Looking to purchase stones in New York.

[blue_diamonds]

Good afternoon, I am in the way of purchasing some stones. I live in New York and would ideally like to purchase them in person. If any of the threaders could be so kind as to point me in the direction of who to trust or what store would be the most trustworthy, it'd be great.
Ideally, I would like the stones to be a nice carat. I've never purchased loose stones before, so how much do they initially cost?
I.E 3.OO Carat Tanzanite would be ... 5.OO Carat Amethyst would be ... so on. P.s- I'm fully aware of there being 1,ooo's of stones, I do not expect people to list every single stone with every price, just some with the average price range. Thanks.

 

[chrono]

Pricing will vary on the type of gemstone, level of treatment, size of the stone and most importantly, the quality of colour of the gemstone. Because the variable are so huge, a 3 ct tanzanite (that isn't specified) can range anywhere from $10 to $10K. An average price is for average stones. How fine a quality are you looking for? I believe Paraiba International is located in NY. Check them out online for the address and telephone number and give them a call to set up an appointment.

 

[blue_diamonds]

Thank you so much for the lead. I wasn't aware of other stones being characterized in a similar manner of that of diamonds. As for quality, I'm looking to start my own private collection so the best quality is best. Thanks again, worth a look.

 

[chrono]

In that case, a bit of background reading might be helpful:
http://www.palagems.com/quality_4cs.htm

 

[Harriet]

Hi,
As Chrono suggested, call Paraiba International. Tell the owner, Adam, that you're just starting out. He'll show you a range of gems.

 

[blue_diamonds]

That link was very informative, thanks. I've always been told that only diamonds have a specific grading system and that other stones didn't. I look forward to learning more, thanks again.