Some help with some stones. Eye candy included.

[Shijitake]

Hello all, I was wondering if I could get a little help on deciding on some gems. I'm at the Gem Rock Fossil show in NJ and found a few nice things that I'm thinking about getting and could really use some help.

Firs one is a Montana Padparadscha sapphire. It seems to have a bit of a window but it it's a very pretty color and the guy is willing to give it to me for $350 (it's 400). What do you think? Does it have a window? Is it worth it?


Next is a jade ring. I mostly like the jade and don't care for the setting. The seller said it's real jadeite and the stones around it are diamonds but a couple weren't diamonds. It's 700 but he did his seller thing (felt like I was watching an infomercial) and said he would give me a special price of $300. Could it really be untreated jadeite for that price?


Thanks in advance!

 

[Shijitake]

Eye candy. They are all MUCH prettier irl. Thinking of buying those fire opals. And also the white opals.


Fire opals

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

I think the pad is really pretty. The window doesn't look that noticeable in the box imo.

How big is it? Does it go brown?

The jade I have no idea.... could be anything.

Does it have any inclusions, clouds? Or is it one uniform bright green?

Can you loupe it?

 

[T L]

I wouldn’t buy the sapphire because you don’t know the treatment, same goes for the jade. The white opal doesn’t look to have much color play, and neither do the pair. ???

 

[Bron357]

I like the sapphire but is it treated? If not it’s a good price but if it’s heated and BE treated, not a good price!
The jade ring - run. That screams “fake” to me, besides no one sells a real natural A grade jade, diamonds and real gold ring for $300. No one. More likely its a $50 dyed filled jade composite with CZ or Moissanite in a gold plated setting.
I love the Tourmaline crystal as a specimen.
The opals are blah, seen nicer on eBay!
I think what you have to realize that people can and will try and sell you anything. Unless you really know your stuff and values and/ or have proper lab reports, you are unlikely to be buying any “bargains”. The real bargains, if any, would have been snapped up by 9.30am the first day.

 

[Shijitake]

Thanks for the replies!
Good question @mellowyellowgirl. Doesn't look too brown, not indoors, and not to my untrained eyes. I don't remember if it's been treated, I think he said it wasnt. I think it's maybe 4 or 5 mm? Good call on the loupe. I'll bring mine today. The seller is S&S Inc. if that helps. He's got looots of beautiful stones. Rubies that GLOW and I can't afford.

@T L the opals have beautiful blues and greens, they just don't show well on the picture. I'm try again today. Seems only the fire opals showed up well.

Those are 150 btw.Good price you think?

@Bron357 yeah I think I'll stay away from the jade. Unless they're selling it for so little because it's such a tacky setting and it's not selling.

 

[Shijitake]

Eye candy from the show from 6 years ago. Isn't it lovely? This pic doesn't do it justice. My camera is awful.

 

[T L]

Well if you love the opals, I think $150 is reasonable. Yes opals can be difficult to photograph properly.

 

[Shijitake]

So I took some pictures of the pad in the sun. Does it look brown?


Also, the opals. These are the best I could take and I edited them to bring out the color more, but really, those blues are much more vivid and gorgeous.



The seller for this tourmaline offered $600.

 

[Shijitake]

I don't know why this pic didn't show up but here's another pic of the pad in the sun.


Here's another opal I'm thinking of.
It's huge. 3.5 carats for $350. soo much color.

Any feedback on these would be appreciated! I bought the fire opal. I love it!

Also, more eye candy.

 

[Shijitake]

This unbelieavable sapphire is UNHEATED! $5500


Heated sapphire. Gorgeous color.

 

[Shijitake]

This is the most accurate color rep.

$17000 pad!!

 

[T L]

I highly recommend that when looking at translucent opals, you take them out of the box. Off the black background, you’d be amazed how different they look if you do that. The same goes for rainbow or blue sheen moonstones.

Don’t buy any expensive sapphire or ruby without a reputable full lab report, especially at a gem show. I learned that the hard way. You often cannot find these vendors until they come back to the next show, if they come back.

 

[lovedogs]

Omfg that heated sapphire is my dream color. I'm all about color, and don't care about heat (or even other treatments as long as the price is fair). And I think the pinfire opal is amazing.

 

[Shijitake]

Ok, somehow I skipped the paraiba I'm interested in. It's almost .25 carats, brazilian, about 4 mm. $350. He said these are hard to come by. It's small but more affordable than the one Cecile Raley has that I want. Does that sound like a fair price?
.

