Bluff Stones

Here is an "insiders" knowledge of gem quality. What most people buy are junk (bad) gems, or bluff stones. Only real expert collectors can decern the REAL "gem" (good) quality of a gem and amongst them is the shared understanding that the top quality are very rare and high cost.

Imagine: There are 3 kinds of gems 1) Jyotish (good) Quality 2) Doshi (bad) quality... and 3) Bluff (???) quality. ---Bluff means a stone or gem that looks free of problems, but these are hidden in the cutting and setting, as much as possible. These are defective gems that are not in the category of GOOD, nor bad. They are kind of useless, not good, not {totally) bad!??-- kind of "blah!!!"

The trick is to buy the defective stone at a really cheap price because it's bad quality, then recut the gem and create a setting to hide the major or minor flaws...this looks like "jyotish" quality and sells for top quality prices, or even discounted prices, still the biggest profit margin is in bluff gem jewelry. And that includes "cultured" as a BLUFF "pearl"

So, bad is bad, and bluff is so so, but jyotish quality, such as "natural" pearl, clean emerald, etc., is the most rare and most expensive. Such top quality gems hold a very small profit margin because starting costs are so extemely high (compared to common bluff stones) that they cannot be marked up like ordinary jewelry (bluff stones). It requires a high level of sophistication to identify true quality and values.

A person advised to wear a 5 carat emerald is a fool if they spend Rs. 500-5000 for a 5 carat emerald, because in that price only very low (bad) quality is available. A person of knowledge knows that such a perfect 5 carat flawless gem is available, but cost is anywhere from US$4,000-$10,000 per carat, meaning minimum price would be $20,000 or Rs. One LAKH!!!

If poor people can't afford jyotish quality, then they should go for "uparatna" in jyotish quality. Such as clean peridot in place of bad emerald. It is not an irony that healthy people are not seeking the "cure"---In this manner we understand that wealthy people (who can afford the best) are not interested in talismans. The irony is that those who cannot afford Jyotish gems are usually the only ones seeking them. And what they usually get, at best, is BLUFFED!!!!

(C) 2007 Richard Shaw-Brown, PG