Laura, I just surfed their web site after reading your post. Have
you (or anyone else) ever ordered from them? If so what were your
experiences dealing with them? Who are they, and where are they
based out of? There prices seem terrific!
Thanks for the lead
Chris Slater
Their prices not only seem terrific, they seem "too good to be true."
I have been buying and selling emeralds for over twenty years. Based
on the photos on the website, I MUST fall back on the truism: “if it
sounds too good to be true, it probably is not true.” I would have to
actually hold that almost 3 carat pearshape in my hand, to see how
clean it REALLY is, and how deep the color. David Barzilay, Lord of
the Rings
All, This site fits in exactly with the problems I am facing as a
gemstones cutter and dealer. In the United States the tradition
model of business relied upon a geometric progression of prices from
mining source, to cutter, to gemstone dealer, to retail jeweler.
Everyone along the line upped the price to make a living. Three or
four people made a living off of each transaction. This model has
now been shattered. Greed at the retail level and direct contact
with the mining and producing sources has cut out the people in the
middle. All the middle profits are being taken by the retailer with
no change in the pricing structure to the public. This has left a
large opening for marketing directly to the public like this site is
doing. These prices are what I would expect to pay when buying a
large lot of emeralds from an emerald dealer. This dealer has
decided that he could sell more emeralds one at a time to the public
in the United States at wholesale prices. He is cutting out
everyone. The prices you see are true prices for emeralds of this
quality. By the way, these are not gem grade emeralds. They are a
low grade. Know what you are looking at. Learn about gemstone
grading, identification, and value. These stones are commercial
grade which most jewelry marketers mount into custom mountings and
triple the price of the stone. These prices are real, everyday
prices in the wholesale market from production house to gemstone
dealer. If you want commercial grade stones these are the prices.
If you want a stone that has been polished, is symmetrical, has no
window, see a gemstone cutter.
Gerry Galarneau
Concerning Emerald Plaza, I have to agree with you wholeheartedly
David. I was looking at the same 3 carat, pear shaped Emerald for
$209.00. Only $209.00 for a medium green with a vss clarity?
I was tempted to buy it, but something inside of me made me feel
uncomfortable. As you stated “if it sounds too good to be true, it
probably is not true.”
Has anybody else dealt with Emerald Plaza?
Charles Heick
Cincinnati, OH
Judging from the image on emeraldplazs.com’s page showing the 2.99
carat pearshape emerald, the stone appears to place in the “lower
commercial” grade. According to 'The Guide" it should wholesale
between $30 to $65 per carat. I leave the math up to you, but it’s
no bargain in my opinion. Jerry in Kodiak