When is "rare" not?!!

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Klosblue

Costs nothing to be nice!
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99% of the time it's mentioned on Rocks & Co.!!!!

The definition of "rare" is 'uncommon or unusual' so how the heck can anyone in their right mind describe the likes of Sky Blue Topaz as being "rare"! Yes that's how that lunatic Jeerilou (or whatever her name is) described a 1 carat Sky Blue Topaz as today!

Mind you, she's not alone in the constant overuse of the word because most of the presenters on Rocks & Co describe every stone as being "rare". I think this is very misleading to anyone new to collecting gemstone jewellery and can deceive them into thinking they are buying something "rare" when those of us with a little knowledge know that most of the gems sold on this channel are in plentiful supply.

If they really want to say everything's "rare" then maybe they should start selling some of the genuinely rare stones mentioned here:-

http://listverse.com/nature/top-10-rarest-gems/

or here:- http://www.curiousnotions.com/gemstones/index.asp

Funnily enough I don't see any mention of Topaz, Citrine, Amethyst, Kunzite, Morganite etc. !! Obviously these stones could be described as "rare" if they were unusual in size or colour but the normal every day variety sold on Rocks cannot be described honestly as being "rare".

I also came across this site which may be of interest to some of you. You can get a free online estimate of the value of your gemstones:-http://www.gemval.com/

 
If they really want to say everything's "rare" then maybe they should start selling some of the genuinely rare stones mentioned here:-

http://listverse.com/nature/top-10-rarest-gems/

or here:- http://www.curiousnotions.com/gemstones/index.asp

I also came across this site which may be of interest to some of you. You can get a free online estimate of the value of your gemstones:-http://www.gemval.com/


Couldn't agree with you more. It makes me spit blood. The worst offender is Paul Bridges.

Mind you, I think caution needs to be used with the word "rare" because out of the top "rare" list, I have 7 of the gems mentioned and I know I'm not the only one on this forum who has! So I'm not entirely sure that "rare" is the right word but I'm not going to argue with the published data! Difficult to find in exceptional quality would perhaps be a better descriptor!

As for the gemval site - errrrrrrrrrrrrr, pay no attention. There's absolutely no way, unless you are an experienced valuer/gemologist that you could input accurate data to get an accurate result. Sorry!
 
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Interesting link to the Top10 rarest gems.
I can only lay claim to having one of them.....and that's cheating (a lot) as they are treated tiny red diamonds! mysmilie_1436

But I wouldn't mind having some Blue Garnet, particularly as it says its a colour change gemstone.

The other is Red Beryl / Bixbite.
http://geology.utah.gov/surveynotes/gladasked/gladberyl.htm
Having done some travelling through Utah, I was trying to see where the Wah Wah Mountains were.....:33:

So is Jadeite really the rarest gem on this planet?
 
Hi Guys:

Thanks for the feedback. Obviously, we always encourage our presenters to qualify rarity when mentioned.

By their very definition all gems are rare (i.e. mineral or organic materials worn for personal adornment, a gem is only a gem when it is beautiful, durable and rare), but just like in George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’, some gems are rarer than others. In the big picture, all gems are ‘uncommon and unusual’, but I agree, when buying gems we should always try to understand why a gem is ‘rare’, failing to do so makes it lose relevance, becoming a throwaway term.

Re Jadeite, please remember that the finest ‘gem quality’ Jadeite is very rare, representing far less than one percent of all Jadeite mined. So much so, that ‘Imperial Jade’ can command some of the highest prices of any gemstone, even greater than Diamond, Ruby and Sapphire.

I hope this helps, and as always, please let me know if I can be of any further assistance.

Kind Regards,

Gav
 

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