Hello i am new to collecting Gems and i am trying to get a ruff value of my collection so far. I have detail photos and info on all of them . Please help…
Whatever you paid for them is a pretty ‘ruff’ guide to the value 
lol thank you for that indepth help lol
Sorry, but its one those ‘how long is a piece of string’ questions
well i got them on autions
oh, well scratch my first estimate, it’ll be lower than that, there has to a few synthetics or glass ones in there somewhere 
Hi Patrick,
Just to be as helpful as i can, being an estimate of value would be best done by bringing the collection to a gemologist who can look them over, identify the type, size and quality of each.
Asking how much a collection is worth is impossible to answer without knowing the type of gemstone (20ct of diamond will be worth far more than 20ct of Amythyst), the size of each stone (a 5ct diamond is generally worth more than one that weighs .5ct) and the quality (an internaly flawless diamond of G color weighing .5ct would be worth far more than a 2ct SI with N color rating).
If you are collecting because you like the look of certain stones and/or want to have them put into jewelry, that is great. If you are expecting value for money or appreciation in value, you really need to know gem valuation and get appraisals with your stones or get a return privilege and know some gemology. As BrianR said, the value factors are type of gem (species), carat weight, color (hue, tone and saturation), clarity (transparency, inclusions and zoning) and cut (light return, facet placement and accuracy, polish, proportion). In addition to those, there is the issue of natural vs synthetic, and synthetics are usually a fraction of the price of natural. There are a few premium synthetics which are worth more than a few dollars a carat, but they are rarely encountered.
Many gem enthusiasts amass a collection thinking that they have something valuable, but that is rarely the case. Gems are usually sold by folks who know a great deal about them, so they are not selling at a loss. If they are “romancing the stone” and telling a great story, they may be selling at a premium of the realistic value. So the chances that your collection is worth more than what you paid for it are slim to none. As one respondent indicated, you may have synthetics which are worth a few dollars a carat that were sold as natural. If you have bought on ebay, this is quite likely. Also, you have to contend with the question of retail vs wholesale value. If you are running a business, you are selling at retail. If a private individual is selling, they are going to get wholesale price or less from a jeweler and wholesale price or a little more from another private individual. So unless you are in the biz, you are always losing money by selling. Gems are a nice portable source of value to be passed down in families, but real estate or stocks and bonds are generally better in any normal economy.
If you can find a knowledgeable jeweler or professional appraiser or gem cutter or a very knowledgeable local faceter or mineralogist, they might be able to help you. Try a few jewelry stones that advertise an on site gemologist or get in touch with your local gem and mineral society, attend a meeting or two and ask about their most knowledgeable members. Try to get educated somewhat before spending more than pocket change.