Home PageAbout MindatThe Mindat ManualHistory of MindatCopyright StatusWho We AreContact UsAdvertise on Mindat
Donate to MindatCorporate SponsorshipSponsor a PageSponsored PagesMindat AdvertisersAdvertise on Mindat
Learning CenterWhat is a mineral?The most common minerals on earthInformation for EducatorsMindat ArticlesThe ElementsThe Rock H. Currier Digital LibraryGeologic Time
Minerals by PropertiesMinerals by ChemistryAdvanced Locality SearchRandom MineralRandom LocalitySearch by minIDLocalities Near MeSearch ArticlesSearch GlossaryMore Search Options
The Mindat ManualAdd a New PhotoRate PhotosLocality Edit ReportCoordinate Completion ReportAdd Glossary Item
Mining CompaniesStatisticsUsersMineral MuseumsClubs & OrganizationsMineral Shows & EventsThe Mindat DirectoryDevice SettingsThe Mineral Quiz
Photo SearchPhoto GalleriesSearch by ColorNew Photos TodayNew Photos YesterdayMembers' Photo GalleriesPast Photo of the Day GalleryPhotography
╳Discussions
💬 Home🔎 Search📅 LatestGroups
EducationOpen discussion area.Fakes & FraudsOpen discussion area.Field CollectingOpen discussion area.FossilsOpen discussion area.Gems and GemologyOpen discussion area.GeneralOpen discussion area.How to ContributeOpen discussion area.Identity HelpOpen discussion area.Improving Mindat.orgOpen discussion area.LocalitiesOpen discussion area.Lost and Stolen SpecimensOpen discussion area.MarketplaceOpen discussion area.MeteoritesOpen discussion area.Mindat ProductsOpen discussion area.Mineral ExchangesOpen discussion area.Mineral PhotographyOpen discussion area.Mineral ShowsOpen discussion area.Mineralogical ClassificationOpen discussion area.Mineralogy CourseOpen discussion area.MineralsOpen discussion area.Minerals and MuseumsOpen discussion area.PhotosOpen discussion area.Techniques for CollectorsOpen discussion area.The Rock H. Currier Digital LibraryOpen discussion area.UV MineralsOpen discussion area.Recent Images in Discussions
Fakes & FraudsComplete ripoff?
26th Mar 2012 21:12 UTCAnonymous User
I have taken control of a family member's accounts, as she is no longer compos mentis.
Among her relatively recent purchases are some items that were purchased through a government auction. The auction used a firm, GLA (Gemological Laboratory of America) located in Los Angeles for appraisal.
The GLA appraisals estimate the value of her items at near $200,000, and a close look at her bank account reveals she paid about $1,000 for them.
Notably, she has two unbelievably (to me) large sapphires, each over 1,000 carats. I find it incredible that this person would have been savvy enough to make such a purchase, and I'd like a little assistance finding out how I should proceed.
A web search of GLA does not leave me with much confidence, so I thought I'd ask some of you veterans for direction.
Can someone give me some ideas? Thank you!
26th Mar 2012 21:43 UTCAlfredo Petrov Manager
27th Mar 2012 00:15 UTCVandall Thomas King Manager
27th Mar 2012 01:22 UTCDan R. Lynch
27th Mar 2012 01:38 UTCVandall Thomas King Manager
http://www.la.bbb.org/business-reviews/Appraisers/Gemological-Laboratory-of-America--Inc-in-Beverly-Hills-CA-13190650
27th Mar 2012 01:39 UTCOwen Lewis
IMHO, you need a lawyer far more than you do a gems expert.
You say you look for advice as to how to proceed. What is it you need to proceed with? You have 'taken control'/ In what way? Power of Attorney - or 'helping out'?
How do you need to proceed? Liquidation of assets - or simple safe-keeping?
In the case of the latter there is not much for you to concern yourself with beyond insurance and a bank-box. In the case of the former, you would be well advised (given the purported importance of these stones) to arrange a viewing and discussion of them with either Sotheby's or Christie's. Branches in London, New York, Geneva, Hong Kong and elsewhere.
Good luck!
27th Mar 2012 01:43 UTCVandall Thomas King Manager
27th Mar 2012 02:04 UTCOwen Lewis
'Time spent on reconnaissance is seldom wasted'.
27th Mar 2012 07:27 UTCRock Currier Expert
27th Mar 2012 18:48 UTCAlfredo Petrov Manager
http://www.worldgemsociety.org/Newsletter/GemLabReportFantasy.pdf
27th Mar 2012 19:10 UTCRock Currier Expert
His organization is made up of people and these people are subject to the same sorts of temptations and corruption as the people in any other organization and therefore not perfect and from time to time they will also stray from the sleight and narrow. Yes the GIA has problems. Every organization does, but I would tend to trust their reports more than those of most other labs.
But all this gem report business pales beside certain other reporting agencies blunders/corruption, like the recent credit rating agencies who were responsible for rating the reliability of various financial instruments bases on say home mortgages?
As with all things, buyer beware.
27th Mar 2012 19:43 UTCAnonymous User
First, Owen, legal remedies are not my interest, as this was my parent's purchase, and I think we've already spent more on attorneys fees and dementia care than whatever the value of these items could possibly be. Perhaps not financially, but certainly emotionally. These were things I found while moving her, and I know I have every right to deal with them as best I can.
Second, I've enclosed scans of the 3 certs that I have found. There may be and probably are others, I just haven't located them (the certs, not the gems). Would you like pictures of the gem, themselves?
Finally, I live in Vermont. Where do I take these? Or should I send them somewhere?
Thanks again, so, so much.
JJ
27th Mar 2012 20:31 UTCRock Currier Expert
27th Mar 2012 20:46 UTCOwen Lewis
Its a simple calculation and not a price tag ;-)
$ per ct figure is a trade-wide figure fluctuating with market forces. So is the size multiplying factor. The skill is in grading the stone correctly.
27th Mar 2012 20:50 UTCDavid Von Bargen Manager
"Gemological Laboratory of America- "" Appraisals should be used for verification of gemstone and/or metal weight, size, and grade only, not actual value. Appraisal value should be considered for insurance purposes only, not actual value, as price varies greatly from retail locations thru out the world. Items should not be purchased with the expectation to resell for appraisal price, or for profit."
27th Mar 2012 22:09 UTCDean Allum Expert
27th Mar 2012 22:15 UTCAnonymous User
Here are a couple of pix, but the light is running out on the day here.
I can take more tomorrow, if anyone thinks I should.
Thank you again. This is wonderful help!
JJ
ps - I ultimately want to get rid of these stones. I collect coins of the first five Caesars, and (obviously) know nothing about your fascinating realm.
