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Does anyone buy stones and wait on setting them until a later point?

MeganShannon11

Shiny_Rock
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Jan 1, 2009
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237
I am interested in buying a .30-.40 diamond to eventually set in a pendant. I’m going to look at WF ACAs and on BGD. Any recommendations on how to find a really well cut stone? Are any of the ACAs or BGD signatures likely a safe bet? Also, if you have bought stones and set them later, where do you keep them in the meantime? Thanks so much for any feedback.
 

Mjay

Brilliant_Rock
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Mar 15, 2018
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1,006
I am interested in buying a .30-.40 diamond to eventually set in a pendant. I’m going to look at WF ACAs and on BGD. Any recommendations on how to find a really well cut stone? Are any of the ACAs or BGD signatures likely a safe bet? Also, if you have bought stones and set them later, where do you keep them in the meantime? Thanks so much for any feedback.

I buy stones all the time and just put them in my safe until I decide on the perfect setting. I currently have 2 diamonds and a sapphire in my safe. I had 3 diamonds but just sent one out to be set.
 

MeganShannon11

Shiny_Rock
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Jan 1, 2009
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237
Lol maybe you’re better suited to asking this in the colored stones forum... many of us have dozens to hundreds unset. Safe or safety deposit box are good places to keep them.

It would be a first for me! Haha.
 

dk168

Super_Ideal_Rock
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A lot PSers who like coloured stones would buy CSs for them to be set later, sometimes years later (I am one of those).

DK ;)2
 

Bron357

Ideal_Rock
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Guilty!
Most gems when you buy them come in a gem jar ie a plastic container with some foam in it. Fancier gem jars might be timber with a glass top. In any regard, it’s best to store loose gems in gem jars/ boxes so they don’t get damaged or lost. When you have a collection of gem jars, then you buy a box.
Keep somewhere safe ie in a safe or elsewhere where you won’t misplace / forget it.
One thing though, mostly diamond vendors offer a setting service with the diamond be that a ring or pendant or earrings. Often the setting is more keenly priced and a setting fee waived.
Once you just have a gem you might find it’s “all care taken, no responsibility accepted” and a setting fee plus the setting cost if you go to a jeweller.
 
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I have a few stones that need setting, mostly coloured stones, so I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that at all! Keeping them in foam backed containers seems to work just fine.

That being said, if it’s an expensive stone I prefer to have it in a setting of some kind, even if it’s a temporary/cheap/not to be worn setting. For example setting it in a earring/pendant setting in silver or 10k gold. Setting costs are cheap where I live and most vendors will throw the setting in super cheap or almost free. Plus, I can always scrap that silver or gold or reuse the same basic stock setting if needed. And it’s not like I buy a TON of expensive stones, almost all of my expensive purchases have been set immediately. Just for peace of mind really.
 

autumngems

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Unfortunately that seems to be my theme, I have boxes and boxes of loose gems (a few diamonds as well) sitting there, waiting for me to do something with them.
 

distracts

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That being said, if it’s an expensive stone I prefer to have it in a setting of some kind, even if it’s a temporary/cheap/not to be worn setting. For example setting it in a earring/pendant setting in silver or 10k gold. Setting costs are cheap where I live and most vendors will throw the setting in super cheap or almost free. Plus, I can always scrap that silver or gold or reuse the same basic stock setting if needed. And it’s not like I buy a TON of expensive stones, almost all of my expensive purchases have been set immediately. Just for peace of mind really.

Seconding this - Jewelers Mutual only insures set stones, so if it's expensive, plop it in a cheap setting so you can insure it.
 

TwinkleStar

Shiny_Rock
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Jan 8, 2011
Messages
124
Jeweler’s Mutual insures loose stones! From their website:

Loose Stones

Our policy also covers loose stones, including while they are being set by your jeweler. This coverage is not found in all insurance policies.

It is more challenging to ship a loose, unset stone (though people do it all the time via insured vendor labels or USPS registered insured) you may have less options on shippers being unwilling to knowingly ship an unset stone, so distracts’ and AllAboardTheBlingTrain’s is good advice.
 
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distracts

Ideal_Rock
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Jeweler’s Mutual insures loose stones! From their website:

Loose Stones

Our policy also covers loose stones, including while they are being set by your jeweler. This coverage is not found in all insurance policies.

It is more challenging to ship a loose, unset stone (though people do it all the time via insured vendor labels or USPS registered insured) you may have less options on shippers being unwilling to knowingly ship an unset stone, so distracts’ and AllAboardTheBlingTrain’s is good advice.

