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14K Yellow gold clasp for my pearl necklace. Where can I get the best deal?
I have been buying alike clasps from es_store on eBay for years. The regular price is $33.99 + postage. From time to time, they offer a discount. The reduced price is $27.99 & free shipping. When they have no discount, I contact them and ask for it. So far they have been very kind and have alwayRead more
I have been buying alike clasps from es_store on eBay for years. The regular price is $33.99 + postage. From time to time, they offer a discount. The reduced price is $27.99 & free shipping. When they have no discount, I contact them and ask for it. So far they have been very kind and have always offered me one.
Sincerely, Anna
See lessWhat is LGF ruby?
LGF stands for lead glass filled. Thus, it's a composite ruby, and it is not correct to state it is "natural". Regards, Anna
LGF stands for lead glass filled. Thus, it’s a composite ruby, and it is not correct to state it is “natural”.
Regards, Anna
See less925 Silver Ring – 6.52 Ct Green Emerald – Catawiki. How much is it worth?
Dear A.K., I am 100% sure this is not an emerald. I am 99.99% sure this stone is prehnite. Thus, I am 100% sure this seller is a fraudster. You cannot really compare the price of emerald and prehnite. Prehnites are extremely cheap. So is this ring. I wouldn't bid on it if I were you. BR, Anna
Dear A.K.,
I am 100% sure this is not an emerald.
I am 99.99% sure this stone is prehnite.
Thus, I am 100% sure this seller is a fraudster.
You cannot really compare the price of emerald and prehnite. Prehnites are extremely cheap. So is this ring. I wouldn’t bid on it if I were you.
BR, Anna
See lessEarthMined Gemstone Testing Laboratory – is this lab reputable?
I agree with Collector - no reputable lab will certify one of these dyed beryls as emerald.
I agree with Collector – no reputable lab will certify one of these dyed beryls as emerald.
See lessHow much this ruby pendant is worth?
Our dear Editor has been way too generous here :) Check out this! :)
Our dear Editor has been way too generous here 🙂 Check out this! 🙂
See lessWhat are Edison pearls? Are they expensive?
Hi! You are absolutely right, there has been a lot of fuss. Much more than it would be reasonable. I believe Edison pearls do not deserve that much attention. It's all about marketing. Quite often sellers describe Edison pearls as something very special and expensive. As a matter of fact, they are nRead more
Hi!
You are absolutely right, there has been a lot of fuss. Much more than it would be reasonable. I believe Edison pearls do not deserve that much attention. It’s all about marketing. Quite often sellers describe Edison pearls as something very special and expensive. As a matter of fact, they are not. Edison pearls are the same old freshwater pearls.
The difference is that traditionally freshwater pearls are tissue-nucleated. The problem with this approach is that oftentimes it leads to off-round and oval pearls. Edison pearls are bead-nucleated (just like South Sea and Tahitian pearls are). It means, they are nucleated with a perfectly round bead nucleus. This leads to round pearls. And round pearls, of course, are much more desirable in the jewelry industry than off-round and oval pearls.
However, it does not mean that Edison pearls are as desirable and expensive as South Sea or Tahitian pearls. They are not. Freshwater pearls, no matter how round and nice, are no match for South Sea and Tahitian pearls. I have seen Edison pearl necklaces with price tags as hefty as $1000. Like I said before, it is just marketing. A strand of really good-quality Edison pearls (round, 12-13 mm) costs around $150.
Regards, Anna
See lessAdjustable necklace of polished emerald pearls. How much it is worth?
Dear Anastasya, I see that the winning bid is EUR 320 at the moment, and there is still a couple of hours to go. I hope you didn't bid on it. To cut the long story short, these are not emeralds. This is green color dyed beryl, and the true market value of this necklace is around $20. Similar necklacRead more
Dear Anastasya,
See lessI see that the winning bid is EUR 320 at the moment, and there is still a couple of hours to go. I hope you didn’t bid on it.
To cut the long story short, these are not emeralds. This is green color dyed beryl, and the true market value of this necklace is around $20.
Similar necklace has been discussed here some time ago.
You can read in more detail here: https://www.shopperlib.com/question/emerald-necklace-catawiki-auction/
Regards, Anna
American International Gemologists (AIG LABS) – are their certificates trustworthy?
Dear AndyB, As far as I know, there are several labs called American International Gemologists (A.I.G. Labs or AIG Labs). However, if you mean the one that is located at Newbury Park, California (e-mail: info@aiglabs.com), then the answer is no, they are not trustworthy. Their retail replacement valRead more
Dear AndyB,
See lessAs far as I know, there are several labs called American International Gemologists (A.I.G. Labs or AIG Labs). However, if you mean the one that is located at Newbury Park, California (e-mail: info@aiglabs.com), then the answer is no, they are not trustworthy.
Their retail replacement values are extremely inflated. They can easily be 10 or more times higher than the true market value. If their retail replacement value says the ring is worth $20000, you can be rather sure its true market value is $1000 to $2000.
They grade light green beryls as emeralds, notwithstanding the fact that GIA (one of the World’s leading authorities on gemstone identification) has previously identified it as green beryl (and they are aware of that!). Read more about this here: https://www.shopperlib.com/green-beryl-vs-emerald/
They grade diamonds 1 or 2 grades higher than their actual grade. For example, SI2 diamonds would be graded as VS1 or VS2, etc, etc, etc.
Thus, they serve businesses that want to rip you off.
Regards, Anna
Is this huge 1982 ct emerald a good investment?
Dear Axel, Definitely, it is not! It is not an emerald, it's a green color dyed beryl. Basically what they do is take a very low-quality, colorless or nearly colorless beryl, dye it with green color, and say it's an emerald. Well, it is not. In order to be regarded an emerald it has to be a naturallRead more
Dear Axel,
See lessDefinitely, it is not! It is not an emerald, it’s a green color dyed beryl. Basically what they do is take a very low-quality, colorless or nearly colorless beryl, dye it with green color, and say it’s an emerald. Well, it is not. In order to be regarded an emerald it has to be a naturally green beryl.
Its retail replacement value is a total nonsense. These huge dyed beryls cost around $20 – $50 (depending on their size). Some really big bricks weighing several kg can cost more. However, the real question is: what are you going to do with it? It is basically worthless. I mean, it has no real value.
Regards, Anna
Loose emerald 7.22 ct, IGI certified, on liveauctioneers.com. How much it is worth?
I think @Freddie has provided an exhaustive and high-quality answer here. I'd like to add a few thoughts about the price. First of all, the price estimate of $8000 – $12 000 is simply ridiculous. As Freddie rightfully notes this is a rather low-quality emerald. Frankly speaking, I like these low-quaRead more
I think Freddie has provided an exhaustive and high-quality answer here.
See lessI’d like to add a few thoughts about the price. First of all, the price estimate of $8000 – $12 000 is simply ridiculous. As Freddie rightfully notes this is a rather low-quality emerald.
Frankly speaking, I like these low-quality emeralds because of their impressive sizes and low price. I have been buying them many times before and will buy in the future.
I attach two of my PayPal invoices here (merged in one). Judge for yourself what the true market value of this 7.22 ct emerald is. Note, all the emeralds in the invoice are of approximately the same quality as the emerald in question (or even a little bit better as none of them has significant clarity enhancement). And they all are at least 50% bigger than this one.
Thus, I’d say its true market value is no more than $250 – $300 (including price of the certificate).