Query from an "artisanal" Miner who's a neophyte to the Online/By mail CS marketplace...

[BlackRockWarlock]

Good Afternoon (EST)

If someone has a better location for this type of inquiry, I will heed any advice or critiques of it's placement or propriety.

I currently possess highly desired stones in uncommon sizes, colors and shapes - forgive the lack of specific detail AT THIS TIME, as it would stand to create curious dialogue in what ought to be explicit areas of discourse.

My question, as an outsider with "the goods" is:

If a miner freely states they have AN EXCLUSIVELY HAND MINED inventory, no regulations or corporate oversight, resided in a convenient geographic location from which to dispense said goods, has ABSOLUTELY NO QUALMS or restraints surrounding acquisition, returns, certifications or the like (as is commonplace throughout the entire community) and could offer terms on a literal case by case basis along with no fear or desire to offer subpar or spurious rough gems to those seeking them - What kinds of questions would the obviously well-informed and capable potential buyers have of them - if they expressed a desire to satisfy them to the fullest of their capability, free of pretense and hubris.

The brevity of this post is only due to the many tangents it could meander onto - not from a lack of excitement to share a bounty of seldom-seen pretty things from the Earth.

THANK YOU IMMENSELY for providing an avenue to (hopefully) clearer understanding of procedures/guidelines/consumer courtesy.

-B

 

[Rfisher]

I like how you pointed out the brevity you chose to use in this post.



best wishes on your endeavor.

 

[Mrsz1ppy]

TL/dr:
you have top shelf material and want to know how to sell it

answer: gain your customer’s trust

 

[minousbijoux]

TL/dr:
you have top shelf material and want to know how to sell it

answer: gain your customer’s trust

Agree. And look around at all your online competitors who do it well and are highly respected. Follow their practices.

 

[BlackRockWarlock]

TL/dr:
you have top shelf material and want to know how to sell it

answer: gain your customer’s trust

I don't know you, but I respect your candor...is it bad form to completely erase my post and just adopt yours?

 

[kenny]

Just a few thoughts on something I know nothing about ...

* Research, study, and compare everything on all the gem-selling websites that will become your competition.
* Contact Pricescope admin by clicking CONTACT US at the bottom this screen.
* Tell them you are considering becoming a trade member, so does that mean you need add a trade banner to your profile here?

* Photograph your stones, if you don't have the skill (VERY important) and very good gear, a DSLR or mirrorless camera body Nikon/Canon/Sony are top choices, true macro lens with extension tubes or bellows, tripod, lighting and some kind of light tent to prevent the environment from appearing in gem reflections, pay a real gem macro photographer to do it.
* You can't sell gems on Pricescope so set up an Internet account on a site for selling gems, maybe eBay? Instagram? Etsy? Loupetroop?

* And/or set up your own professional website with your gems.
* Decide which kind of vendor you want to be, one doing this as a hobby on the side selling only gems you have personally mined and polished, or a retailer who gets inventory from wholesalers - or both.
* If you want to buy gems wholesale I have no idea how to make contacts and get that started, but that's a level where I'd recommend getting a degree, or at least taking corses on business, sales, retail, wholesale etc.
* IMO more discriminating customers will want grading reports from the top labs, AGS, GIA in the US.
*Learn about dealing with the public, customers can be difficult to deal with, and customers vary widely.

* @jordyonbass is a poster here who started a business polishing and selling opals.
Perhaps he'd be willing to share some lessons learned/expertise.
But since this is his business, perhaps such info is proprietary.
I'd totally respect if Jordy doesn't reply.
And Jordy, if naming you here was inappropriate I apologize.

Good luck.

 

[Karl_K]

a: I'm not calling you a scammer but your pitch sounds just like one scammers have been using.
b: "ABSOLUTELY NO QUALMS or restraints surrounding acquisition," That sound like a way to get a quick invite to club fed for both the buyer and seller.
Many gemstones are under some restrictions based on source and location and transport route. This ranges from taxes to outright bans. Heavy fines and long jail terms are possible.

That would be the #1 thing, learn how to stay out of club fed and how to not sound like a scammer.

 

[kenny]

a: I'm not calling you a scammer but your pitch sounds just like one scammers have been using.
b: "ABSOLUTELY NO QUALMS or restraints surrounding acquisition," That sound like a way to get a quick invite to club fed for both the buyer and seller.
Many gemstones are under some restrictions based on source and location and transport route. This ranges from taxes to outright bans. Heavy fines and long jail terms are possible.

That would be the #1 thing, learn how to stay out of club fed and how to not sound like a scammer.

I'm glad Karl wrote this.

