Who are your favorite vendors? Let's acknowledge the best!

[2Neesers]

In light of the couple of other threads that are running right now, I could use a pick me up!
I was thinking it would be nice to celebrate our favorite vendors, the ones that rarely disappoint .
My favorite vendors I have purchased from so far are Barry Bridgestock and Gene from Precision Gem. I have also been very satisfied with the stones I have purchased from Prima Gems.
Anyone care to share your favorites? I bet we will see the same names more than twice.

 

[livannie]

I love Dana from Mastercutgems. I have ordered a few colored stones from him that I have loved. He is very friendly and helps you try to find the right gem for you and I like that if I didn’t my absolutely love something, he would take it back with no problem.

 

[Cockatiel]

Jeff White and Brad at Gemtrader for me. Their inventories are interesting, varied, I always want something from their drops. I also end up keeping their stones the most in the long run.

 

[suzanne2]

Brad at The Gem Trader is absolutely one of my favorites. He is very responsive to emails and has a fascinating inventory. I've also done a lot of business with Jason Brim and Jim McCormick and never had a bad transaction, although with Jim you have to see the videos to get past the hyperbole. Once you've done that he will answer all your questions with patience and kindness. And Jeff Davies. He is super nice and doesn't care if you are a newbie. And Barry Bridgestock from ACS Stones. What a nice man.

I'm sure there are many more I'm forgetting. Oh, Jeff White!! Jeff Hapeman!!

It looks like I've been around here too long! Maybe you can tell that I put a high value on kindness. My feelings are easily hurt and a curt response will put me off forever.

I haven't had as much luck on Instagram. Sometimes I contact a vendor and they are pushy and/or make me feel that I am bothering them. Strike! Off the list!

Thanks @Cockatiel for starting this thread. I was getting bogged down in the other threads, thinking dismal thoughts about "who is lying?"...

 

[Cockatiel]

Brad at The Gem Trader is absolutely one of my favorites. He is very responsive to emails and has a fascinating inventory. I've also done a lot of business with Jason Brim and Jim McCormick and never had a bad transaction, although with Jim you have to see the videos to get past the hyperbole. Once you've done that he will answer all your questions with patience and kindness. And Jeff Davies. He is super nice and doesn't care if you are a newbie. And Barry Bridgestock from ACS Stones. What a nice man.

I'm sure there are many more I'm forgetting. Oh, Jeff White!! Jeff Hapeman!!

It looks like I've been around here too long! Maybe you can tell that I put a high value on kindness. My feelings are easily hurt and a curt response will put me off forever.

I haven't had as much luck on Instagram. Sometimes I contact a vendor and they are pushy and/or make me feel that I am bothering them. Strike! Off the list!

Thanks @Cockatiel for starting this thread. I was getting bogged down in the other threads, thinking dismal thoughts about "who is lying?"...

The credit for starting the thread goes to @2Neezers

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

I've purchased from Doug of Bespoke Gems, Gary from Finewater and Jeff Davies.
They were all really nice and a great combination of very helpful but not pushy to make a sale.

Jeff Davies I've had the most dealings with and have had 4 rings made by him (saving up for a 5th right now). He's always been mega mega nice to me. Super helpful and very patient. I highly recommend his actual jewellery making business since I have been thrilled with all the rings I've received and there is a comfort in letting him deal with the softer stones like zircons.

 

[2Neesers]

@suzanne2 It's the least I could do after starting the thread about the synthetics. Just trying to lighten things up a little
These are all great vendors you all have listed. It's very interesting and helpful to hear the different reasons why they are your favorites as well. I didn't mention the reasons for the vendors I chose in my earlier post, so I should add that info.
Barry Bridgestock for his excellent precision cutting and the very clean material he seems to choose. Gene at Precision Gem also for his excellent precision cutting and he seems to have a great eye for color. Prima Gems because the stones I have from them have excellent color. I do wish they listed prices to the public, but if you let them know your budget and what you are looking for they will pick their best stones for you to choose from. All of my favorite vendors are very pleasant and have offered me easy, no questions asked returns.
I'm sure there will be some excellent vendors that will be overlooked here, but it is nice to hear all of your favorites

