Tucson 2014

[Starzin]

This year I saw 4 pieces of new rough, when normally I a hundred at Tucson.

That must have been truly disappointing. Have you got any pictures for us this year?

 

[PrecisionGem]

I posted some pictures along the way on my twitter tweets, if that's what they are called. I just got home, so once I get some time I'll do a report on my site with more pictures.

 

[Starzin]

Thanks Gene - we do look forward to your Tucson reports since it's always interesting to get the cutter's view. Off to check your Twitter...

 

[chrono]

Thanks Gene. Looking forward to your blog since I don't Tweet.

 

[minousbijoux]

Thanks Gene. Looking forward to your blog since I don't Tweet.

I'm another that does not tweet.

 

[T L]

He has a link to his twitter feed on his blog. You don't have to be a tweeter to view tweets.

 

[chrono]

News from a friend currently at Tucson is also not positive and confirms Gene's report. Pricing is beyond ridiculous yet the material doesn't even warrant the high price tag. My friend said that the pricing seen makes Pala's pricing (which often seems high to me) seem more than reasonable in comparison.

 

[pregcurious]

Here's Gene's Twitter:
https://twitter.com/PrecisionGem

Thank you, Gene!!!

 

[JewelFreak]

Disappointing news about tsavorite & spinel. Everything does seem to be doubling, then doubling again. Depressing stuff since my income does not do the same. Thank the gem fates that I bought my blue spinel when I did.

The mint garnet rough you got looks very nice, Gene. The fossil is fascinating -- your photo makes me want to touch it.

Eos, thanks for your pics too -- can't see enough of what's there!

--- Laurie

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Disappointing news about tsavorite & spinel. Everything does seem to be doubling, then doubling again. Depressing stuff since my income does not do the same. Thank the gem fates that I bought my blue spinel when I did.

The mint garnet rough you got looks very nice, Gene. The fossil is fascinating -- your photo makes me want to touch it.

Eos, thanks for your pics too -- can't see enough of what's there!

--- Laurie

Sad indeed.
Definitely makes me think twice about listing my tsav and spinel rings, even if I don't wear them, I might pass them down some day, who knows if I"ll be buying any more tsav or red spinel..

 

[JewelFreak]

Definitely makes me think twice about listing my tsav and spinel rings, even if I don't wear them, I might pass them down some day,

Uh, MTG....I know somebody you can pass them down to right now, glad to give you the address! Why wait when you can do it NOW? I have been looking for a tsav for ages & ages; looks like it's getting further & further away.

--- Laurie

 

[PrecisionGem]

One of the topic of discussion everywhere was light bulbs. With ban on the good old incandescent bulb, many vendors had gone out and purchased stock piles of them. Those crazy CFL bulbs make most stones look horrid, and people were scrambling to come up with some to light display cases with.

 

[minousbijoux]

One of the topic of discussion everywhere was light bulbs. With ban on the good old incandescent bulb, many vendors had gone out and purchased stock piles of them. Those crazy CFL bulbs make most stones look horrid, and people were scrambling to come up with some to light display cases with.

Of course this makes sense, but I had just never given it any thought. It will be interesting to see what happens next in the world of lighting, once everyone runs out of their stockpiles.

 

[iLander]

One of the topic of discussion everywhere was light bulbs. With ban on the good old incandescent bulb, many vendors had gone out and purchased stock piles of them. Those crazy CFL bulbs make most stones look horrid, and people were scrambling to come up with some to light display cases with.

This is exactly why I started a thread about this over a year ago, but my concern was specific to color change stones

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/big-trouble-for-color-change-stones.179695/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/big-trouble-for-color-change-stones.179695/[/URL]

A horrible thought occurred to me; I can only see the purple in my color-shift sapphire under an incandescent bulb.
Incandescent bulbs will soon be outlawed, right?
How will my grandkids ever see the purple again?
What about me in ten years? I kinda want to see it too. . .
So should I start hoarding incandescent bulbs?

So yeah, they're going by wattage. You can still get 60 watt bulbs on amazon, but not for too much longer. What REALLY makes me mad is that these overpriced bulbs seem to burn out just as fast as the old bulbs, because our power company stinks and send us power surges.

GENE-Can't wait to see what you do with the green sapphire rough! Were there any decent rubies at all?

 

[minousbijoux]

One of the topic of discussion everywhere was light bulbs. With ban on the good old incandescent bulb, many vendors had gone out and purchased stock piles of them. Those crazy CFL bulbs make most stones look horrid, and people were scrambling to come up with some to light display cases with.

This is exactly why I started a thread about this over a year ago, but my concern was specific to color change stones

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/big-trouble-for-color-change-stones.179695/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/big-trouble-for-color-change-stones.179695/[/URL]

A horrible thought occurred to me; I can only see the purple in my color-shift sapphire under an incandescent bulb.
Incandescent bulbs will soon be outlawed, right?
How will my grandkids ever see the purple again?
What about me in ten years? I kinda want to see it too. . .
So should I start hoarding incandescent bulbs?

So yeah, they're going by wattage. You can still get 60 watt bulbs on amazon, but not for too much longer. What REALLY makes me mad is that these overpriced bulbs seem to burn out just as fast as the old bulbs, because our power company stinks and send us power surges.

GENE-Can't wait to see what you do with the green sapphire rough! Were there any decent rubies at all?

Yes, that is true, iLander, I actually remembered your thread! I just had never applied it to the merchants who completely rely on it to show of their wares. Maybe soon the gem halls will be lit with hundreds of thousands of candles...

 

[pregcurious]

Gene, when there's a big strike, like with the yellow danburite, does the price of rough go up or down compared to before? If someone bought yellow danburite last year, will he/she pay prices that are higher/lower/same for the same rough today?

