Wanna 57,500 carat emerald?

[T L]

Well, at least I know I'm not getting ripped off by bidding on these big giant green dyed chunks. At least the silver is worth something.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GIANT-EMERALD-SILVER-NECKLACE-19-R6025-/390384127914?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5ae4b50faa#ht_3236wt_1037

See, for costume jewelry I have no problem with treatments.

Here's an interesting interview, he's a lot more forthcoming about the possibility of it being white beryl, and GIA gives their 2 cents:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2092514/Worlds-Largest-Emerald-worth-1-2-million-emerald-all.html

LMAO at that article. They have it displayed like its something valuable, and its not. The faceting on it is ridiculous as the stone has very poor luster, and it isn't transparent, or even translucent to my eye. What a joke, and I feel sorry for the poor bloke that is going to buy that thinking he got some gem.

Even the comments in that article are hilarious, and show that laypeople know he difference between a nice gem, and that monstrosity.

 

[maplefemme]

Well, at least I know I'm not getting ripped off by bidding on these big giant green dyed chunks. At least the silver is worth something.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GIANT-EMERALD-SILVER-NECKLACE-19-R6025-/390384127914?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5ae4b50faa#ht_3236wt_1037

See, for costume jewelry I have no problem with treatments.

Here's an interesting interview, he's a lot more forthcoming about the possibility of it being white beryl, and GIA gives their 2 cents:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2092514/Worlds-Largest-Emerald-worth-1-2-million-emerald-all.html

LMAO at that article. They have it displayed like its something valuable, and its not. The faceting on it is ridiculous as the stone has very poor luster, and it isn't transparent, or even translucent to my eye. What a joke, and I feel sorry for the poor bloke that is going to buy that thinking he got some gem.

Even the comments in that article are hilarious, and show that laypeople know he difference between a nice gem, and that monstrosity.

It never sold and the owner was arrested on multiple outstanding warrants for fraud this morning, before the auction opened!

 

[T L]

Well, at least I know I'm not getting ripped off by bidding on these big giant green dyed chunks. At least the silver is worth something.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GIANT-EMERALD-SILVER-NECKLACE-19-R6025-/390384127914?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5ae4b50faa#ht_3236wt_1037

See, for costume jewelry I have no problem with treatments.

Here's an interesting interview, he's a lot more forthcoming about the possibility of it being white beryl, and GIA gives their 2 cents:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2092514/Worlds-Largest-Emerald-worth-1-2-million-emerald-all.html

LMAO at that article. They have it displayed like its something valuable, and its not. The faceting on it is ridiculous as the stone has very poor luster, and it isn't transparent, or even translucent to my eye. What a joke, and I feel sorry for the poor bloke that is going to buy that thinking he got some gem.

Even the comments in that article are hilarious, and show that laypeople know he difference between a nice gem, and that monstrosity.

It never sold and the owner was arrested on multiple outstanding warrants for fraud this morning, before the auction opened!

 

[maplefemme]

Karma, right, TL

 

[Barrett]

Wait, so the owner..the guy from Calgary...got arrested for trying to sell it? It didn't sell at auction? Please, more details

Edit:
Here found it
http://www.globaltvbc.com/giant+emerald+fails+to+sell+after+owner+arrested+ahead+of+auction/6442569049/story.html

 

[kenny]

OMG!

 

[daintyG]

i wasn't paying attention and thought this was going to be a 57,500 Emerald-Cut diamond. wah-wah-waaaaaah. disappointed. but very interesting thread anyway!!

 

[chrono]

Geez....like the "owner" doesn't think people are going to want more information/testing/details on something that is supposedly going to sell for over 1 million.

 

[maplefemme]

Geez....like the "owner" doesn't think people are going to want more information/testing/details on something that is supposedly going to sell for over 1 million.

Here's the original listing for it on Ebay a few weeks ago before Reaney bought it from them privately...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/270881937223?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

 

[T L]

Geez....like the "owner" doesn't think people are going to want more information/testing/details on something that is supposedly going to sell for over 1 million.

Here's the original listing for it on Ebay a few weeks ago before Reaney bought it from them privately...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/270881937223?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Wow, Reaney got taken to town. . . and it's supposed to be worth a million now???

I want to keep this listing around for posterity, here it is in a photo.

 

[maplefemme]

Geez....like the "owner" doesn't think people are going to want more information/testing/details on something that is supposedly going to sell for over 1 million.

Here's the original listing for it on Ebay a few weeks ago before Reaney bought it from them privately...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/270881937223?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Wow, Reaney got taken to town. . . and it's supposed to be worth a million now???