 

[dk168]

My most significant custom pieces came from Jeff White.
DK

 

[sydneyatl]

I've only bought gems from one vendor on the PS list and that's Jeff Davies, so I can't compare to anyone else. But I will echo everyone else in saying that he was super nice even when I was a newbie and didn't know a thing and there was no guarantee that I was going to buy anything from him at all. When I first contacted him, he responded within hours - and then mentioned that since there was a major holiday coming up in Thailand, it would take him ten days to respond with hand shots. Me being the already super-anxious type of person, now doubly anxious that we were talking about my engagement ring, and triply anxious to get the slackerish now-Husband moving on things, my heart sank. I thought, oh great, he's going to forget about it and it's just going to be another source of stress for me. On the morning of day ten? I woke up and there were hand shots in my inbox. Must've been the first thing he did when he came back to work. It's a little thing but that meant a lot to me.

Another time I ordered a gem from him and the tracking showed that it had gone to Iran It was a Christmas gift so I messaged him in a panic and within a few hours he had it sorted out (accidentally gave me the wrong tracking number).

Unlike many people here, I'm still not very good at spotting what makes a gem valuable - I still think they're all pretty. So while I'm more than happy with the actual stones that I've bought from him, his customer service pretty much guarantees that should more gem needs arise in the future (as they certainly will!) I'll always start with him.

 

[Acinom]

Great thread!!!
My list:
GENE - PRECISION GEM (tourmaline, danburite)
Gene has a great eye for colors and his cutting is ‘haute couture’. His customer service is great. I did one bespoke project with him and his service goes beyond: he wants you to be sure and he wants you to be happy. He answered all my questions patiently. Also, he was willing to make additional photos. His pricing: worth every penny and great for the quality he offers. Would love to order more stones from him in the future.

DOUG MENADUE - BESPOKE GEMS
(natural blue topaz, electric blue topaz, tourmaline)
Love his inventory, especially in topazes. Doug obviously loves his work. He has great cutting designs. Working with him is like a breeze. A very sympathetic and professional cutter. Good pricing.

JEFF WHITE
(purple garnet)
‘Haute couture’ cutting. Nice to work with. Another cutter who loves his work. I find his pricing on the high side, although his work is beautiful.
Also did a bespoke project that did not end well: the color of the yellow zircon faded a few dats after heating. His customer service also was great at this point. He has a great return policy.

CHRIS AULETTA
(3 zircons)
He only buys and sells what he loves. Great customer service. Explains a lot about his stones and always willing to make additional photos and video. Very nice and trustworthy person who is always willing to do a bit extra: when a setting project failed and the jeweller could not send the stone to the new jeweller in Australia, Chris came to the rescue. Would love to buy more stones via him.

GEMFIX
(Rubellite)
I love the stone I got from them: great colour and cutting. High pricing, but worth it. I do not like that they only provide 2 pics for each stone and that they do not ship internationally above a certain price. The photo represented the stone well though. More difficult to get additional information. Professional organisation but a bit impersonal service.

PARAIBA INTERNATIONAL
(Paraiba cab)
Great and friendly service! Adam is a great guy and a layaway plan was no problem at all. Hard to read the pic and video: the stone was much prettier in real life!
Stone was worth every single penny. Always willing to answer questions, even when you are a newbie and not buying immediately.

JEFF DAVIES
(zircon, pale pink stone)
Great inventory, great service. No nonsense and professional.
Great return policy if a stone is not as expected. Great pricing.

Others I would recommend:
-acstones (amethyst cab): great and friendly service, beautiful stone
-Jim mcCormick (red spess) harder to read the pics/video, but you can ask any questions. Good service and good return policy
-The Gemtrader (non color matching sapphires, Oregon Sunstone): very interesting and original inventory, great service, besutiful stones
-BlackOpalDirect: great service, great opal! Large inventory

Would not work again with:
- Perry (used to work at Leon Mege) (Paraiba): love the stone, hated his very pushy style. Only wanted to answer questions after insuring that you are ready to buy. Overpriced. Only discusses the beautiful points of the stone and not discussing inclusions and window. Which to my eyes means he is not taking his customers seriously. Love the stone and ring from Leon. Hated the service by Perry.