The way you write and come across also alerted my radar for possible scammer.
If you are (I'm not accusing you) Pricescope admin and members have zero-tolerance for all that stuff, and nip spam and scammers in the bud.

Either way, I recommend you read again the Forum Policies you agreed to follow when registering.
They're at the very bottom this screen.

 

[Ibrakeforpossums]

Alarming. Why does this sound like the Nigerian prince in the emails?

 

[marymm]

If you want potential customers to trust you and your wares, obtain certificates on your goods from reputable independent laboratories such as GIA (www.gia.edu) and American Gemological Laboratories (www.aglgemlab.com).

Take and post good quality photos and videos of the stones from different angles and in various lighting conditions.

List carat weight, dimensions, clarity/inclusions, treatment, provenance/origin if known.

Transparent and fair market pricing.

Maintain customer service policies such as responsive to inquiries, reasonable return policy, safe secure packaging and shipping, consumer-friendly website kept current with inventory and vendor policies.

OP, I am posting here as if your question is genuine, but my spidey sense tells me anyone in the industry (such as a miner) who is in a legitimate position to have highly desirable stones available to sell would already know how/where to sell ...

 

[Bron357]

To sell anything you need buyers to trust you.
Trust is only obtained by time passing and a track record of satisfied customers.
To attract buyers you need a website or a sales venue ie eBay or Etsy together with a secure (for the buyer) payment method.
Buyers expect good, accurate photos. In most cases they expect reputable lab reports for the gems. They also expect to be able to easily return the gem if it isn’t to their liking for a full refund (less shipping costs). The better the photos and the better the lab report the less likely the need for returns will be.
If you are a miner you might be better off approaching jewellery designers than retail buyers. Most ordinary buyers, Pricescope aside, have little interest or have the confidence to buy loose gemstones from a miner.

 

[kenny]

... I currently possess highly desired stones in uncommon sizes, colors and shapes ...

Since you're seeking advice, it might help us if you describe examples of exactly what you have.
Diamond, ruby, sapphire, emerald, alexandrite, or lower-priced gems?

FWIW I will only buy a fancy colored diamond if it has a report from GIA stating the material AND the color are both of natural origin.

 

[BlackRockWarlock]

Agree. And look around at all your online competitors who do it well and are highly respected. Follow their practices.

Thank you for your suggestion.

 

[BlackRockWarlock]

Just a few thoughts on something I know nothing about ...

* Research, study, and compare everything on all the gem-selling websites that will become your competition.
* Contact Pricescope admin by clicking CONTACT US at the bottom this screen.
* Tell them you are considering becoming a trade member, so does that mean you need add a trade banner to your profile here?

* Photograph your stones, if you don't have the skill (VERY important) and very good gear, a DSLR or mirrorless camera body Nikon/Canon/Sony are top choices, true macro lens with extension tubes or bellows, tripod, lighting and some kind of light tent to prevent the environment from appearing in gem reflections, pay a real gem macro photographer to do it.
* You can't sell gems on Pricescope so set up an Internet account on a site for selling gems, maybe eBay? Instagram? Etsy? Loupetroop?

* And/or set up your own professional website with your gems.
* Decide which kind of vendor you want to be, one doing this as a hobby on the side selling only gems you have personally mined and polished, or a retailer who gets inventory from wholesalers - or both.
* If you want to buy gems wholesale I have no idea how to make contacts and get that started, but that's a level where I'd recommend getting a degree, or at least taking corses on business, sales, retail, wholesale etc.
* IMO more discriminating customers will want grading reports from the top labs, AGS, GIA in the US.
*Learn about dealing with the public, customers can be difficult to deal with, and customers vary widely.

* @jordyonbass is a poster here who started a business polishing and selling opals.
Perhaps he'd be willing to share some lessons learned/expertise.
But since this is his business, perhaps such info is proprietary.
I'd totally respect if Jordy doesn't reply.
And Jordy, if naming you here was inappropriate I apologize.

Good luck.

Your comment is chock-full of useful information which substantiates your obvious experience and a generous (and unexpected) offering of relevant and necessary practices, and some things in the margins -I genuinely do understand that you didn't have to impart anything to a "newbie" - I've spent the last 3 years learning/collecting and observing while waiting for "approval" to discuss any sort of monetary compensation.

I, in turn, would be happy to give you a personal insight into an gem "anomaly", which has only been previously discussed with proper legal/local channels, and personal acquaintances - if you'd care to hear about it - at your leisure.

I have created an Instagram page on which to display my "curiosities", I'm happy to share it with you if you use the platform.

