[Jewelry making - Article 00932] - Re: [Orchid] Ebay Stones again

[Jim Reitze]

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    I have not yet bought any stones from either Ebay or any of the TV
    shows. I do a bit of business on Ebay, often finding some pretty
    good deals on recreational equipment & other odds and ends. Have had
    pretty fair luck selling on Ebay, except for my jewelry. Most of the
    offers I get don't even cover cost, and I feel that the average Ebay
    buyer is more often looking for the 'deal' rather than the unique.
    That is off track for this post though. I have, when I was working
    in a retail repair environment, been asked on many occasions to set
    stones that customers brought in from either Ebay or TV marketing.
    Mixed bag. On the higher end, the stones were attractive, reasonably
    well cut and make nice jewelry. On the other end, some horror
    stories. Poor quality material, poorly cut. Occasionally even
    outright fraud. Remember one 'topaz' in particular that was a
    wonderful orange color. Washed right off in mild soapy water, though,
    and turned out the material was basically colorless. Worst nightmare,
    though, is trying to find replacements for a lot of the stuff they
    buy as finished goods. The stones have mysterious names, none of the
    regular suppliers have heard of them. Most cannot be matched even if
    I send in a sample. If the material is available, it is often an odd
    size that suppliers don't have, and often it is treated material that
    cannot be cut down. Yes, some pretty stuff is out there, makes up
    into nice jewelry. Just be aware of what you are getting and who you
    are dealing with before you commit any serious money for stuff you
    can't see first. 

Jim
http://www.forrest-design.com

 
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