28th Mar 2012 01:15 UTCOwen Lewis
No one can say off photos what the stones may be worth. Of the one in the pics, my personal reaction (over a beer and in a conversation of four eyes) is that I've seen a better looking green doorstop :-) A thousand bucks is certainly waaayy more than I would offer for it from viewing the pics. If you trawl the net, you should find large rubies of similar appalling quality, gargantuan size and dreadful cut on offer by crooks of one type or another. Yours is the first green stone I have seen in this category but it looks as though it might have been cut in the same sweat shop.
By all means look up the address of your nearest rock & gem club and show it to them. The *stone* and not pics ! If they tell you anything different... well the next round of beers will be on me :-)
Good luck!.
28th Mar 2012 06:05 UTCSteve Hardinger 🌟 Expert
28th Mar 2012 07:20 UTCDavid Bruno
28th Mar 2012 09:27 UTCJolyon Ralph Founder
28th Mar 2012 12:15 UTCRolf Brandt
Ten Things Consumers and Dealers Need to Know About Gem Lab Reports
If a gem lab makes an error or is negligent, the dealer or jeweler using it has to pay for it.
Lab reports do not cover you in the event of a lawsuit. Even if the report was in error, you will bear the cost and liability for damages caused by the lab’s error.
In the event of a lawsuit regarding a claim you made based on a lab report, the labs will not show up in court to stand behind you. You are on your own.
The labs do not guarantee the accuracy of the information in their documents. In fact, they specifically state just the opposite. No lab guarantees the accuracy of their lab reports.
The labs cannot accurately identify the origin of colored gemstones to a legal standard.
Diamond graders in major labs have been caught selling higher grades on certificates.
It is common that diamonds graded by one lab will grade totally different in a different lab.
It is known that a diamond graded by one lab can be submitted to the same lab at a later date and get a different grade.
All diamond grades are subjective opinions.
The AGTA GTC, GIA GTL, and others who issued erroneous certificates regarding Tibet andesine will never be held liable for the errors in their
reports.
Regards Rolf
28th Mar 2012 12:42 UTCAlfredo Petrov Manager
28th Mar 2012 14:38 UTCDuncan Miller
http://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/viewtopic.php?p=23038#23038
http://www.gemologyonline.com/Forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15667
28th Mar 2012 15:38 UTCStephanie Martin
Alfredo is right, some people like big and there might be people out there willing to pay a little extra for that, however not as much as the prices in the appraisals, they are wildly unrealistic.
Good luck with your efforts.
regards,
stephanie :-)
28th Mar 2012 15:47 UTCSteve Hardinger 🌟 Expert
28th Mar 2012 15:50 UTCOwen Lewis
For the benefit of JJ who doesn't know about stones, let's set out a few facts.
- Emerald is a variety of the crystalline mineral species called Beryl, with the chemical formula Be3Al2Si6O18 for all varieties.
- In its pure form, Beryl is colourless and this colourless form has the varietal name of Goshenite in the gem trade.
- Other atoms in very small proportions can be trapped in the Beryl crystal lattice and cause the whole to show some weak to strong colour. There are six to eight coloured varieties of Beryl, known respectively at Red Beryl (Bixbite), Aquamarine (light blue/green), Maxixe (dark blue), Emerald and Green Beryl (two types of green Beryl), Heliodor and Yellow Beryl (two shades of yellow Beryl). These are gem trade distinctions and are not all distinctions used by mineralogists. Each colour has a different market value, all else being equal. Goshenite is the cheapest and Emerald is the most expensive variety of Beryl.
- Until the 1990's, only gem quality Beryl that was coloured green by the trapping of Chromium ions in the lattice was called Emerald. All other Beryl coloured green by any other chromophore ion was simply known as Green Beryl. Stones categorised as Green Beryl sell as a heavy discount to those of the same size and general quality that are sold as Emerald.
- In the 1990's large amounts of very good quality green Beryl were discovered in Brazil in particular. This green Beryl was coloured not with Chromium but with Vanadium ions. Market forces drove the GIA to use its clout to obtain gem trade acceptance of Vanadium coloured green Beryl as Emerald. And so it now is, through most of the world. This bust the fence around the Emerald definition and has latterly resulted in a broad - but not yet quite universal acceptance as Emerald any green Beryl of gem quality that is not too yellow or too blue. If you sense imprecision resulting in the definition of what is arguably the most valuable of all gemstones, you'd be right! :-(
- You note that I use the rider 'of gem quality' this means that, apart from being pure green Beryl, the crystal must have beauty, being mainly transparent or (in worst case) translucent. and containing (as a cut stone) no really serious flaws. Again, this is - to a point - a matter for skilled judgement.
Now we can turn to your stone and its certificate.
- Simple gemmological testing for refractive indices, birefringence, optic sign and specific gravity will confirm whether it is reasonably pure Beryl or not. Even with an opaque stone, further and advanced testing should determine the chromophore ion.
- In the case of your stone let's say that it basic-tests out properly as Beryl. It's very unlikely that GLA determined the chromophore. From colour and opacity, I incline call it Green Beryl. Whatever, its a bottom grade stone, just about of saleable quality at any price (think 99.99 as a curiosity if the buyer is not to be ripped off).
- The problem with the GLA appaisal (for insurance purposes only), is probably in the misapplication of the value multiplying factor on grounds size - and category of size - (see earlier post). In terms of quality, GLA has correctly (IMHO) grade the quality of your stone as 'junk status'. The mistake is then to multiply up, firstly by carat weight the $ per ct rate for 'junk' Green Beryl. Junk 1,000 times larger is simply *not* 1,000 times more valuable than the small junk - a problem in the mechanistic application of a formula without application of a critical faculty. This mistake has probably been compounded by the mis-application of the 'size category multiply factor on top.
People who buy junk quality - sorry, commercial grade (meaning sellable) - Green Beryl are those who can't afford a decent Emerald. That's most of the gemstone buying public in this world and is why a lot of commercial grade stuff is shifted in the market. However, most is shifted as small cut stones of somewhere in the range of 1-2 cts. To maximise the cash realisable from this stone it might be best to have it cut up into such smaller stones.
A 'back of your beer-mat' calculation might look something like this. Cut and polish the chunk into 1-2ct 'gems' for jewellery setting and a 1,000 ct bulk might yield you 250-500 such stones, the remalnder ending up as dust (with you might also try to sell to a synthetic Emerald manufacturer - if you could ever make the connection). a mix of 1-2ct stones of bottom-end of commercial grade Green Beryl might sell, wholesale, for an average of five bucks each (on a good day). This would give your stone a realised cash value of around USD 1,250 - 2,500, from which you have to deduct the costs of the lapidiary and selling............
OTOH, you might find some punter who fancies a gamble and would pay USD 1,000 at auction for the single piece - but if it were me, I would not be holding my breath whilst waiting; such don't come along very often. Or keep and use it as a paperweight on your office desk - a great conversation piece.
