A Fair Price for a Pink Tourmaline Flower?

[Jambalaya]

I saw a gorgeous pendant today. I thought it was an OK price, but the SA kept saying it was an outstanding price, and I didn't agree. I'd be interested to know if I'm off-base here.

It's a pink tourmaline flower, large-ish, about 15mm across at a guess. The center is a very small blue topaz. Most of it is pink tourmaline petals. It's set in 14k yellow gold, and the SA made a big thing out of the fact that it's stamped with Italy. I'm not sure why jewelry made in Italy is any better than pieces made in the USA. Or does Italy have some great jewelry tradition that I'm not aware of? I'd be interested to know, if so.

So, there's no brand name, it's 14k not 18k, and the stones are only semi-precious. The price is $360 plus tax. Do you think this is a good price? I mean, I don't think it's bad, but I don't think it's bargain of the century either. It's not as if there are any diamonds in the piece. I was under the impression that the semi-precious stones aren't very valuable. Or am I wrong?

(The SA who gave me the "great" price isn't in again till June 1 so it's on hold, and this is great because it gives me time to see the new colors of the detachable earring gemstones from Heavenly Necklaces and see if I want any of those.)

Thanks for any guidance on the tourmaline!

 

[chrono]

What is your estimated ct weight or mm size of each tourmaline? Or is it a single tourmaline with a small blue topaz inserted into a drilled hole in the tourmaline? How would you describe the colour of the tourmaline?

 

[Jambalaya]

Hi Chrono, thanks for responding!

Each petal is a separate piece of tourmaline, I think marquise-shaped. At a guess I'd say each petal is about 8 x 5mm. The round blue topaz in the center is tiny, perhaps 2 or 3 mm. I can't remember how many petals, but probably six.

The color is a dark pink. It borders on burgundy but still light enough to be definitely pink. I'd say it's a good winter piece - a wintry shade of pink. It's a beautiful hue.

Thanks for your help!

 

[chrono]

No pics? In the CS world, colouration is what sets the price so pictures are worth a thousand words. Hot pink is more expensive than dark burgundy pink. The topaz is a few cents, the 6 tourmalines are probably around $100 total (assuming nice colour), which leaves the rest as the setting and labour cost.

 

[Jambalaya]

Thanks, Chrono. No pics - I only have a dumbphone and also, I'm not sure if they would have liked me taking pics. Anyway, I had no camera on me.

So, you agree that $360 is an OK price but not the outstanding one that the SA was making out? I was rolling my eyes internally thinking, "i'm not silly you know!" I mean, the pendant is lovely but the stones are only semi-precious and the gold is only 14k.

No, the color is not hot pink, but it is a beautiful shade nonetheless. I think it might be what you'd call well-saturated. And as I said, it's not so dark that you'd mistake it for burgundy. It's definitely pink.

Do you think this is an OK price? I mean, not a total rip-off or anything?

 

[Jambalaya]

This is the color:

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/1e/7c/ab/1e7cab8626a484625ade070c20462b0c.jpg

 

[chrono]

It's an okay price at the "sale" price but it still isn't anything outstanding. Certainly not the deal of the century as the SA made it sound.

ETA
The colour isn't outstanding; it is not well saturated but is an average coloured tourmaline.

 

[Jambalaya]

I know, I was to myself as she was saying it!

OK, good to know that I wasn't totally off-base. I think it's the design that I like. The petals are outlined in yellow gold, and the chain is quite thick, so you get a lot of yellow gold and pink contrast, which looks very pretty. The petal doesn't hang from the chain but the chain is attached at either side, so the petal is part of the drape. I really like that style.

Thanks for your help, Chrono!

 

[Jambalaya]

Chrono - one more quick question. Is tourmaline ever subject to questionable treatments like corundum is, such as filling/diffusion treatments? The pendant is an estate piece and has been in the store for ten years! So there's no info on its provenance. I just wondered how many dishonest tourmalines are floating about out there, you know? It's a good jeweler with a good rep in my area and I think they do look at things carefully before they buy stock, but I wondered if tourmaline is a stone that you have to be careful of buying because of questionable practices/fakes etc.

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[azstonie]

Its an outstanding price FOR THEM.

 

[Jambalaya]

Hahaaa!

But $360 isn't a totally horrible price, right? I think the flower is about three-quarters of an inch across, perhaps a little less but more than half an inch.

 

[Jambalaya]

To add to the above: the 14k chain is quite thick, and I guess to buy a 14k chain these days would cost about $150 anyway? This is another reason I think the price is OK, if not amazing like the SA was making out. But if anyone thinks it's a total rip-off, plse let me know!

 

[marymm]

Really I think $360 for a thick 14kt gold chain and pendant is rather a good price - for sure I think it would be extremely difficult to find anyone to make you a quality 14kt gold pendant with 5-6 tourmaline "petals" and a 2-3mm center stone, let alone include a thick chain, for $360.

Tourmalines generally do not have treatment other than heat; the blue topaz may or may not be irradiated. Are you sure the petals are Pink tourmaline and not, say, Pink topaz (which likely would be treated/maybe irradiated, to get the color pink you linked to)?

 

[VRBeauty]

Unless the setting is really thin, the price sounds reasonable to me if it includes a substantial chain. Reasonable but probably not outstanding. (I figure $100 to $150 retail for the chain.)

Have you checked on-line sources for comparables?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Natural-Gen...654?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item234fb2f17e

 

[Jambalaya]

Marymm - yes, I didn't think it was a bad price either, but I was very confused by the SA's stance. The chain is indeed substantial, and I think the setting is, too. The petals are outlined in gold - bezeled, I guess you'd call it - and the whole thing is very pretty indeed. Regarding the stone type, when I saw the pendant I immediately thought it was pink tourmaline, and they said it was. The store is very reputable. I don't think they would say it was pink tourmaline if it was something else. Of course, unless I get certified as a gemologist and invest in the tools myself, I wouldn't know for sure! But it looked exactly like tourmaline and they are a good firm, so I believe them.

VRBeauty - thanks for the link. I did do a quick search and the prices stacked up with the $360. The pendant I saw is similar to the one you linked but the design is more refined, and the chain attaches at each side. (I think the bail on the ebay one looks a bit Eighties!)

I'll think about it some more. But it's good to know that the price is OK, as I thought, not a rip-off but not a complete steal either. It would be a steal under $300, say $290 or something.

 

[Jambalaya]

I played hookey today due to being totally fed up, and I went back and looked at the pink tourmaline flower pendant....this time the price was $315 not $360 so I bought it!

 

[tyty333]

I played hookey today due to being totally fed up, and I went back and looked at the pink tourmaline flower pendant....this time the price was $315 not $360 so I bought it!

Haha! Good for you...the "really great" sell price got even better. So glad it came down that bit to make it worth it. Pics when
you get a chance.

 

[chrono]

I played hookey today due to being totally fed up, and I went back and looked at the pink tourmaline flower pendant....this time the price was $315 not $360 so I bought it!

Patience usually pays off....so now you have to start a thread in CS for us, complete with pictures.