[Jewelry making - Article 00459] - Re: [Orchid] Gemstones Purchase price vs. market price

[coralnut]

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    I think Noel has an excellent point. We have to look at all that is
    behind the production, the shipping, the work to cut a stone, travel
    to and from etc, etc.  As a cutter, I roil at the idea one can get
    quality for nothing. 

    Lets follow a stone.  It starts out somewhere in the world found by
    someone out looking for stones (Rockhound or perhaps a miner?).  It
    is packed or trucked to a city somewhere and sorted....time spent? 
    Unknown...the stone may sit around for months or longer waiting for
    an accumulation of like material  to be put on the market.  At this
    point, there is only the value figured by the person who found it. 
    It may be an amateur or a large company that actually mines it. 
    Lets say its a very nice blue, red or green chalcedony but it could
    just as well be a pretty jasper or petrified wood. 

    When it sells, it goes for $12 a lb.  A lapidary purchases it and
    adds it to his/her collection.  Now, if a pro...they can't let it
    set around very long ....money spent must be turned into money
    earned.  If an amateur or hobbiest, it might lay around quite awhile
    again.  Nonetheless, the pound of stone might cut out 5 medium size
    slabs.  The stone no longer weights a pound...probably lost 20 to
    25% to the saw kerf, chipping, etc., and then there are two 'butt
    ends' that may or may not yield useful material.  Now there are
    three slabs left...each about 3x5".  From that, you can cut two
    30x40 cabs each plus several smaller stones including a free form or
    two totaling six 30x40mm cabs plus maybe another 10-12 smaller cabs. 

    First you have to trim out the stones on a saw....probably a 6 to 8
    in.  A blade  will cost $50 to $100 and last for maybe 300 such
    cuts. So you have roughed out 16 stones or about 15% of the blades
    life and it took you an hour. 

    In cutting the stones to final polish, you use time....about an hour
    for each 30x40 times 6 = 6 hrs.  The smaller stones probably took
    30-45 minutes each times...say 10 stones = between  5 and 7.5 hours. 

    You have also used a lot of lapidary wheel to cut these hardness 7
    stones. The two coarse wheels will last for several hundred stones
    each given they are used carefully.  But the soft wheels will start
    loosing their effectiveness after 50-60 stones (you already just cut
    16 of them) and these wheels can cost upwards of $100 each.  So you
    have already used about 1/3 the life of those wheels (though they
    usually can be used for upwards of 100 stones...but it takes longer
    to cut with them when worn). 

    Now, I won't even get into the water, electricity, polishsing
    powders and wheels used plus wear and tear on the machine itself
    such as bearings, shafts, etc. 

    My conservative figure adding all this up and using a very modest
    figure of $20 an hour labor equals about $287 just to cut those 16
    stones or an average of $18 per stone regardless of size!  This is
    very conservative folks and doesn't include the slabbing time, wear
    on the large blade and saw and other necessary lapidary functions
    (some people dop every stone and that takes time and material as
    well). Oh, and I haven't even mentioned rarity of the rough as a
    factor in cost. 

    The point is, anytime you purchase a stone that is less than that,
    you are buying something that has probably been machine cut
    ...overseas....possibly tumbled and usually done so fast there is no
    attention to the intrinsic nature of the stone such as colors,
    design, rarity or structure. 

    I've been cutting stones for over 30 years and sell stones from $30
    upwards of $150 (or more) each.  But you can bet they are carefully
    selected for color, design, integrity of the structure and are
    oriented to show their stuff.  They are also cut here in America by
    hand to exacting standards. 

    If you are going for quick turnover and don't care much about how
    beautiful or important the stones are...buy the $5 version.  But if
    you want the best, you must pay the price! 

    Oh, did I mention that all of my stones are signed and dated?  Sorry
    for ranting.  I understand we must serve all levels of the public
    but cheap goods just aren't worth putting into a descent setting. 

    Cheers from Don at The Charles Belle Studio in SOFL where simple
    elegance IS fine jewelry! dcdietz AT comcast.net

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