 

[T L]

There are some vendors mentioned on this list that I'm not too fond of. The reason we changed the top sticky list from "highly recommended vendors" to just "list of vendors for reference" is to make sure people don't just blindly think that every vendor mentioned is spectacular and without fault. Not everyone's experience will be positive.

While I appreciate that people want to give a shout out to their favorite vendors, again, I feel the need to include the disclaimer in here that I initially put in the sticky list. One should research the vendors in here before purchasing, especially refund policies, photo accuracy and fair pricing. The latter is often the most difficult to ascertain, which is why we have this forum.

 

[Gemobsessed]

I think what I value most in a vendor is how comfortable they are to talk to frequently. They take the time to know your taste and they keep you in mind for when something shows up. That being said, my favourite vendors are exotic gems, excess designs and Barry Bridgestock in that order. I really would not go to anyone else now ! The best part is when a vendor himself says this stone will not meet your expectations and they save you the time and trouble of returns. Every single time I’ve gone against that opinion I have so regretted it.

The only time I would buy from anyone else is if it’s an exceptional deal on a really rare stone but otherwise I will wait as patiently as humanly possible for these guys to fill my gem box!

 

[LittleRed]

I think what I value most in a vendor is how comfortable they are to talk to frequently. They take the time to know your taste and they keep you in mind for when something shows up. That being said, my favourite vendors are exotic gems, excess designs and Barry Bridgestock in that order. I really would not go to anyone else now ! The best part is when a vendor himself says this stone will not meet your expectations and they save you the time and trouble of returns. Every single time I’ve gone against that opinion I have so regretted it.

The only time I would buy from anyone else is if it’s an exceptional deal on a really rare stone but otherwise I will wait as patiently as humanly possible for these guys to fill my gem box!

I’ve looked through the list 3 times and can not find exotic gems or excess designs. Would you mind providing a link? It’s always fun to look through a new site. (I did google but am not confident I found the correct sites).

 

[shinyrocks]

What a neat idea! My favorite vendor is Jeff White, hands down! He has such a tremendous talent, always has an interesting mix of rough to work with, and has a tremendous eye for good color. He's also just a sweet, kind person. It is not unusual for him to offer gems for sale to benefit causes that he believes in. I also love The Gem Trader! Brad always has such an eclectic mix of rare and unusual stones, and for commercial cuts, they are generally very good!

 

[KristinTech]

I have the most gorgeous spess garnet from Barry Bridgestock! It’s my husband’s favorite ring that I own. I also bought a gorgeous green tourmaline for my sister and had great correspondence with him.

I bought a pre-loved bicolor sapphire (from MasterCut Gems) for my then 10-year-old. She’s now 14 and she wears it everyday. It is a glowing magical stone, and I want one for myself now! With the preloved sale from @woofmama, I have Dana’s notes about the stone written on the folded paper. My Sylvia laminated it. I would love to get another bicolor sapphire sometime soon!

 

[Gemobsessed]

I’ve looked through the list 3 times and can not find exotic gems or excess designs. Would you mind providing a link? It’s always fun to look through a new site. (I did google but am not confident I found the correct sites).

Search for exotic_gemstones and excess designs on insta. They aren’t on the vendor list of PS.

