outragous sapphire prices!

Gary

www.diamondexpert.com

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On 10/16/2003 7:46:03 PM innerkitten wrote:

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Hmm so if I did get a stone and they claimed it was untreated should it come with a certificate?

Like it was stated earlier it is common for most gems to have been heat treated to bring out the color in less attractive stones. Most places who offer the garauntee of a stone being a natural should have it certified by one of the prominent grading labs listed by Gary.

I would not rely on a word of mouth garauntee. Some places will have the stone certified at your expense (which is worth it in my opinion) but you should make the purchase contingent on the stone being a natural as described.

If the gem is not a natural, work out a deal where the vendor will be responsible for picking up the tab for the certification since they are advertising the gem as being a natural. Color Grading is a little expensive, but if you are buying yourself a valuable gem quality natural it would be in your best interest to have papers on it.

If they do not want to do either, find a broker who will.

Also I guess I would have to get it looked at as well right. How do I find out who to have it looked at by?
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There are many appraisers who regularly contribute to this forum who have a broad range of knowledge that it takes to properly appraise your gemstone.  A good place to start is to find someone who maintains credentials which are the foundation of being a established Gemologist. A GIA graduate or someone with similiar credentials will give you the piece of mind that the person your dealing with has at least engaged in the basic academic structure of the gem industry.

Experience of course speaks volumes. Someone who has had some retail and/or experience brokering and importing/exporting gems, or may have even run or owned their own jewelry store will have well rounded knowledge of how to properly assess your piece including the qualities & characteristics to look for and identify in appraising fine gems.

Getting your gem graded by a reputable Lab and having a competent appraiser grade the quality and characteristics of your stone will give you a better piece of mind that you indeed received a quality gem for the price you paid. Retail mark-up can be different depending on what broker your dealing with, but an independent appraiser who is well versed in gem pricing will be able to give valuable insight to whether or not you will be paying too much depending on what the market demands for a similiar gem quality stone.

Appraisers I would recommend:

Richard Sherwood (Sarasota Gem Lab)

Dave Atlas (Oldminer on the pricescope forum)

Bill Lerium (RockDoc on the forum)

These 3 off the top of my head are very insightful.

Hope this helps...

 

Josh Rioux

Sitka, Alaska

Josh Rioux
Haines, Alaska
*The Colored Gemstone Nut*