Collecting Colored Gems?

[snaphappy]

This post might be better suited for a geology forum, but I've learned so much about diamonds on Pricescope so I thought I'd ask here first...

I'm thinking about gathering up some inexpensive colored gemstones, say 5ct or bigger, so they could be held in the hand and shared with my dozens of nieces and nephews. I think I might put them in my wife's stocking for christmas.

I'm very new and don't really know anything but my eye has been drawn to:

Sphene
Zircon (blue or otherwise)
Moissanite
Rutile & Cerussite - but I couldn't find many that were cut.

Are there other neat colored gemstones I'm missing? Something that can be had for $50-$200?

Thank you!

 

[winnietucker]

Check out mastercutgems. They have regular sales and they have some gemstones close to your budget. Maybe something will catch your eye.

 

[Autumn in New England]

This post might be better suited for a geology forum, but I've learned so much about diamonds on Pricescope so I thought I'd ask here first...

I'm thinking about gathering up some inexpensive colored gemstones, say 5ct or bigger, so they could be held in the hand and shared with my dozens of nieces and nephews. I think I might put them in my wife's stocking for christmas.

I'm very new and don't really know anything but my eye has been drawn to:

Sphene
Zircon (blue or otherwise)
Moissanite
Rutile & Cerussite - but I couldn't find many that were cut.

Are there other neat colored gemstones I'm missing? Something that can be had for $50-$200?

Thank you!

This is SUCH a lovely idea! How cool to have a stocking full of gems to open on xmas morning... and it's a learning/bonding experience too!

Since you're looking for larger gems without breaking the budget, here are several options to get you started (with many more not mentioned!). I am listing only natural gems, but there are lots of synthetic/lab options as well (you mentioned moissanite). Some gems listed below are translucent/opaque and better en cabochon or tumbled. Others are great faceted. Some are more durable than others, so not all are suitable for setting/wearing. Some require special care. Be sure to do your homework depending on your needs. Have fun and happy hunting!

~Quartz (amethyst, citrine, smokey, rose, agates, jaspers, chalcedony, quartzite)
~Feldspar (labradorite, moonstone, sunstone, amazonite)
~Turquoise/Variscite
~Lapis
~Topaz
~Garnet
~Malachite
~Peridot
~Howlite
~Zircon, as you mentioned
~Beryl
~Serpentine
~Corundum (maybe some opaque crystals to keep the cost down)
~Amber
~Calcite
~Chrysoberyl
~Tourmaline
~Chrysocolla
~Coral
~Dioptase
~Magnesite
~Chrome diopside
~Black diamond (usually treated, so reasonably priced)
~Fluorite
~Spodumene (kunzite, hiddenite)
~Spinel
~Nephrite
~Iolite
~Apatite
~Kyanite
~Jet
~Freshwater pearls
~Hematite
~Pyrite
~Larimar
~Obsidian
~Opal (Peruvian pink can be very affordable, also fire opal)
~Prehnite
~Tanzanite
~Rhodochrosite
~Rhodonite
~Sphene, as you mentioned
~Danburite
~Charoite
~Seraphinite
~Sugilite (can be pricey depending on the quality)

 

[Bron357]

FABULOUS IDEA.
And consider buying a loupe or even a cheap microscope to further expand their horizons.
I got my DD interested in gems and fossils at an early age.
It paid off, she’s currently doing her PhD in Medical Research on viral hepatitis.
Encourage interest in the natural world and science.
My random gemstone and crystal collection still fascinates me.

 

[rattatooE]

Do you prefer faceted stones, or do you like cabochons as well? You can possibly go off of birthstones.
March has aquamarine, but bloodstone is also a March gem. Bloodstone is cheaper but opaque.
And it never fails to horrify every March baby when I show them a bloodstone right after an aquamarine. But maybe kids will appreciate it more
June is pearl and alexandrite, but you also have moonstone.
August has sardonyx, which is way cheaper than peridot and spinel.
Have a feeling you might prefer transparency & sparkles over opaque though hehe

AutumnInNewEngland has also provided such an amazing, complete list. wowieeee
And +1 to winnietucker. I'm looking at mastercutgems and they got over 5 ct topaz, and big amethyst! You can probably even shoot them an email to see if they got anything unlisted that suits you. Suuuuper nice couple.

 

[toomuchB]

A way to keep cost down and size up is to look for included stones. Inclusions could also be fun to observe under magnification.

Different direction: Gem mining/digging kit for kids - included are various kid friendly tools, a bunch of gravel with some transparent pieces/gems planted inside. Then they get to search/sift for the treasures. I tried googling for such products and I only found fake/plastic stuff. I'm sure its out there.

