Forums General Discussion Hobby selling quality reports

7 replies, 7 voices Last updated by davidechols 3 years, 4 months ago
Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
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  • #5673

    miketmbt
    Participant
    @miketmbt

    Hello. Might be a dumb question.
    I assume most hobby cutters try to sell their work to help fund equipment and new rough to facet.
    My question is.. Do people send the stones for a GIA report or something similar to accompany the sale?

    I was just curious because I’ve bought some junk before off of ebay but because I needed stones to practice setting and jewelry making. They always attach a grade in the description.

    #5683

    flfaceter73
    Participant
    @flfaceter73

    Hello, i sell some of my cut stones on the Etsy website and i have not yet had any appraised with a certificate. Ive sold mostly stones under $50.00 ea. so i didnt figure it was needed or economically feasable .
    I will consider an appraisal for selling once i cut some more valuable pieces.

    #5684

    brellan217
    Participant
    @brellan217

    I agree about the value of a stone being a factor. I have some VVS longido rubies and some eye clean no oil emeralds. Those are the only stones I’d consider a GIA report for if I was going to sell them. It isn’t worth it to try to sell a $200 stone with a GIA report when the report costs $70-$85. It eats too much into profits. I don’t sell my stones, but if I did the aforementioned would be my business decision.

    #5687

    Lowjiber
    Participant
    @Lowjiber

    Like others above, the majority of my stones are not worth paying for a GIA grading. GIA is largely overrated by their own hype for the avrage faceter, in my humble opinion. Most of my cuts are sold in the $40-$50 range.

    On two occasions, I’ve sold rare cuts of Oregon Sunstone to knowledgeable jewelers for $200/each, but such rough is very hard to come by.

    #6011

    Eric Hoffman
    Participant
    @erichoffman

    While GIA is the gold standard for diamonds, a lot of people look to the American Gemological Labratory (AGL) when it comes to colored stones. You can get a simple GemBrief card which states a positive identification and any evidence of enhancement for $70. On the other end of the spectrum, they’ll do that plus origin and color grade in a Prestige Grading Report. The price for those depends on the carat weight of the stone, and can run you in the neighborhood of $400-1100.

    So the cost is the biggest factor. Is it worth getting a stone evaluated for $70 if you’re only selling it for $150? Probably not. The only stone I’ve ever sent off was a 0.96ct unoiled emerald (less-than-awesome photo attached). We only got a GemBrief because the origin was nothing special (Brazil, but not Muzo), but for a stone like that, a simple report showing no evidence of treatment was definitely worth it.

    –Eric

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    #6014

    scottwkelley
    Participant
    @scottwkelley

    I have been selling my quartz stones, large for $45, not set. Not bad at 2 bucks a carat I figure. I make $10 for my cab petoskey stones too. These days I concentrate on size to fit a setting. My problem is I take bad pictures.
    I have a question, what is up with this material, why so inexpensive?colombian emerald

    #6020

    miketmbt
    Participant
    @miketmbt

    @scottwkelley it says no treatment but when you get it, it will be dripping in oil.

    #6022

    davidechols
    Participant
    @davidechols

    “why so inexpensive”

    Junk. Stay clear unless you just want to say you have some emerald. Such material is too dark. I bought some like it by the pound a few years ago. Something like $15 a pound.

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