WOW!

[Meeshoo]

Somebody called Jennifer just bought an amazing 10.54ct loose cushion cut Tanzanite. IGI certified. Stunning stunning stunning! The colour was to die for. I wasn't quick enough to do a screen grab (sorry).

Item number 604 111 - £2,499

When you see other channels selling rings with 2ct of Tanzanite for the same price, you can see what a good deal this was!

Well done to lucky Jennifer.

 

[RubyRose]

Oh, I've been drooling over those loose tanzanites! They had a 31 carat one that was like a housebrick!

I'm looking out for one within my budget... don't think I can resist much longer!

 

[flossie]

oh now there's a thought in my quest for a perfect Tanzy ring - loose stone and get it set as I want it. Just need to find a great jeweller who could do it and work out what that would cost, hmmmm this merits some serious thought.

Thanks Meesh, hadn't thought of that approach.

 

[Meeshoo]

No worries Flossie. If you search on my name you'll see that I normally use a jeweller in the UK for all my design work and several in Thailand. I've just had a diamond sunburst pendant crafted in Thailand that's worthy of a place in Bond Street - if you know where to go you can get stunning unique jewellery made. Well recommended!

 

[flossie]

just seen one go for 99 pound 1.1 ct! (rockstv) AAA rating

 

[Meeshoo]

Flossie - much as I love the peeps at RocksTV, I wouldn't say they have the best Tanzy and for a 1.1ct at that price, I can guarantee you that it's not AAA. Grading for Tanzanite is done in-house by these TV channels and what one calls AAA another will call A! It's very subjective. You need to look carefully at the cut and colour when buying.

 

[RubyRose]

Any thoughts about what it might cost to get a loose stone set in white gold? I have a budget for a loose tanzy stone in mind, but I really don't want to be spending an extra £500 on the setting...

I once enquired at a couple of jewellers about getting some loose, lab-grown alexandrites set. The very cheapest they could quote me was £50 for a basic silver ring setting (and, in addition, they were both spectacularly unhelpful and unnterested in getting my business!) For heaven's, these 5 stones are very pretty but they only cost me a few pounds and I didn't want to be paying upwards of £250 to get them all set!

Any advice anyone can offer about getting stones set, pricing and so on, would be enormously appreciated! xxx

 

[Meeshoo]

You're asking an impossible question because it depends where you are in the UK as costs vary around the country. Do you want a want a custom made setting or are you willing to buy one ready made (that's if your stones are calibrated - ie. a standard size that will fit a ready made setting)?

If you want a ready made setting i.e. to your own specifications, even for a lightweight piece you'll be looking at £250-£800 upwards (as a minimum).

For ready made, depending on gram weight, it can be as little as £250.

IF your gemstones are calibrated then you can buy settings (sometimes called semi mounts) off Ebay from a couple of Chinese sellers. Typically the prices for a decentish setting will be £250-£500 but they do have settings for £125 but they're not nice. On top of that you have to find somebody to set your gemstone. Setting your gemstone can cost anywhere between £20 and £50.

You need to factor into your costings the price per gram of gold. You can sell 18k white gold for scrap and you'll get about £12.50 for it. Most rings are 3g and upwards and to buy gold it will be more expensive than this of course. Typically a decent weight for a ring would be 5g. Then you factor in the cost of manufacture, the jeweller's time etc and you can see how £50 for a ready made setting is unlikely.

One other factor you MUST bear in mind. Most working jewellers do not have insurance that covers a customers stone when being set. This is normal. Therefore if your stone breaks during the process they won't take responsibility. Their insurance will only cover stones they have sold to you. There are very few jewellers where this doesn't apply. Tanzanite is a fragile stone to work with and can break during the process in the hands of an inexperienced benchman. Please make sure that they have worked with Tanzanite before and know how to handle it correctly (i.e. nowhere near heat, avoid bezelling if possible etc etc). The skill of a benchman is also something you need to consider, so ask to see pieces made by them before deciding to use them. I've seen some shocking work by "experienced" benchmen!

Hope that helps.

