Yesterday's intergem pickup

[OTL]

I saw 5 russian demantoid from 2-4ct, the color was unreal! I have never seen that color on any website...It was intense green tsavorite color! With great sparkle and eye clean clarity. It was carried by B & B gem. Man it was worth the 3 hrs drive just for them!
I asked the lady at the booth for price, and she said the lowest price is a cushion 2ct one, $7800 per carat.

Also saw a lot of merelani mint garnets.Took my breath away!Not a single one of them has a yellowish tone, all bluish and shiny and precision cut....When I saw it, I know why it is so loved by the market. I asked price on a 3 carat cushion mint garnets, it was $4500....Again, so sad....

I end up bought very little and inexpensive stones

Here are they: A baby blue tuormaline, and a very saturated rubelite tourmaline. Both around 1 carat. Little but nice. The blue one was sold to me as paraiba, but I figured it is just cuprian. Worth the $$ anyway

 

[Rosebloom]

Beautiful! I love the color of the rubellite!

 

[windblownhair]

Both of those stones are very pretty colors! Any ideas yet on how you are going to set them?

 

[OTL]

Beautiful! I love the color of the rubellite!

Thank you Rosebloom, the color is indeed saturated.

 

[OTL]

Both of those stones are very pretty colors! Any ideas yet on how you are going to set them?

You are so kind! No I don't have plans.I haven't set a single stone yet. And yesterday at the show, I only visited booth with loose stones. I don't know why but loose stone just grab my eyes.

 

[minousbijoux]

I saw those B and B Russian demantoids too, and they were so amazing that I came here and wrote a thread on them! They really are a stunningly saturated, green with perfect horsetails. They're still on my wish list when I have $20K to spare

 

[AprilBaby]

The blue stone is gorgeous!

 

[OTL]

I saw those B and B Russian demantoids too, and they were so amazing that I came here and wrote a thread on them! They really are a stunningly saturated, green with perfect horsetails. They're still on my wish list when I have $20K to spare

I don't recall it...Which thread is it? I went through your threads and didn't find it at page 1

 

[OTL]

The blue stone is gorgeous!

Thank you! I love love this baby blue color! I have an addiction of light toned stones...

 

[JaneSmith]

Those are very pretty.
You should set all your stones in one fantastic necklace and wear it when you need to feel like royalty!

 

[GregS]

Hopefully you didn't pay Paraiba prices for your Tourmaline. It's very pretty though, would like great with diamonds.

I'm still hunting for a large Cabachon, did you see any nice Paraiba Cab's at the show?

 

[OTL]

Hopefully you didn't pay Paraiba prices for your Tourmaline. It's very pretty though, would like great with diamonds.

I'm still hunting for a large Cabachon, did you see any nice Paraiba Cab's at the show?

No, I didn't. I paid very little for the stone...
Sorry Greg I didn't see any paraiba cab, only paraiba facet stones.

 

[OTL]

Those are very pretty.
You should set all your stones in one fantastic necklace and wear it when you need to feel like royalty!

That's a good idea. Thanks

 

[chrono]

Beautiful pickups. The rubellite's colour catches the eye and the cuprian is so bright. They could even be worn as stackers together.

 

[OTL]

Beautiful pickups. The rubellite's colour catches the eye and the cuprian is so bright. They could even be worn as stackers together.

Thank you Chrono! The rubellite is 7x5, the cuprian is slightly larget than 7x5. They could get their own setting I think.
You know I love light toned bright color I wish it could be a little bit more saturated though...because it is a glowy stone, it looks bright in the dark and has a touch of green blending in very well which I love under fluorescent light. Oh I wish it is just a little bit larger and a little more saturated

 

[JewelFreak]

The blue sounds intriguing from your description! Glowy stones are such a cheerer-upper & I love the rubellite. Depressing stats about demantoid & mint prices.

--- Laurie

 

[chrono]

A little bit larger + a little more saturated = a lot more $$$$$ We cannot have it all, it seems.

 

[T L]

I had a very negative and horrible experience with B&B at Intergem. They cheated me out of a full refund. I don't advise buying with them. I don't like to complain about vendors, but that was one of the worst experiences of my gem collecting career.

 

[chrono]

TL,
Was it due to non disclosure about treatment or something else about the stone? Do you mind telling us more about your experience?

 

[T L]

They cracked a stone after they set it. It was an emerald, and they had it set at Intergem in platinum (at the time I should have known better than to set a brittle stone in a hard metal like that), and they tried to blame the damage on me, and would only give me a partial refund.

 

[ChrisA222]

TL, I am sorry that happened to you, but why would the vendor be responsible for refunding you for the stone? When you get a stone set, you accept responsibility that bad things may happen to soft stones. I think it is admirable that they gave you any amount of the money from the stone back.

There are always two sides to every "bad experience".

 

[chrono]

Chris,
When the vendor of the stone sets it for you, they are responsible for any accidental damages to the stone suring the setting process. This is the usual business practice of diamond and coloured stone vendors. If the setter / vendor did not provide the stone, then yes, the responsibility now lies with the stone owner.

TL,
So sorry about the bad experience with B&B.

 

[OTL]

They cracked a stone after they set it. It was an emerald, and they had it set at Intergem in platinum (at the time I should have known better than to set a brittle stone in a hard metal like that), and they tried to blame the damage on me, and would only give me a partial refund.

Sorry it happened to you TL. I didn't know that you bought the stone from them and set it at the same time. Chris probably didn't know this either. Good to know their setting skills are not trust worthy. What do you feel about the emerald though? Is the color and price fair to you? Sometimes I feel so powerless when dealing with vendors even though they are reputable, they still might using misrepresentative photos from time to time. And when that happened to you. You have nothing to do but loose both shipping cost to return it. This is why I love go to trade shows, at least the color is real. I am always very happy with my gem show purchases.

 

[ChrisA222]

OHHH that makes sense. I thought she brought it to them to set at Intergem. Thats why I was shocked that they even gave her anything for the stone. Never mind, carry on.

 

[chrono]

Good question about the quality of the emerald. Was it as represented (treatment type and level)? Was pricing reasonable for the quality?

 

[Arkteia]

OTL, I saw the demantoids, and they looked stunning, but the price was like a stun gun to me, too. Basically the highest I saw for demantoids. Pala was once selling an antique pendant with old Russian demantoids at way more competitive price per carat. They were more blue, but highly dispersive. A bluish 4-ct cushion I once saw was also sold at a much better price, so...

With B&B stones, I tried to console myself with a thought that after all, I looked at them only under very sharp lights of the pavilion, and never saw them in "normal" incandescent, daytime or even fluorescent lights. Perhaps there would be some olive shift? Also, Pala has some stones from old Russian finds, and I did not know the provenance of the ones B&B sells.

The mint-green tsavorites were lovely, and I think I got one... Not sure they were the same you saw, but perhaps...

 

[minousbijoux]

Ooh, ooh! Do tell! Where from Ark? And where are your lovely pics so I can be jalouse as we say when we're pretending to be French?

 

[JewelFreak]

Pester, pester, Ark. Would love to see pics, I'll be jalouse too.

--- Laurie

 

[LD]

A leeeetle jalouse 'ere too!

'fess up Ark and show us what ya got!!!!

 

[chrono]

Arkteia,
You cannot tempt us with words of a minty green tsavorite then leave us drooling.