-B

 

[BlackRockWarlock]

a: I'm not calling you a scammer but your pitch sounds just like one scammers have been using.
b: "ABSOLUTELY NO QUALMS or restraints surrounding acquisition," That sound like a way to get a quick invite to club fed for both the buyer and seller.
Many gemstones are under some restrictions based on source and location and transport route. This ranges from taxes to outright bans. Heavy fines and long jail terms are possible.

That would be the #1 thing, learn how to stay out of club fed and how to not sound like a scammer.

Karl,
Admittedly,my "pitch" was more of an ill-worded and nervous specific inquiry which should have been stated differently - I was definitely being furtive, not quite predatory in my eyes.

"What types of things people would require, or request-within reason- from a U.S. based, customer-service oriented and heretofore unverified seller with some pretty hefty claims and a diverse and abundant "inventory" , who is operating within all of his state and federal regulations?"

To your credit, concern "B" you cited was indeed poorly stated - it should have stated:

"I am aware that international and governmental regulations, weeks of waiting and a danger of scamming can make receiving certain colored stones for direct observation prior to cutting or further evaluation by a buyers' preferred parties quite tedious. I have no set rules, requirements, or qualms on shipping quickly and efficiently for the purpose of verification, nor would I be opposed to direct conversation with interested persons"

That being said, I said I was a neophyte to the "arena of online selling", as it were -not a dude who has family in Ilkaka, visited once and decided to start embedding gems in local crafts as to evade customs, and have them subsequently extracted and passed onto a shifty friend from the Bronx who has a connection in the Diamond District - might make a good movie though...

Thank you for your advice.

 

[BlackRockWarlock]

I'm glad Karl wrote this.

The way you write and come across also alerted my radar for possible scammer.
If you are (I'm not accusing you) Pricescope admin and members have zero-tolerance for all that stuff, and nip spam and scammers in the bud.

Either way, I recommend you read again the Forum Policies you agreed to follow when registering.
They're at the very bottom this screen.

And I'm glad you were not afraid to confirm your suspicions, correct or not.

To be honest, I posted online here FIRST deliberately. I observed many forums with a lack of oversight, specific knowledge, or people with any actual direct involvement in the industry, I knew once I "cast my pearls", it wouldn't be in front of swine.

I hadn't explicitly read the policies, as I planned on not engaging in any malicious activity, but certain policies have their grey areas, so I have now. Again, Thanks Kenny.

-B

 

[BlackRockWarlock]

Alarming. Why does this sound like the Nigerian prince in the emails?

Dear Most Esteemed Friend and blessed Confidante!
(my rendition of the Nigerian prince introduction)

I think you might feel that way because of the -

"I've got something you can't believe, and I can get it to you in short order... seriously though!" - kinda vibe?

I value my privacy, but if it suits you let me know what medium you'd prefer and I'll send you a picture of a poorly drawn possum adjacent to a few of my stones.

-B

 

[BlackRockWarlock]

If you want potential customers to trust you and your wares, obtain certificates on your goods from reputable independent laboratories such as GIA (www.gia.edu) and American Gemological Laboratories (www.aglgemlab.com).

Take and post good quality photos and videos of the stones from different angles and in various lighting conditions.

List carat weight, dimensions, clarity/inclusions, treatment, provenance/origin if known.

Transparent and fair market pricing.

Maintain customer service policies such as responsive to inquiries, reasonable return policy, safe secure packaging and shipping, consumer-friendly website kept current with inventory and vendor policies.

OP, I am posting here as if your question is genuine, but my spidey sense tells me anyone in the industry (such as a miner) who is in a legitimate position to have highly desirable stones available to sell would already know how/where to sell ...

"Mary",

Thank you for your substantive comment. I had, by design, omitted several aspects of my situation due to necessity, leading to peoples' skepticism.

Unbeknownst to you, I have every intention of providing what you suggest is requisite behavior, and, when possible, a level of convenience and buyer security without equal.

Thank you again for being VERY honest in your last paragraph, as it implores me to offer you the same courtesy in regards to one of your finer points specifically - as it will serve as a barometer for me as well:

You mention treatments/provenance - no treatments have been rendered, not on a single stone, even those with widely applied and accepted treatments, such as occurs with Blue sapphire, Ruby and Zircon, etc. (all stones I possess)

My biggest quandary is on provenance - I can tell you where...85% of my stones were retrieved from within +/- 10 yards because I did it. Yes, literally 30 feet, which, though "preposterous" to almost all readers, isn't as much of a determining factor on their uniqueness as is the locality - so much so that most of my hesitation in selling is that if a buyer wants to know where it's from - I can prove it to them without fail - but it's going to irrefutably affect the value - hence the "vacillation".

