Gemstone inventory - how did I get so many?

Hi All

At slow times like these I took the initiative to go through all of
my precious stone inventory…holy crumb…I’m rich. Even not using
the correct dollar pricing per carat…still loads of money tied up in
those crystals…Now I’m going to visit my appraisor and get the true
dollar value…Now the tricky part is to sell the stones…that’s if I
really need to. This is including Ruby and B. Sapphires

How did I get so many? Good question, If I needed some SI - I1
qualtities I always bought a few extra incase of breakage or loosing
a few while setting. After a while, all of these stones added up. So
why am I telling you all this?

You’d be amazed at the inventory you all might be having in those
little paper packets. Do your self a favour and one day if you need
one or two …there will be exact number of stones you might be
needing…As in turn saving yourself some money…

What I just did was measure in millimeteres each group of stones and
then weigh each of the batchs of the same size. All of them are
under.20 points in size…

Gerry!

I hope you expensed out the ‘extra’ stones at the time you used the
rest of the lot, because in reality most of what you have left is
probably pretty useless unless you want to do a bunch of 'one-offs’
using whatever stones you have left. You also probably used the best
stones first, which would leave the (a-hem) not-best.

How much are these stones worth to you that they are worth paying to
have them appraised? Couldn’t you just value them at cost if you
didn’t already charge them off to the original jobs they were
purchased for?

Lee Cornelius
Vegas Jewelers

Gerry,

Your discovery explains one thing, at least… Now I know for
certain why the market for less than half carat stones, regardless of
quality, is -um- not hopping, even in the best of times.

Cheers!
Steve

in reality most of what you have left is probably pretty useless 

I got a few boxes of those. Maybe 4-500 stones in all. Yup, pretty
useless. A couple more years of packratting and I can line an
aquarium.

I got a few boxes of those. Maybe 4-500 stones in all. Yup, pretty
useless 

Well I solved my excess gemstone inventory problem by creating a
kids box. I throw anything that is old, hasn’t sold, is broken,
outdated, etc. into a box and whenever kids come in I give it to them
and let them take their pick. Keeps them distracted while their
parents are making purchases, creates an early interest in owning
precious gems and isn’t nearly as messy as ice cream. Gives them
something to stick up their noses too. Lots of fun.

Daniel R. Spirer, G.G.
Daniel R. Spirer Jewelers, LLC

Well I solved my excess gemstone inventory problem by creating a
kids box. I throw anything that is old, hasn't sold, is broken,
outdated, etc. into a box and whenever kids come in I give it to
them and let them take their pick. Keeps them distracted while
their parents are making purchases, creates an early interest in
owning precious gems and isn't nearly as messy as ice cream. Gives
them something to stick up their noses too. Lots of fun. 

I got a solution for all of you guys- Send your useless stones to
those of us who don’t run big fancy shops and can still keep all of
our settable stones in something the size of a shoebox. You’ll be
getting rid of a problem, and helping less experienced and less well
funded jewelers.

I’m betting that you guys wouldn’t think anything in my stones box
was worth bothering with…Not too many matched stones, mostly
cabs, semi-precious. But I do manage to do vaguely passable work now
and then. Y’all would call it “Crafts” style. But it makes me happy.
And odd stones work well as insets in my carving work. Doesn’t have
to be fancy or graded to make a nice impact there. I can even hide
chips if I work at it.

If anyone wants my snail-mail for dumping useless stones, drop me an
e-mail.

LJ
Dreaming Dragon Designs
http://www.dreamingdragondesign.etsy.com

got a solution for all of you guys- Send your useless stones to
those of us who don't run big fancy shops and can still keep all
of our settable stones in something the size of a shoebox. You'll
be getting rid of a problem, and helping less experienced and less
well funded jewelers.

You probably could use some of them. But then what would I have to
keep the kids busy? I have some who EXPECT to get their stone each
time they come in. I’m still making money from them. Just not the
same way.

Daniel R. Spirer, G.G.
Daniel R. Spirer Jewelers, LLC

A couple more years of packratting and I can line an aquarium. 

Funny you’d say that Neil. I have a zip lock bag of accumulated
broken and damaged colored stones that someone wrote, “For Mark’s
fish tank”, in magic marker on the outside. I think that’s a cool
idea. I also like Daniels idea of letting kids pick one. I have a box
of old watch parts filled with mostly broken, worthless pocket
watches a customer gave me. When my sons were little they would come
down to the shop with me and spend hours laying on the floor “fixing”
the watches. They have great memories of that. Ones person’s junk is
another person’s treasure I guess.

Mark

I got a few boxes of those. Maybe 4-500 stones in all. Yup, pretty
useless. A couple more years of packratting and I can line an
aquarium. 

If anyone is serious about having “useless” stones laying around,
you might try contacting a local high school or tech college that
offers metals classes, and see if they would like a donation. I’m
pretty sure they would! Or you could offer to do a workshop for local
scout troops (girl and boy), or for your local arts commission. Kids
would love to learn how to set their own stones!

