You'll find jewelry stores in every shopping mall around the world, but you'll rarely find a shop selling loose gemstones. The gemstone business is a specialized one and most of the customers who buy loose gemstones are collectors, jewelry designers or gem dealers. There simply aren't enough gemstone aficionados in most places to justify a gemstone store in your local shopping mall.
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| Blue Green Tourmaline |
Spessartite Garnet |
Blue Zircon |
In fact there are a large number of loose gemstone buyers, but they are spread all over the world. So savvy gemstone dealers have learned to reach the market via the internet. But online gem dealing is advantageous for buyers as well, since they have access to the full range of loose gemstones in the market, and can easily compare offerings from multiple dealers.
One of the challenges of the colored gemstone trade is that gems are mined and cut and polished in remote regions of the world. So if you want to be a gemstone dealer, America or Europe is not the best place to be. Indeed, North American buyers have to wait for the annual Tucson gem show for dealers from all over the world to bring their goods to the United States.
The main cutting centers for colored gemstones are in Asia, mainly in India and Thailand. Since Thailand has much better infrastructure, it has advantages as a manufacturing and trading center. Thailand is also strategically located next to Burma, the source of some of the finest ruby, sapphire and spinel; and next to Cambodia, the source of some of the best zircon. Thailand has also become a key trading center for African gems such as ruby, tanzanite, opal, tourmaline, tsavorite garnet and spessartite garnet.
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| Aquamarine Matched Pair Brazil |
Morganite Pear Brazil |
You'll find many colored gemstone dealers online, but finding a reliable one can take some research. There are many gemstone companies who are honest and reliable and offer quality product at a fair price. Unfortunately there are also some online sellers who are less scrupulous. So if you're thinking about buying gemstones online, choosing a reputable dealer is the most important decision you'll make.
You'll discover that most gem dealers specialize, either in particular gem varieties or in higher or lower grade gems. Some dealers focus on commercial grade stones, and it is usually easy to detect, since their inventory will include lower grade stones, such as fracture-filled ruby and beryllium diffused sapphire. The quality of the cutting on these commercial grade stones also tends to be poor, with many windowed stones. The prices will reflect the quality. As in any business, you get what you pay for.
Higher end dealers specialize in one-of-a-kind gems with top color and excellent cut. Where the dealers in commerical grade material buy their gems in large lots, higher end dealers hand select individual gems from the best material available in the market. When you buy from a high end dealer you benefit from his years of experience evaluating top grade gems for quality and value. When you're in the market for a gemstone for a special piece of jewelry that will be treasured in your family for generations, you want to reply on gem experts who stock heirloom quality gemstones. Of course the price is higher, but high quality gems maintain their value over time, while commercial grade stones have essentially no value.
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