Ebay gems

[clementine]

Just for giggles, I''m thinking about buying a gemstone on Ebay........nothing picked out yet, but I thought if I could snag something inexpensive, it might be kind of fun. Has anyone else bought on Ebay before, and if so, were you pleased with the gem when it arrived?

Post pictures if you have them!

Clem

 

[Chrysoz]

Hello!
I have bought a lot on ebay. A large part of my collection has Ebay as origin and my bussiness is built on buying on ebay and selling here in sweden.

My collection (here is the link) https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/loose-stone-eye-candy.65428/page-3 is proof that you CAN find fine gems on ebay, but there are some facts you have to aware of.

#1: If you buy some "inexpensive stuffs" on ebay, I would say the risk of getting an item that is treated more than stated, or even synthetic, unfortunatly is VERY large. Therefore, my hint is to not buy on ebay until you have the knowledge of a gemologist (at least almost

) or a profesional gemologist that is able to look at, and identify, the gems you buy.

#2: If something seams to good to be true, I bet it isn't true! Be especially careful with gems such as cheap ruby (which is almost always filled with lead-glass or diffusion-treated) and intense color sapphires. (Be-treatment, glass-fillings, synthetics, imitations...)

Against what i have told you now, there really are bargains to be made. BUT, you have to buy from the right sellers and patience is very important. If you win every auction you bid on, I guarantee you are not doing very good buys.

But still my hint is: Take time to learn before you start bidding on ebay, that will save you much pain and money.

 

[Clio]

I actually bought my purple spinel on eBay, BUT I bought it from Daniel Stair, who is a very reputable cutter (who just happens to do eBay auctions sometimes). I''d say if you are planning to do eBay, do as much research into the seller as you possibly can.

 

[clementine]

Thanks for all of the hints Chrysoz! I am going to try to be careful, but have fun.........I have bought my first gem from Daneil Stair.....a green tourmaline that matches my birthstone color (emerald).....I''m just waiting for the right setting to catch my eye before I set it!

Clem.

Here''s my tourmaline:

 

[gemnut]

Although I have bought some inexpensive trinkets on ebay in the past, I never dared buy a loose stone until very recently. I went paraiba-tourmaline nuts and since there is no way in heaven I could find a paraiba tourmaline where I live (Greece) I went online. Needless to say, the prices on most "approved" sites were way out of my budget! Shaking and trembling, I found a stone with what looked to be an amazing color on ebay and ordered it. I can''t tell you how pleased I was when the stone finally arrived! It looks 10 times better than the picture online - looks even better than any picture I could take myself.
I did do my due diligence, however, checked out their rating, read lots of comments and staked out their ebay store for a while to see what people bought and how much they paid for them before bidding myself.
All in all, I would say that you CAN find some nice stuff on ebay as long as you are extra careful and don''t rush things.

 

[Chrysoz]

Date: 9/11/2007 9:22:38 PM
Author: clementine

Thanks for all of the hints Chrysoz! I am going to try to be careful, but have fun.........I have bought my first gem from Daneil Stair.....a green tourmaline that matches my birthstone color (emerald).....I''m just waiting for the right setting to catch my eye before I set it!

Clem.

Here''s my tourmaline:

Very nice stone!
how much did you pay for your baby?

Gemnut, you are completely right, many good buys are waiting for the one with enough patience!