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Loose emerald 7.22 ct, IGI certified, on liveauctioneers.com. How much it is worth?
Perfectly explained, @Freddie! Cheers!
Perfectly explained, Freddie! Cheers!
See lessTanzanite ring – fake or real
Hi, Noni! No, I wouldn't be concerned that this might be a scam. You see, tanzanites are not very expensive. Therefore, there are not too many fake tanzanites around. Visual characteristics are definitive - it is natural tanzanite. It looks pretty nice. Far from perfect but nice. You should note thaRead more
Hi, Noni!
No, I wouldn’t be concerned that this might be a scam. You see, tanzanites are not very expensive. Therefore, there are not too many fake tanzanites around.
Visual characteristics are definitive – it is natural tanzanite. It looks pretty nice. Far from perfect but nice.
You should note that 1.5-carat tanzanite is really nothing special. This size would be something for a diamond but not for tanzanite. Loose tanzanite of this size and quality can be bought for under $100. Thus, the most expensive part here is the 18K ring setting, not tanzanite
So, you have no reason to get confused by this price. I’d say, it is reasonable, provided you like the ring and are buying it to wear.
However, if you are considering it as an investment (you mentioned “investment”), then there is really nothing to invest in.
Hope this helps!
Sincerely, Editor J
See lessLoose emerald 7.22 ct, IGI certified, on liveauctioneers.com. How much it is worth?
Andy, here is what I see: 1. It's a natural emerald - good 2. It's IGI certified - good 3. Origin: Colombia - good 4. Size: Big but nothing extraordinary 5. It has significant clarity enhancement - not very good. Almost all emeralds are clarity enhanced by colorless oil, that's perfectly ok. HoweverRead more
Andy,
See lesshere is what I see:
1. It’s a natural emerald – good
2. It’s IGI certified – good
3. Origin: Colombia – good
4. Size: Big but nothing extraordinary
5. It has significant clarity enhancement – not very good. Almost all emeralds are clarity enhanced by colorless oil, that’s perfectly ok. However, there are 3 enhancement levels: minor, medium, and significant. The more enhanced, the lower the price.
6. Color – bad to very bad. This emerald is rather light green, color is not saturated. This is significant because the most important thing is color when it comes to emeralds. In addition, color distribution is uneven.
7. Clarity – bad to very bad. It has really severe inclusions. Almost all emeralds have inclusions and other growth features (unlike diamonds), but this one is heavily included. Note that so many inclusions can also compromise how durable it is. This is why jewelers don’t love emeralds with too many inclusions – they can break into pieces while being placed in the setting. This can also cause problems if you accidentally drop your piece of jewelry.
8. Cut – bad to very bad. It is very deep and uneven. This not only makes it less attractive and less valuable but also makes it more difficult to work with (for a jeweler, I mean).
9. It has nicks and chips – bad
Conclusion: an emerald of inferior quality worth maximum $500. The price estimate is heavily inflated and has nothing to do with the stone’s quality and true market value.
Beware! 18 kt. Yellow gold ring with FAKE emerald on Catawiki.com!
Unbelievable! The poor fellow paid 850 euro + shipping + Catawiki commission (9%). These "experts" should be sued for fraud! And the seller as well. Crazy!
Unbelievable! The poor fellow paid 850 euro + shipping + Catawiki commission (9%). These “experts” should be sued for fraud! And the seller as well. Crazy!
See lessRubies, Emeralds & Sapphires Earrings & Pendant. Seller TrulyVenusian on Etsy. Are these gemstones natural or not?
@Freddie is right that these rubies look like lead glass-filled. It's because they are lead glass-filled. @Anna is absolutely right that these earrings look Thai-made. It's because they are Thai-made. And yes, she is right about the price! $385 (£294) is absolutely outrageous for this jewelry set. FRead more
Freddie is right that these rubies look like lead glass-filled. It’s because they are lead glass-filled.
See lessAnna is absolutely right that these earrings look Thai-made. It’s because they are Thai-made. And yes, she is right about the price! $385 (£294) is absolutely outrageous for this jewelry set.
For the sake of clarity, I’d like to add that this seller, TrulyVenusian, is a liar. She states in her Etsy profile: “I have been passionate about making jewellery for about 30 years. Then I learned how to make pieces from scratch, usually inspired by a vintage theme or iconic woman from history”
She keeps on bragging about “best materials” and “beautiful architecture, vintage fashions, costume dramas”.
Passionate about making jewelry? Hmmm, are you sure that’s what you are passionate about? 🙂
Surprise, surprise, she states she does not take commissions “because my head is already too full of my own designs, and my house is full of half-finished jewellery”.
Your own designs?! Really?!