 

[Avondale]

Aaaand @Autumn in New England just put Wikipedia to shame.

 

[snaphappy]

Thanks everyone! I was planning on buying faceted gems. Also I did not know natural moissanite was so rare. The labs are cheap and pretty so I’ll probably still get one just for fun

I’m really obsessed with sphene right now but I’ll go through the list and see if anything else dazzles me. Thank you so much for all the replies!!

 

[Odyssey44]

FABULOUS IDEA.
And consider buying a loupe or even a cheap microscope to further expand their horizons.
I got my DD interested in gems and fossils at an early age.
It paid off, she’s currently doing her PhD in Medical Research on viral hepatitis.
Encourage interest in the natural world and science.
My random gemstone and crystal collection still fascinates me.

That is so neat! Where do you keep this Bron? Is it some kind of aquarium? Would love to see a picture panned out.

 

[Odyssey44]

Aaaand @Autumn in New England just put Wikipedia to shame.

I saved that list myself!

 

[snaphappy]

Ok a lot of these gems I’m looking at are synthetic. Oof. Gotta be careful. There are some outstanding prices from vendors in India. Any tips for buying a cheapy and verifying? Or just stay away from risky vendors?

 

[PrecisionGem]

If you are looking for faceted stones, 5 ct and up, and in the under $200 price range, than you are in gems that are going to sell up to $40 per ct max in that size. Unless you make compromises on color, clarity and cutting, I think the list is going to be kind of short: Blue topaz, quartz, fluorite and maybe a few more less know varieties.

 

[rattatooE]

Ok a lot of these gems I’m looking at are synthetic. Oof. Gotta be careful. There are some outstanding prices from vendors in India. Any tips for buying a cheapy and verifying? Or just stay away from risky vendors?

Have never bought from India before, but heard it's very unpredictable. Risky.
Hmm. I looked at Etsy. Did a quick search and found this. https://www.etsy.com/shop/FlowingGe...65336&from_page=listing&sort_order=price_desc
Never bought from them, just trying to see if this is in the ballpark of what you are searching for.
Maybe someone knows a really credible seller on etsy.

 

[Avondale]

Have never bought from India before, but heard it's very unpredictable. Risky.

I recently bought from a business in India. Unpredictable would be a good description. Another description would be that whenever a problem arises they will try out all of the solutions that won't work while simultaneously refusing to apply the one simple solution that will work.

The product was good, though.

 

[snaphappy]

Some of these replies are scams. Oof. Didn’t realize pricescope has bad actors. Real bummer.

Looking through feedback on ebay sellers - there’s a lot of fake feedback. Much of the feedback is verbatim. Another bummer

Moderators can delete this whole thread imo. Fake sellers on ebay/etsy gave me the wrong impression. Maybe one day I can get out to a gem show in vegas or something and get a sense of what’s out there. The internet is often a very unsafe place to learn

 

[Bron357]

Unfortunately yes, many gems on eBay are fake. Having been on eBay over 20 years I can advise that there are some legit sellers but many are false.
Etsy has more reputable sellers but again fakes are out there.
It’s difficult to purchase any decent size facetted gemstone, except for more common varieties for under $200.
Moissanite btw in its “natural form” is essentially microscopic, that’s why it’s lab grown so the crystals are large enough to facet.
And I’m not sure who or why some replies are considered “scams” but after 10 years here I can assure you the depth and breadth of knowledge and insight here is impressive and found nowhere else.

 

[Bron357]

That is so neat! Where do you keep this Bron? Is it some kind of aquarium? Would love to see a picture panned out.

Yes, it’s my Lalique fish aquarium. I gave up on the real ones.

 

[rattatooE]

Some of these replies are scams. Oof. Didn’t realize pricescope has bad actors. Real bummer.

Looking through feedback on ebay sellers - there’s a lot of fake feedback. Much of the feedback is verbatim. Another bummer

Moderators can delete this whole thread imo. Fake sellers on ebay/etsy gave me the wrong impression. Maybe one day I can get out to a gem show in vegas or something and get a sense of what’s out there. The internet is often a very unsafe place to learn

I hope it wasn't my post, sorry!
You can always refer to the list of vendors on here for peace of mind. Mastercut is on this list too. https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/list-of-vendors-for-reference.208782/page-2

They release new things pretty regularly.
For example, I picked this one up from them for about $50 or so on sale? Right at 4.99 carats.
So yes, I feel like Mastercut might be right up your alley!


