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Are price increases affecting CS?

Circe

Ideal_Rock
Trade
Joined
Apr 26, 2007
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I don't really keep up with colored stone prices as closely as I do diamond and metal prices - so many variables! - so when the question popped into my head, I figured I'd come on over and ask the experts. Are y'all noticing a commensurate rise in the cost of high-quality colored stones now that diamonds are through the roof?
 
No, I haven't, but CS's are usually sold in MUCH smaller venues, where prices are not really 'updated' en masse. The prices of a particular species or gem will rise, let's say, Lolindo spessartites, or Mahenge spinels, because of many reasons which may include a large interest in this gem, or the material becomes scare. But, the rise in cost of Mahenges will not also affect other gem types, and so far, I haven't seen the recent rise in diamond prices carry over to CS either. Sure, there has been a 'general' increase in price of CS's over the time I've been on this board, but I haven't seen a sudden and marked changed in the past few months. Most often what I see, though, is that new material is priced higher as it comes in, but listed gems are necessarily 'updated' in price. This happens sometimes, but not often. Maybe it is different when you're in the business and have access to larger and more competitive vendors such as Pala--no idea if they or the other trade only vendors 'update' pricing.
 
Interesting! What got me wondering was a comment I saw in another thread about how prices on fancy watches and other luxury goods were going up in tandem with diamonds and metals ... got me wondering about what the "safe" things to plan for might be. This is good to keep in mind.
 
I hope that Pandora or others that are more familiar with the trade will chime in--anyone out there?
 
IN this regard, there's no relation to diamonds.
Natural Fancy Colored Diamonds are up - and sharply- but not colored stones
 
Circe|1314197567|2998216 said:
I don't really keep up with colored stone prices as closely as I do diamond and metal prices - so many variables! - so when the question popped into my head, I figured I'd come on over and ask the experts. Are y'all noticing a commensurate rise in the cost of high-quality colored stones now that diamonds are through the roof?

It's not just the high cost of CS, but the high cost of metal in order to set them. The quality of CS is going down hill as well. There's simply not the same quality of CS as I noticed two to three years ago. JMO.

As gasoline prices jump, so does the high price of mining, and less quality is being retrieved. That's my take on it.
 
Blue sapphires have had a big jump - especially over here... anything up to a 40% increase - due to Kate Middleton's e-ring.

Haven't noticed a big jump in anything else.
 
Pandora|1314208840|2998338 said:
Blue sapphires have had a big jump - especially over here... anything up to a 40% increase - due to Kate Middleton's e-ring.

Haven't noticed a big jump in anything else.

What's doubly funny is that her ring doesn't even have such a great sapphire (at least in photos). :knockout:

I've been telling everyone to hold off buying sapphires as the price is too high now.
 
Hi Circe! :wavey:

I'm glad you started this thread, and here I was over in hangout telling you to go check CS . . . :oops:

One thing to keep in mind, though, is that a lot of the cutters were complaining about the price increases in rough over the last year or so. Especially after the last Phoenix show.

I'm hoping some of the trade guys will chime in . . .
 
I haven't noticed overall CS price increases in the last year, but the increase in the price of diamond melee and metals has decreased my CS buying because I know I will have to set my stones.
 
Rockdiamond|1314207756|2998329 said:
IN this regard, there's no relation to diamonds.
Natural Fancy Colored Diamonds are up - and sharply- but not colored stones
;(
 
Hello All :wavey:

I think the prices of anything worth a hoot is going up.

I know good aquamarine is almost impossible to find in good color and clarity; and I know if I find it ; it will not be cheap.

Tanzanian goods are going up; especially the Imperial or intense pink garnet, the Mahenge intense pink, pink-red spinel, etc. is out the roof; lesser colors are still in the okay price range. Good sapphire has always been high in the last 10 years or more, tsavorites, alexandrites, chrysoberyls, and fine neonish tourmalines are still high especially in rough that will finish a 3 carat gem or better.

To be honest I really do not see the material being offered like it was 10 years ago. Are they not finding it, hoarding it, ??? I even see sellers that never sold anything but premium rough now selling diffused, fracture filled rubies, sapphires, etc. and I never thought they would go down that path...

It will continue to tax us sellers, cutters, etc. that do this for their living to try to keep the deals coming to our clients; as in all reality we all work for you Ladies and Gentlemen and we are constantly looking for deals in good natural materials. As many have said in this post and others; with precious metals going out the roof; you really have to bargain shop anywhere you can to afford a nice complete piece of jewelry.

