where to start?

[lavatea]

If you were just starting a gemstone collection, where would you start?

I''m probably going to buy loose with ring settings in mind.

 

[RockHugger]

I started with my favorite, tanzanite....then 200 tanzanite later I moved on to colors. Started with the well known stones (Amethyst, citrine, ruby, topaz, sapphire) then went on to more exotic stones (tourmaline, chrome diopside, cuprians, apatite). Just follow where your heart leads (sorry to sound disney-ish).

 

[icekid]

Well, choosing a color first may help. or some people like their birthstone (I don''t personally stick to that at all.)

 

[Arcadian]

I started with doing research. I''m a list maker, so I don''t know if what I''m going to say will help you, but it might. I can be quite a tight wad (still am considering) and so I want the best bang for the buck. But when first starting out, my starter stones are pretty bad looking..lol

But you have to start somewhere right? All of us aren''t able to drop a few grand on a single stone so sometimes we buy a 5 dollar one instead...lol.

I tend to write down stones I''m interested in. From there I do research as to hardness, the color spectrum (whats ideal color and whats not), treatments, fakes and look alike stones, the average price per carat, RI, and whatever else I can find. That keeps me from overspending and helps to keep my heart from getting too involved which will blow up my budget.

The fact that I''m spending my own money keeps me from blowing up my budget too

You may also find that certain compromises can help to get the stone you want, whether that be color, shape, or inclusion type.

For me, I will take a stone that has an inclusion as long as its not distracting and kill the beauty of the stone. Inclusions can bring the price down on some exceptional stones of really good color.

This forum of course has been a life saver for me as there are some truly wonderful individuals who are willing to help along the way. If you haven''t already, you may want to do a few searches on stones you''re interested in to see what comes up. Considering you''re wanting to purchase pink sapphires, I would REALLY run a search to see if anything spurs some ideas for you.

-A

 

[Kim Bruun]

Just my two cents as an amateur collector.

When you''ve figured out your preferences in terms of colour, cut, etc., consider your budget. If you want a red stone and ruby is not within your means, consider a spinel or tourmaline, for instance.

Also, consider what you plan to do with the stone - softer stones (such as sphene and tanzanite) are not ideal for rings as the facets can be worn down with frequent use.

If you are buying online, don''t be afraid to ask questions, and make sure the seller will let you return the gem if you don''t like it. Gems tend to be ''love at first sight'' - an initially disappointing stone rarely grows on you. And gems are notoriously difficult to photograph - in hand, some inclusions may be more noticable, the colour may be different, you may see a window through the stone that was not there on the photo.

Only you can determine what you like. Does it matter to you whether or not that sapphire is heat treated? Does that minor inclusion detract from the stone''s beauty to you? Would you be just as happy with a green tourmaline as with an emerald?

 

[lavatea]

Arcadian - I''m a huge list maker myself. I''ve been making lists and saving pictures off of PS for quite some time.

I think I''ve fallen in love with tsavorites. Which isn''t good. Because once I fall in love, I want good quality. Which means I can''t afford it.

I''ve been shopping a lot of the discounted stones on some of the recommended vendor sites. Have a few small stones of different varieties coming my way. Nothing big or expensive. I''m trying to stay in the "speaks to me" frame of mind vs. wanting a stone with excellent specs.

I swear I''ve caught the disease.

 

[RevolutionGems]

Lav,

You don''t have to buy a huge stone to start with. If you look around, you should be able to find a really nice stone for under $100. Granted, it would be small but quality is quality and a great place to start.

The other option is to look at other stones that are colored like tsavs but somewhat more afordable. Specifically, I am thinking of either chrome diopside or chrome tourmaline. The diopside wouldn''t be good for a ring (too soft) but a pendant would be tasty.

 

[Arcadian]

Date: 1/4/2010 9:28:16 PM
Author: lavatea
Arcadian - I''m a huge list maker myself. I''ve been making lists and saving pictures off of PS for quite some time.

I think I''ve fallen in love with tsavorites. Which isn''t good. Because once I fall in love, I want good quality. Which means I can''t afford it.

I''ve been shopping a lot of the discounted stones on some of the recommended vendor sites. Have a few small stones of different varieties coming my way. Nothing big or expensive. I''m trying to stay in the ''speaks to me'' frame of mind vs. wanting a stone with excellent specs.

I swear I''ve caught the disease.

You may very well be able to find a top color tsav but you may have to sacrifice size, and any inclusions in the stone that aren''t terribly distracting can help to keep the price down to something reasonable. (its hard having champagne tastes on a beer budget!)


When I purchased my mehenge spinel, I did exactly that. Its got inclusions, but oh man the color

!! Am doing the same with the tsav too. I should be looking for purple...that is just gonna have to wait.

