Apparently they don't like us....

[mrs-b]

I'm meeting with a gem trader in a couple of weeks to look at quite a lot of mid-range gems. Since we're meeting in a public place (he doesn't have the public, or even trade, to his home), and he'll be bringing stock in the range of $150k with him, it seemed important to put him at his ease.

I gave him my husband's LinkedIn profile and explained I was a long time member of PriceScope.

He responded, via email, and said that he was familiar with PS but that, like some others in the trade, not a fan of it.

This seemed like a DAFT thing to say to a person who has just asked to see a bunch of gems for an expensive purchase, who had JUST SAID - 'I'm a member of that group you're now telling me you don't like.'

I know there's certain jewelers who aren't fans of PS - but what on earth have we done to piss off the colored gem fraternity? And...doesn't this seem kinda rude to you? In essence, the exchange was: "I'm a long term, highly involved, member of this group." Him: "I don't like your group." My first instinct is to say "Bless your little cotton socks - I'll take my annoying PriceScope-y business somewhere else."

Is there something I'm missing here?

 

[marymm]

Maybe it is difficult for the gemstone vendor to deal with somewhat informed colored gemstone buyers who have specific criteria in mind? My off-the-cuff guess is that we have too many pre-purchase questions about color and cut as compared to other potential purchasers. Without knowing which gem trader you are referring to, it is hard to say what the specific problem may be ...

eta: and, mrs-b, perhaps you'd be so kind as to share the CS project you are considering???

 

[mrs-b]

Maybe it is difficult for the gemstone vendor to deal with somewhat informed colored gemstone buyers who have specific criteria in mind? My off-the-cuff guess is that we have too many pre-purchase questions about color and cut as compared to other potential purchasers. Without knowing which gem trader you are referring to, it is hard to say what the specific problem may be ...

eta: and, mrs-b, perhaps you'd be so kind as to share the CS project you are considering???

Hi @marymm

60th birthday next year and need something beautiful to ease the pain!! Been looking at some substantial oval-shaped blue sapphires in the 3+ct range with great color to do a big cluster. I recently sold the round from my previous sapphire cluster; I want to go larger and oval this time.

And - just re this vendor - tell me I'm not going nuts here - it's crazy to tell someone you don't like their group just before you try to sell them something, no??

 

[distracts]

Yep, it’s because we ask questions, we want to know about treatments, if gems don’t have lab reports we often want them, and we know what is and is not a fair price. Sometimes we are also very, very picky. We are informed and have high standards/our own opinions AND don’t want to overpay and that’s not the usual kind of customer they deal with. We aren’t going to settle for buying any old thing - we will hold out until we find the RIGHT thing, which costs them sales.

I don’t see this so often in RT but here in CS I’ve seen multiple stories of Pricescope-hating vendors, including that one sapphire guy who at least used to have, like, a curse to keep Pricescopers away on his website.

 

[voce]

Could it be our annoying insistence on profit cutting lab reports even though they think they "know" their wares?

The most ethical vendors I buy from have no problem with me being a member on PS, and seem to actually see that as a good thing.

 

[Rfisher]

Distressing I get it. Does it putt you off enough to cancel the appointment?
I’ve certainly been advised by PS known vendors to not ask opinions of stone(s) here - that it’s counterproductive.
I think it’s a double edged sword that they feel they bear the brunt of.
Also feel it happens more than what it is reported here or caught.
Yes! Would love to be indulged by knowing what you are up to!

 

[voce]

Yep, it’s because we ask questions, we want to know about treatments, if gems don’t have lab reports we often want them, and we know what is and is not a fair price. Sometimes we are also very, very picky. We are informed and have high standards/our own opinions AND don’t want to overpay and that’s not the usual kind of customer they deal with. We aren’t going to settle for buying any old thing - we will hold out until we find the RIGHT thing, which costs them sales.

I don’t see this so often in RT but here in CS I’ve seen multiple stories of Pricescope-hating vendors, including that one sapphire guy who at least used to have, like, a curse to keep Pricescopers away on his website.

Well stated, @distracts. That's coherent and eloquent.

 

[marymm]

^ um, yes, super crazy and discourteous to knock a potential purchaser's group ... at this point in my life, nothing I am looking to buy is so rare that I cannot find it for sale by a vendor who treats me with respect.

 

[voce]

I think on some level, we are judging the goods that they buy and keep in stock.

On PS we don't critically judge fellow consumers' purchases, but we are brazen with our opinions of why this or that stone is flawed or not worth the price asked. If I were trying to sell my stuff and my goods were continually deemed as material to which PS'ers say "pass, move on," then over time maybe my feelings would get hurt, because for me to have what I have, I'd have had to at least made some selection and in my opinion, the stone I have is worth owning. You would hope that vendors have thick skin and treat the criticism as business as usual, because not everyone will always like what you like or have the same evaluation of a stone or its "fair" price. However, vendors are also humans, and it's totally understandable if they sometimes get their feelings hurt through our unfiltered opinions.