 

[2Neesers]

It is great to see everyone's personal favorites! It looks like there have been many positive experiences with these vendors.
@T L I'm glad you added the disclaimer. Each transaction and relationship is unique to the individuals involved and not everyone's experience will be the same. There is one thing I am dying to know though, who are your personal favorites?
I pulled out my gem box and have more vendors to add that I have had multiple transactions with that have been positive. A few have already been named here like Dana at Mastercut Gems, Jeff Davies (his repeat customer discount rocks!) and Gemfix (@Acinom they have added videos for their sapphires now that I can't stop watching, lol). Bruce at Tsavorite USA is excellent for personal service and selection. Jerry at Gemart Services sold me a lovely spess garnet, but he has also re-cut several stones for me at a very reasonable price and with quick turnaround times. He is really a pleasure to work with

 

[T L]

2Neezers,
I really don't have any favorite vendors. I'm just happy if a vendor has an iron clad return policy without a restocking fee, and the prices are not outrageous for what I perceive as the quality. I think over the years, Gene of Precisiongem and Barry Bridgestock have been longtime vendors on this forum that have been reliable in those two areas.

 

[BlingObsession]

Mine - in no order of preference:

Gene - Precision Gems
Barry - AC Stones
Roger Dery - Spectral Gem
Doug Menadue
Jerry Newman
Brad - The Gem Trader
Jeff Davies
Jordan - Ems Opal World - don't think he's on our fav vendors list yet

I have always been delighted with my purchases and the service from each of these vendors.

 

[Cockatiel]

Oops forgot about Jerry Newman. He's awesome at recutting and the fees are so reasonable. Gene and Barry are great too

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Oops forgot about Jerry Newman. He's awesome at recutting and the fees are so reasonable. Gene and Barry are great too

Yes Jerry is great! We have so many great vendors. I rarely buy gemstones anymore but I have had the best customer service from Jerry, Dana, DJ Rarestones, and Jim McCormick.

 

[chatoyancy]

I have purchased from a few vendors on the list and have had good experiences with all of them. I will just list them.

1. Artcutgems
2. ACStones
3. Earth’s Treasury
4. Finewater Gems
5. Jeff Davies
6. Mastercut Gems
7. Multicolour
I have also purchased from 4 other online vendors. I have been happy with all of those purchased as well.

 

[ilovegemstones]

Dana at Mastercut Gems
Sally at Heart of Water

 

[RissaLou]

Shannon Duffey at Mountain Momma Gems was great to work with!
I spent a lot of time looking for the perfect Montana Sapphire, and found one that I loved at her shop.
She worked out a payment plan for me, as it was a tad out of my price range at the time.
Was really nice to communicate with, and included all the information I asked for. Where it was mined, who heat treated it, who cut it, etc.

 

[MissyBeaucoup]

Several of the cutters favorited here have great reputations and very beautiful stones. Gene Flanagan of Precision Gem is one I have done repeat business with and been very pleased with.

I have found some interesting, unusual things from Brad at the Gem Trader. I also like Kosnar Gems on Etsy, who carry some out-of-the-ordinary gems that are a good value for their beauty.

I’d like to thank everyone here for all they do in educating us to love gemstones and to be more informed purchasers.

 

[ilovegemstones]

I have also had amazing customer service Brad from TGT and Gary at Finewater Gems.

 

[Nemesis83]

I'd like to add Earth's Treasury to the list. Jeff's designs are beautiful and his customer service is beyond reproach. He made the engagement ring for my fiancee and I couldn't be happier with his feedback, responsiveness and willingness to go the extra mile throughout the process.

Shoutout to the pricescope forum as well and the colored stones section in particular as it's here where I started my search, found Earth's Treasury and got the ball rolling. Figured I'd finally register an account instead of lurking.
Picture of the final product because bling...

 

[2Neesers]

I'd like to add Earth's Treasury to the list. Jeff's designs are beautiful and his customer service is beyond reproach. He made the engagement ring for my fiancee and I couldn't be happier with his feedback, responsiveness and willingness to go the extra mile throughout the process.

Shoutout to the pricescope forum as well and the colored stones section in particular as it's here where I started my search, found Earth's Treasury and got the ball rolling. Figured I'd finally register an account instead of lurking.
Picture of the final product because bling...

Your ring is beautiful . I love the stone and setting design. I need to add Earth’s Treasury to my list of vendors to try.

 

[eapj]

This makes me want to look at websites for all of these vendors and buy things I don’t need!

 

[ShinyPink]

This makes me want to look at websites for all of these vendors and buy things I don’t need!

Is that a problem?