The disease is something else. My poor hubby has to hear it all, and his eyes just glaze over when I go into different stone types...lol But, some of it gets through, he once called one of my garnets by name...

-A

 

[marcy]

Welcome to the gemstone club.

My first purchases were very small and inexpensive just to get some in my collection (peridot, garnet, topaz, citrine and amythest). Once I got a few of them I started buying larger pieces in different shapes. Most of them are in a crystal dish that I call my prozac in a dish. I even have a tiny alexandrite in there. Once I figured out which stones I really liked I started finding ones for rings or earrings. I like other''s suggestions in picking a color and price range and see what you can find. Have fun. I will be anxious to see what you get.

 

[FrekeChild]

My first purchase was a 7ct white/silver/colorless topaz from Barry. Talk about ruining myself on size, clarity and cut.

Go with something that sings to you! Whatever that may be!

 

[RevolutionGems]

The disease is something else. My poor hubby has to hear it all, and his eyes just glaze over when I go into different stone types...lol But, some of it gets through, he once called one of my garnets by name...

-A

I hav ethe same issue with my mom. But she has gotten very good at identifying stones (even specif locations in some cases) just because she hears me talking about it all the time. I think the proper term would be "Learning by osmosis"

 

[virgoruby]

My first purchase was a rhodolite garnet, as red garnets are relatively inexpensive and there are no known treatments for them..

Knowledge is power, so learning as much as possible about the gemstones & gem treatments are important when it comes to making successful gem purchases.

 

[lavatea]

Date: 1/5/2010 4:00:52 AM
Author: virgoruby
My first purchase was a rhodolite garnet, as red garnets are relatively inexpensive and there are no known treatments for them..

I didn''t realize red garnets were inexpensive. That''s interesting to me since they seem to be one of the more well-known gems.

I should be receiving a few small stones in the mail soon. Two are a matching pair of colorless zircons (very low price). I can''t even remember what else I asked to see. Lol. I''ve been shopping the sale pages for several days now. I think I''m going to just jump in with some very small purchases.

As I said before, I''ve fallen for tsavorites, but after reading some of your posts I''ve decided to get a small tsav first for budget purposes with my eye on upgrading someday when budget is bigger. I already have a big (for me) project underway, and that will eat up a big portion of any expendable income we have. I do have some Christmas money that I can play a bit with, though.

Thanks for all of the responses. Please chime in if you have any more suggestions.

 

[LD]

Some great advice already but if I were to turn the clock back ........

Research, research, research BEFORE buying! Unfortunately there are tons of less desirable gemstones (if you''re fussy and/or only want natural gemstones) on the market. When I started collecting I was totally unaware of treatments. I thought a Ruby was a Ruby, a Sapphire was a Sapphire etc etc. Now I can write a list of treatments for each and know that I wouldn''t touch either with a bargepole unless I had certain assurances. Unfortunately, in the majority of cases however, you pay more for natural gemstones. For me, it''s worth it though.

Now then, that''s me being fussy! If treatments aren''t a concern to you then the world is literally your oyster! Some treated gemstones look phenomenal!

So research first to find out what you think you''ll find acceptable. Then just browse some of the Vendors listed on this site (it''s a good place to start). You''ll find that a picture will literally jump out and scream "buy me" - that''s a great place to start!!!! Don''t go into it thinking "green" or "red" or "Tsavorite" or "Amethyst" because you''ll be limiting yourself. Look at everything!

Good luck and I can''t wait to see your purchases!

 

[T L]

Date: 1/5/2010 4:00:52 AM
Author: virgoruby
My first purchase was a rhodolite garnet, as red garnets are relatively inexpensive and there are no known treatments for them..

Knowledge is power, so learning as much as possible about the gemstones & gem treatments are important when it comes to making successful gem purchases.

Demantoid is the exception. It is commonly heated.

 

[ma re]

You may find this article useful:

http://www.gemstone.org/gem-tips/ask_01_00-price.html

I''d advise you (not that I''m collecting, but still...) to start with the basics i.e. those stones which are inexpensive and readily available in many shapes and sizes. Those are great for learning and getting a sense for quality, and once you''ve mastered that, move on to the more expensive pieces (who knows, your finances might improve by then also). There''s enough relatively inexpensive varieties to start off with - citrine, peridot, amethyst, most colors of zircon and many more.

And have fun!

 

[chrono]

First, I pick a colour. From there, I research a long list of the pros and cons of what stone does that colour which means treatment, rarity, inclusions, origin, RI, hardness, precise colour (hue, tone and saturation), pricing, substitutes (fakes and synthetics) and etc. Don’t be afraid to do a lot of research and looking at as many stones as possible in person (very high end jewellery store or gem shows) before buying your first stone. It’s going to save you a ton of money and heartache in the future.