My gut reaction was the same as yours, but upon reflection I wouldn't hold this against him to cancel the appointment solely for the reason he's not a fan of PS forums.

 

[missy]

Rude and also not the brightest thing to share with you IMO.

Sure PSers know more than the average public re gems and ask more questions and are more discerning but why would that be a bad thing? Unless you don't want to spend the extra time and energy and perhaps don't want a knowledgeable customer base. I can only imagine why that would be.

Yup, not a great business model.

Looking forward to seeing what you decide to get @mrs-b.

 

[tigertales]

It's because we're educated and they can't pull a fast one. Sorry if that offends, but it's true.
A lot of bank gets made on the ignorant.


[ Is it oiled, is it heated, is it fracture filled. What's the country of origin? WHAT was it oiled with? etc. etc. examples of questions I ask...LOL...but I was like this before PS!]

 

[Burmesedaze]

I'd go ahead with the meetup for 1. Gems and 2. Ask why exactly because I'm curious and 3. Get him recount his PS interaction experience.

 

[Wewechew]

@mrs-b I would have a hard time doing business with him after that

 

[lambskin]

Can't wait to hear about the meeting.....

 

[KaeKae]

It seems that an educated consumer is NOT their best customer.
(points for anyone who remembers that )

 

[missy]

It seems that an educated consumer is NOT their best customer.
(points for anyone who remembers that )

Syms!

 

[Mrs_Strizzle]

I think many members of PS have exceptionally high standards which makes them incredibly educational in this forum. I know my standards have risen since being exposed to these opinions and I am truly grateful for that. I get that comment rubbing you the wrong way. But maybe we should try to look at it like a compliment. Almost like hearing "I'm worried that you may be out of my league".

 

[KristyDarling]

Did something specific happen to this guy to traumatize him wrt PS? If he doesn't like dealing with informed consumers, that says a lot about him....and it's not likely to be anything good.

 

[distracts]

I also think the jewelry industry as a whole doesn’t have to deal with many consumer reviews... try finding out information about most jewelers or reviews by googling. You can find maybe a handful of vague reviews, no pictures of custom work, etc. Most jewelers I talk to irl don’t keep any photos of custom work or if they do, not good ones. Many (not CS dealers obviously) don’t know anything about colored gems, and even most who sell diamonds know only the basics of light performance. PS is both very critical on all these fronts AND somewhere where people post reviews THAT CANNOT BE REMOVED BY THE JEWELER. I’ve had multiple Yelp reviews of local jewelers removed, some for only minorly critical complaints. Reviews on PS are forever (or as long as PS lasts and doesn’t “sell out”), and I think that is terrifying to a lot of jewelers, especially if they are not as knowledgeable or customer-service-oriented as PSers prefer.

 

[AV_]

Too forthright. This forum hardly has a standard verdict on colour to disagree with...

 

[distracts]

I also do think when you ask about stones on here, they get pretty much blasted and picked apart in every possible way. I don’t think I’ve ever posted about a stone before I bought it where people said “yes, definitely buy!” Most of the feedback has been very, very critical. And I am ok with that - I like to know ALL the drawbacks before I make a choice, and don’t feel unduly influenced. But not everyone is that way and I definitely see people freaking out and not buying stones they were previously excited about. I can see how as a vendor that would be a negative. But as a consumer, and a consumer who likes to be informed, I think it’s a positive. Critical comments don’t mean I won’t buy something, and negative reviews don’t necessarily mean I won’t work with a vendor - in both cases they help me know what to be aware of and determine if it is the right choice for me. For people who are less secure in their opinions or who aren’t willing to risk possibly being disappointed or losing money, they can end up not buying things. Imo that’s good - it’s protecting the consumer. But from a vendor standpoint I can see how it would be frustrating.

 

[ZestfullyBling]

It seems that an educated consumer is NOT their best customer.
(points for anyone who remembers that )

I agree. We KNOW too much. That is probably waaaaay to intimidating for some.
Dont believe he should have told You he is not a PS fan...i mean u are considering To spend at least a little money with him, possibly?! He May have put his foot in his mouth. Because it could effect if I cancel the meet or not.

 

[strawrose]

It probably has to do with the amount of shipping to and from the customer. There’s also no guarantee we’ll buy their stones.