I save all my odds and ends, and then when I do kids workshops I can
offer the kids things that they think are really neat, but that I
don’t have much invested in, or have realized I’m not going to use
after all. They eat it up! Nice to get another generation interested
in metals and

Beth Wicker
Three Cats and a Dog Design Studio

http://www.bethwicker.etsy.com
http://bethwicker.ganoksin.com/blogs/

Consulted w/a store who had gobs of stones. He put them in a plastic
box each and priced them.

Put them in the gift bags with colored tissue, festive looking. Had
80 and laid them in front of the showcase. Looked like point setas at
xmas.

Put blank mountings in the case. Direct mail “Free gemstone, come
pick a bag, yours free, no strings attached”

Stones were a $20 to $500 stones, retail. Gave them away

Did $80,000 in remount business in 3 days.

David
David S. Geller
JewelerProfit

You'll be getting rid of a problem, and helping less experienced
and less well funded jewelers. 

The way I got all of these stones was by buying them myself. I grew
my business by turning profits back into the business, by purchasing
in quantity when it was appropriate, selling the things I could,
hanging on to those I couldn’t. No one gave me anything, except for
advice from a few mentors, when I was starting out. I bought my own
tools as I could afford them, my own metal as I could afford that
and I learned how to sell what I made so that I could afford to buy
more. How exactly would I be helping you by just giving you a
handout? Sure I know that the government is giving them out all over,
but the fact of the matter is that necessity will be the best teacher
you ever had. If you need to eat, you find a way to make money. If
you need to grow your business you find a way to make more money to
do that. Handing over a bunch of stones to you because you don’t want
to learn the hard way doesn’t sit real well in my book. I’m perfectly
happy to offer you all the advice you want, but I still make money
off those stones indirectly and it’s far more valuable to me (and
ultimately to you) if I convert just one or two kids into gem
lovers. When I’m feeling charitable, I give to the NONPROFITS that
are worthy of my donations (and I have a long list of those that we
give to regularly).

Daniel R. Spirer, G.G.
Daniel R. Spirer Jewelers, LLC

Neil & Daniel -

Please send your excess, unwanted or broken stones to:

Kelley Dragon
P. O. Box 276
Grant, FL 32949

I will either set them or re-cut them. Keep whatever you need for
the kids!

Many, many thanks in advance,
Kelley

I save all my broken stones and beads to give to a friend who creates
pictures with them. Giving the stones to a local art class is also a
very good idea. I have a picture made with very small tumbled stones,
with each type of stone named on the back of the picture. The
intrinsic use of the stones to me is amazing and fascinating.

Veva Bailey

LJ it a nice solution but most folks take things for granted when
they are free, so a grab bag would be good for say $2 donated to
Ganoksin! Then it would be helping us “newbies” and helping the
cause! I would e happy to get some especially since I am taking a
stone setting workshop and we’ll be making 15 assorted bezels! I
like the idea of broken stones in the fish tank and I am sure when I
have grandchildren they will love it too!

Jane

Great idea Jane

I am still fumbling with stone setting and have been buying to glass
foil backed faceted stones to practice with, by the time I pay for
them I could almost buy the real stones and 9 times out of 10 I have
broken them trying to remove them and try again. So that’s not a bad
idea I pay more then 2 for glass. And I only get one size.

Best wishes
Jen

Send your useless stones to those of us who don't run big fancy
shops and can still keep all of our settable stones in something
the size of a shoebox. 

That’s what I’ve done with mine over the years - schools, students
and the like. Daniel’s kiddie box is good, too. I thought I was
keeping something, and there came a point where I said, “I’m not
ever gonna use these…” Out they went…

Jane,

That’s a great idea. I’d even do a $10 grab bag buy if I thought I
could make the 10 bucks back off of what I got. Actually, that’s
exactly what I did recently with a little bag of about 100 ct. of
random small cabs that a guy had on his junk table at a reptile show
I went to. And I already have a project I’m going to use one in in
the next few days.

Several people on here seem to think that giving someone something
doesn’t help them, but giving something that is worthless to you
might just spark inspiration in someone else. And, when you’re doing
this as nothing more than a supplement to your spouses income,
inspiration is valuable, especially if it lets you make more stuff
without taking money out of that other paycheck. I’ve already been
there and done that on trying to make this feed us. Didn’t fly. That
doesn’t mean I don’t still enjoy this and try to make money, it just
means that I really CAN’T just go buy fancy stones to work with. Not
when I have to choose between feeding us this week or making
something it might take me a year to sell. Not when that other check
is $500 every two weeks.

So if you guys with lots of “worthless” stuff laying around aren’t
going to do something with them that helps and encourages other less
well funded and less experienced jewelers, just quit bitching about
having them laying around.

It’s like going to a homeless shelter and griping that you have too
much food in your fridge, then telling the hungry that you wouldn’t
be helping them any, and you would rather let it rot.