28th Mar 2012 16:33 UTCAlfredo Petrov Manager
28th Mar 2012 16:41 UTCKelly Nash 🌟 Expert
28th Mar 2012 17:48 UTCDavid Von Bargen Manager
28th Mar 2012 17:53 UTCOwen Lewis
-------------------------------------------------------
> i agree with everything Owen wrote above (even the
> bit about my generous heart ;-) ), except the part
> about a creeping imprecision in the definition of
> "emerald" when vanadium-coloured beryls were
> accepted as emeralds. As the use of emeralds
> predates the discovery of the element chromium by
> many centuries, it is impossible for "chromium as
> the chromophore" to be part of the definition.
> That was a case of attempted imposition of
> unjustified over-precision by one group of
> producers attempting to protect their market.
:-)
There is, as you say, more than one point of view here (not the place to thrash it out perhaps). If you are attanding the Ste Maie aux Mines exhipition in June, its something that we might enjoy taking further over a bottle or three of Gewurtztraminer :-)
For the time being, please let me add this. You are quite right that lovely, transparent and green stones were traded for centuries as 'Emerald' before science was applied to market regulation starting in the 19th Cent. First chemistry, then mineralogy and finally, in the 20th cent, gemmology, were applied in an attempt to build sensible rules for the useful, honest and consistent description of gem materials - including Emerald.
I don't argue that arbitary varietal division of species has some overwhelming logic to it. But - as I think it did with Emerald - it need not too fiercely overturn what had existed historically in any event and it has helped make the market more transparent and honest. Busting the fence around the Emerald definition has not (IMHO) improved either market transparency or honesty (turning to nod at JJ's pics and GLA certificate). Similar science-based discrimination caused the largest Ruby in the British crown jewels (for some hundreds of years) to be reclassified as a red Spinel.
But, I agree, right is not all on one side in this discussion. The real problem, it seems to me, is the extent to which market sentiment will value a gem with one name so much more highly that the same gem sold under another name.
28th Mar 2012 18:20 UTCAlfredo Petrov Manager
28th Mar 2012 23:09 UTCOwen Lewis
Best, Owen
29th Mar 2012 07:32 UTCRock Currier Expert
29th Mar 2012 13:42 UTCOwen Lewis
People will pay good money to buy a dream. But, come to sell your dream and you find no one else wants it.
29th Mar 2012 16:06 UTCSteve Hardinger 🌟 Expert
3rd Apr 2012 19:40 UTCAnonymous User
4th Apr 2012 22:32 UTCJerry Petryha
But careful, some tv commercials try to sell coins that are only capped in silver or gold. They make it sound intriguing, but these are basically worthless.
6th Apr 2012 07:51 UTCAnonymous User
I am putting it on ebay, and do not expect you to bid. ;-)
JJ
6th Apr 2012 10:46 UTCJolyon Ralph Founder
6th Apr 2012 14:33 UTCOwen Lewis
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/11210ct-2Kilo-Gigantic-Cabochon-Carved-Natural-Emerald-Gemstone-142mm-75mm-/370599689095?pt=Loose_Gemstones&hash=item5649767b87#ht_2458wt_1142
According to this Indian seller, this is also lab-certified and has an expected sale value of USD 3-6,000 (well, at least its not 2 million....). The bidding stands presently at c. 60 bucks. This stone is also 'forest green' but seems not completely opaque.
If it does nothing else, this should all support the view that harm was done in allowing any green Beryl to be described for sale as an Emerald. The only gain from this 'anything goes' policy is in the pockets of crooks.
6th Apr 2012 14:52 UTCJolyon Ralph Founder
>to be described for sale as an Emerald.
I don't see the harm in this. It's clearly a green beryl, it's clearly not gem quality, and it's entirely up to buyers what they are willing to pay for it.
Jolyon
6th Apr 2012 17:52 UTCOwen Lewis
Let me draw an analogy. If a car manufacturer whose business is producing cheap and badly made copies of 1960s-engineered Fiats is permitted to sell its products as 'Mercedes Benz', might that:
- Help them sell the otherwise almost unsaleable in an open market full of better cars?
- Increase their profitability, because buyers have heard of the reputation of Mercedes Benz - even if they have no way of understanding it - and will pay a premium to have the name sitting in their driveway?
- Defraud buyers by selling under a false description?
- Ultimately damage Mercedes Benz's business and the second-hand market in M-B cars?
But here too buyers could see what was being offered and make up their own minds as to whether to buy and what to pay :-)
5th May 2012 08:43 UTCDeb From Down Under
I recently purchased 4 pieces of Jewelry from This Goverment auction mob, I was also supplied with GLA indentification cards, I have since had all the pieces look at here by my Jeweller who is a Trained Gemnologist. Ruby bangle , Glass filled Rubies GLA valued at 10,000 lucky to be worth $200, .31 carat diamond Pendant not even diamonds they are Moissanite, need I go on. The stuff is rubbish, this Government auction business is a complete scam, I can't believe they can continue to get away with this sort of underhanded dealings. GLA What a Joke !
-------------------------------------------------------
> Can you post a picture? Do you have the
> advertisement that said what was to be received?
> The ratio of value to price is a red flag if a
> genuine auction were involved as no businessman
> interested in gems would let such an opportunity
> pass. Note that Gemological Laboratory of America
> is not the same as Gemological Institute of
> America. The Better Business Bureau give
> Gemological Laboratory of America an "A" rating.
5th May 2012 17:07 UTCOwen Lewis
You don't say what you paid the for stuff or, for your 'ruby bangle' and the 'diamond' pendant, the valuations you have received. In the case of the 'glass-filled Rubies' (worth $200), If one supposes that you paid 150-250 for them, then you would have got what you paid for if not the fantastic bargain you might have been expecting. OTOH, if you paid several thousand, then you may have been defrauded . Which scenario applies in your case?
With regard to JJ's GLA certificate, its wording is that of 'value not to exceed $******. And as Jolyon pointed out, 10 bucks does not exceed that ;-) It's called 'weasel-wording'; realtors (estate agents) and used-car salesmen are expert at it - and so need to be buyers! What was the exact wording on the certificates for your items?
1st Jun 2012 07:07 UTCAndrea's Attic
I am in the Antique/Vintage Business, I own a shop here in Tampa FL where every day I am approached by family members who are placing loved ones, parents, aunts, grandparents, into nursing homes and they have no clue or time to figure out what to do with their belongings. I specialize in Vintage Toys but will entertain most items. Honestly, most people come to me and beg me to help empty out their home/condo within a week because the place is being sold and they have no idea what to do with their items. I appraise as much as I possibly can, then we often hire an outside party to appraise the remaining items. This is where we find gems such as the ruby I found, stuck in an envelope, in a shoe, in a box, in a trunk in the bottom of their closet. At first we're not even sure if it's real or out of a gumball machine. But more and more I've found that family members just don't care about the items and want to get out of the "ordeal" and on with their own life ASAP. This is where an auction comes in handy and I find many stones like this being sold for pennies on the dollar.
If you have a few dollars lying around take the chance, but please do your homework first! There are tons of con artist out there preying on situations just like this. I really consider ourselves to be fortunate with this situation. Not only did we luck out with the Ruby but we sold it and were able to quickly reinvest it in Vintage Toys again.
Good Luck, do as much homework as possible and before you bid, set a bottom line and STICK to it! Don't go up by even $5.00!
Andrea's Attic Consignment & Resale
Lutz, FL
1st Jun 2012 13:13 UTCChester S. Lemanski, Jr.
1st Jun 2012 13:52 UTCOwen Lewis
I've recently been chatting to someone who is enthusiastic to buy Emeralds and Rubies in the size range of 1 - 30 Kg (I can't be bothered to write all the noughts for a carat weight), being offered these by a seller close to where he lives. Well, if such things attract him, why not? Provided one knows clearly that one is buying:
-. Items made in an industrial process that can be likened to making house-bricks. The finish is equally cheap.
- Something that can be made in effectively limitless numbers and sizes.
- They can be made in almost any shape or colour you want.
- They have no intrinsic worth and you would be wise to expect never to sell them.
- They are Emeralds and Rubies only is the same sense as Ireland is the Emerald Isle and grape juice concentrate bulked out with water and laced with industrial Ethanol is Ruby Wine.
But to return to your discovery of real gems the value of which has passed unrecognised. It must also be said that even dealers of good experience make bad mistakes from time to time. One of the very few Taaffeites I have handled was discovered (not by me :-( )in a parcel of small rough Spinels, bought from a Sri Lankan dealer for USD 5.00! I also know of a diamond ring of several carats being valued recently for USD 4.5K when its likely auction hammer price is 30K+. In the *right* auction and properly promoted, that is!
28th Nov 2012 00:43 UTCAriana
> My father is a jeweler of 40 years and we've run
> into GLA gems a few times. In his experience,
> their appraisals tend to be wildly exaggerated and
> far from realistic. Recently, a faceted ruby came
> across his bench that the GLA had appraised at
> $20,000 and the person had also purchased it from
> a government auction. Despite its size (around 45
> carats), it was heavily included and far from gem
> grade. It was re-appraised by my dad and another
> jeweler at about $750. The GLA is not the GIA.
9th Dec 2012 02:15 UTCNYC Gal
Supposedly, it was a large emerald surrounded by 106 white sapphires.
In a platinum "plated over sterling silver" setting.
Value, nearly 10K.
My BFF (and big jewelry fanatic) was in town visiting, wasn't buying the hype, and insisted we take it to a reputable jeweler to confirm its value.
1. It was silver, zero platinum, even plated.
2. The "emerald" was an enhanced stone, and with a crack to boot.
and the kicker....
3. The "white sapphires, of excellent grade..?" were CZ..glass!!
Value? less than $100 USD
While I did get a brief and pathetic chuckle from it all, it made me realize how consumers are being ripped off on a regular basis if they are buying jewelry sources with this so-called appraisal "validation".
Dan R. Lynch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My father is a jeweler of 40 years and we've run
> into GLA gems a few times. In his experience,
> their appraisals tend to be wildly exaggerated and
> far from realistic. Recently, a faceted ruby came
> across his bench that the GLA had appraised at
> $20,000 and the person had also purchased it from
> a government auction. Despite its size (around 45
> carats), it was heavily included and far from gem
> grade. It was re-appraised by my dad and another
> jeweler at about $750. The GLA is not the GIA.
9th Dec 2012 15:09 UTCOwen Lewis
-------------------------------------------------------
> Supposedly, it was a large emerald surrounded by
> 106 white sapphires.
> In a platinum "plated over sterling silver"
> setting.
> Value, nearly 10K.
Did the wording say something like 'up to 10K'? An actual value of 10 bucks quite properly fits within that description. It's a question of reading what the words say and not imagining what you would like them to mean.
Alarm bells ring already, anyway
To my knowledge silver is never platinum plated for jewellery. Silver *is* frequently Rhodium plated for tarnish resistance. Rhodium is a rare earth metal, commonly extracted from Platinum ore.
In making the ring of silver, the maker voiced his opinion of the stones being mounted. Fit for nice Christmas cracker stuffing.
> 1. It was silver, zero platinum, even plated.
But was quite probably Rhodium plated.
> 2. The "emerald" was an enhanced stone, and with a
> crack to boot.
Emeralds are routinely treated. The effect on value ranges from little/none to severe, depending on the nature and extent of the treatment. That you say the stone 'had a crack in it' is interesting. Almost all Emeralds do have cracks in them, this being the prime reason for their treatment ;-)
Is the stone mainly transparent or is it opaque?
> and the kicker....
> 3. The "white sapphires, of excellent grade..?"
> were CZ..glass!!
A competent jeweller is not going to have had any doubt as to whether he was looking at CZ or glass. So which was it? Again it is trivial to differentiate cut CZ from White Sapphire. OTOH separating White Sapphire from cut glass in perfect condition and in 'pin-head' sized stones is not at all trivial without first dismounting at least one of the stones., Small-size White Sapphires are a cheap stone with virtually no fire or brilliance. Most used now in the jewellery trade are synthetic (but real). Only in larger sizes and cut to emphasise clarity and colourlessness do they become desirable. Frankly, mounted as you describe, one would have a better-looking piece if CZ was used instead to emulate the effect of the melee Diamonds frequently used to support a substantial Ruby, Sapphire or Emerald in relatively important pieces of jewellery.
> Value? less than $100 USD
Without having seen the piece and going just from your description, I would not imagine it could be worth more. But 100 is included in the 'up to 10K' bracket, is it not?
> While I did get a brief and pathetic chuckle from
> it all, it made me realize how consumers are being
> ripped off on a regular basis if they are buying
> jewelry sources with this so-called appraisal
> "validation".
Unfortunately. that does not follow. In buying jewellery as with anything else, one needs to apply shrewdness, common sense and a little knowledge - but these too often somehow manage to be absent. One needs some true appreciation of what one is buying - or leave the purchasing to those who do.
4th Apr 2013 18:02 UTCdcguy
26th Aug 2013 16:20 UTCMartin Galatte
26th Aug 2013 19:37 UTCDoug Daniels
3rd Nov 2013 10:11 UTCgeorgia reynolds
3rd Nov 2013 10:28 UTCgeorgia reynolds
Yes I have to agree. If they are what I think they are I bought some of these stones out of curiosity.
I think they cost about $10.00au to $20.00 each.
They come with a certificate of authenticity and yes they are natural.
But like the other post said good for door stops and a talking piece.
I bought Sapphire Emerald and Ruby. But the dealer was honest and if your really read their description you would know exactly what you were getting.
