[Jewelry making - Article 00028] - Re: [Orchid] Gemstone Treatments

[Daniel R. Spirer]

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Shaun:

>       If he has a choice between two similar stones (one natural and
>     one treated) and is not told of the treatment he will almost
>     certainly choose the treated stone as it will be cheaper. 

    I'm sorry to inform you of this but unless you are dealing in stones
    that sell wholesale in excess of about $5000 it is simply not true
    that an untreated stone will always be more expensive.  We deal in
    sapphires on a daily basis in wholesale price ranges from about
    $400/ct and up and we see almost no price difference between heated
    and unheated stones, and, yes we do handle both.  Granted when you
    get into larger, truly rare stones ($5k/ct wholesale and up) there
    will be about a 10-15% difference in the price for natural vs.
    heated, but the reality is that these stones do not represent the
    bulk of what is being sold.  We have also found that, at least in
    sapphire material, most people prefer the heated color to that which
    is coming on the market as natural material.  The reason they heat
    sapphire is to try to end up with the color that is considered most
    desirable. 

    On a second note, selling opal as natural stones should not command
    a premium either because, except for opal doublets (or triplets) and
    sugared opals, these stones are not routinely treated.  Asking a
    premium will only price you out of the market because most of the
    material is already natural. Daniel R. Spirer, GG Spirer Somes
    Jewelers 1794 Massachusetts Ave Cambridge, MA 02140 617-491-6000
    spirersomes AT earthlink.net www.spirersomes.com 



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