Hi you guys, there is a lot here to talk about or address, misinformation turns into rumor etc and eventually hurts everyone.
I am not a gemologist, I’ve earned my living owning a retail jewelry manufacturer for 44 years and sat at a bench for many more years then that . Today if I have a question on a stone I’m not sure about I ask one of 2 certified gemologists who work for me.
It’s literally impossible to tell the difference between a lab grown diamond from natural diamond using a microscope, we use a tool that will tell you 96% of the time if a diamond is natural or synthetic, That 2 to 4 % of the time that the machine doesn’t know it’s recommended to the client the stone be sent to GIA.
That being said , today diamonds over .33 cts.that we by or sell goe to GIA to be certified at that point a cert number is etched on the girdle of the diamond , this cert number is visible under a microscope, the client can be shown that number and easily access GIA’s data base and see the info on the diamond for themselves.
I can’t imagine anyone doing business today selling or buying diamonds without a cert number on the girdle of a diamond. That being said there are many many filled, lazered, synthetic , mossinite , cubic zirconia etc out there.
Buying any kind of stone sold as natural or synthetic diamond has to be certified. It’s just how it is today. It doesn’t matter large parcels or a single stone. Don’t get me wrong we buy stones off the street regularly and once in a while we get burned on some kind of filled stone. Note of interest… I’ve seen large parcels of melee put into a larger identifier like I talked about earlier where 15% of that parcel is synthetic.
Again it’s the world we live in.
The industry is not terrible for us as a retailer it’s fine but if you have an office on 47th Street you would be not happy. But most wholesalers will get through this just fine in the end.
My sales 1 year ago were at about 60 percent natural and 40 percent synthetic. This year 75 percent natural and 25 % synthetic, basically it’s a different product category and the hype and news outlets are on to the next headline
Quality of cut is everything when it comes to any kind of stone including diamonds cut is literally the first thing you look at when you open a cert. or look at a stone
The colored stone industry is a another whole long novel but again , the same holds true , certification from
AGS or someone as reputable on expensive goods , I’ve seen some terrible certs ,
Think Nigerian Prince
I do myself buy rough off the internet but again reputation and be careful many times people don’t know what they are selling . There is much more I can say here but that’s an overview of these times in the industry .
Cut pretty stones
To me the main problem appears to be people selling stones without a personal guarantee that these goods are what they are stated on a bill of goods. The market is awash with synthetics and the people who buy them often attempt to pass them on to unsuspecting buyers. If buyers demanded personal guarantees instead of often false certificates would that reduce the incidence of fraud? Is it worth a discussion in this age of tonnage production of synthetics? A personal and/or trade guarantee should mean that if it is dishonoured then that person and/or firm will be marked as dishonest and culpable in a court of Law. This of course may be of little consolation if the person or firm is in another country as so often appears the case. Or on a website that does not care what representation is made about the goods traded. Personally, if I got a dollar for every person stung with a synthetic instead of a real stone, I’ d be a millionaire. Personally, I’ve got nothing against synthetics. If you want bling, then Baby get it!
The colored gemstone market has always held a flexibility that the diamond market doesn’t. For instance, if a person can’t afford a nice ruby then they could find the nice red color in a less expensive garnet.
agreed that another colored stone will do at a lower priced budget. A synthetic ruby would also be cheaper than a natural and have good color. Same goes with any synthetic… simulants like colored CZ are yet another option for even cheaper… Online sales are by seller’s word only. Can’t confirm what you have until you have it… if it’s not what was represented, it’s only the seller’s word for a satisfaction guarenteed refund… maybe it’s a Nigerian Prince’s words…
If I were in the market for something very expensive, I’d pay the retail price at a brick and mortar store… at least there’s a place to return it to and someone who can be held legally and criminally liable if deliberately misrepresenting a gemstone.
you’d be a multimillionaire… Unless the connection is personal and through a trusted source, I have avoided online buying… only stones that I bought on line were cheaper stones: quartz, moonstone… not anything fit for fine jewerly…brick and mortar stores charge more but there’s someone and someplace with a physical presence that can be held liable and a refund demanded with consequences;
I agree with you but also have to point out other factors- see my post
I dig up my own rough and get it cut and then trade with people who cut stones themselves and who I trust. No need for certificates.
trusted sources are worth everything!