* i do have MUCH larger pieces of faceted stones I had cut for funsies by specimen dealers I know, but the quality & cut of stones by vendors on here is just on another level.

 

[rattatooE]

I recently bought from a business in India. Unpredictable would be a good description. Another description would be that whenever a problem arises they will try out all of the solutions that won't work while simultaneously refusing to apply the one simple solution that will work.

The product was good, though.

Oh yikes. I cannot stand problems with online purchases! Can only imagine the headaches you were put through. Glad the product was good though

 

[snaphappy]

I hope it wasn't my post, sorry!
You can always refer to the list of vendors on here for peace of mind. Mastercut is on this list too. https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/list-of-vendors-for-reference.208782/page-2

They release new things pretty regularly.
For example, I picked this one up from them for about $50 or so on sale? Right at 4.99 carats.
So yes, I feel like Mastercut might be right up your alley!


* i do have MUCH larger pieces of faceted stones I had cut for funsies by specimen dealers I know, but the quality & cut of stones by vendors on here is just on another level.

TY! will look into this!

 

[snaphappy]

Here's some solid info on this awful subject:

 

[Autumn in New England]

Some of these replies are scams. Oof. Didn’t realize pricescope has bad actors. Real bummer.

I don't see any scam responses from PSers here...

 

[Autumn in New England]

Aaaand @Autumn in New England just put Wikipedia to shame.

I got a little excited...

 

[Autumn in New England]

I mean, yeah, fakes abound. Fake gems, fake watches, fake purses, fake people. You have to know what you're doing, especially if you plan to spend any significant money. But don't let it discourage a very rewarding hobby! Just hone your fake-spotting prowess.

 

[Odyssey44]

I hope it wasn't my post, sorry!
You can always refer to the list of vendors on here for peace of mind. Mastercut is on this list too. https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/list-of-vendors-for-reference.208782/page-2

They release new things pretty regularly.
For example, I picked this one up from them for about $50 or so on sale? Right at 4.99 carats.
So yes, I feel like Mastercut might be right up your alley!


* i do have MUCH larger pieces of faceted stones I had cut for funsies by specimen dealers I know, but the quality & cut of stones by vendors on here is just on another level.

Wow--I have never seen a natural blue topaz that bright! I thought all the untreated ones were pretty pale.

 

[Crimson]

This post might be better suited for a geology forum, but I've learned so much about diamonds on Pricescope so I thought I'd ask here first...

I'm thinking about gathering up some inexpensive colored gemstones, say 5ct or bigger, so they could be held in the hand and shared with my dozens of nieces and nephews. I think I might put them in my wife's stocking for christmas.

I'm very new and don't really know anything but my eye has been drawn to:

Sphene
Zircon (blue or otherwise)
Moissanite
Rutile & Cerussite - but I couldn't find many that were cut.

Are there other neat colored gemstones I'm missing? Something that can be had for $50-$200?

Thank you!

What a wonderful idea!
When I first started collecting, I would look at GemSelect. They have a wide range of gemstones at different prices. There are many within the price range that you mentioned, and you can find most od the ones listed by @Autumn in New England
They have faceted stones, cabochons and carvings, which are fun to look at.

Loose Gemstones for Sale - 130+ Types | GemSelect

Buy loose gemstones at GemSelect: 130+ types for jewelers, collectors, and DIY lovers. Biggest range of quality gems at fair prices worldwide.

www.gemselect.com

.

 

[rattatooE]

Wow--I have never seen a natural blue topaz that bright! I thought all the untreated ones were pretty pale.

Yeah, it's a bit uncommon! Especially when I saw the made-up cut, I immediately yoinked it haha. Love it when artists do things like that.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

I recently bought from a business in India. Unpredictable would be a good description. Another description would be that whenever a problem arises they will try out all of the solutions that won't work while simultaneously refusing to apply the one simple solution that will work.

The product was good, though.

Ohhh have you received it yet??? I badly want to know what you bought!!!!!!

 

[Avondale]

Ohhh have you received it yet??? I badly want to know what you bought!!!!!!

The lab OEC diamonds for the petit earrings which used to house the natural OEC diamonds which are currently with the jeweller along with the wanna-be-kashmir sapphire waiting to be made into a three-stone ring.

At some point I'll post an update and tell the story. It was an adventure, I just need a little bit more time for the final drops of frustration to drain from me.

 

[Odyssey44]

Yeah, it's a bit uncommon! Especially when I saw the made-up cut, I immediately yoinked it haha. Love it when artists do things like that.

I would have snapped that up too for the untreated color and the one off cut would have been a bonus! Well done to you!