Is this ring worth the price? https://www.ebay.com/itm/NATURAL-12-25-CT-GGL-CERTIFICATE-UNHEATED-EMERALD-RING-925-SILVER-SIZE-9-5-/273610106542?oid
The seller seems trustworthy – 100% positive feedback. I am just surprised that such a big emerald is surrounded with simulated diamonds. And what about GGL? Is it a trustworthy lab? There is no image of the certificate in the listing.
It is very much right what you noted about simulated diamonds. No reasonable person would set a real emerald and simulated diamonds in the same setting. This is definitely not an emerald. That’s for sure. It is a bit difficult to tell from the images whether it is a dyed beryl or a dyed quartz. Looks like beryl to me (quartz is usually lighter in color and the color-concentration zones are more pronounced).
As far as GGL “certificates” are concerned, if you see a gemstone with a GGL certificate, it is a red flag by itself. Every single “gemstone” I have seen with a GGL certificate so far has been a fake. So, it is no real certificate.
So, I would say that a Thai or Indian-made silver ring with a dyed beryl and simulated diamonds would cost around $15 – $30 on eBay (ok, maybe $40 if it’s supernice).
First of all, I would like to say that I agree with everything Anna has said here. I have bought several “gemstones” with GGL certificates, and they all turned out to be cheap fakes.
But I also want to share an interesting experience I have had with eBay’s feedback scores. A few years ago I needed three small diamonds for a piece of jewelry that I wanted to be made for me. I found these accent stones at a decent price and quality on eBay. I believe the seller was from Hong Kong or Singapore (don’t remember exactly). The seller had a few hundred unique feedback and it was 100% positive. So, I had no reason not to trust him. I ordered the diamonds, paid for them, and after several weeks received the parcel. From the very start, they did not look right. I have seen and held in my hand many diamonds, but these ones simply didn’t look right. I tested them with my diamond tester – no reaction. Brought them to a lab and it turned out to be glass. If a seller decides to cheat me, I would expect to receive moissanite or some sort of crystal in the worst-case scenario. Really, glass?! I was shocked! 100% positive feedback and they send me worthless glass!
Anyways, after lengthy arguments, I was able to return the purchased items and received a full refund. Of course, I wanted to warn other potential buyers about such dishonest and outrageous practices. So, I left negative feedback. No explicit or offensive language, no swearing or anything. Just mentioned that I bought diamonds, received glass instead, it was testified by an official, trustworthy lab, be aware. So, everything was in line with eBay’s policies.
After a month or so I recalled this incident and decided to check upon this seller’s feedback – isn’t there more negative feedback from other scam victims. What a surprise! The seller had 100% positive feedback again, and my feedback had disappeared. I wrote an e-mail to eBay asking to explain what was the reason for deleting my feedback. They never bothered to reply. Then I understood that eBay’s feedback scores have to be taken with a grain of salt. I still do pay attention to them but I always remember this experience I had.