Adamant Gems & Asia lounges

[Tsavomn]

Hello all. After a long layoff. I got the itch to buy again. Exactly for what I'm debating. I came across these two companies. Both seem high end. Asia Lounges seems to be higher priced.

Just wondering if anyone here has bought from them. If so. Like to hear your thoughts. Thanks!

 

[Autumn in New England]

Hello all. After a long layoff. I got the itch to buy again. Exactly for what I'm debating. I came across these two companies. Both seem high end. Asia Lounges seems to be higher priced.

Just wondering if anyone here has bought from them. If so. Like to hear your thoughts. Thanks!

I have not made a purchase from either, but I've long admired Asia Lounges. Their prices are high for sure, but the quality (and size!) of some of their gems is impressive. My one gripe would be that they have such limited stock. I did inquire about a red spinel ring once, but it had sold. It was museum worthy, IMO. I still mourn that one. lol

 

[ShinyPink]

People here love Adamant! I've never purchased from them, but they have beautiful stones!

 

[toomuch8]

I've chatted with Adamant and they were so, so helpful and passionate even though I ended up not buying.
I think several here have had good experiences with them.

I'm case you want to see a list of dealers, here is a long thread:

Post in thread 'List of Vendors For Reference'

Nov 3, 2023

Removed Wildfishgems due to business closure.

Please do not leave comments on this thread!

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These are the list of vendors that some people have had a good experience with. Your experience may not be the same. Please search the vendor in this forum for reviews. If you open up a review, put the vendor name in the title so others can easily search for and retrieve your review. Prior to purchase, please be sure to familiarize yourself with the...

• chrono

I understand the 'high end vibe' you are attracted to. Those who ooze higher end vibes off the top of my head:
Yavorskyy / ivynewyork (if you have Instagram, they post incredible pieces)
Leibish (colored diamonds, Zambian emeralds)
John dyer
As you mentioned, Adamant and Asia Lounges

Slightly less higher end vibe but plenty good quality stock, often fairer pricing, off the top of my head:
Finewater
Thegemtrader (has unlisted stock)
Cecile Rayleigh designs on etsy
Jeff Davies
Moregems
Jeff white
Africagems

 

[toomuch8]

Sorry, I know you asked about two specific vendors but I saw these two and these are impressive even considering John Dyer's high bar. Not cheap. One fluorescent peach (aka 'dragon garnet') and another pink/purple. The cut is not everyone's cup of tea. Just sharing for fun, I hope I am not being annoying

 

[VividRed]

Sorry, I know you asked about two specific vendors but I saw these two and these are impressive even considering John Dyer's high bar. Not cheap. One fluorescent peach (aka 'dragon garnet') and another pink/purple. The cut is not everyone's cup of tea. Just sharing for fun, I hope I am not being annoying

These prices are ridiculous, like 3-5x
…what is happening?

 

[toomuch8]

These prices are ridiculous, like 3-5x
…what is happening?

John Dyer is known for having premium prices for his cutting. Branding.
His stuff sells, take a look at his site, sold stuff is also listed with prices.
Kind of like Richard Homers famous concave cuts.
At least that's my understanding.
Not recommending those stones, just eye candy.

 

[woweezowee]

I bought from Adamant an unheated sapphire trillion - it's in my photo and has been made into a ring that I wear daily - several years ago and have inquired about subsequent stones. The owner knows his stuff, and was based in Sri Lanka last I knew. I'm always impressed with the company's quality of goods. They recut wonky stones for precision in addition to working from rough. Highly recommend!

 

[fredflintstone]

Sorry, I know you asked about two specific vendors but I saw these two and these are impressive even considering John Dyer's high bar. Not cheap. One fluorescent peach (aka 'dragon garnet') and another pink/purple. The cut is not everyone's cup of tea. Just sharing for fun, I hope I am not being annoying

Hopelessly overpriced and the fancy cut does not put him in that price bracket. You can find the same cuts overseas for so much less and certain American dealers.

Once again, paying for the vendors name and not the stone.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Hopelessly overpriced and the fancy cut does not put him in that price bracket. You can find the same cuts overseas for so much less and certain American dealers.

Once again, paying for the vendors name and not the stone.

To be fair, John Dyer has won dozens or maybe even hundreds of gem cutting awards.
My wife has a few of his gems and the finish as well as the creativity is well worth the premium IMHO.
The finish on negative cutting (grooves) is trick to get the polish and the sharpness.
Thai goods are a fraction of the price and look blah!

