Greetings esteemed IGS members. I am new to the forum and am seeking recommendations for an IGS member company or business for valuation/appraisal services of an unusual collection of garnet gemstones. I would prefer a business located in the Colorado/Wyoming USA region, however, I would consider any USA location, if necessary.
The collection consists of garnets that were found in Colorado, primarily at Ruby Mountain, and collected in the 1960’s by hobbyist “rockhound” family members. In 1970, these rough stones were shipped en masse overseas to be hand-cut/faceted/polished (at great expense as evidenced by the original invoices) by lapidary firm Hermann Lind, II, of Idar-Oberstein, Germany. The finished stones are of exceptionally fine craftsmanship, and vary in size from 2.5mm to 7.5mm, all round cut (with the exception of two ovals), and with varied color from deep red, to bright red, to purple, to pink, with some of them displaying color-change attributes as well. After being shipped back to the USA, the finished stones were placed in jars and mostly forgotten about until I inherited them nearly 50 years later in 2019. They were never used in jewelry, or for any other purpose, and would be considered “new old stock”, I suppose.
I did review the IGS business listing and see many businesses that offer such services, however, I was hoping to get a recommendation or referral for a specific company that may have expertise or interest in the unique properties of Colorado gemstones and/or a high rating from fellow IGS members.
Many thanks for your time and have a great day!
Hello Jonathan,
I found the website for the lapidary firm you mentioned in your post. They now have an online store.
I would suggest to go there to see if you can compare your gemstones to those that they have posted for sale and get a rough idea about how much your garnets are worth.
Hermann Lind, II, of Idar-Oberstein, Germany looks to be a great lapidary firm. Your relative was very smart to get an excellent lapidary firm to cut their gemstones.
I hope this helps in your search for appraising your garnets.
Linda Fitzwater
Owner
Creation By Suzanne, LLC
https://creationbysuzanne.com/
Welcome to the forum. Unfortunately, I cannot help with local gemologists, but I sure would love to see some pics of some of the stones you have found. It’s really cool that you have found so many. Can I ask for some pointers on where and how you look for them? I never ‘rock hounded’ like this but it seems like a cool thing to try.
Have same problem with valuation… no resources in Rapid City SD… None in WY… Denver area is full of resources… you will need to find someone in Denver. For me, it’s a 7 hour drive to Denver.
Did you need Verbal or Written valuation results?
depending where you live in WY or CO, Denver is the only place in the state that has the resources to value your gemstones. I would suggest doing an online search for Denver area gem appraisal services… If the gems originated in Colorado, you might hit the jackpot. Brick and mortar stores with in person access would be better than shipping it overseas or out of state for an appraisal… getting a written valuation from a certified gemologist appraiser is the best…good luck.