Let’s face it: this is not the true reason for not taking commissions. Most likely, she has no clue about how to make jewelry. That’s the true reason why she doesn’t take commissions! 99% of the jewelry she is selling is Thai-made. Almost all of it has been purchased from sellers like egemdiamond and gemsporium on eBay.com. TrulyVenusian’s prices are 10 to 20 times higher than the original prices on eBay. People, wake up!
And she has 1220 admirers! Crazy!!!
925 Sterling silver bracelet with Sapphires on Etsy. Are these sapphires natural?
Dear Enigma, It really depends on what you mean by "natural sapphires". These are not man-made or synthetic sapphires. So, in that sense, you could say they are natural. However, they are treated. And by treated, I don't mean heated sapphires which is an industry-accepted treatment method. Most of tRead more
Dear Enigma,
It really depends on what you mean by “natural sapphires”. These are not man-made or synthetic sapphires. So, in that sense, you could say they are natural.
See lessHowever, they are treated. And by treated, I don’t mean heated sapphires which is an industry-accepted treatment method. Most of the sapphires on the market are heated.
These sapphires here, instead, are what is called cobalt-lead glass-filled sapphires. They are also called lead and cobalt glass filled sapphires, cobalt-doped glass-filled sapphires, or cobalt-doped composite sapphires. In essence, these are composite sapphires.
A very low-quality starting material is used – opaque, industrial-grade stones. It is then mixed with powders that contain lead and cobalt. This mixture is heated fusing the powders into a cobalt-lead glass that penetrates the fractures and cavities in the stone. Lead-cobalt glass can account for most of the stone’s weight.
Basically, the technology is pretty much the same as that used for the lead glass-filled rubies. The main difference is that for the cobalt-doped composite sapphires, as the name suggests, cobalt is used.
These composite sapphires have the same durability problems as lead glass-filled rubies do. And yes, they are almost worthless (just like lead glass-filled rubies).
£137.79 (ca. $179) is definitely not a good price for this bracelet. You can easily buy alike bracelets at a price around $40 – $60 on eBay (note: at auction, not “buy it now” format). So, this price here is 3 to 4 times higher than what would be reasonable for a composite sapphire bracelet.
You can read more about composite rubies (in order to better understand issues related to composite sapphires) here:
Rubies, Emeralds & Sapphires Earrings & Pendant. Seller TrulyVenusian on Etsy. Are these gemstones natural or not?
These rubies look like lead glass filled. Especially the big one on the left side. That would perfectly explain why they have been paired with cubic zirconia.
These rubies look like lead glass filled. Especially the big one on the left side. That would perfectly explain why they have been paired with cubic zirconia.
See lessRubies, Emeralds & Sapphires Earrings & Pendant. Seller TrulyVenusian on Etsy. Are these gemstones natural or not?
I find it somewhat strange that the description says nothing about the treatment method of the gemstones. Most of the gemstones are treated one way or another nowadays, and the treatment method can (and will) affect the price enormously. Of course, it could be that the seller just forgot to includeRead more
I find it somewhat strange that the description says nothing about the treatment method of the gemstones. Most of the gemstones are treated one way or another nowadays, and the treatment method can (and will) affect the price enormously. Of course, it could be that the seller just forgot to include this information. Nevertheless, it is very important. I would suggest you ask her.
See lessAnd yes, Cubic Zirconia is synthesized.
10.00cts Natural Black Diamond Ring on eBay: Diamond Treatment – Color Enhanced. Is that ok?
Color enhancement is a routine treatment method for black diamonds. So, nothing is wrong with that. Of course, treated diamond (just like any other gemstone) would be cheaper than 100% natural one. Most of the black diamonds are actually color enhanced on the market. So, that's perfectly ok. The proRead more
Color enhancement is a routine treatment method for black diamonds. So, nothing is wrong with that. Of course, treated diamond (just like any other gemstone) would be cheaper than 100% natural one. Most of the black diamonds are actually color enhanced on the market. So, that’s perfectly ok.
See lessThe problem with this “diamond” is not that it is color enhanced but that it is not a diamond at all. I mean, it is a fake diamond. Natural black diamonds (enhanced or not) are never this perfect. They do always have some nicks and chips, and the color is never this even and perfect. There is a mixture of black and somewhat grayish areas and even some white dots.
Take a look at the image I have attached here – this is what a real black diamond would normally look like.
The price is another indicator that this is a fake here. $99 would be a reasonable price for a 2.5 to 3-carat loose, color-treated black diamond (if you are buying it at the right place, of course), but definitely not for a 10-carat beauty.
I just wonder how this fraudster has managed to retain a 100% positive feedback…
Are these emeralds on auctionet.com genuine?
They relisted both items about an hour ago :) I wonder, is that a proof of shill bidding or the buyers were ultimately smart enough not to pay for these fake emeralds...
They relisted both items about an hour ago 🙂 I wonder, is that a proof of shill bidding or the buyers were ultimately smart enough not to pay for these fake emeralds…
See less