My first Padparadscha sapphire

[userangl28212003]

Hi. I currently have bought and is on the way a small .22ct/4mm padparascha sapphire from Starruby.in. It comes with a GRS certifitcate stating it's a Padparascha (I forgot to save the picture of it). I also have curently a orangy-pink rough sapphire from blazengems being cut to. I am going to have to decide which one I want, but just in case I wanted to get both for how good the sale was and then I will return the other. Chancces are I'm going to lean towards the blazengem one since it will be a bigger stone, but you don't know for sure how it will look when cut, and he is fine with keeping it himself if I don't like it. So to star off I will post vendor pick of the starruby one and then will post my pics of both stones when I receive them in like a week, and you guys can help me decide. Thanks

 

[lexilex]

Hello there,

Do you know if any of these sapphires are mined ethically? If not you should definitely ask the vendor if they are and to have a certificate to prove it.

The industry is changing and your sapphire might not be worth much after rules and regulations are put into place and un-ethical sapphires can't be sold anymore.

Also, morally, it feels good knowing your sapphire didn't come from children digging in tunnels and in holes, and bought for almost nothing, then resold to you at very high prices.

 

[userangl28212003]

Hello there,

Do you know if any of these sapphires are mined ethically? If not you should definitely ask the vendor if they are and to have a certificate to prove it.

The industry is changing and your sapphire might not be worth much after rules and regulations are put into place and un-ethical sapphires can't be sold anymore.

Also, morally, it feels good knowing your sapphire didn't come from children digging in tunnels and in holes, and bought for almost nothing, then resold to you at very high prices.

I Know the one from blazengems is cuase he owns his own claim and finds it himself.

 

[normanintheskywithsapphires]

Hello there,

Do you know if any of these sapphires are mined ethically? If not you should definitely ask the vendor if they are and to have a certificate to prove it.

The industry is changing and your sapphire might not be worth much after rules and regulations are put into place and un-ethical sapphires can't be sold anymore.

Also, morally, it feels good knowing your sapphire didn't come from children digging in tunnels and in holes, and bought for almost nothing, then resold to you at very high prices.

Lexilex,

You should like wildfishgems. This sounds like something Ed could have written. Bleeding hearts of the world unite!

But I'm worried about your second sentence, the value of sapphires after regulations? Do you know something we don't? I doubt the new US administration will care much. And, if I understood correctly, the ban on Burma rubies did nothing to the market, or did it?

 

[lexilex]

Hello there,

Do you know if any of these sapphires are mined ethically? If not you should definitely ask the vendor if they are and to have a certificate to prove it.

The industry is changing and your sapphire might not be worth much after rules and regulations are put into place and un-ethical sapphires can't be sold anymore.

Also, morally, it feels good knowing your sapphire didn't come from children digging in tunnels and in holes, and bought for almost nothing, then resold to you at very high prices.

Lexilex,

You should like wildfishgems. This sounds like something Ed could have written. Bleeding hearts of the world unite!

But I'm worried about your second sentence, the value of sapphires after regulations? Do you know something we don't? I doubt the new US administration will care much. And, if I understood correctly, the ban on Burma rubies did nothing to the market, or did it?

Hello Norman,

Thanks for the name of wildfishgems, I will have look at them. I work in the coloured gemstone industry, and we know that a change is coming, something very similar to what happened with diamonds. It's not a good idea to buy gems that are not traceable and that aren't ethically mined ( with a certificate to prove it). When the regulations change, people will scramble to buy ethical gemstones and the ones that have no proof of being mined in a fair way, won't be worth much.

Some say that the coloured gemstone market is too complicated and complex to be regulated. But I'd rather be safe than sorry. And the new generation wants to know that what they are buying is clean so they can be guilt free.

 

[Burmesedaze]

As far as I'm aware, Burmese gemstones are still heading northwards in price and never dipped during the sanctions years.

They are still heading north!!!

 

[lexilex]

As far as I'm aware, Burmese gemstones are still heading northwards in price and never dipped during the sanctions years.

They are still heading north!!!

Hello

There is a difference between sanctions and regulations.

Remember what happened in 2010 when Obama signed the Dodd-Frank act. All the leaders from Apple, Hp, Dell... all SCRAMBLED to Africa to get conflict free Rare earth minerals. It was chaos.

Remember what happened with the Blood Diamonds.

Coloured Gemstones are next.

