KG wrote:
Chris,

You ask some great questions and seem like you've done your homework on the
thought processes and alternatives involved. Congrats -- that's more than a
lot of consumers do.

Rhodolite garnets, particularly hand-cut ones, in 7x7mm sizes retail in the
$70 - 80 USD range for AA grade -- that's just one cut stone. So you can
figure that somewhere between $140 and $160 of the price is covering the 2
stones. Now you need to factor in the cost of the setting, cost to set the
stone, cost to design the setting, the jeweler's business overheads, and the
"artistry" of the piece. Given all that, I don't honestly think that the
price you paid is at all unreasonable.

The price for the rounds you saw on gravescompany site are not unreasonable
for MACHINE-cut rounds, which are usually a lower gem grade (possibly an B
or A instead of a AA). The color is likely not as good (probably an F or
G), and they are selling with fairly low markup (lower than you would find
in a jewelry store) because they are largely selling to the trade. Keep in
mind, too, that rounds will be somewhat less expensive that hearts for
several reasons -- they are symmetrical, which makes them easier to cut, and
there is less waste gem due to the efficiency of the shape. Also, the
larger the gem, the more significant the difference in cost -- there are
certain "breakpoints" in gem pricing, and 7x7mm hearts is one of them. It's
significantly more difficult to find the rough that is the right composition
and size to yield a 7x7 heart than it is to find one that will yield a 6x6
round. That's reflected in the price.

If you are afraid that you're getting ripped off with really cheap stones in
a cheap setting, it doesn't sound like it -- you are paying for the artistry
that has gone into the design of the pieces, which are made with what sound
like very good gem-quality stones and good metal. Whether that combination
of artistry and material is ultimately "worth" it to you is an individual
decision. But the prices don't seem awful given what you've described.

Wowwy-dowwy! Thanks for the detailed and thoughtful reply.

Maybe in a few more days when I get a chance I'll ask a question about
the stones, after I give them a bit more careful look, which I really
didn't do when I bought them.


Good day!


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_____________________
Christopher R. Carlen

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