Hi Folks, I am looking for a good source for genuine precious stones,
3-3.5mm round faceted cut for setting in my rings. Rio has a large
selection, but their prices leave a little to be desired. I am
looking for: Garnet, Amethyst, Aquamarine, Diamond, Emerald,
Alexandrite, Ruby, Peridot, Sapphire, Opal, Topaz, Turquoise,
Bloodstone, Agate, Onyx, Carnelian, and Beryl.
Does anyone have a favorite source? Thanks,
Drew
Andrew Horn
Designer,
The Master’s Jewel
www.mastersjewel.com
I like Upclass Gems, call Navi at 212-2780904. This is a source
that you should be buying 5-10 carats of things like peridot, garnet,
amethyst, citrine at a time, not single stones. He sends me more than
what I need and I select the matching stones I need. This person
sells to manufacturers, not hobbiests. This type of supplier works on
low profit, large volume. Richard in Denver
I am looking for a good source for genuine precious stones, 3-3.5mm round faceted cut
Hey Drew, At times like that, I look to see if there is a G&LW (Gem
and Lapidary Wholesalers) gem show coming to my area. Their schedule
is always published in Lapidary Journal. Unfortunately, it looks like
the closest they’ll be coming to the Los Angeles area is Tucson in
February. As a general note to all, because they are wholesale
shows, you have to have a resale license to get into the shows, but
they don’t really seem to care what sort of business for which the
license was obtained.
One vendor I frequent at these shows, for cut stones, is Kay El Co.
from Dallas, TX. Of course, as this moment I can’t find a past show
guide with their contact which I usually have
close-at-hand. Last summer I bought some nice melee stones in ruby,
sapphire and diamond, all at what I considered to be attractive
prices.
I really appreciate the opportunity to attend these shows in person.
North Carolina isn’t a hotbed of commercial jewelry and gem activity,
so it provides a chance to examine the merchandise rather than buying
sight-unseen through mail order. This really makes a difference when
buying cutting rough.
One resource you might want to look into is the jewelry district in
L.A. I suspect there are some gem importers there who are geared
toward working with the trade (as opposed to retail), and would be
effective and reliable vendors.
Good hunting!
Dave
Dave Sebaste
Sebaste Studio and
Carolina Artisans’ Gallery
Charlotte, NC (USA)
dave@sebaste.com
http://www.CarolinaArtisans.com
Drew, I have to say that I’ve been very impressed with
www.sweetgemstones.com. The owner is an Orchid member, and I’ve made
several orders from them at this point. I’ve been quite satisfied
with the price, quality, and speed of delivery, and the selection is
excellent as well.
Enjoy!
Karen Goeller
@Karen_Goeller