| [Vol. 3] Why Gemstones are Difficult to Understand
| 2005/02/11 by Michio Yokokawa |
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There appear to be many customers who feel uncomfortable and distrustful when purchasing gemstones. I think that the reason for this is because gemstones are difficult to understand. This is a combination of difficulty in understanding quality and difficulty in understanding price.
In the case of food, we determine if it is tasty or not by visually checking its freshness, checking its smell, tasting it, and feeling its texture while we chew it. Beside food, there are many things that we can easily judge by using the five senses. However, the quality of gemstones can be judged only by sight, and since gemstones are natural materials, each one has its own different and unique quality.
Furthermore, depending on quality it is common for gemstones, even of the same type, to vary in price by hundreds or even thousands of times. The price of a 2-carat ruby, for example, can range from $100 to $50,000. It is impossible to estimate its price just on the basis of it being a ruby. This is unlike the case of automobiles, where we can understand and accept that a 2-liter class car basically costs between $20,000 and $40,000.
When buying gemstones, ask the salesperson questions. It is alright to be indecisive while trying on various pieces. That is part of the enjoyment of buying gemstones. In time you will get a feel for which stores are trustworthy, and will eventually make a satisfying gemstone purchase. |
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