Since when? This must be new because last time I tried to get loose stones insured they only covered it with receipt for a setting (to insure while setting, so not just sitting around loose).
 

charlottejw

Rough_Rock
Joined
Mar 10, 2011
Messages
26
I set up a policy with Jewelers Mutual last week and it was for a loose stone. I am having a ring designed so it will go into a setting, but there was no required time frame to get it put into a setting and no receipt required. It wasn't that expensive, maybe 1.5% of value per year
 

TwinkleStar

Shiny_Rock
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Messages
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Since when? This must be new because last time I tried to get loose stones insured they only covered it with receipt for a setting (to insure while setting, so not just sitting around loose).

That’s what I thought too! Like charlottejw above, my recent WF stone was insured based on the sales receipt (WF has a convenient one-button request to JM to get a quote, and they always quote 30% above what you paid, but you can call them to lower it to actual paid).

Since I’m in the middle of trying to figure out a setting, I read the JM website a lot, and the above is on their website now. Since I know JM has not insured loose stones in the past, I called to double check, and they do!

To insure the stone while set (or to cover the stone and setting), you do need an estimate from the vendor which you then need to update JM on with the final sales receipt after the fact to cover the cost of the setting.
 

barbie86

Shiny_Rock
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May 23, 2020
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Just bought my first loose stone; found one I really liked but don't have the cash to set it yet, plus not sure exactly what setting I want.

I had no idea insurance might be an issue! Will check tomorrow as worried now lol.
 

dk168

Super_Ideal_Rock
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12,492
I commissioned my first precision cut gemstone from Jeff White in 2015, a Rubellite Tourmaline, and had it set in 2020.

The other commissioned stone I bought at the same time, a white Topaz, is still to be set.

I am getting round to set my better stones slowly - the EC cut Aquamarine and a pair of step cut Morganite traps from Jeff W will be set next, hopefully before the end of the year.

Yup, my promise of no more bling this year to myself earlier had failed completely as I just could not resist getting a nice Tsavorite Garnet from Jeff W after receiving one of his mail drops. Goodness knows when I would get round to setting it!

DK :lol-2:
 

RunningwithScissors

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Apr 29, 2019
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I've bought a small handful of loose ACA diamonds from Whiteflash. They are in the size range of which you speak! (.33's - .35's). Whiteflash has always shipped them to a FedEx near me and I just go and sign for them. FedEx of course does NOT know diamonds are in the box. It is always super easy and painless.

The jewelry company's insurance covers them while in transit. I've also had much larger and more expensive loose diamonds FedExed to me and while I was more nervous about those, the process turned out to be easy and painless too.

And I've shipped loose diamonds to vendors and the vendors have always sent me a free shipping label and instructions and have always covered the loose diamonds I send them under their insurance policy (not mine) while in transit. I also have Jeweler's Mutual and I insure some but not all of my jewelry. I insure my larger loose diamonds, but not my smaller loose ones because they are under the threshold of making financial sense to do so.

I keep my loose diamonds in the diamond boxes they come in and stack them together in a cozy spot. I'm collecting the little .33's to have set in a tennis bracelet and the project will probably take a few more years to complete as I can only afford a few diamonds at a time.

Which vendor should you go with? Well that's your personal preference. I will say that Whiteflash's upgrade policy is significantly easier than BG and at that size diamond, I would definitely want an easy upgrade policy because I think you may experience diamond shrinkage and want to go larger without having to start over again.

Here's my thread on my tennis bracelet project, and you can see the little boxes that the diamonds come in. They are easy to tuck away and hide:

 
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steviedsgirl

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 29, 2016
Messages
83
I am interested in buying a .30-.40 diamond to eventually set in a pendant. I’m going to look at WF ACAs and on BGD. Any recommendations on how to find a really well cut stone? Are any of the ACAs or BGD signatures likely a safe bet? Also, if you have bought stones and set them later, where do you keep them in the meantime? Thanks so much for any feedback.

I have so many loose diamonds running around in my safe! That's hyperbole... they're in their sleeves/baggies in a little box in my safe. But, yes...I totally buy stones with future projects in mind. Because I adore old cut stones, I buy when I see one that speaks to me because there may not be another one like it soon/ever.
 

diamondseeker2006

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Jan 11, 2006
Messages
58,547
I definitely recommend Whiteflash for the diamond. Their prices and selection are usually the best of the superideal vendors. It really helps to have a good selection in the event you ever want to upgrade the stone. It's so much easier to let the diamond seller set the stone. Stones that size are always available, so I'd honestly just wait to buy once you decide on the setting. They have lots of options not listed on the site from vendors they order from, and they can do custom, as well. I don't think I'd insure a piece in that price range, but if you did, it would make it far easier to do if it comes to you set.
 
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