Does anyone know any loose gem stone dealers?

[tahitiangirl]

Hi everyone. My name is Stephanie and I am new to this forum. I am 16, I know kind of young, and very interested in the gem business. I wanted to start a collection and was wondering if anyone knew any reptutable gem stone dealers in the New Jersey area or any good online dealers. Any information would be very much appreciated.

 

[colorchange]

There are a few gem dealers around this forum, including I (based in France).

If you are willing to start a collection, be aware that :
- It is costly.
- Collecting gemstones and beeing "in the business" are very very different things.
- It takes a long time to learn about value of gemstones. And it takes usually also a few bad deals, so try to do no big deal for a while.

That said, enjoy your hobby, and feel free to ask any question.

Reputable dealers are listed on many threads on the forum, but take care not to start buying too soon.

 

[strmrdr]

Gary @ www.diamondexpert.com is who I buy most of my gemstones from.

My advise is start on something like garnet and other reasonable priced stones.
Jumping right into collecting something like ruby is a great way to get burned.
Collecting all the different colors of garnet can take a life time and make for a kicken collection for example.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi Stephanie,
I started buying jewelry about three years ago from HSN. I knew nothing. I learned what stones look like and approximate cost. I moved on to the Jewelry television network where they sell both jewelry and gems. I learned HSN didn''t have very good stuff.
I purchased at JTV where I did well but did not really know top gem quality except in a few cases. I bought books, Antoinette Matlins book on Colored Gemstones and her book on Diamonds. If I could do it over, I would not buy anything until I studied it more. I did make mistakes but I learned from them. Stop in the mall stores to see color, cost and speak to salespeople. Soon you will know more than them. My first gemstone purchase was a green garnet.(not jewelry). It turned out to be one of my best purchases.
Listen to the other posts as well. Each person has a good point. First try to learn, then buy, carefully. It is fun!
Thanks,
Annette

 

[WinkHPD]

There are many good vendors right here on Pricescope.

I will recommend to you that you ask some of them if they have any inexpensive stones, perhaps left over from old parcels that they would sell to you as samples for your collection. Some may have very affordable but nice stones laying in dark corners of their safes. Be sure to let them know that you are young and just getting started so that they have an incentive to treat you with extra special care. Some may and some may not, but it will be a better starting place than just going to their sites and picking stones unless you are looking for higher quality goods.

Wink

 

[jackiely]

If you like ruby/sapphire/spinel you have GemWow (Thailand) and Kingdom Of Red Spinels (Vietnam). I have purchased from both sources. KoRS has a sales rep in the US, they offer free shipping and complete refund if returned within 30 days, interesting for someone who wants to ''learn'' about colored stones at very low cost...until the vendors get impatience and give away their gems.

Best wishes,
Jackie

 

[daniil]

Hi Stephanie, I started to collect gemstomes about a 1 year ago and found few sourves by trial an error. there couple of things I would recommend.
1. read, read, read: the more you read about gems the better idea you''ll get if the stone you are looking at is anything special and worth the asking price.
2. do not get hang up on names, localities, and numbers: look at the stone first, if you like it you can continue but if you do not who cares if it is red beryl or paraiba tourmaline. there are a LOT of junk that is not worth anything. there are planty of very beautiful stones that are not going to make you broke.
3. in my oppinion nothing is better than going to a dealer and looking at all the stones in person, mailing stones from online vendors can be a hastle( do not forget that shipping is rearely refunded). however, since you are not a jeweler not all gem dealers will want to sell you stones. since you are in NJ you can always try 47th st in NY. there are many gem dealers and many of them have quite cheap stones ( but of course do your homework first, even low price does not meat the stone actually woth it)Be careful with 47th streat as it can be a brutal place but if you know what you are looking for you can find reasonable deals.
4. online vendors: several good vendors were already mentioned. I would add one more, multicoulor.com. they have big selection, pictures very close to actual stones, they use GIA grading system for colors, which is helpful. cuts are native and not all great but to naked eye the are nice stones. my first stone was from them: 0.6ct orangy red spinel. only cost me $25 but is still one of my favorite stones.
5. ebay: there are some FEW vendors that are reliable, majority of stones you see is junk. I would not start with ebay. eventually once you feel more comfortable and knowledgable you can get nice stones on ebay. just remember golden rule. "if it sounds to good to be true....

" return policy is also very important.

It is a lot of fun to collect gems. just start with cheaper stones first to get your feet wet. good luck.

 

[maxspinel]

Hi Stephanie, it is always good to collect what you like and get educated in the process. Instead of diving into buying gem especially on line, go to the gem shows in New Jersey or New York area to view various stones in person and get an appreciation in color, hue, saturation, tone and cut. The entry fee for a gem show is only $7.00 but you get to meet numerous vendors from all over the States. Ask the vendor which one is the most expensive in the tray and remember the color, which is the most important factor in evaluating colored gems. Of course, others factors do matter but the trade is more forgiving in cut and clarity if the gem has fantastic color. Color is described in hue, saturation and tone.

JTV is not a bad place to get familar with gemstones, especially the new comers, as long as you don''t start believing everything the show hosts said and start a buying frenzy. Some of the newer gemstones that they offer such as red labradorite are even better than gem shows.

Buy what appeals to you and something that you will wear and enjoy, regardless of what is popular among the massess today. Industry trend comes and goes but true beauty can resist the test of time. When I bought tanzanite 20 years ago at $100/ct for a 10 ct gem, it was only known as an imposter to blue sapphire but I was attracted to its unique beauty. It makes no sense to buy something that the industry promotes but does not appeal to you, or a good deal for some junk that you''ll never wear.

Get educated, collect what you like and stay ahead of the masses. Good luck and have fun.

 

[eac]

Welcome, Stephanie - I was your age when I started to get interested in jewelry and gemstones.

Everyone else has great advice, especially about taking the time to learn and go to some gem shows. Plus, gem shows are great fun.

Another option you might want to consider is seeing if you can get a part-time job at a jeweler''s in your area, now or later on. When I was in college, I wangled a part-time job at a high-end jeweler; at first I helped out at shows, then around Christmas, and then on a regular basis, over four years. It was a really great experience, and I learned a tremendous amount.

 

[reader]

If you look up Quantum silver, they are happy to give away tickets to Intergem shows. If you get the chance to travel, look at both the Carnegie museum in Pittsburgh, and the gem hall at the Smithsonian.