M
Meeshoo
Guest Shopper
I don't mean to have a downer on what could be a new successful venture (and I wish Don Kogan all the best with it) but you need to be aware of the following that is on their website:
"We include a statement on every customer invoice advising you to always assume enhancements when purchasing our gemstone jewellery, directing you to this page for more information on what enhancements may have been applied to the gemstones you have purchased. This is not to say that every gem we sell is enhanced, we also sell ‘natural’ gemstones, it’s just easier if you work off this assumption.
We only knowingly accept enhancements that are permanent with normal wear. The only exception is Emeralds, whose beauty is enhanced and easily maintained by oils or polymers. We get our information on gem enhancements from universities, gem laboratories, trade associations, regulatory bodies, professional journals, books, the internet as well as individual experts.......
Ok. Well, I'd rather know IF my gemstone has been treated or not rather than assume but then I saw this:-
Diamond (all Colour Enhanced Diamonds including Black Diamond, Blue Diamond, Champagne Diamond, Green Diamond, Pink Diamond, Red Diamond and Yellow Diamond) Irradiated and/or heated. Always used to improve colour intensity or to produce unique colours. (Fine - I don't have a problem with this).
Diamond Laser drilled. Occasionally applied to improve appearance. (WHAT? They are selling laser drilled diamonds???
)
Diamond (White to Faint Yellow) Coated, pressure heated and fractured filled. Fracture filling is occasionally used to improve clarity, pressure heating is rarely used to improve clarity and coatings are rarely used to disguise off-colour. Do not re-cut or re-polish coated gemstones. (COATED????? Fracture filled????? Not good at all.)
Then in the Ruby section they state "Heated with a high refractive index lead-glass to fill fractures and cavities and/or bulk diffused with certain additives (beryllium). These Rubies are classified as composite gemstones" and for Tanzanian Rubies "Heated and/or the healing of fissures and/or glass filled open fractures and cavities and/or dyed and/or bulk diffusion of certain additives (beryllium or borax) and/or colourless oil or resin in fissures." So basically, if you buy a Ruby you won't know if you've bought one that has been filled or has been bulk diffused (to enhance colour) or dyed! As they say they sell natural and treated you'll never know until you have it assessed by an expert.
I haven't bothered reading further because for Sapphires it mentions the same thing.
I don't know whether to applaud Rocks and Co for being upfront or not. For me, "coating" diamonds, fracture filling (which I don't believe is stable) and laser drilling is not acceptable to me unless I pay way under the price they should be.
I'm not naive. I know that the only way for them to achieve low prices is to buy treated gemstones and ones that can be improved rather than the higher end natural untreated but I can't help feeling that the bulk of their items will have had some form of treatment.
If you buy - and some of the pieces are lovely - just be aware of the above.
"We include a statement on every customer invoice advising you to always assume enhancements when purchasing our gemstone jewellery, directing you to this page for more information on what enhancements may have been applied to the gemstones you have purchased. This is not to say that every gem we sell is enhanced, we also sell ‘natural’ gemstones, it’s just easier if you work off this assumption.
We only knowingly accept enhancements that are permanent with normal wear. The only exception is Emeralds, whose beauty is enhanced and easily maintained by oils or polymers. We get our information on gem enhancements from universities, gem laboratories, trade associations, regulatory bodies, professional journals, books, the internet as well as individual experts.......
Ok. Well, I'd rather know IF my gemstone has been treated or not rather than assume but then I saw this:-
Diamond (all Colour Enhanced Diamonds including Black Diamond, Blue Diamond, Champagne Diamond, Green Diamond, Pink Diamond, Red Diamond and Yellow Diamond) Irradiated and/or heated. Always used to improve colour intensity or to produce unique colours. (Fine - I don't have a problem with this).
Diamond Laser drilled. Occasionally applied to improve appearance. (WHAT? They are selling laser drilled diamonds???
Diamond (White to Faint Yellow) Coated, pressure heated and fractured filled. Fracture filling is occasionally used to improve clarity, pressure heating is rarely used to improve clarity and coatings are rarely used to disguise off-colour. Do not re-cut or re-polish coated gemstones. (COATED????? Fracture filled????? Not good at all.)
Then in the Ruby section they state "Heated with a high refractive index lead-glass to fill fractures and cavities and/or bulk diffused with certain additives (beryllium). These Rubies are classified as composite gemstones" and for Tanzanian Rubies "Heated and/or the healing of fissures and/or glass filled open fractures and cavities and/or dyed and/or bulk diffusion of certain additives (beryllium or borax) and/or colourless oil or resin in fissures." So basically, if you buy a Ruby you won't know if you've bought one that has been filled or has been bulk diffused (to enhance colour) or dyed! As they say they sell natural and treated you'll never know until you have it assessed by an expert.
I haven't bothered reading further because for Sapphires it mentions the same thing.
I don't know whether to applaud Rocks and Co for being upfront or not. For me, "coating" diamonds, fracture filling (which I don't believe is stable) and laser drilling is not acceptable to me unless I pay way under the price they should be.
I'm not naive. I know that the only way for them to achieve low prices is to buy treated gemstones and ones that can be improved rather than the higher end natural untreated but I can't help feeling that the bulk of their items will have had some form of treatment.
If you buy - and some of the pieces are lovely - just be aware of the above.