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Value of jewelry, craftsmanship vs. materials
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! -- _____________________ Christopher R. Carlen Suse 8.1 Linux 2.4.19 |
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