1.Important factors that determine the price of a gemstone are:-
(i) The type of gemstone.
(ii) The size of the gemstone.
(iii) The type of cut employed.
(iv) The color of the stone-whether the color is light or dark; Whether the
color is even
and dispersed throughout the stone.
(v) Whether the stone is natural or synthetic. Natural stones are generally
more valuable
than their synthetic counterparts.
(vi) Whether the stone has been subjected to any form of treatment, such as
heat treatment,
irradiation, diffusion, dying etc. The demand for natural untreated stones
is on the rise
worldwide.
A prospective buyer should carefully look into all the above aspects when
deciding to purchase
a gemstone.
2. Examining a gemstone:-
A gemstone should be examined carefully with the naked eye and a hand lens
before one
decides to make any purchase. There are six key steps in examining a
gemstone.
(I) Whenever possible examine the stone uncounted against a white
background.
(ii) Make sure the gem is clean.
(iii) Hold it at the girdle with Tweezers.
(iv) View under daylight
(v) view under artificial light.
(vi) View from different angles.
(vii) Inspect the surface and interior with a lens of 10x magnification.
3. Always purchase gems from a reputable dealer, licensed by the
appropriate authorities of the
country, from where you are buying the gemstones.
If you are making purchases from Sri Lake the dealer should have a license
from the National
Gem and Jewelry Authority of Sri Lanka.
4. Always insist on a gem certificate and/or grading report from a
recognized Gem Testing
Laboratory in the country of origin.
If making purchases from Sri Lanka the gem certificates will be issued by
the Gem Testing
Laboratories of:
The National Gem and Jewelry Authority of Sri Lanka.
25,Galle Face Terrace,
Colombo 3,
Sri Lanka.
Tel:+94(11)2325364,23229295,2320758,2390645-8
Fax:+94(11)2320758
5. Tips on buying Gemstones and Jewelry from the Net.
(i) Make sure that the company website mentions a
precise address (No, Street, City, Country) in the contact us page or at
the bottom of the homepage. Most scammers on the the net avoid giving
precise addresses.
(ii) Make sure that the company processes credit cards
live online via a Merchant account, preferably via a Financial Firm
established in the
United States. Make sure the address of this financial firm is mentioned.
This makes it easier to eliminate or reduce scammers. If a link is given
to the website of the financial firm in the secure checkout pages it is
likely that the website is owned by Genuine and honest businessmen, this
is because it is easy to report fraud to the third party financial firm
who will remove the merchant account and will freeze the account of the
website owner. The financial firm will also assist the customer of the
website owner to take necessary legal action if the need arises.
(iii) Make sure that the website displays the logo of
relevant regulating authorities in the country where the website business
is established.
(iv) How does the website look? This is a very
important point. The look and feel of the web site is extremely important.
Stay away from websites that uses all types of dark color shades. Multiple
color shades is a sign of amateurs, there are plenty of them on the net
these days. The design of the website that looks simple but pleasant
was most likely done by a webmaster who charges thousands of dollars to
design.
6.Never buy gem stones at ridiculously low
prices. eg a 4 carat Ruby for $50 U.S. Such gem stones are most probably
fake or synthetic ones. If you are serious about buying gem stones, always
consult a local gem appraiser or an online free gem appraiser such as
gemval.com.
