Clear Cut Gems: Experiences?

[FrekeChild]

Anyone bought from them before? Have any experiences you want to share?

Thanks!

http://www.clearcutgems.com/

 

[JewelFreak]

I haven't bought from him, Freke, but not because I didn't try (several times). His stones tend to go in a flash after they're put up. His cutting is excellent & quality seems from photos to be the same.

--- Laurie

 

[royalstarrynight]

I haven't bought from him directly but a friend of mine did and was surprised by how the photos and in real life color is.

His cutting looked really pretty though...

His posting about increasing prices on already cut stones because "rough prices are increasing" also seems strange considering that the rough has already been purchased. Only time will tell what type of vendor he is.

 

[chrono]

I haven't bought from him directly but a friend of mine did and was surprised by how the photos and in real life color is. His cutting looked really pretty though...

His posting about increasing prices on already cut stones because "rough prices are increasing" also seems strange considering that the rough has already been purchased. Only time will tell what type of vendor he is.

Was that a good surprise or a disappointed surprise?
Some vendors do this but some only increase prices on newer items, making the older stock a bargain. No guesses required as to my preference for older or newer stock in such cases.

 

[Emily456]

I've purchased from him and found the pictures to be spot-on, the cutting very good, and excellent customer service!

 

[royalstarrynight]

I haven't bought from him directly but a friend of mine did and was surprised by how the photos and in real life color is. His cutting looked really pretty though...

His posting about increasing prices on already cut stones because "rough prices are increasing" also seems strange considering that the rough has already been purchased. Only time will tell what type of vendor he is.

Was that a good surprise or a disappointed surprise?
Some vendors do this but some only increase prices on newer items, making the older stock a bargain. No guesses required as to my preference for older or newer stock in such cases.

It was supposed to be this vibrant saturated medium toned blue. Even though it was tested under multiple lightings it only showed up purple. It wasn't even close!

I've also inquired about a spinel as well. He gave a very high price citing that spinels that color was getting rare and that I couldn't get a precision cut spinel any lower. It wasn't a red or blue spinel. More of a pink puple. A few days later, he told me the picture wasn't accurate and he lowered the price by a third. It was weird. You would think a cutter would price by his eyes if he's stared at it that long while cutting and not by a photographer.

He's probably fine tuning his photography though

 

[FrekeChild]

I received this stone from him.

http://www.clearcutgems.com/sapphire/s4.html

The attached are the original pictures that I saw and liked. He did not take the above photos in the listing until after he received it back from me.

 

[FrekeChild]

These are the pictures that I took - with three different cameras - my iPhone, a Canon and a Nikon. I could not make it look like the pictures that he posted in any lighting with any of the cameras. It was disappointing to say the least. The stone was pretty, but the color barely resembled the color in the above pictures.

 

[chrono]

Freke,
So the stone looks more like the ones on his website rather than the hand shots? Does that mean that his newer photos (which he took later for the listing) is more accurate?

 

[FrekeChild]

It wasn't just the color that I found disappointing though. When I got the package, it was shipped in a small flat rate box, and while he charged for insurance, there wasn't any on the actual package, it was marked $5.80 total - the price to ship a small flat rate box. In addition, the stone was loose in a small cardboard box, with a little bit of cotton, but not enough to hold it stationary. That meant that the sapphire was rattling around in the box, and there was no insurance against damage or loss on the package. I added tissue to keep the stone protected from moving around when I shipped it back to him.

 

[FrekeChild]

Freke,
So the stone looks more like the ones on his website rather than the hand shots? Does that mean that his newer photos (which he took later for the listing) is more accurate?

More accurate, yes, but I still think they look more saturated than the stone does in person.

Here are the studio pictures he took after the stone was returned.

 

[pregcurious]

the pink tourmaline on his website is a PSer's ring.

 

[Edward Bristol]

His posting about increasing prices on already cut stones because "rough prices are increasing" also seems strange considering that the rough has already been purchased.

I need to comment on the business issue here (not on the vendor):

Sorry, but that is not strange. If one does not increase prices one would have no money to buy new rough at new (higher) rates.

Then, after a year or two, one joins the ranks of the 100+ website who make a good start and then disappear because no profit = cant pay bills, website gone = bankrupt (customers out to dry)

Replacement cost rise all the time for good gems. It is the replacement cost that matters on pricing not the original buying price.

That is the same in any industry.

I know people would like to buy at 1980ies prices but that does not allow a merchant to survive in 2015. If somebody sells at old rates he is either very desperate or has no clue what is coming.

This price pressure is what leads to supply chains like the one for fashion, ending in Bangladesh.

 

[JewelFreak]

Thank you for that, Ed. Excellent points (including Bangladesh) & ones we need to understand. Really useful comments.