 

[minousbijoux]

I've seen some vendors selling pieces at higher prices recently. My speculation is that prices will continue to escalate - either because the new yellow danburite is a new find and rarer than typical danburite, or because the surge in availability is causing it to be be touted more - either way, I imagine it going up, not down.

 

[PrecisionGem]

From what I heard, the yell ow danburite is mine dine one location in Tanzania. Last year this location was bought by one guy and the prices for the rough went up. Some people had some material from before this purchase and the cost of the rough was less. I see that At least one of the jewelry tv shows has some on their site, and at a pretty high price. The rough is priced about the same as better quality tourmaline. Not as high as top color Afghan material but more than Nigerian pink or most other tourmaline. I have seen cut yellow danburite from Tanzania going for $150 to $800 per ct depending on size.

 

[PrecisionGem]

I've seen some vendors selling pieces at higher prices recently. My speculation is that prices will continue to escalate - either because the new yellow danburite is a new find and rarer than typical danburite, or because the surge in availability is causing it to be be touted more - either way, I imagine it going up, not down.

This new yellow is rarer than the typical colorless. There is not a lot of facet grade being found.

 

[T L]

From what I heard, the yell ow danburite is mine dine one location in Tanzania. Last year this location was bought by one guy and the prices for the rough went up. Some people had some material from before this purchase and the cost of the rough was less. I see that At least one of the jewelry tv shows has some on their site, and at a pretty high price. The rough is priced about the same as better quality tourmaline. Not as high as top color Afghan material but more than Nigerian pink or most other tourmaline. I have seen cut yellow danburite from Tanzania going for $150 to $800 per ct depending on size.

Another reason for me not to buy anything. Pure yellow is my least favorite color.

 

[deskjockey]

A horrible thought occurred to me; I can only see the purple in my color-shift sapphire under an incandescent bulb.
Incandescent bulbs will soon be outlawed, right?
How will my grandkids ever see the purple again?
What about me in ten years? I kinda want to see it too. . .
So should I start hoarding incandescent bulbs?

You may want to consider LED lighting. Not sure with sapphires, but it makes my garnet go from raspberry to a pretty pure purple.

 

[chrono]

So there's no hope that I can use the weak / poor colour change under CFL to negotiate lower pricing?

 

[OTL]

From what I heard, the yell ow danburite is mine dine one location in Tanzania. Last year this location was bought by one guy and the prices for the rough went up. Some people had some material from before this purchase and the cost of the rough was less. I see that At least one of the jewelry tv shows has some on their site, and at a pretty high price. The rough is priced about the same as better quality tourmaline. Not as high as top color Afghan material but more than Nigerian pink or most other tourmaline. I have seen cut yellow danburite from Tanzania going for $150 to $800 per ct depending on size.

Another reason for me not to buy anything. Pure yellow is my least favorite color.

I know two Burma dealers are selling yellow danburites since last year. Maybe the words hasn't been spreaded yet? Afterall Burma source has always been limited to us. Here is a picture of one of the Burma dealer's 20ct danburite. Anyway, like TL, yellow is my least favorite color as well, I would buy that color in a rare specimen, such as canary yellow tourmaline. But I wouldn't want to own a yellow danburite, given that RI wise, yellow sapphire is so much better. That's just me.

 

[ruffysdad]

I just got back from Tucson also. Found the prices on tourmalines waaaaaay high! I was going to pick up on some but passed and spent my money on other rough. I did find an absurdly good deal on Maw sit sit and picked up on it. Too bad I don't cab

Pete

 

[T L]

From what I heard, the yell ow danburite is mine dine one location in Tanzania. Last year this location was bought by one guy and the prices for the rough went up. Some people had some material from before this purchase and the cost of the rough was less. I see that At least one of the jewelry tv shows has some on their site, and at a pretty high price. The rough is priced about the same as better quality tourmaline. Not as high as top color Afghan material but more than Nigerian pink or most other tourmaline. I have seen cut yellow danburite from Tanzania going for $150 to $800 per ct depending on size.

Another reason for me not to buy anything. Pure yellow is my least favorite color.

I know two Burma dealers are selling yellow danburites since last year. Maybe the words hasn't been spreaded yet? Afterall Burma source has always been limited to us. Here is a picture of one of the Burma dealer's 20ct danburite. Anyway, like TL, yellow is my least favorite color as well, I would buy that color in a rare specimen, such as canary yellow tourmaline. But I wouldn't want to own a yellow danburite, given that RI wise, yellow sapphire is so much better. That's just me.

I like neon greenish yellow chrysoberyl. Even that is getting harder and harder to come by though. Those are the only stones with a primary color of yellow that I have.

 

[OTL]

I like neon greenish yellow chrysoberyl. Even that is getting harder and harder to come by though. Those are the only stones with a primary color of yellow that I have.

Well, who doesn't! It's on my shopping list...for so long...
And the RI is great too.

 

[T L]

I like neon greenish yellow chrysoberyl. Even that is getting harder and harder to come by though. Those are the only stones with a primary color of yellow that I have.

Well, who doesn't! It's on my shopping list...for so long...
And the RI is great too.

. . . and the luster, durability and hardness. It's a great gem.

 

[LoversKites]

This yellow danburite honestly doesn't interest me at all. It's just not appealing to me.

And tourmaline has definitely seen a significant rise in price (before I knew anything about gems I thought it was as valuable as amethyst), just like practically every other gem.

 

[LoversKites]

Double post, sorry.

 

[minousbijoux]

I agree - I like yellow okay, but will save my money only for good yellow chrysoberyls. The yellow danburite holds little appeal to me. But I'm sure if it does start catching on, its popularity might just soar like everything else!