Price for 4ct pink tourmaline

[Roselina]

I have been hunting for a pink tourmaline step cut stone for a while and have finally spotted one. 4ct, beautiful colour, looks very good to the eye. However, they are asking USD 4000 and it’s a bit much for my budget. It is set in a diamond halo, which I don’t fancy, so I would also pay for a new setting. Do you think the price is worth it? I couldn’t find anything else so far…

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Noooooooooo

I suspect much of the cost you’ve been quoted is in the setting so if you don’t want the setting, why pay thousands for it?

Is this a brick and mortar store or over the internet?

 

[Mreader]

That sounds insanely expensive

 

[Roselina]

Thank you! I thought so… no, it is a reputable jewellery store and they sell second hand pieces. Would you by any chance know where I could look?

 

[Mreader]

Finewater, Jeff White, Precision, Premier Gemstones - lots of vendors mentioned in the colored stones forum. If you already have a setting in mind it is probably best to search for a loose stone

 

[fredflintstone]

You’re always going to pay much more at a brick & mortar jewelry store. They have big overhead to cover.

The best thing is to buy a stone separately from the internet, from a colored gemstone dealer, not a jeweler. Jewelers typically markup stone price 3 to 7 times what they paid for it. Then see if you like the stone once you have it and if you do, then buy the mount. You can $$$$ doing it this way.

Though there are very good dealers in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand for Tourmaline, there are also ones that are like pulling teeth trying to get a refund, unless they invoice you through PayPal and even then many will try to talk you into a partial refund or an stone exchange. Then you must worry about sending the stone back and it not getting lost in the shipping process or confiscated through customs. You must be very careful about what you declare the stone's as and its worth or some countries customs will keep the stone if not declared right for their customs, then it is lost for good. Always ask the dealer how to declare a stone for customs and its worth, always.



I'd suggest paying a little more and buy from an American dealer who will invoice you through PayPal. Protection and security.

 

[Roselina]

Thank you all very much for your inputs! I’m glad!

 

[T L]

Noo! Many pink tourmaline are irradiated to enhance color as well, and the treatment isn’t detectable, so only buy from a vendor that knows their source well. I certainly wouldn’t pay $1K/carat for a stone that you didn’t know anything about treatment-wise. Also, does it color shift to a less desirable color in some lighting?