I want to keep this listing around for posterity, here it is in a photo.

I recall hearing he negotiated for it...still got hosed IMO. Look, the same seller has a mini-me version:

http://cgi.ebay.in/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250981503565#ht_5579wt_907

All joking aside, I'm really disappointed in Jeff, the GG here in Calgary who appraised this, a total lack of ethics on his behalf.
When I spoke to him he swore up and down that this has no white beryl in it whatsoever, yet he finally admitted, when he was grilled by the media about it, that there was in fact white beryl in it and he was not sure just how much emerald there really is, just that he is sure there is some scattered throughout the dyed white beryl.

 

[chrono]

In light of the new information, I feel very sorry for Reaney. He didn't do enough homework and the appraiser didn't do a good enough job.

 

[T L]

In light of the new information, I feel very sorry for Reaney. He didn't do enough homework and the appraiser didn't do a good enough job.

I don't, Reaney is a con man, and the appraiser has no ethics, or he's got to be the stupidest GG on earth.

 

[chrono]

TL,
You don't think he was misled?

 

[T L]

TL,
You don't think he was misled?

Well, he was arrested on prior con charges. I think you're just being a lot more fair and impartial than I am. I look at his past history, and think, "here we go again." I also don't like how he's trying to further con people into thinking this is a fabulous gem despite what other in the gemological field say, like GIA. It could be denial, but he's primarily out to benefit himself. The one who really benefited by this whole fiasco is the ebay seller who sold that monstrosity for many times what it's truly worth.

 

[Barrett]

Hey, Maple, fantastic information! It's great to see you have this good inside information. I just love this story.

TL, Digital Devo, and I all said it looked just like one of those big dyed beryls from ebay...LOL Classic! TL you called it..you called it!

 

[Barrett]

He has a 925ct giant ruby as well...anyone game? Shall I call CNN?

 

[T L]

Hey, Maple, fantastic information! It's great to see you have this good inside information. I just love this story.

TL, Digital Devo, and I all said it looked just like one of those big dyed beryls from ebay...LOL Classic! TL you called it..you called it!

In all honesty, I think many of us that frequent PS and other gemological forums, would call this, especially if you're an avid ebayer. There's tons of dyed, green, red and blue rocks all over ebay being sold as emerald, ruby and sapphire. They sell for very little. This is a very scary episode of "Auction Kings" with a stupid and/or unethical gemologist calling this opaque hunk of dyed rock a sapphire. It sold for $2K. People will get away with whatever they can.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8MX-82kNSQ

 

[maplefemme]

Hey, Maple, fantastic information! It's great to see you have this good inside information. I just love this story.

TL, Digital Devo, and I all said it looked just like one of those big dyed beryls from ebay...LOL Classic! TL you called it..you called it!

Thanks Barrett! I'm very much a rookie in colored gems, I just grew up Sotheby's and Christie's so I have a fascination with auctions.
When I saw the original Indian seller's listing and checked the grading report number with the lab's data base, it came up as an unvalid report so I knew something was wrong and started a bit of investigating, just for curiosity.

I would have felt sorry for Reaney if he was a rookie, but he's a veteran rare gem collector and trader by his own admission.
It makes no sense that he wouldn't get such an "important" gem graded by a leading independent authority, to do so would only strengthen his position if it were genuine. To list it through a no name, low end auctioneers just blows my mind.
But then if it were to be graded by GIA or AGS, or on the block at Sotheby's or Christie's; then it would be under high professional scrutiny and I don't believe he wants that because the options he chose for appraisal and sale were very much under the radar, calibre wise.

The day before the auction I asked Mike, the auction house owner, if escrow was going to be an option, contingent on 3rd party grading by either GIA or AGS, he said no and no returns, warranties or guarantees. But he was very forthcoming with any information he had, he seemed a duck out of water on the whole thing and asked me to report back if I found anything contrary to what he was told by Jeff because he was relying completely on his appraisal.
Odd though, that when it didn't sell he told a news reporter that he'd have been more than willing to let the buyer get an independent appraisal after purchasing, making the sale contingent on said appraisal. He was quite desperate to have this sale elevate the status of his auction house, he'd hoped this would be the beginning of great things for the place and prove they could handle high ticket items, he said.
I do feel a bit sorry for him, I think he's mixing bad advice and information with good aspirations and intentions.

All a bit of gong show really...

I do have to say that PS has given me a whole new appreciation for colored gems, I have never seen the likes of some of the gems owned by PSers and in awe of some of them and the depth of knowledge gathered here, quite something!