LJ

I am still fumbling with stone setting and have been buying to
glass foil backed faceted stones to practice with, by the time I
pay for them I could almost buy the real stones and 9 times out of
10 I have broken them trying to remove them and try again. 

There are thousands of acceptable quality stones sold by hundreds of
reputable sellers on Ebay (of course you have to know what you’re
looking for and what it’s worth so you’re not ripped off). I have
bought hundreds of gemstones from a few trusted sellers and all have
been of a quality that will sell in jewellery. All of the pieces
I’ve sold so far have been set with Ebay-bought stones. My point is
that you can buy real gemstones for probably what you are paying for
foil- backed glass. They come in all sizes and shapes which makes
setting more of a challenge, because if you can set a non-calibrated
stone, you can set anything.

When buying cabochons, I buy individual, “what you see is what you
get” stones, because I choose them for the patterns in the stones.
With faceted gems, I’ve now moved onto calibrated stones. I still
make my own settings for them but calibrated gemstones give a more
consistent result. I can still buy these from Ebay.

Be shrewd when buying and you can make some good purchases. If you
look at Etsy, there are some very poor quality (as well as some good
quality of course) gemstones set into jewellery. Affordable does NOT
mean that you have to buy poor quality. If you’re careful, you can
still buy nice quality stones such as amethyst, topaz, peridot,
garnet, citrine, etc, etc from Ebay, that are very affordable but
high enough quality to be set into jewellery and sold. Of course,
emeralds, sapphires, rubies, diamonds, tanzanite, etc are not good
quality at affordable (low) prices but you can still find some
pretty examples of even these stones. The point is, you can still buy
the real thing to practice on if you want to.

Personally, I plan to carry on with my current suppliers but at some
point, as my business grows, I will source higher quality more
expensive stones as my jewellery gets finer and warrants it.

Helen Hill
UK
http://www.hillsgems.co.uk
http://helensgems.ganoksin.com/blogs/

those of us who don't run big fancy shops 

Truth be known, I don’t have a big fancy shop. 140 square feet.
Should that qualify me for a handout?

If some folks are doing this as a hobby, you picked an expensive
hobby. If some are trying to turn this into a living, I respect that
but nothing teaches you faster than hunger. Either way, you picked
it. Speed costs money, how fast do you wanna go?

I have already, privately, donated tools and equipment to a few
people here. To say nothing of the extensive private attention I’ve
given those who asked, privately. I’m not crowing about it, I’m happy
to help. I only mention it in light of my next thought.

You know what? It bothers me to be called out by name in public like
this. There’s no way I can keep my integrity intact here. If I say
no, I might look like a schmuck. If I say OK I might well expect to
be seen as the soft touch (‘put the bite on Neil’) and my mailbox
could be filled with solicitations. This IS still the internet. You
see my predicament? Maybe some will see me as pompous but my
integrity (reputation, same thing) is important to me. It puts the
food on my table and the motorcycle in my shed.

Its not the stones, its the way its presented. I think people need
to take responsibilty for themselves. You need advice, there’s plenty
free here. You want free merchandise? ummmmmmm

(usual disclaimer, you doesn’t mean you)

No one gave me anything, except for advice from a few mentors, when
I was starting out. I bought my own tools as I could afford them,
my own metal as I could afford that and I learned how to sell what
I made so that I could afford to buy more. How exactly would I be
helping you by just giving you a handout? 

I wouldn’t be surprised if some here think Daniel to be less than
generous. Though I don’t know him personally, I don’t believe that a
bit. I think his thoughts are sane, healthy and good for everybody,
if a little hard to swallow for newbies. Learn the work ethic first

  • if you don’t have that,there’s no hope for you. Launching any
    business is a tough row to hoe, and if you haven’t grasped that you
    need to have your act together then go cut bait.

With that being said - this isn’t in disagreement with Daniel, just
life experience - I know a fine young woman who’s not a relative,
but she’s a “jewelry relative”. She’s part of our jewelry family,
About six months ago I gave her my gemological lab because she’s
taking the GG course and she’s poor (not POOR, but it’s an expensive
process). Refractometer, polariscope, filters, fluids,
dichroscope… After I handed it to her I went and looked it up
and realized I’d given away $4,000, new prices. Don’t care…It
hadn’t seen daylight in 20 years - she needed it. She was willing to
pay, but I preferred to give her a boost. I told her to use her
money for a microscope. We’ve had the same in return - I’ve acquired
whole workshops form estates or people who retired. I have so many
tools…

The essential ingredient being that those things fall out of the
sky. If my fine young woman had asked me to give her a GG setup I
would have laughed at her. I did it because I’m good person and the
lab needed a good home, not because she conned me. She was
flabbergasted when I handed it to her. She gave me a basket the next
day, filled with $20 worth of bath products and some homemade
cookies. I consider that a fair trade.

Daniel’s point is well taken - don’t expect handouts or expect to
succeed if that’s where you come from,. I painted a 12 unit motel
for my first car - took all summer. But then again the jewelry trade
appreciates new talent, too. You just never know what’s going to
happen.