 

[RubyRose]

Considering it was an 'impossible question', you've given me an incredibly informative and detailed answer! Thank you so much!

Actually it's put me off a bit having a loose tanz set... maybe I'll keep looking for the right ring instead... After reading this, I don't think I'd trust anyone with my theoretical 'perfect stone'! I'd end up just keeping it in the box, which would be a little disappointing. Unless I could afford one big enough to use as a paperweight! :-D

Thank you, Meeshoo, this was very helpful indeed!

 

[Meeshoo]

Glad to have been of help RubyRose.

I've just spent a couple of hours watching TJC (not really watched much for ages) and they've got some great Tanzanite pieces. If your budget can stretch to an Iliana piece, there are some lovely rings at very competitive prices. Not sure I'd buy a non-Iliana piece though because the Tanzy is quite pale.

 

[RubyRose]

I've got a 1-carat Iliana tanz ring which I love, it's violety under artificial light but really at its bluest best in bright daylight. But now I've got a hankering for a decent-size (around 4 carats) really vivid deep blue one and nothing less will do!

Our local jeweller, unusually, has a display of really high-quality certified tanz jewellery - but oh my, the prices...

 

[Huggles]

Any thoughts about what it might cost to get a loose stone set in white gold? I have a budget for a loose tanzy stone in mind, but I really don't want to be spending an extra £500 on the setting...I once enquired at a couple of jewellers about getting some loose, lab-grown alexandrites set. The very cheapest they could quote me was £50 for a basic silver ring setting (and, in addition, they were both spectacularly unhelpful and unnterested in getting my business!) For heaven's, these 5 stones are very pretty but they only cost me a few pounds and I didn't want to be paying upwards of £250 to get them all set!

Any advice anyone can offer about getting stones set, pricing and so on, would be enormously appreciated! xxx

After having a similar experience to you, RubyRose, where I bought a loose 6mm x 4mm Paraiba Tourmaline from Brazil at the fabulous price of £30 (including postage) and was quoted £300 for a plain 9ct gold setting from a local jeweller...this is what I did. I kept my eye open for a pretty ring on the shopping channels that had a 6mm x 4mm stone in the setting. I bought a very pretty ring with two sparkly accent diamonds and a decent gold weight with a similar size centre stone (it was chrysoberyl). When I received the ring it was so pretty but I went to the jeweller anyway and was quoted £18 for swapping the stones!!! I now have a fabulous Paraiba Tourmaline (Brazilian) ring for less than £100 as the ring with the Chrysoberyl was £35! This might offer you a cheaper solution if you can find a callibrated stone.

 

[RubyRose]

Now that is a good idea! (The simulated alexandrites I mentioned are precise sizes, eg 10x8 or whatever). Cost-wise, another thing to take into account, if getting a precious stone set, is that you'd also have to purchase side stones (assuming you wanted them)... goodness knows what a jeweller would want to charge for diamonds... whereas you've got everything there with your ready-made ring.

(Actually, I've wondered about buying a pair of earrings in order to use the stones on the shoulders of my theoretical tanzanite ring...)

Those are two lovely rings, Huggles! Thank you for the pic! Can't believe you've got a Paraiba ring for less than £100 - well done!

 

[gemcherub]

After having a similar experience to you, RubyRose, where I bought a loose 6mm x 4mm Paraiba Tourmaline from Brazil at the fabulous price of £30 (including postage) and was quoted £300 for a plain 9ct gold setting from a local jeweller...this is what I did. I kept my eye open for a pretty ring on the shopping channels that had a 6mm x 4mm stone in the setting. I bought a very pretty ring with two sparkly accent diamonds and a decent gold weight with a similar size centre stone (it was chrysoberyl). When I received the ring it was so pretty but I went to the jeweller anyway and was quoted £18 for swapping the stones!!! I now have a fabulous Paraiba Tourmaline (Brazilian) ring for less than £100 as the ring with the Chrysoberyl was £35! This might offer you a cheaper solution if you can find a callibrated stone.

What a great idea and what a beautiful ring x