Afghanistan
- Thread starter jtony2333
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SB621
Ideal_Rock
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I'm guessing you are active duty military who did a tour in Afghan or a contractor who did?
Anyhow my DH and a few friends brought back gemstones from their "trips over there." They are all inexpensive, cheap-y, native cut and not very well native cut gemstones. I'm sure all were treated up the wazzo. So to answer all 4 threads you started. I think you have some pretty pieces that will remind you of your time spent over there. Without knowing the price you paid it was probably more then you can resell it for here in the US. Were you taken- no, but these are definitely not investment pieces to sell and make any money off of. Looking at the photos you show, they are not well cut, mostly included, with windows. If you give these to your mother/wife/ daughter I think they are great pieces with lots of sentiment.
Sorry can't be more help.
Anyhow my DH and a few friends brought back gemstones from their "trips over there." They are all inexpensive, cheap-y, native cut and not very well native cut gemstones. I'm sure all were treated up the wazzo. So to answer all 4 threads you started. I think you have some pretty pieces that will remind you of your time spent over there. Without knowing the price you paid it was probably more then you can resell it for here in the US. Were you taken- no, but these are definitely not investment pieces to sell and make any money off of. Looking at the photos you show, they are not well cut, mostly included, with windows. If you give these to your mother/wife/ daughter I think they are great pieces with lots of sentiment.
Sorry can't be more help.
Thanks, yeah I'm doing a year here at a FOB. Yeah I paid 100 for the blue silver ring, 100 for the green stone ring in gold, 100 for the green earrings in silver, and 150 for the bracelet. I see these contractors pay a hell of a lot of money but i can't trust them enough to pay more than 150 for anything out here. I have yet to see any stone like the really nice ones online. Oh well thanks again
SB621
Ideal_Rock
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jtony2333|1371574668|3468107 said:
Eeegadds I don't think my DH went over $50!!!!!!!!! I definitely wouldn't buy anymore. I know alot of guys and girls buy their first trip thinking they are getting great deals and it ends up being BE treated (basically nuked) or glass. If you really want to buy a gemstone local to that part of the world and not worry about getting too ripped off then Lapis would be a great middle ground. While it is not super popular like sapphires/ rubies etc- it is still pretty and inexpensive. It has gotten more popular in the US for costume jewelry. So once again if you are buying for your family then Lapis is a great idea. If you are buying gemstones for investment or resale in the US then I would say swimming with sharks is a better idea.
Have a safe tour!
SB621
Ideal_Rock
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jtony2333|1371575578|3468117 said:
The only way to tell is with a lap report. They will run the tests to see if they are treated, which some treatment such as heating are acceptable. Or if they are snthetic. A lap report is around $30-$100 I think pending on if it is loose or mounted. It's been awhile since I sent anything in.
In truth I doubt you can have them kicked out. I'm sure most of there stuff is "real" just highly treated, included, and badly cut.
To put it into perspective you can get a large sapphire that is BE treated and badly cut for around $7 a carat in the US. EDIT: best thing you can do is educate yourself on what you are buying. Gemstones are a luxury good so do your research before you purchase. And anyone who says they have a deal for you- stay clear of them.
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SB621|1371576851|3468126 said:
I agree completely with SB. Please don't buy anything more until you are aware of what they are selling and of all the pitfalls. Please do a search here and you will find others like you who've bought with high hopes only to be disappointed. There is also another Gemology website for mainly those in the trade. I cannot tell you how many folks like you have gone to the website with plans of buying in Afghanistan or having already bought only to be really disappointed by what they are told. Basically, those selling in Afghanistan, no matter how rinkydink they may look, are sophisticated with plenty of experience to back them up on what they can sell to tourists. Until you are as knowledgable about what you are buying, you will be no match for them...
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