I think I have enough blue/green black opal to last forever... The problem is rough w/ the higher end gem goods in red/yellow/orange etc... Every buyer/miner I talk to says LR is played out.. no word on the new strike 40miles se of LR.
The only goods you see in the rough category are some of the blue knobbies and a lot of blue green thin semi crystal. Every dealer I see, or miner for that matter, wants to cut or rub the gem multi-colored material themselves, and then price it right at the top of what a retail jeweler will pay for a commision piece they've already got the downpayment on...Doesn't leave much room for us..prices are a fantasy, and they'll go up, but the market is not really there to sustain it.. Makes me want to buy and repolish old estate jewelry. No one wants to give the cutters here a piece, and it's going to be the end for their business...
btw no more gilson to be made.. I bought a large lot of that for myself, but according to Gerry, Manning international will NOT do another run of that material.. soon to go the way of ramaura rubies...
Folks mentioning lots of layoffs and no one mining in the fields as well.. that bodes no good..
Saw perhaps the brightest opal I've ever seen @ ATGA show.. 7.5 cts @ 8500 a ct. beautiful harliquin w/ broad yellow, blue, orange and red, w/ green and magenta. Freeform cab, moderate thickness, on nice black base.
Got a few LR knob's from a miner selling off his mined stuff, nice to see a few guys who are NOT so greedy they'll kill their biz.. but other than that, guess I'm gonna be buying that lambina crystal I saw at glda show instead of LR.
Made a really nice emerald rough connection.. going to cab some of that up for some pieces.. might be a new direction here..
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