You have good spidey senses - one thing I've said since I started the journey to legitimize these finds, and after having done so is that "If I told you the truth about it, and you didn't immediately find it preposterous, then I would be wary of your ability to discern what does and does not seem logical"

-B

 

[BlackRockWarlock]

To sell anything you need buyers to trust you.
Trust is only obtained by time passing and a track record of satisfied customers.
To attract buyers you need a website or a sales venue ie eBay or Etsy together with a secure (for the buyer) payment method.
Buyers expect good, accurate photos. In most cases they expect reputable lab reports for the gems. They also expect to be able to easily return the gem if it isn’t to their liking for a full refund (less shipping costs). The better the photos and the better the lab report the less likely the need for returns will be.
If you are a miner you might be better off approaching jewellery designers than retail buyers. Most ordinary buyers, Pricescope aside, have little interest or have the confidence to buy loose gemstones from a miner.

Bron,
Thank you very much for your accurate and specific comments.

As I indicated in another response, I'm very much interested in providing a level of ease to the buyer, as well as providing the buyer THEIR medium of monetary transaction choice, shipping, and whatever else instills confidence.

To be honest, I sought out Pricescope in the way that a farmer of truffles wouldn't dare go to an Applebees' distribution center to display his wares, and I would trust that most people would buy loose gemstones from a miner if they could speak to him personally, have whatever visual depictions desired and stood to lose nothing financially, outside of shipping costs, which are negligible...

But I may be wrong. Again, TY.

-B

 

[BlackRockWarlock]

Since you're seeking advice, it might help us if you describe examples of exactly what you have.
Diamond, ruby, sapphire, emerald, alexandrite, or lower-priced gems?

FWIW I will only buy a fancy colored diamond if it has a report from GIA stating the material AND the color are both of natural origin.

Thank you for asking this - I may not disclose info freely, but I will also not hesitate to answer direct questions without ancillary complications.

Zircon, Sapphire (yes, even parti, padarascha and bicolor), Spinel, Chrysoberyl, Ruby, Topaz, some other associated minerals all of course 7+ on the Mohs, as dictated by their deposition...and one or two species which, though fully examined and bearing requisite characteristics, I dare not type out before having them hand/instrument checked by a single party.

You can't fake inclusions, and there are tell-tale signs of manipulation for everything, including CVD diamonds now -hence my desire to leave the stones in their most raw forms.

Thank you for your viewpoints, Kenny.

-B

 

[Ibrakeforpossums]

Dear Most Esteemed Friend and blessed Confidante!
(my rendition of the Nigerian prince introduction)

I think you might feel that way because of the -

"I've got something you can't believe, and I can get it to you in short order... seriously though!" - kinda vibe?

I value my privacy, but if it suits you let me know what medium you'd prefer and I'll send you a picture of a poorly drawn possum adjacent to a few of my stones.

-B

You are correct, sir.
I will watch this from a distance with great interest.

 

[BlackRockWarlock]

Forgive the delay in attending to this forum and any responses I missed.

Propriety dictates that I should share an image of the subject at hand, for people's time and advice rendered... the "non-specific" picture was taken at around 5:00 p.m. on the most recent sunny day here in Boston Massachusetts.

Any subsequent ridicule, comments, or questions can be directed to my inbox for non-commercial purposes, as per the rules of the forum, as I'll be notified via email.

Thanks,
B

 

[pearlsngems]

There is no private messaging on Pricescope.

 

[pokerface]

".85% of my stones were retrieved from within +/- 10 yards because I did it..."

When sourcing top shelf material, make sure to stick to your own walkways and garden!

 

[lovedogs]

.....those are pebbles. I am so confused

 

[Gloria27]

 

[Autumn in New England]

I would have bet my life you were international... I've never heard anyone from Boston speak like you! And I don't mean that as an insult to you (more of an insult to us). We just tend to be a little less formal in our vernacular. lol Anyway, from what I can tell, the majority of the stones in the pic you shared are quartz. Hey, I love quartz, so no judgment here. I'm just not hopeful that they will be facet grade and salable, you know? These stones are probably more useful as decorative objects, rather than for cutting and selling. I have a whole bunch of sea glass from Vladivostok that I display in my guest bath (and love). But you have some pretty rose material there!

 

[dk168]

.....those are pebbles. I am so confused

That's what I thought too - bags of them available from the gardening section of my local DIY shops!

DK

 

[pokerface]

I joke, but the reality here is probably not so funny. This thread had enough red flags that it should have been closed before we got to the photo. Best wishes to OP.

 

[VividRed]

Ok, so every toddler in the history of mankind is an artisanal miner. I knew was daughter was onto something…