--- Laurie

 

[chrono]

I suppose some vendors follow the same practice of petrol and gold price increases; they go up right away but either never come down or takes forever for a price adjustment downwards.

 

[JewelFreak]

More like 'never come down,' true, Chrono.

 

[katharath]

Freke, thanks for posting this. I would have been really disappointed with that gem's color after seeing the initial vendor pics. And the shipping practices don't sound ideal either. I think your experience was very informative - sorry the gem wasn't what you wanted, but thank you for posting!

 

[pregcurious]

Here is Fussykiki's pink tourmaline from Lloyd Forrester set in a diamond halo:

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/come-meet-my-new-friend.162976/page-2']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/come-meet-my-new-friend.162976/page-2[/URL]

 

[JewelFreak]

It looks different from the vendor pic, but it's really hard to tell, with different lighting & cameras. In her best photos they don't seem horribly off, taking into account the various elements. Such beautiful bling!

--- Laurie

 

[RTFrog]

Hi FrekeChild,

A couple pictures that you posted frustrate me. While I know there are some absolutely neon and glowing nail polishes out there...





So, after reviewing your pictures and just using a very basic image editor - this is what I think the hand shots should have looked like.

I'm not a huge fan of artificially boosting color and saturation. Or the RGB. Yes, lighting can change things, but overall, there is quite a difference. If I was expecting the color, hues, and saturation in the hand shots - and even the gray background ones, I would have sent it back too.

 

[FrekeChild]

Thanks for that RTFrog. You'll note my nail polish in the pictures is a taupe-y gray with a tiny hint of purple. (It's Essie, Chinchilly if anyone is interested) I actually tried to leave the nail polish in the pictures because I thought that the color of my polish and the color of the sapphire were not entirely far apart!

As for the polish in the original pictures....yeah. I don't know what was done to those photos, or if a camera that overproduces blue (and red?!) was used, but sadly, it was not accurate at all. I'd say that your highly adjusted photos are much closer to what I saw.

https://www.google.com/search?q=ess...35oATn_ICIAg&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=649

 

[Edward Bristol]

I suppose some vendors follow the same practice of petrol and gold price increases; they go up right away but either never come down or takes forever for a price adjustment downwards.

Only that gems don't go down ever. At least not in the last 30 years.

 

[PrecisionGem]

Tanzanite has had its ups and downs price wise over the years.

 

[Edward Bristol]

Tanzanite has had its ups and downs price wise over the years.

Yes, Tanzanite, and now I remember when beryllium treatment was discovered in padparadschas, prices for all pads fell for a while until the labs had sorted out the mess. Then, of course, no-heat pads rose even more afterwards.

And also that Chinese Olympic stone that caused so much havoc, Andesine, but that was more a scam if I remember correctly.

 

[treasurehunter]

I received this stone from him.

http://www.clearcutgems.com/sapphire/s4.html

The attached are the original pictures that I saw and liked. He did not take the above photos in the listing until after he received it back from me.

you didn't like the stone?

 

[Niel]

Hi FrekeChild,

A couple pictures that you posted frustrate me. While I know there are some absolutely neon and glowing nail polishes out there...





So, after reviewing your pictures and just using a very basic image editor - this is what I think the hand shots should have looked like.

I'm not a huge fan of artificially boosting color and saturation. Or the RGB. Yes, lighting can change things, but overall, there is quite a difference. If I was expecting the color, hues, and saturation in the hand shots - and even the gray background ones, I would have sent it back too.

I didnt think much of the neon fingernails as I have seen that before, but now i go back and look and it hurts my eyes its so bright.

I dont wnat to sound very skeptical, but I wonder if they have just learned what low light + right editing makes their hand look normal colored whilst making everything else amazing.

 

[FrekeChild]

So, now he's posted new pictures of the sapphire I posted above. You guys be the judge.

 

[LoversKites]

I don't see the photos you posted on his website I see the older ones still.

Anyhow the new photos are more saturated and less grey than your pics. And more purple.

Love the nailpolish, freke.

 

[FrekeChild]

They are on his Facebook page. 2 hours ago:

"A nice little Tanzanian lavender sapphire,this stone is very bright and clean but has a tiny chip on the edge of the stone which is not eye visible - 0.97ct 5.6mm vvs - Available."

It's getting all kinds of raves from people on there, but really, in hand, this stone looks NOTHING like his older pics, or these new pics. It looks sort of like pics on the listing on his page:
http://www.clearcutgems.com/sapphire/s4.html

EDIT: Here are the vendor photos he has posted since cutting it, in chronological order.

 

[RTFrog]

Normalized the pictures... as this is never fair to the potential buyer.