I was very lucky with mine the Emeralds had only been oiled as Emeralds are. They weighed in at approx 900cts each
The Sapphire weighed around 5-600cts but is not a good looking stone.
The Ruby 40cts had been filled. looks more like filling than ruby
Not jewellery quality but excellent specimen. Or even for the fish tank.
I hope I am wrong about what the person has bought I really am
Georgia
3rd Nov 2013 10:37 UTCgeorgia reynolds
Sorry making mistakes with my messaging.
I have these stones if they are the same Emeralds 900ct each
Ruby 40ct
Sapphire 400cts
Come with certificates of authenticity. They are real. I have tested visual and electronic.
If you read the description on the sale you will find dealer was honest and only selling for a few dollars each.
Make good talking points. Or maybe a fish tank.
My emeralds had only been oiled as emeralds are. But the sapphire was not a good looking stone.
And ruby had more filling than ruby
Although cannot remember which auction but saw one an emerald like mine set in silver pendant go for a few thousand and they have started selling at flea markets now for a good price.
Hope I am wrong about gentlemans stones.
Georgia
10th Nov 2013 23:12 UTCwallstreetninja
Any assistance you can give is greatly appreciated as I am in a similar situation trying to recoup the cost my friend paid for some stones from the samegovernment auction.
Thanks
1st Dec 2013 20:35 UTCLes
A $20,000 appraisal typically means you have something worth less than $50.00
Once more Scam
If it sounds too good to be true .... Run
GLA will provide a bogus appraisal for anyone that will pay their fee. They should be shut down.
1st Dec 2013 21:51 UTCA.A.Faller
How far are you from Uxbrige, Mass.?
19th Jan 2014 17:45 UTCjojo
19th Jan 2014 22:41 UTCBob Harman
26th Jun 2014 18:37 UTCRachel
Estimated Retail Replacement (if I register title transfer on their site) for $18
26th Jun 2014 21:20 UTCRachel Mcclymont Marshall
27th Jun 2014 12:37 UTCOwen Melfyn Lewis
I doubt that your ring is platinum plated. Rhodium (another metal of the platinum group is the metal usually used. The plating stops the silver from tarnishing - until it wears through. Eighteen bucks for an amethyst with topaz on silver does not sound like daylight robbery! If you like it, enjoy:-)
28th Jun 2014 04:42 UTCSandra B , Aus
Hi, I have attached 3 photos of this monstrous pendant that I received from Government Auctions, I say received because although I bought it and paid for it, they apparently lost it and refunded my money. According to the GLA certificate it is a Blue Sapphire, 372.28 carats retail value not to exceed $15,879 dollars. It is supposedly a Sebastian designed pendant, and is signed Sebastian, made with silver mount. I can't find anything about this designer on line.
I am truly embarrassed to have even tried to buy this and really do not know what to do with it now.
Suggestions please.
28th Jun 2014 13:53 UTCOwen Melfyn Lewis
As you know, it looks like a pretty poor piece of faceted blue corundum, of minimal gem quality and set in a white metal mount of minimum quality.
Don't despair. I sincerely believe that one learns more from poor specimens - and most certainly at a fraction of the cost of studying the near-perfect. Why not take it out of its setting and use is as a study stone? You don't say how much you already know about minerals and about gemstones in particular, but I'll guess it's not too much at the moment. Why not use this stone to start to learn? It's a fascinating study that will hook you up with other interesting people to chat with and also, if you buy decent quality gemstones from time to time, how to avoid at least the really big mistakes.
If the bug bites you, its an interest on which you can spend a very large amount of money on books, study stones and instruments. But, to make a start, you can learn a lot with just a x10 jeweller's loupe (magnifying glass) and a penlight that can focus its light output and chatting with folk in the net groups such as Mindat or its sister group Gemdat.
Things you can study in your corundum with no more than a light and a loupe:
- Look for surface flaws (there will be at several at least). As they chips, cracks or something else? What causes them? Check of the net gem sites and mineral sites to learn more and look at other stones to compare their quality with yours. Learn about flaws in crystals and why some chip easier than others.
- How hard is your stone? Remember that corundum is harder than anything else in nature except for diamond. so If you can easily scratch a flat surface on a topaz crystal, picked up in a rock 'n gem show or shop for about a dollar or two (and becomes your second study specimen), then you can be sure that what you have a corundum crystal. Learn about how to grade all minerals by hardness without tools.
- Use the light and loupe to examine - as far as you can - other stuff trapped n your crystal. Some are opaque and may or may not have a regular crystalline shape of their own; what are any regular shapes, what are they called and what do the shapes tell you about the mineral of which they are made? If you look carefully inside the transparent parts of your stone, using the loupe and with the light held so the light comes through the stone from behind, you may be lucky enough to find what look like transparent crystals and, if any are large enough for you to be able to see inside them. And if you are really lucky, you may see a bubble inside one of more of these transparent inclusions.Now what looks like a crystal and can contain a bubble?
Enough here to illustrate the point that, if you choose, your lousy quality cut stone can give you some hours of pleasurable observation, interesting enquiry and help develop a little more knowledge than you started with. Who know's it might even spark a major new interest in your life.
28th Jun 2014 16:21 UTCAlfredo Petrov Manager
And this is a lesson in the value (or perhaps lack thereof?) of certificates from gemological laboratories. Remember that a commercial lab of necessity works for the interests of their employer, the person paying the bill. If the person paying the gem lab bill was the seller, then you the buyer must not assume that the certificate necessarily reflects your interests.
28th Jun 2014 17:39 UTCDoug Daniels
28th Jun 2014 18:50 UTCStephanie Martin
If you received a refund then I would say you got your money's worth !!!
If nothing else you have learned a lot about these types of sales.
As others have pointed out, at the least you could use this as a study specimen.
cheers,
stephanie :-)
17th Aug 2014 00:04 UTCSRT
I did follow the one major rule of all buying of high priced items and that is to buy thing you love. BUT, I do not intend to wear the items I bought, so that's out the window.
I made 2 purchases, one is here below, a pair of very beautiful and I believe unique earrings. It is a pair although I have only placed photos of one due to photo limitations on this site.
I did see them on a recent episode of 'Revenge' worn by Victoria, the super RICH villain at her son's wedding to Emily Thorn (the star of the show). I am sure it was the same ones as they are pretty unique and easy to spot. (So of course if Victoria is wearing them they MUST be valuable, right??? Kidding...)
My purchase came with an appraisal from GLA but the appraisers were graduates of GIA, not that that makes a bean of difference but they are considered 'reliable' in this disingenuous field . I am putting the appraisal in the next note as I can only place 3 photos per email.