Keep the prayers coming as we will all need them to survive this mess :saint:

LOL

Most respectfully;

Dana
 
Not so LOL, sadly, Dana. The thought of talented cutters & designers not being able to make it is unbearable.

To be honest I really do not see the material being offered like it was 10 years ago. Are they not finding it, hoarding it, ???
This seems to be a common & growing refrain over the last couple of years. I wonder too what the story is -- are most of the mines suddenly exhausted all at the same time? Is good-quality rough hiding in a whole bunch of safes waiting for "better" times? I can understand prices rising as inflation impacts all businesses & the families they support, but the relative scarcity of quality CS rough is a question. Stones other than colored diamonds & corundum aren't exactly being snapped up as major investment material, so what's up? Anybody have ideas?

---Laurie
 
Laurie, I wish I knew. There was a time a few years ago that you could buy heat-only rubies from JTV, and looking back on it, they weren't half bad either.
 
Apart from other things - shouldn't there also be the "domino" effect? When diamond erings become costly, people start looking for CSs as alternatives, hence prices of CSs grow up.
 
The Chinese and Indian markets are soaring and so you have new buyers for rough who weren't previously in the market - and they will spend $$$$ to get it. I imagine this has had a big impact...
 
In general, I have seen pricing creep up; spessartites, Mahenges and blue sapphires have gone up quite a bit more that others. Also, I have noticed that the overall quality of gemstones offered for sale going down in quality. Interestingly, in almost all my discussions with vendors and those in the trade, the Asian market for gemstones is very strong, thus driving up pricing further.
 
Pandora|1314361106|3000081 said:
The Chinese and Indian markets are soaring and so you have new buyers for rough who weren't previously in the market - and they will spend $$$$ to get it. I imagine this has had a big impact...

Yep - compounded by a falling dollar.
 
crasru said:
Apart from other things - shouldn't there also be the "domino" effect? When diamond erings become costly, people start looking for CSs as alternatives, hence prices of CSs grow up.

This is exactly what got me wondering - the last time I posted an "X or Y?" thread, I mentioned a luxury watch as one of my options and people wrote in to say that their prices were keeping pace with diamonds (probably because clever retailers were aware that people's tastes keep pace). It really did get me wondering whether there'd been a slew of CS engagement rings and commemorative pieces recently. I mean, this does seem like the most active board on PS these days ....
 
The Dyer article is very interesting. There is bound to be a domino effect, plus of course the "trendy stone" effect too - possibly woken up a tad by the Wills and Kate marriage...? (stranger things have happened) But the main thing that has affected me is the metal price rises: I am now sitting on my lovely gems when I had planned to get on with setting at least two projects by now. :?
 
+1!
 
Prices are increasing across the board for the reasons stated above: the weak dollar; the lack of supply of quality rough; the strong Asian and Indian markets; plus recent instability in Tanzania. As for corundum, the spike began before the royal engagement.
 
yes, going up, and fast it seems. There is a one and a half carat spinel on a thai site that I keep looking at because it looks mahengy though it is burmease and an odd shape. a few weeks ago it was around $925. Last week it jumped to 1200+ and today it jumped to $2250. Usually I watch for old stock that remains price unadjusted. Im afraid that might becom
e more difficult. This stone wasnt really my cup of pinot noir, and being burmeasean Im barred from buying it anyway here in the US.

Expect more price increases.
 
VapidLapid|1314853712|3007164 said:
yes, going up, and fast it seems. There is a one and a half carat spinel on a thai site that I keep looking at because it looks mahengy though it is burmease and an odd shape. a few weeks ago it was around $925. Last week it jumped to 1200+ and today it jumped to $2250. Usually I watch for old stock that remains price unadjusted. Im afraid that might becom
e more difficult. This stone wasnt really my cup of pinot noir, and being burmeasean Im barred from buying it anyway here in the US.

Expect more price increases.

The US ban only applies to Jade and Rubies - no problem with spinels. Which just shows what a ridiculous bit of legislation it is as ruby and spinel form alongside each other: spinel is a magnesium aluminium oxide while ruby is an aluminium oxide. During the growth of crystals, ruby is only created once the supply of magnesium runs out. So the same people mine both in the same areas but only have a market for one...
 
Pandora is correct; Burmese spinels are still allowed for sale in the US. The doubling price of spinels (and possibly other gemstones) is very troublesome for gemstone lovers looking to buy something nice.
 
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