[Jewelry making - Article 00359] - Re: [Orchid] Marketing advice - Gem rough from Brasil

[MillsGem]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========


    Dear Lalit, Before you make any major investment in your Brazilian
    venture let me tell you that you may not be aware of the existing
    widespread availabilty of the Brazilian amethyst geodes here in the
    'States. As a matter of fact, unless you are a huge buyer, it is
    very likely that you can buy these geodes more cheaply here than in
    Brazil.      I know of four big purveyors of Brazilian geodes here
    in America who regularly buy these geodes in multiple tons. Two of
    these suppliers regularly ply their wares at the Tucson and
    Quartzite shows and sell them in a range of $1.50 to $7.00 per
    pound. Most of them sell at about $3.00 lb. Furthermore, over the
    past several decades these prices have remained relatively constant
    meaning that they have become progressively cheaper with time if you
    adjust for inflation. The moral of the story is that the market is
    oversupplied. Unfortunately you are also confusing gem rough with
    specimen rough. The geodes that have suitable lapidary grade
    amethyst are never sold as specimens....they are broken up and sold
    to the cutters in Brazil who will pay as much as $2,000. kg.,
    although material of this grade is rarely found in the geodes. The
    better quality amethyst is more apt to occur in Uruguayan material.
    I regularly stock top quality amethyst geodes in my shop and they
    are very appealing albeit slow moving items. After all....how many
    people can afford hundreds of dollars for a purely decorative item ?
    I will be selling some of my geodes at the Valley Springs Show near
    Stockton, CA. May 3 through May 5. We will also have a nice
    selection of designer cabs, faceted gems and other rockhound related
    items. This is a real fun show situated in the hills of the gold
    country and is outdoors on a working cattle ranch. There will be
    hundreds of dealers along with field trips for collecting. Be sure
    to bring a camera.     Ron at Mills Gem, Los Osos, CA. 

____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________