I would like to buy a present for my girlfriend, and I found a pair of these nice earrings + pendant on Etsy – https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/727871255/victorian-edwardian-spirit-of-christmas
The seller has a 5-star reputation. She claims that all the gemstones are natural. I have some doubts though. According to the description, there are Cubic Zirconia accents. Isn’t it a bit strange to mix natural rubies, sapphires, and emeralds with Cubic Zirconia? Cubic Zirconia is a synthesized material, isn’t it?
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.
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!!!
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.
And yes, Cubic Zirconia is synthesized.
The design looks familiar. So does the look and feel of the images. I am 99.9% sure that these are Thai-made earrings. If I’m right about that, £294.45 is an outrageous price tag for these earrings. Their true market value is around $25 – $40
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.