I would be curious your thoughts on these. Also, I was wondering, because I did take them to pawn shops as well as
the jewelry district and got various differences of opinion. What I didn't get was any where near what I paid for them let alone the 'appraised insurance values. I paid for these $1850.00 but I was told they were worth maybe less than $1000 but that was from a jeweler and pawn broker I was trying to sell to.
Would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks all . . . SRT
17th Aug 2014 00:20 UTCSRT
Do I have any recourse here if I have the receipt still or am I out of luck if the price is so out of whack that I get from jewelers versus what I paid for them? I think the jeweler for the earrings may have said less than $500.
The auction did have prices that they started from so it wasn't that I started at those numbers, the auction house did.
I have another piece, (with a GIA appraisal) a bracelet that I bought that I would like to know as well as I paid just short of $3000 for it and although it is gorgeous with rubies & diamonds, I realize and did at the time that it is not perfect as that would have been a lot more $$ but I didn't expect to have a jeweler tell me it was worth $800??? or near there I believe. That is a big difference to me.
I am shocked that these companies are allowed to rip people off and do it out in the open with the government name attached. Has anyone ever tried to sue?
Thanks for all thoughts. Yes, I know, lessons learned. But I will say, I do think they are beautiful and I would try to sell them for more than I paid for them if I had no other recourse as in the personal or private world, it is worth what a buyer is willing to pay for it. (maybe in the commercial world too???)
17th Aug 2014 01:15 UTCGeoff Van Horn Expert
-------------------------------------------------------
> Despite the many complaints concerning the
> Gemological Laboratory of America, for some
> unknown reason they have a reasonable rating.
> http://www.la.bbb.org/business-reviews/Appraisers/
> Gemological-Laboratory-of-America--Inc-in-Beverly-
> Hills-CA-13190650
BBB is not always the trustworthy organization that they seem.
http://gawker.com/5591804/hamas-rated-a--by-better-business-bureau-starbucks-gets-an-f
http://www.bbb.org/us/article/better-business-bureau-expels-los-angeles-organization-for-failure-to-meet-standards-40710
17th Aug 2014 05:17 UTCKeith Wood
If the prices from the jeweler and pawn broker were offers they would naturally need to be lower than the sale value. You may have paid a bit too much, but not multiples too much. Consider it s lesson learned, as above.
Also, CTW, when referring to literally scores of tiny stones, basically means nothing at all. With diamonds, value is all in the four Cs, Clarity, Cut, Color, and Carats. Carats is the multiplying factor, because large quality stones are rarer than similar quality small stones. Thus, with CTW for tiny stones, the Carat multiplier is probably a small decimal number - virtually meaningless. The stones are not valuable in those sizes. Adding them up doesn't add up to much.
21st Nov 2014 08:46 UTCMIll
22nd Nov 2014 18:26 UTCOwen Melfyn Lewis
18th Dec 2014 06:20 UTCLC
Unfortunatily, I've purchased some stones from the same auction, came with the same certificates, i am pretty upset now cause they are nothing but junks, i need to know if anyone ever get a refund successfully and how did they do it?
i need advise, thank you.
18th Dec 2014 06:38 UTCLC
I've purchased same stones with same certificates, they are nothing but junks, I need to know what did you do with your junks, did you try to refund them? i paid a bit for them, i wonder if this is legal to me this isfruad.
thank you.
18th Dec 2014 07:41 UTCAlfredo Petrov Manager
Which part of the certificate are you disagreeing with?
18th Dec 2014 07:52 UTCCR
I paid quite a lot for an emerald, and a little bit of a lot for a ruby.... (& misc stuff) .. the auction was tonight, and I have such deep regret considering how foolish I feel in that I:
1) believed this was gov. sanctioned, and
2) didn't research first.
Here are some jpgs of the crap I wasted a bunch of money on... (Please tell me there is some recourse for misleading/inaccurate adverts!?) I am even willing to just pay for this crap and skip getting it, so I can avoid paying all the shipping, handling and other additional charges!
18th Dec 2014 07:56 UTCLC
18th Dec 2014 08:00 UTCAlfredo Petrov Manager
18th Dec 2014 08:04 UTCCR
Another oddity, the "evaluators" ('gemologists') are from differing organizations, one from GIA, and one from GLA.
The auction for the emerald was over so quickly that as soon as I bid the auction was over; and of course it went from $1.00 initial bid to $1000.00 within seconds! I didn't see that coming, nor would I have bid that on purpose.. it was, of course, the "GLA" 'gemologist' who fetched the HIGHEST and fasted bid of the two.
Here's some more pics... of course I don't have the actual stones yet. I hope I never do at this point. I could find more interesting stuff in my back yard... and that's no joke. I have an AWESOME backyard! :-)
18th Dec 2014 11:29 UTCPaul De Bondt Manager
Interesting topic.
This mean too that, if you dont know anything about minerals and gems,nor what you are buying, stay out of it.
Like another member sayd, when it's unbelieveable to be true, it mostly is.
Would you buy a Picasso or Breughel if you dont know anything about art ?
The " saphire " could be a garnet. In the best case, it's a stony corundum, used in industry as emeril on cutting disks and grinding mills.
And the " emerald " is also a stony beryl. Some white stony beryl can be found all over the world, sometimes as huge crystals, several meters long. If one illuminated crook found the way to dye them, you will get this type of stones. Faceted in India or Pakistan for a few $ and it's done.
Disclaimer : with the following, I DO NOT insinuate whatsoever on the specimens, associations and indivuduals mentionned in this topic. And it is not in my intention to convince people to do such things. It's against all international laws. It is a warning as such practices are frequently used.
Some are using this type of stuff to " clean " money. They sell you a stone, worth on paper thousands of dollars, far under the " real " value. The stone is almost worthless and the money is cleaned. If you want to sell the stone, you will probably sell it to the guy you had it from. These guys are used to this and tell you the price of gems has fallen down and that the stone is almost worthless. But as gentlemen, they will buy the stone back, for the real value this time, and they sell it back with the same mecanisme. It's also a mecanisme to fraud insurances. A worthless stone has been stolen and the appraisal says it's worth $$$$. The insurance will probably refund you a little less that the appraisal value. Easy money.
I think that the little boxes where they are kept in, are far more worth than the stone itself.
I hope this helps.
Take care and best regards.
Paul.
18th Dec 2014 15:49 UTCOwen Melfyn Lewis
This trouble started in the USA where trade descriptions become ever laxer. Where it is now thought clever marketing by some to offer red beryl as 'red emerald'.
There is one exception to the above rule. Opaque red corundum appears, in Tanzania particularly, in red opaque blobs or streaks in zoisite.The proper name for this mixed mineral is anyolite but, traditionally, it has been and continues to be sold (at a low price) as ruby-in-zoisite.
Whether or not a fraud has been committed is much harder to say - or prove. LC does not say what price he paid for the necklace (over 100 ct wt!). If he paid around 100 bucks, he got full value for his money. If he paid 1,000 bucks, he got a stupidly bad deal. If he paid 10,000 bucks or more, he may have a good complaint as to fraudulent selling and should talk to the DA.