 

[normanintheskywithsapphires]

then it would make sense to buy gems from 'clean' countries, australia, montana, perhaps kenya or sri lanka too

 

[lexilex]

then it would make sense to buy gems from 'clean' countries, australia, montana, perhaps kenya or sri lanka too

Australia, montana perhaps. Maybe Kenya but definitely not sri lanka, most of their sapphires are actually from mines in madagascar which were illegally exported from the country without paying taxes. They actually travel to Ilakaka in Madagascar and buy stones from children for a few dollars then sell them from sri lanka at much higher prices.

The last country I would buy from is Sri Lanka.

 

[normanintheskywithsapphires]

Really? I visited Sri Lanka as a tourist, before I fell for gems that was, and the country seemed rather 'civilized' and wealthy by SEA standards. I would be more worried about Burma or Afghanistan or Congo, all Africa indeed.

 

[chrono]

I work in the coloured gemstone industry, and we know that a change is coming, something very similar to what happened with diamonds.

Lexi,
If you work in the CS industry, please change your designation to "Trade" and also know that a different set of rules apply to Trade members.

 

[normanintheskywithsapphires]

I work in the coloured gemstone industry, and we know that a change is coming, something very similar to what happened with diamonds.

I'm sure we all want to hear some details... who is 'We'' here? And how and when?

 

[lexilex]

I work in the coloured gemstone industry, and we know that a change is coming, something very similar to what happened with diamonds.

Lexi,
If you work in the CS industry, please change your designation to "Trade" and also know that a different set of rules apply to Trade members.

Hello,

I will change it to "Trade". I'm not planning on selling or advertising anything on here. But I will read the set of rules if you could direct me to them.

Thank you.

 

[lexilex]

I work in the coloured gemstone industry, and we know that a change is coming, something very similar to what happened with diamonds.

I'm sure we all want to hear some details... who is 'We'' here? And how and when?

Hello,

We, I am talking about the company I work for as well as our clients ( high level jewellery companies) and the authorities that regulate them. For example, a lot of companies and leaders of the luxury jewellery companies were at the OECD Forum on Responsible Mineral Supply Chains which took place in Paris in 2016. These sorts of events are more and more common and happening all over the world. Especially in places like the USA and Europe. The day an official regulation is passed, a lot of people will struggle to get rid of their "unethical" stock. How, it all depends and I'm speculating that it will be done a lot like the Frack-Dodd act was passed. When? Just in 1 year I have noticed the huge demand for ethical gemstones. 2 years ago not a lot of people cared ( in the high luxury brands) now there has been wind of what's coming and only those who are unprepared will struggle in the future.

 

[normanintheskywithsapphires]

I have doubts. Of course, it would be nice if consumer cared. It always is.
Yet, even if they did, it is still a long way to lawful regulation and its execution on a global level.
More importantly though, if one reads through other threads here, it seems that the industry is struggling even with the most basic ethical issues like disclosure of treatments. Brands still sell almost worthless quasi-man-made 'gems' as the real stuff at real prices. How can we expect a highly fractured trade to agree and follow through on labor laws in countries where you can still 'disappear' for the wrong comment on social media?
I do not know how well the diamond industry has actually policed itself in deep Africa but the chaos I saw on Sukhumvit Road did not look like the law and order you'd need to sort this out.
Finally, does the colored gem trade not lack the few big players, as there were in the diamond trade, to come together and decide on something?

 

[Barrett]

I think many sapphires are mined by people who have no other way of making money and feeding a family in some of the places they are found.
Lexilex, I am curious about your certificate for ethically mined sapphires. I didn't know a cert. existed.
So you ask for a certificate that just so happens to say what exactly?
"No kids were harmed in the mining of these sapphires"?
A certificate for ethically mined sapphires sounds like the ole "comes with a certificate of authenticity" shenanigans.
Is it not the same as the ole marketing gimmick ...
"Well, I don't need a lab report for this gemstone I just bought, the shopping channel gives me a "certificate of authenticity, and that is proof enough for me"??

Where are sapphires not ethically mined?

 

[MJ_Mac]

Hey guys, I'm not trying to play net nanny, but you've hijacked the OP's thread which is not considered polite. Maybe a new thread talking about ethical mining should be started and let this one be about userangl28212003's pad sapphire.

 

[Barrett]

Yes, I agree Poodle. I opened this thread yesterday hoping to see some pretty orange and pink goodness and the second post down was totally off kilter and not on level with what the OP started. I found it slightly caustic and off putting. .
I did write a somewhat abrasive retort of my own at first, as I have been known to do , but deleted most of it and just left some open questions to see what Lexi had to say.

Back to the Pad!!!