 

[toomuch8]

Hopelessly overpriced and the fancy cut does not put him in that price bracket. You can find the same cuts overseas for so much less and certain American dealers.

Once again, paying for the vendors name and not the stone.

I agree with Garry that he earned his name. And it's part of the price as you pointed out.
But many more have heard of Dyer than Asia Lounges. If you Google 'john dyer sapphire for sale', the Dyer name and his cut names are used as value descriptors in the second hand market. Example:

3.06ct oval light blue grey sapphire - Starbrite cut by John Dyer

This is an absolutely magical sapphire! It has the most unbelievably gorgeous coloring that is a light blue grey but sometimes shifts to a light purple in certain lighting! It is a custom cut Starbrite from award winning gem cutter John Dyer and will make such a stunning one of a kind ring...

oorejewelry.com

Whether that means something to the second hand buyer? I don't know. But I would not see 'Asia Lounges sapphire'. Sorry, I do not mean to dog on Asia Lounges, they are just the comparison that came up haha.

Fwiw I don't think I'd pay the premium for cutters with major brands like Dyer or Homer.
I was just posting eye candy because I think they're gorgeous gems and
OP was looking for high end dealers and garnet. I would not recommend Dyer to a typical PSer.

 

[fredflintstone]

To be fair, John Dyer has won dozens or maybe even hundreds of gem cutting awards.
My wife has a few of his gems and the finish as well as the creativity is well worth the premium IMHO.
The finish on negative cutting (grooves) is trick to get the polish and the sharpness.
Thai goods are a fraction of the price and look blah!

There is no doubt, Garry, that John Dyer is one if not the most respected gemstone lapidary in the world or at least the western word. His name brings a premium and there are people that will pay it, and I dare say his stones will hold their value. But I'm not one of those people.

There are 1000's of lapidaries all over the world and many in Asia that cut very well. I have never cared for these too busy cuts which John creates often but each to their own. In other words, let's say John Dryer is the Picasso of gemstone lapidaries. I've never been a Picasso fan. I'm a Rembrandt guy. I'm old fashioned, though I must say when done right a "Starbrite" cut is very attractive, and I do like the second stone above but not the price. I'm a practical man too.

I know you are a huge cut guy; I respect that, I love a good gut too, but I'm a gemstone species quality and rarity guy. In other words, I appreciate what mother earth made first and not what man makes out of it second. But a good too great cut does bring out mother nature's beauty, though I love a good mineral specimen too.

I'm a facet guy and John does have many beautiful, faceted stones but I not willing to pay the price for those either.

I'm glad you and your wife are happy with John's stones and in the end that is the only thing that counts, happiness.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

There is no doubt, Garry, that John Dyer is one if not the most respected gemstone lapidary in the world or at least the western word. His name brings a premium and there are people that will pay it, and I dare say his stones will hold their value. But I'm not one of those people.

There are 1000's of lapidaries all over the world and many in Asia that cut very well. I have never cared for these too busy cuts which John creates often but each to their own. In other words, let's say John Dryer is the Picasso of gemstone lapidaries. I've never been a Picasso fan. I'm a Rembrandt guy. I'm old fashioned, though I must say when done right a "Starbrite" cut is very attractive, and I do like the second stone above but not the price. I'm a practical man too.

I know you are a huge cut guy; I respect that, I love a good gut too, but I'm a gemstone species quality and rarity guy. In other words, I appreciate what mother earth made first and not what man makes out of it second. But a good too great cut does bring out mother nature's beauty, though I love a good mineral specimen too.

I'm a facet guy and John does have many beautiful, faceted stones but I not willing to pay the price for those either.

I'm glad you and your wife are happy with John's stones and in the end that is the only thing that counts, happiness.

Glad we can agree on that Fred.
I am amazed that over in the diamond RT forum that people will choose to pay a lot more for a Tiffany of HW generic looking diamond ring.
However I am also happy to help them get the best cut and sparkle they can, because i have seen some shockers from the big lux brands.

 

[Saphir]

Hm the cutting style from John Dyer, needs so much time and precision, not every cutter can made this. U pay for the name i think too, every stone has an jd on or in it thats a stamp from a brand name, but normally you must be an extreme good cutter to can cut this style like john dyer.