18th Dec 2014 16:51 UTCDoug Daniels
18th Dec 2014 18:41 UTCOwen Melfyn Lewis
-------------------------------------------------------
> As far as I remember, any red corundum (as long as
> it's colored by the Cr impurity) is ruby, whether
> gem quality or not.
That's the road to ruin and misselling - in the gem and jewellery trades any way. The nomenclature should should express important distinctions where there are such to be made. Red corundum has a value above standard abrasive only as it is one ornamental material used for carving in some places (mainly India/the global Indian community). The value of these pieces in in the intricacy and delicacy of the carving and not in the raw material. They would be as valuable if carved in pink granite - but India has *hillsides* of red corundum.
Red corundum is not 'ruby of commercial to fair grade'. *My* rubies are 'fair' grade, are obviously of gem grade (just) and have a value of about 40-50 bucks a carat. Commercial grade is maybe 10 bucks a carat. Extra fine grade, from Mogok, Myanmar? Say up to USD 30,000 per carat.
> The stone shown above
> certainly isn't gem quality, and even I can tell
> it isn't cut very well (and I'm not a gem person).
> It's kinda like a sapphire I bought years ago for
> $5, since the ad said they were guaranteed to rise
> in value with time (I knew better, but wanted one
> just for the heck of it). Unfortunately, I got
> rid of it. Should have kept it - it might now be
> worth $6.
If you want to buy really cheap and seriously good looking sapphire - buy a Verneuil process synthetic. Real corundum coloured by the exact Fe - Ti ion charge transfer process that nature used. Mohs 9. You can buy the rough (retail) in the US (made in Switzerland) for around a buck a gram and have it cut in Sri Lanka for about a buck a carat finished weight. Truly, its nice stuff. that, on the hand or round the neck, your dinner guests can't tell from the stuff at xxxx a carat. And it lasts forever.
Here's a pic of one. This pic is designed to highlight the one classic tell-tale in the Verneuil process stuff - curved growth lines in the crystal rather then straight lines. But, if having straight growth lines is worth xxxxx to you - you are very welcome :-D P.S. There is more of this stuff for sale in high street jewellers than you would believe.... Gemmologists who say things like this have been known to be lynched or - at the very least - excommunicated. But there we are.....
19th Dec 2014 18:15 UTCOwen Melfyn Lewis
-------------------------------------------------------
> also, the "ruby" I bought is different than the
> one pictured on the "GLA Gemstone Summary" listed
> with the stone...
>
> Another oddity, the "evaluators" ('gemologists')
> are from differing organizations, one from GIA,
> and one from GLA.
> The auction for the emerald was over so quickly
> that as soon as I bid the auction was over; and of
> course it went from $1.00 initial bid to $1000.00
> within seconds! I didn't see that coming, nor
> would I have bid that on purpose.. it was, of
> course, the "GLA" 'gemologist' who fetched the
> HIGHEST and fasted bid of the two.
>
> Here's some more pics... of course I don't have
> the actual stones yet. I hope I never do at this
> point. I could find more interesting stuff in my
> back yard... and that's no joke. I have an AWESOME
> backyard! :-)
>
CR,
Just took a look at your pics above. I do strongly suspect that what you have is not pure red corundum but something else. Ruby that is too flawed to sell in it own right is now filled and supported by a 'scaffolding' of lead glass filler. The glass can be used just as fracture filling or it can even be the major component in a glass/ruby composite stone.
The tell-tale is in your pics. At any boundary between two substances (say air and XXX), light is partially refracted and partially reflected. If XXX is of uniform composition the percentage of refraction vs reflection will be constant at all points, providing that the angle of incidence of the light remains constant. In your pics, we see surface areas where the refraction (light enter the specimen) is far less than the surrounding areas where most of the light is reflected off the surface. This suggests that the clearly defined and more refractive areas are glass and the surrounding areas *may* be low grade ruby, the whole being polished to an extent that only the softer glass 'puddles' acquires a highly polished finish.
There are *tons* of this manufactured composite material in the low end of the market every year. Some people want 'natural ruby' as a bargain basement price. Can't be done, of course, so they end up buying this evil dreck - for which the price is rising. At the Tuscon show, eleven months ago, it was fetching 10 bucks a carat for small stones, up from 1-2 bucks a carat five years or so ago.
Just from pics I can't be certain of what you have but the chances my thoughts are right are real good. If you really paid a grand for this, get a report on it from an *acredited* lab and go for the throats of both the seller and the certifier on the strength of the report you receive. Selling crap red corundum as ruby is one thing; selling glass (undisclosed) as ruby is quite another. if a glass compsite is what you have, your DA should also be interested. It looks like an 'open and shut' fraud.
Good luck!
21st Dec 2014 00:10 UTCAlfredo Petrov Manager
21st Dec 2014 01:55 UTCOwen Melfyn Lewis
Look at the well polished 'windows' in the second pic where light enters and leaves the stone. They are randomly shaped and not complete facets and also seem quite transparent. This appearance is accounted for by the stone being a composite of two materials of different hardnesses and different refractive indices. What those materials are, only proper testing can say, but two substances is pretty certain, in my opinion.
Look too at the centre of the stone in the second pic. See any straight edged fragments in there? I do. The material is not opaque/near opaque as is untreated massive red corundum but translucent to transparent in parts.
The selling of 'ruby' (in particular) that is glass filled, some even to the point where glass may be more than half the volume became a major scandal about four years back, focusing on a class action against Macy's for selling it without disclosure of what it is. Large quantities are sold annually. Look for it in Tuscon next month and you will find it on sale, openly described for what it is. I have a reference piece of just over 1ct, bought (knowingly) from a street seller in Tucson last January for ten bucks (it could not be found for less last year). When new, it usually can't be distinguished (other than by testing) from ruby that has not been so treated but:
(1)The glass is easily scratched, chipped and even etched by common weak acids.
(2) It is often used not for fracture filling bit to fill large voids and even to hold together separate pieces of corundum, the whole being cut and polished as one stone. Such stuff is inherently fragile and may come apart in normal use.
(3) Unlike traditional and accepted minor fracture filling practices with oil or wax (not capable of use to stabilise a rotten and unsaleable grade of material) the glass treatment is permanent and cannot be removed.
Sadly, there is a place for selling this stuff to folk who want the ruby look (which opaque/semi-opaque red corundum can never give) but can't afford the price of good quality unreconstructed natural ruby. The responsible trade (FTC regs-compliant in the USA) insists that the stuff is now described as a composite stone.
