Treasuregemsandcoins.com - is this place for real?

[airplay355]

http://treasuregemsandcoins.com/saleitems.aspx

So you buy an entire bag of roughs for $10-$30...is that really how cheap stones are? Am I missing something? Is this a cheap way to find a stone and then have it custom facetted?

I don't think I'm considering it, I'm mostly just curious. I didn't know you could buy bags of gemstones!

 

[kenny]

I'm sure they are all picked over by a pro so you get what you pay or, or less.

A bag of rejects.

 

[cm366]

Don't know about this place. There are mines, all in developed countries as far as I know, that are happy to sell you true mine gravel or let you mine it yourself. They're generally places where commercial mining doesn't make sense because of some combination of low yield on a per-ton basis, low commercial value to the stones, and high cost of labour. The owners make more money (for a MUCH lower capital investment) from selling the gravel and a "prospecting" experience. Montana's full of them, North Carolina's got a few, Jackson's Crossroads in GA.... I think there's a place in Maine? Each has different rules, some 'salt' their gravel with cheap rough to make it more fun for kids, others will take any stone you find over a specified value....

It's unlikely that you'll ever be able to buy "unsearched" gem rough along the same lines - of course it's been searched, someone had to make sure the bag was getting filled with amethyst and not random rocks! However, there are stones (amethyst being a good example) that aren't terribly valuable in and of themselves - they might sell you a sack of small or indifferently colored stones without grading each and every one for clarity and colour simply because it's not worth the time.

If you're looking for something along these lines, Gem Mountain in MT has a good reputation and will ship you gravel and instruct you in how to pan it. I wouldn't expect a fantastic financial return, but people do get lucky and it's a fun way to occupy kids at a party or amuse any rockhounds in your family...

 

[chrono]

I've seen such parcels here and there. Most are not facetable and the few that are are usually smaller and the more common variety like quartz. There are rarely true treasures in such bags as they've already been sieved through.

 

[orbaya]

If you're looking for something along these lines, Gem Mountain in MT has a good reputation and will ship you gravel and instruct you in how to pan it. I wouldn't expect a fantastic financial return, but people do get lucky and it's a fun way to occupy kids at a party or amuse any rockhounds in your family...

Thanks for sharing about Gem Mountain! We took DS (age 2) to a place that had the opportunity for kids to pan for gems. He LOVED it and still has his little bag of gems. I bet he would love to do this at home!

edited because apparently I can't spell.

 

[orbaya]

Here he is panning for gems...... he was very intense about the whole thing and was mad when we had to leave. LOL!

 

[minousbijoux]

What a great photo - you've got a budding gemologist (or geologist) there.

 

[JewelFreak]

Cute pic. What rapt attention -- looks like fun.

 

[cm366]

Very cute! Googling "Montana sapphires in Georgia" will reveal the story of some bigger kids just as rapt if anyone's interested

 

[airplay355]

It reminds me of opening a pack of Pokemon cards and hoping for something shiny. It's kind of hard to resist! Next summer I might have to make a trip to a tourmaline mine in Maine (I live in Maine). I did this once before at Howe Caverns in NY and found a black crystal. It was very fun even though I didn't find anything as precious as a sapphire

 

[chrono]

Orbaya,
He's such a cutie and don't disturb his concentration. He's so focused on his task. Heck, any of us CSers would be too.