 

[Rfisher]

I also do think when you ask about stones on here, they get pretty much blasted and picked apart in every possible way. I don’t think I’ve ever posted about a stone before I bought it where people said “yes, definitely buy!” Most of the feedback has been very, very critical. And I am ok with that - I like to know ALL the drawbacks before I make a choice, and don’t feel unduly influenced. But not everyone is that way and I definitely see people freaking out and not buying stones they were previously excited about. I can see how as a vendor that would be a negative. But as a consumer, and a consumer who likes to be informed, I think it’s a positive. Critical comments don’t mean I won’t buy something, and negative reviews don’t necessarily mean I won’t work with a vendor - in both cases they help me know what to be aware of and determine if it is the right choice for me. For people who are less secure in their opinions or who aren’t willing to risk possibly being disappointed or losing money, they can end up not buying things. Imo that’s good - it’s protecting the consumer. But from a vendor standpoint I can see how it would be frustrating.

Very well said.
I wanted to say basically this ^ - but couldn’t figure out how to word it and not put my foot in my mouth.
I’m not surprised theres multiple vendors who see it as PSers looking for the elusive trade ideal cut/color combos and wanting at the cost that would be their non -business sustaining pricing.
There’s plenty of posts here over the past few years about modest budget candidate stones and the critiques are tailored for top tier rarities. And pricing from 20 years ago. I love the single sentence of a reply when someone posts something. “It’s windowed.” Or the other favorite “I see grey”.
Ideally it’d be mentioned - but tempered to that individuals realistic goals/wants and what’s (realistically) available to them. It still could have the desired effect of education/opinions but also not swing to the total opposite spectrum of blowing smoke up someone’s rear that what they found and posted is a showstopper at a steal.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

Distracts and Voce have answered the question brilliantly. It is difficult to deal with knowledgeable people. It is harder for them to make a sale. But, I wouldn't hold it against him/her, as its only human to dislike criticism. I wouldn't cancel, nor would I be afraid of walking away from his gems if not to my liking.

Annette

 

[natasha-cupcake]

Yes, @mrs-b, that is a daft thing to say; and rude, too! I also think he's daft for bringing $150K of inventory to a public place. When I recently met up with (the absolutely delightful) @StephanieLynn for food and treasure hunting, I brought my pathetic little collection of colored stones with me to share with her. I was petrified of being robbed or dropping and losing them.

 

[Rfisher]

To you @mrs-b
My advice would be to take stock of how much you value this vendor and what you believe he can provide you. The amount of choices and the willingness to meet you in person to view his wares.
Then - you can tell him you didn’t like the comment and that you as a person are not the equivalent of his experience with some PSers as a group.
I’m sure you’ve already discussed your wants and your budget.
If I were you - my immediate thought would be that my wants/budget didn’t line up, to receive a comment like that. So that’s what I would clear up before thinking I was wasting his and my time.

 

[Bonfire]

He certainly isn’t setting up good vibes for your appointment together. A right off the bat insult imo. I’d like to be a fly on that wall

 

[distracts]

Very well said.
I wanted to say basically this ^ - but couldn’t figure out how to word it and not put my foot in my mouth.
I’m not surprised theres multiple vendors who see it as PSers looking for the elusive trade ideal cut/color combos and wanting at the cost that would be their non -business sustaining pricing.
There’s plenty of posts here over the past few years about modest budget candidate stones and the critiques are tailored for top tier rarities. And pricing from 20 years ago. I love the single sentence of a reply when someone posts something. “It’s windowed.” Or the other favorite “I see grey”.
Ideally it’d be mentioned - but tempered to that individuals realistic goals/wants and what’s (realistically) available to them. It still could have the desired effect of education/opinions but also not swing to the total opposite spectrum of blowing smoke up someone’s rear that what they found and posted is a showstopper at a steal.

Yes, I’ve DEFINITELY seen people saying things are overpriced that really aren’t. I’ve seen that A LOT. I have also noticed that that the people saying this aren’t able to come up with any stones that I think are close matches but at lower prices.

I was very, very worried I was overpaying for the paraiba I bought even though I know Yvonne has fair prices because it was so hard to find comps, but at the end of the day I did it anyway because they seemed so hard to find and I’d rather get one I like now even if I overpay than end up priced out of the market next time I go to buy. And then all that worry was for nothing because when more vendors started emailing me back weeks after I’d bought, the prices were very in line with what I paid. I would have LOVED to find a 2 ct paraiba with these sparkly glitter inclusions (rather than black) of this color or bolder for less, but the only ones I could find available for less at this size with good color were oiled or fracture-filled (and still $10k-12k).

And changes in the market (availability of rough, mines closing, sales moving to Instagram) have made it really hard to find prices overall without messaging a million people, so if you’re not actively shopping for these specific types of stones, it’s likely that your concept of fair pricing is out of date.

 

[mrs-b]

Here are the gems he's bringing to show me.





There are half a dozen more, but these are the main contenders.