Would be buyers of this stuff are better off in every way to buy decently cut Verneuil process synthetic ruby, as suggested in my previous post. But, in the US at least, trade protection in the gem trade backed by sympathetic FTC regulation has, for many years, cast synthetic gems in the role of the devil incarnate that, through implication is to be outcast as 'fake' 'imitation' and 'cheap look-alike'. None of which is true. Synthetic gems are as real, genuine and as good/better looking as any nature can offer. But in their place, the retail trade in the US and elsewhere find it preferable to offer their bargain-hunting gem buyers 'natural ruby composite' stones. It's an actual inversion of what good sales practice should be about, IMHO.
21st Dec 2014 11:57 UTCLC
Just unperform the bid.
22nd Dec 2014 03:41 UTCRock Currier Expert
Just take you lumps and keep your low grade gems with their certificate as a reminder of how you were suckered (as we all have been), and as a reminder that this is the way the world works and that there will always be a few people out there looking to screw you. Did you ever buy a used car from a used car dealer?
8th Jul 2015 22:15 UTCK Drews
9th Jul 2015 08:22 UTCRock Currier Expert
13th Jul 2015 03:15 UTCSandy
I just made my first online auction purchase and based on this thread, I likely may have been ripped off...but am grateful that my lesson was not as expensive as for other newbies!
I bought an aquamarine bead necklace from an auction called "Kingston Galleries" through the website Invaluable. It is my birthstone, and was an impulse buy. :)
I saw another bidder that was about to win it and my competitive spirit got the best of me! I think it is lovely and will wear it, but also a, wondering if I was crazy to pay what I did. The necklace cost me $250 for the bid, plus I think up to a 23% fee to the auction house and will be $25 shipping.
My GLA certificate actually gives a retail replacement value vs. a "not to exceed" value. Is that something I should feel relieved about?
I am posting photos...again I think it is truly in style and the color is very pretty...plus it is my birthstone so I like that...but should I have paid as much as I did?
Thanks and I love reading about all you folks know! Fun stuff!
13th Jul 2015 04:17 UTCDavid Von Bargen Manager
" The Fair Market Value reported is the price that would be paid by the greatest number of willing buyers from willing sellers. Estimated Retail Replacement value can be defined as the maximum replacement cost of the item described on the card whereby the item would be custom made to replicate the item and gemstone would be replaced by a jeweler within the area appraised."
A similar piece (may not have facets?), but the size and quality of the beads seem to be alike.
http://www.firemountaingems.com/itemdetails/h20a2680cl
13th Jul 2015 05:22 UTCBob Harman
13th Jul 2015 11:49 UTCOwen Melfyn Lewis
First, may I say that I think you have a striking piece of costume jewellery that I'm sure will give you give you years of pleasure. Of course the aquamarine is only 'bead quality' and clouded, not clear as aquamarine of gem quality need to be. It's impossible to say from your pic but the likelihood is that the stones have been heated to change a greenish colour to the light blue that is all that most of today's market will buy as aquamarine.
You paid around 30 cents a carat which may be, as David said, a little too much but without seeing the stones under a glass and assessing the material and quality of the clasp, its not possible to be sure. You are probably 'in the ball-park' anyway.
When gem quality aquamarines are well made into a necklace with solid gold fixings, price at auction start at about USD 1,500 and can go as high as USD 6,000. Though I admit I prefer other gemstones, aquamarine has long been a fashionable gemstone and shows every sign of continuing so.
17th Jul 2015 04:01 UTCSandy
I do hope of course it does not turn out to be plastic! I have learned a valuable lesson. I am not sure I would agree that anyone deserves to be swindled or misguided when spending their hard earned dollars, but certainly it is clear ow that buyers must check out their sources much more than I did prior to buying at auction! I fully acted on impulse, but I will happy if I end up with a pretty piece of costume jewelry as Owen has kindly stated. I know that no one I know has one just like it and I anticipate lots of compliments. :) I am pretty sure I will never delve into the online auction world again. C'est la vie!
17th Jul 2015 11:46 UTCOwen Melfyn Lewis
The colour and translucency of the stones in your necklace seem right for that low-grade aquamarine that ends up in the bead market. I have a good net-friend who is a bead seller and, as a favour to her, I checked the authenticity of the labelling of some 50 or so type samples for her before she put the stuff up on her website. There were authenticity problems with about 20% of the type samples but her aquamarine was authentic - just low grade.
Don't give up on internet auctions - it's possible to make some good buys - but, if intending to spend big bucks, always check carefully what your rights are if what is sent to you has been materially misdescribed. Buy gems/jewellery direct from a good dealer and they will give you your money back 'no questions asked' if you return you purchase, typically within 14/30 days) Buy at auction and you never have a right to return a purchase simply because you don't like it. But, if it has been described as (say) rock crystal and it proves to be glass, then you should indeed expect your money back. Check the terms of sale carefully *before* any bidding. Some auction houses value their reputations highly but not all of them do.
You can end up spending quite a lot on having stuff properly checked if authenticity is a concern for you (it isn't to everyone). But it's much more satisfying to learn all about gem identification and, eventually to be able to check all your stuff fro yourself.
25th May 2016 22:59 UTCmmm
23rd Jun 2016 20:18 UTCknow1ukno
Go to 550 S. Hill St. 12th floor, or FIA, but they are expensive now.
17th Nov 2016 18:42 UTCLFL
17th Nov 2016 19:14 UTCOwen Melfyn Lewis
-------------------------------------------------------
> Really like the postings before. Thank you for the
> education. I just bought a tourmaline necklace
> on line. What's the difference between pink
> tourmaline and rubilite? I found some website use
> it interchangeably. What ar the ways to enhance
> tourmaline to make it looks better, and therefore
> more than it worth?
Rubellite is a gem name for a red to pink tourmaline crystal. Some, including me, think pink as a watery red.
For the story of tourmaline enhancement (and more), you need to do some serious reading. As a start. try a library for a copy of 'Gemstone Enhancement' by Dr Kurt Nassau.
17th Nov 2016 22:38 UTCLFL
26th Nov 2016 08:30 UTCAlexander Ringel
http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,55,356304,357145
11th Feb 2017 21:06 UTCCHRISTINA CRUZ
Mindat.org is an outreach project of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
Copyright © mindat.org and the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy 1993-2024, except where stated. Most political location boundaries are © OpenStreetMap contributors. Mindat.org relies on the contributions of thousands of members and supporters. Founded in 2000 by Jolyon Ralph.
Privacy Policy - Terms & Conditions - Contact Us / DMCA issues - Report a bug/vulnerability Current server date and time: April 25, 2024 11:58:38
Copyright © mindat.org and the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy 1993-2024, except where stated. Most political location boundaries are © OpenStreetMap contributors. Mindat.org relies on the contributions of thousands of members and supporters. Founded in 2000 by Jolyon Ralph.
Privacy Policy - Terms & Conditions - Contact Us / DMCA issues - Report a bug/vulnerability Current server date and time: April 25, 2024 11:58:38