 

[T L]

Is that an accurate color for the paraiba?

 

[Shijitake]

I highly recommend that when looking at translucent opals, you take them out of the box. Off the black background, you’d be amazed how different they look if you do that. The same goes for rainbow or blue sheen moonstones.

Don’t buy any expensive sapphire or ruby without a reputable full lab report, especially at a gem show. I learned that the hard way. You often cannot find these vendors until they come back to the next show, if they come back.

I'm only interested in that Montana pad. I don't have the money for any real good ones :/ The pad's looking kinda brown in the sun though. Or dark orange? Maybe if he drops the price some more tomorrow. I bothered them 3 times about it already XD Same with the opals.

Also the paraiba is a lot more blue, a lot deeper too. Looks more like that big blue zircon. (reuploaded for your convenience)

 

[voce]

I would personally go for the paraiba. That pad is too saturated and brownish, and not pink enough for a lab to call it a pad.

You can get whatever thrills you, but the fact that you are asking us regarding the Montana pad means it's not a stone that thrills you no matter what we would say about it.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

I think the pad is kinda looking brown in that light. I personally would want more pink.

In the later pics it's kinda looking like an orangey garnet I gave my sister.

Are you getting the 3.5 ct opal??? It's gorgeous if what you posted is what you're seeing!!!!!

 

[Bron357]

I really like the round opal. Much better colour. The more of the surface that shows colour the better and put in against your skin and find some normal lighting. That’s the test.
I love the faceted Paraiba (not the cabochon ones) it’s wee but a lovely vivid colour.
I’d snap that up!
And I love love the blue zircon, pricey, but so lovely. I read somewhere (?) that blue zircon is “the next big thing”.

 

[Shijitake]

Thank you all for the help! I was mulling over these yesterday wondering if I should be bad and drop all the money I have On all of them. I know these pics are underwhelming, but these stones are much more lively irl. The pad shines brightly indoors which is how it caught my eyes. I was doubtful because it seems to have a bit of a window.

Funny story, after looking at the paraiba, I told the seller to hide it back in the shadows of the corner it was in so it would still be there today. It caught my eye even though it was hiding. I forgot to ask about it on Friday and came back yesterday remembering its glow. I'll be snatching it up today.

Yes that opal is as beautiful as it is in the pic if not moreso. I bought the fire opals and then it caught my eyes. She said the price is approximate so I'll see if I can get it a tad lower. Bribing with cash helps, lol.

All these stones are among thousands there, and these are the ones I felt worth stopping and photographing. And if that's truly the case with blue zircon maybe I should find a decently priced one before prices go up

 

[T L]

Blue zircon is still a readily available gem. You have to be careful with them however as they easily get facet abrasions. I would go for a smaller well cut one vs. a huge poorly cut one. Many are cut super deep, sacrificing face up size.

 

[lovedogs]

Mastercut gems has much better zircons for more reasonable prices.

 

[voce]

I love the 7mm (2 ct) blue zircon that I purchased from Litnon/GLI. It was only $90 and a fantastic blue color. I'd show you, but I sent it over to Ivy and Rose to set.

 

[voce]

Keep drifting back to that paraiba beauty. You should set that in a stacker!

 

[Sungura]

This is the most accurate color rep.

$17000 pad!!

I saw that pad on Thursday. Prettier in person.

 

[Shijitake]

I snatched the paraiba. Seems my memory didn't serve me well. It's lighter than the zircon but not as light as in the previous pics. Looks more like a blue topaz. These are more accurate. As far as setting it.... no idea yet. It would steal the show in a stacker XD

This is the opal from the previous pics, along with another opal. Great news! It's $240. Although it's a little yellower than I'd like, so I found a similar one with a clearer matrix. That one has a "bald spot" though. small, but still bothers me a bit. Along with them is a much larger opal, transparent and just as good color play. It's my ideal, but it's $550 He said I can do a layaway but I don't know if I should. These pictures are worse than I thought. Sorry. Is yellowish ok in the matrix or transparency is more desirable?

 

[Shijitake]

It's difficult uploading pictures because of the limit, even when I delete pictures it won't let me add more.


More of the opals with the big one

 

[Shijitake]

Mexican opal earrings that I'm thinking about $200. You were right, Bron. I don't know why I didn't think of taking the opals out but the colors in the marquis pair disappeared in the air and my hands


More eye candy

 

[lovedogs]

ahhhh that water (contra luz) opal is TDF