 

[toomuch8]

Hm the cutting style from John Dyer, needs so much time and precision, not every cutter can made this. U pay for the name i think too, every stone has an jd on or in it thats a stamp from a brand name, but normally you must be an extreme good cutter to can cut this style like john dyer.

There are plenty of copy-cat Dyer cuts, for example heres a copycat Starbrite.
I have no doubt that if we put it side by side with a genuine Dyer, the genuine one would be better quality cut. But the overall look is similar, and far cheaper as this is 250$. So, much of the premium is the brand/having the original/etc, indeed.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

There are plenty of copy-cat Dyer cuts, for example heres a copycat Starbrite.
I have no doubt that if we put it side by side with a genuine Dyer, the genuine one would be better quality cut. But the overall look is similar, and far cheaper as this is 250$. So, much of the premium is the brand/having the original/etc, indeed.

1/3rd of the table region shows extinction!

 

[LilAlex]

Late to this -- need to be brief but will try to come back. Adamant is wonderful. Ivan is great to work with and super-sincere about the pros and cons of what he sells. He'll send you outdoor and indoor photos and videos. Shipping from Sri Lanka is a bit of an energy hill so better to batch a few things.

Gems tend to be on the smaller side (usually < 2 ct) and their niche seems to be buying suboptimally cut but very clean material that is often of fascinating but not trade-ideal color, and that they then precision- or near-precision-cut. He may even show some before and after photos and even the before ones look pretty good, tbh! I bought maybe ten things from him over several years, including a pair of (perfectly) mismatched pastel sapphires that I made into earrings for DD and showed on here a few years back, a large honey-orange-brown faceted chrysoberyl that I made into a ring for myself, and a good-sized purple garnet that I bought long ago but finally posted some photos this year (on someone's purple garnet thread).

His photos are great and what I love is that they are all different colors (!). I don't trust vendors where every garnet is the most vivid (and identical) orange or every sapphire has been oversaturated to royal (I mean, unless it's Oscar Heyman or similar and that is plausibly accurate). You really can see the spectrum/rainbow and I have fallen in love with some of his gorgeous-but-not-necessarily-trade-ideal-color gems. If he had bigger gems, he would be more of a go-to for me now.

 

[fredflintstone]

1/3rd of the table region shows extinction!

Garry, I love your posts, but you know as well as I do in this picture there is not 1/3 extinction.

You also know there is no such gemstone without extinction, though diamonds do fair out better than many colored gemstones, at least colorless.

I know you have great respect for John Dyer, bit your summation of the picture of this non-John Dyer cut gemstone is not correct and maybe...a little biased.

 

[fredflintstone]

1/3rd of the table region shows extinction!

This stone does not show extinction???

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Garry, I love your posts, but you know as well as I do in this picture there is not 1/3 extinction.

You also know there is no such gemstone without extinction, though diamonds do fair out better than many colored gemstones, at least colorless.

I know you have great respect for John Dyer, bit your summation of the picture of this non-John Dyer cut gemstone is not correct and maybe...a little biased.

Round diamonds well proportioned have between 15 and 25% extinction face up Fred.
Well cut fancy colored diamonds have almost zero. This could be the same for most colored gems too if they bothered to learn the science.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

This stone does not show extinction???

It does especially at the top corners in upper image and around 40% of the bottom image because the big camera lens is very close up

 

[fredflintstone]

It does especially at the top corners in upper image and around 40% of the bottom image because the big camera lens is very close up

I doubt very much the extinction was caused by the camera as I'm sure John Dyer uses a high end DSLR camera with high end macro lens that can shoot macro from a long way away.

The extinction is more likely due to the type of light it was taken under. Stones can and do show more extinction in certain lights than others as you know.

It can also be due to the stone sitting deep in between the fingers. Less light.

At any rate, we'll never know for sure. I'm not buying the stone to find out, LOL!

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

I doubt very much the extinction was caused by the camera as I'm sure John Dyer uses a high end DSLR camera with high end macro lens that can shoot macro from a long way away.

The extinction is more likely due to the type of light it was taken under. Stones can and do show more extinction in certain lights than others as you know.

It can also be due to the stone sitting deep in between the fingers. Less light.

At any rate, we'll never know for sure. I'm not buying the stone to find out, LOL!

Same stone - bottom one has twice as much extinction.

 

[fredflintstone]

Same stone - bottom one has twice as much extinction.

That is what I was saying in so many words.