I resell estate jewelry and often come into scrap pieces with perfectly good stones that I have learned to to remove from their setting(s) without damage in most cases. I am not a gemologist, and while I have amateur-ish equipment that can unofficially identify stones, it cannot determine natural vs. synthetic origin and cannot definitively state the kind of stone it is.
While I would ideally love to have a system for sending these to someone who would be happy to get practice officially identifying them — and then a lapidary who would want them for their own use (and/or a bench jeweler interested in re-setting them) — my priority right now is being able to monetize them at all. I would especially love to find interested buyers who are less particular about knowing a stone’s natural vs. lab origin and more interested in simply knowing the type of stone(s) they have, even if that means I don’t make as much from them as a result.
What is the right audience(s) for selling these kinds of gemstones? Where can I go to find the right potential buyers? I don’t need to make every last possible dollar out of these, but I hate to otherwise let these stones sit and collect dust. I know they’re more than worthy of going to good use, especially since I have learned how to sift out the glass and CZ most of the time. Any ideas?
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Hi Alec! Welcome to the forum!
This is an intriguing situation. Normally, I think if someone were to advertise “unknown stones” for sale, there would be some hesitation or most-likely very little response from the audience.
Then again, I am sure there are a few here (including myself) that would entertain purchasing a “mystery bag” parcel. 
It would be a fun adventure, however, I feel that it would be unfair to take any advantage of your good intentions.
What equipment do you have that you consider “amateur-ish”?
Cheers!
Troy
Get a microscope to identify types.
6 posters at GIA are available around $130.
They will provide photos of types of Ruby, natural, heated, lab grown then you can make better identification of items.
each poster identifies different types of items once you see different characteristics on posters easier to know synthetic versus natural. Worth the expense.
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Thanks for the warm welcome! I have a Gem-n-Eye III digital refractometer, a GemOro UltraTester3+, and a coin microscope (at first, I resold coins and currency). No true gemological equipment to speak of, but I’m working to change that soon, even if what I end up with isn’t exhaustive.
I haven’t been able to land on whether a Presidium would help me with my Gem-n-Eye already in tow, but it could be a start on IDing more basic stones. Before I got the Gem-n-Eye, I bought a Gemlogis ASTRO, but it seemed to have issues with consistency and one of its parts came loose, so I returned it. I’m open to getting things like a Chelsea filter and polariscope (and whatever else), as long as they help me discern information I can’t currently find out, like narrowed-down stone ID or origin.
I purchased the Gem-n-Eye III to help test/identify stones with an RI = >1.81 and admittedly, it helped me correct and understand what I was doing wrong with applying the basic refractometer techniques. Was a very good lesson, expensive, but it did help. 
Unfortunately, the Gem-n-Eye cannot measure a numerical birefringence. The critical angle refractometer may have a steeper learning curve, but it is the better instrument for stones below RI =1.81.
A Chelsea filter is a good tool but its usability is somewhat limited on what species it can help distinguish.
I definitely suggest adding a polariscope and refractometer as a good investment. A dichroscope and a hand-held spectrometer would be good second choices.
What optical magnification range can your microscope do? Can you place a light source underneath the stone?
I’ve bought the four items you suggested, along with a GemOro 1030 LED microscope, since I didn’t have dark field capability (and the optical magnification wasn’t helpful enough). I also got a dark field loupe. Hoping that all gets me up to speed. I went with an Optima-brand refractometer.
GemOro has good products. It looks like a nice compact design for travel, too.
I am not familiar with Optima. Its nice that it has a built-in sodium filter and external light port. Curious if it came with a polarizing filter for the eyepiece or if a home built one will have to be constructed, since a polarizer will be needed for measuring birefringence.
Nonetheless, it looks like you have a good compliment of instruments to identify quite a few stone species.
It came with one that can be detached. Just used it yesterday — it definitely came in handy.