Dumb question: Are pink sapphires precious or semi-precious stones?

[Gleam]

Date: 11/19/2009 12:37:11 PM
Author: Tropicgal10


As for you get what you pay for, I disagree. As long as you are cautious and informed you can get some GREAT deals. My largest diamond 1.2cts (the one on my finger) is an SI2, G color stone, and I paid $750 for it. Go to any store and pay the inflated 'market value' of 3-4k. I have a 1.1ct Champagne diamond that I paid 50$ for. It is an I1-I2 diamond and a .25 champagne, SI1 I paid 25$ for.

Tropicgal, I can see what you're trying to say. At the end of the day, we all pay more for something than it's really worth, whether it's a diamond or Windex... and everyone wants to minimize the discrepancy between what an item's real value is and what its pricetag is.

But more importantly, where did you find such a fabulous deal on that diamond?

 

[RockHugger]

Thank you. I am glad you understand what I am saying. It is actually an ebay diamond. I bought it from a woman who was selling off her collection. She told me she purchased it sight unseen from a dealer for 2500$ (said it was a VS stone), and when she got it it had the minor feather inclusion in it. She said she tried to return it but he would take it back. So she had it at an opening bid of 500$, and I made a offer of 750$ to close the auction and she took it. I dont know why she hated it so much to sell it for so cheap...the inclusion isnt noticable inless you are putting the diamond right up to your face, and it is ice white. I looked under a scope and absolutely no signs of filling. But whatever! She is still selling her diamonds (some are set) but the other ones are more expensive...like 2-8k. I check in once in a while incase there is another one she hates LOL.

 

[glitterata]

What an interesting topic!

There are many rare, beautiful gemstones that are not traditionally called "precious," but that seem precious to me: various colors of garnet, spinels, forms of beryl (such as aquamarine), tanzanite, alexandrite...

I too try not to buy jewels at retail prices, and I''ve made many lucky finds, sometimes when the seller didn''t know what they had, sometimes when there weren''t any other interested buyers in that particular market, sometimes when the seller had made a good buy herself and wanted to turn over inventory quickly so she could reinvest the capital in more inventory, etc. etc. But that works best when you''re open to serendipity, not when you''re looking for something specific. If you''re after a top color, cut, clarity untreated ruby, say, and you need it in the next three months rather than the next three decades, you''ll probably be paying the market price.

 

[morecarats]

"Market price" is the price someone paid for a gem in the market. You might think you got a great price on a particular stone, and you might be right. But you won''t find out until you offer the stone for sale and determine what someone will pay for it.

Many diamond owners who have tried to re-sell a diamond have discovered what their diamond was really worth (apparently about 20% of the original retail price). I can refer you to a fascinating article in the Atlantic many years ago (1982) called "Have You Ever Tried to Sell a Diamond?":

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/198202/diamond

 

[Harriet]

Glitterata,
You know I never disagree with you, but I''m questioning whether you are conflating market price with retail price.

 

[glitterata]

You''re right. I typed "market price" at the end when I meant retail price.

But my favorite way to buy jewelry is to find lucky buys in markets where the market price is very low.

 

[innerkitten]

I would guess precious.

 

[stacy]

I think all natural gemstones are precious... I guess I have a romanticized vision of them being in the earth for thousands of years, just waiting to be discovered.

I''m one of those weird people who even loves plain ol'' rocks too. I''m a nerd!