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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).
Are globalgemslab (GGL) gemstone certificates fake?
I have seen at least a few hundred of these GGL " certificates of authenticity", and I don't remember seeing anything except one of these: 1. Dyed quartz certified as natural emerald; 2. Composite ruby certified as natural ruby. Thus, if you see a "gemstone" that comes with one of these GGL certificRead more
I have seen at least a few hundred of these GGL ” certificates of authenticity”, and I don’t remember seeing anything except one of these:
See less1. Dyed quartz certified as natural emerald;
2. Composite ruby certified as natural ruby.
Thus, if you see a “gemstone” that comes with one of these GGL certificates, run away!
There is no easier way to tell if a stone is a fake than the presence of a GGL certificate.
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 less22 Ct Natural Blue Sapphire Bracelet. Etsy.com. Are these blue sapphires natural?
Dear Katherine, The seller is not disclosing all the relevant information here. Sadly, this happens all the time. As far as I can judge, these are cobalt-lead glass-filled sapphires or diffusion treated sapphires (in the best-case scenario). Both of the above treatment methods affect the price substRead more
Dear Katherine,
See lessThe seller is not disclosing all the relevant information here. Sadly, this happens all the time.
As far as I can judge, these are cobalt-lead glass-filled sapphires or diffusion treated sapphires (in the best-case scenario).
Both of the above treatment methods affect the price substantially.
£145.57 is not an adequate price for this bracelet. Its true market value is around $50. Try eBay.com or eBay.co.uk. There are numerous Thai manufacturers/sellers selling alike bracelets.
Sincerely, Anna
P.S. Just don’t go for the “buy it now” format. The price will be much lower at an auction.
Are globalgemslab (GGL) gemstone certificates fake?
Dear HVZ, It really depends on what you mean by fake or legit. They are not fake in the sense that no one really forges these GGL certificates of authenticity. So, in that sense they are perfectly legit. However, they are fake in the sense that they provide misleading, fake information. For example,Read more
Dear HVZ,
See lessIt really depends on what you mean by fake or legit. They are not fake in the sense that no one really forges these GGL certificates of authenticity. So, in that sense they are perfectly legit.
However, they are fake in the sense that they provide misleading, fake information. For example, the certificate you have here states it’s a natural, heated ruby. In reality, it’s a worthless composite ruby. I have seen numerous GGL certificates of authenticity where it’s said “natural emerald”, whereas it’s a fracture-filled, dyed quartz (fake emerald) in reality.
Thus, in this sense these GGL certificates are as fake as a three-dollar bill. They are happy to print anything on these certificates as long as it helps to sell their stuff.
Rubies, 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: