medium. Don't blame him, but I also don't believe it when he says medium-dark. I see Barry's medium-dark and think--that's my medium. I don't know how many stones I have from Barry, but it is probably far too many. Hmmm...let me go count. 14 set. 11 unset.

I won't buy from Gary Braun as I find his photos...unrealistic. Having said that, I do own one of his stones and it's cut beautifully. But it is darker than his photos show. It was bought secondhand.

I own ONE Jeff White. While gorgeous I probably will not buy another. And the one I own was a gift. I just can't bring myself to spend that much for a gem.

Dan Stair...while I have many, I probably will not have many more. I have never fell in love with a stone on sight as I have with one of my Dan Stair's...but his pictures are very very very hard to decipher.

Peter Torraca...is undermentioned! I only own one stone of his, and somewhat unwillingly sold the other.

Gene Flanigan...Amazing cutting, accurate photos.

John B at Gemrite. Great cutting and decently accurate photos, And he's always willing to take more photos!

 

[T L]

I find Barry and Gene (precision gem) to have the most accurate photos by far.

Freke,
You are correct. I just want to add that when I bought the stones from Gene, he reserved some of these for me, after I requested something I saw someone else owned. I felt bad saying "no" to the stones after I saw the photos, as I had reservations about the color in them. However, I felt an obligation to look at the gem in person, as they were reserved for me. It was very kind of him to do that, and not charge a restocking fee.

For example, I know he sold a gorgeous Afghan asscher mint tourmaline to someone that I just fell madly in love with, and so I asked him to also cut me an Afghan mint tourmaline. He cut one for me, but I had the bad luck of getting one that was more yellowish, which is not my thing in a minty tourmaline. I did express my reservations about it, but he sent it to me for my review and unfortunately it was as the photo had shown it to be IRL, so I returned it. Therefore, I will say that many of my returns to him are my own fault, and I should have trusted his photos. I bet he probably got super frustrated with me, and I can't say that I blame him.

I also do pay attention to when Barry states something is medium dark now, as darker toned stones are not my thing. However, all his brighter, lighter toned stones sell in 2 nanoseconds, especially what I love, spinels!!

 

[FrekeChild]

I remember back in the day when you used to loathe spinels....

 

[T L]

I remember back in the day when you used to loathe spinels....

It's funny, isn't it? It all started with a pink cushion, and I've been hooked ever since. I wish I could change my handle name!!

 

[FrekeChild]

I remember back in the day when you used to loathe spinels....

It's funny, isn't it? It all started with a pink cushion, and I've been hooked ever since. I wish I could change my handle name!!

I believe the mods can....

 

[T L]

I remember back in the day when you used to loathe spinels....

It's funny, isn't it? It all started with a pink cushion, and I've been hooked ever since. I wish I could change my handle name!!

I believe the mods can....

I'm actually working on it.

 

[Jim Rentfrow]

TL ~


* I tried contacting Flawless Facets when I saw that they had the rough for my umbalite search. I never heard anything at all there. Maybe my e-mail was a victim of SPAM blocking but highly unlikely since I did go through the form on their website.

t.

Can you let me know when this was? I get quite a few emails coming through with that form but if some are not coming through I need to know about it asap.

Thanks
Jim