 

[Barrett]

I would chose the best colored one. Size matters, but color does more in the end. That is unless you plan on doing a special project or piece that needs a bigger stone.
Your blazengems stone is a piece of rough that you sourced, or that they did???
They are from Montana?

 

[userangl28212003]

Hi thanks guys. I gave up on this thread and started a new one with new pics. It the I'm in love with my pad one down below

 

[lexilex]

I have doubts. Of course, it would be nice if consumer cared. It always is.
Yet, even if they did, it is still a long way to lawful regulation and its execution on a global level.
More importantly though, if one reads through other threads here, it seems that the industry is struggling even with the most basic ethical issues like disclosure of treatments. Brands still sell almost worthless quasi-man-made 'gems' as the real stuff at real prices. How can we expect a highly fractured trade to agree and follow through on labor laws in countries where you can still 'disappear' for the wrong comment on social media?
I do not know how well the diamond industry has actually policed itself in deep Africa but the chaos I saw on Sukhumvit Road did not look like the law and order you'd need to sort this out.
Finally, does the colored gem trade not lack the few big players, as there were in the diamond trade, to come together and decide on something?

If the industry is struggling with the most basic ethical issues it's because companies are not willing to be open and honest with the way they do things. If you have complete transparency and are certified by actual government organisations ( European or American ) than there is no way that you can cheat your customers since everything you do is checked and rechecked.

The brands that sell those fake gems are those which do not put in place control mechanisms and independent certification organisations.

I don't expect the trade will agree or even accept such laws. They will do anything in their power to make the movement for ethical gemstones stop , even as you say make people "disappear". But there will be companies out there that decide to do things the right way, and who have already started purchasing completely ethical gems. And I know some of them are the biggest luxury brands in the world. Once these companies make it public that their gems are ethical, and they can prove it ( because they have done their due diligence) , dishonest companies will only be able to do business with dishonest wholesalers. And all this on a small scale and illegally.

 

[lexilex]

I think many sapphires are mined by people who have no other way of making money and feeding a family in some of the places they are found.
Lexilex, I am curious about your certificate for ethically mined sapphires. I didn't know a cert. existed.
So you ask for a certificate that just so happens to say what exactly?
"No kids were harmed in the mining of these sapphires"?
A certificate for ethically mined sapphires sounds like the ole "comes with a certificate of authenticity" shenanigans.
Is it not the same as the ole marketing gimmick ..
"Well, I don't need a lab report for this gemstone I just bought, the shopping channel gives me a "certificate of authenticity, and that is proof enough for me"??

Where are sapphires not ethically mined?

Barrett,

1. Many sapphires are mined by people who are being taken advantage of. These people don't know what the gems are actually worth on the international market and they get screwed over by people coming in and buying those stones for the price of a Big Mac. Sapphires that are mined ethically must be mined by a company, who pay their employees, take care of them in case of injury, provide training so they can advance in their careers, and much more. Having children going down dark tunnels (that sometimes collapse on them) with no air and retrieving gemstones that they then sell for almost nothing, is downright disgusting. It's our duty to at least THINK about these things.

2. A few mining companies are now providing their own certificates which are endorsed by independent recognized organisations. The certificate is like a passport if you will. Picture, ID, size, weight and more. It says where it was mined, by who and when. It's not a marketing gimmick, it's doing the right thing and being able to sleep at night knowing that what you're selling didn't involve a child suffering and people being taken advantage of.

3. Doesn't a certificate of authenticity, certify that you indeed have a sapphire, or a ruby or an emerald in your hands? I don't believe it states the ID of the stone and traces it back all the way to the mine site it was extracted from and on what day.

Sapphires are ethically mined nowhere except in first world countries. I know of a few companies in third world countries and they are really doing a fantastic job. But 99% of sapphires ( and other gemstones) on the international market are dirty and come from suffering. People can now decide to conveniently ignore the matter, or they can do something about it by buying from the right places.

 

[lexilex]

Yes, I agree Poodle. I opened this thread yesterday hoping to see some pretty orange and pink goodness and the second post down was totally off kilter and not on level with what the OP started. I found it slightly caustic and off putting. .
I did write a somewhat abrasive retort of my own at first, as I have been known to do , but deleted most of it and just left some open questions to see what Lexi had to say.

Back to the Pad!!!

Off Kilter ? How exactly since I'm asking a question about her sapphire.

Talking about doing the right thing and not taking advantage of children in mines is " off putting" and "caustic"? I disagree with you, but hey, as long as your own kids aren't in those tunnels risking their lives, that's all that matters right?

Over and out.