Thursday, April 8, 2010

CAUTION - EXTREME GEMS


I've been drooling over so many gems lately.  I think it's my new porn.  hehe  Don't get me wrong, my favorites are stones with lots of earthy, rustic character.  But every girl loves sparkly topaz and sapphires, right?  So, I was faced with a dilemma.  There are so many businesses to buy from and who is going to give me the "best bang for the buck"?  I've been stalking this company from India for a few months carefully watching their feedback and marveling over each and every gem they have to offer.  My problem was that I'd never ordered anything from India and I, as most of you might be, was wondering if it would end up as a good move or just a horrible mess.

Here's the thing, a good portion of the gems that you see started up in Jaipur, India.  This is known as the "Pink City" and they export gems to countries all over the world.  Google Jaipur and you'll see what I mean.  Sounds like a good enough reason to check it out.  But, wouldn't I have to wait a decade or two to actually get my gems?  I mean, India is so far away.

Well, you never know until you try, right?  So I took the plunge and did it.  And after less than a week I got my purchase!!!


*Warning - If you are on a bead/gem diet please look away!*

Crystal quartz stars, pink amethyst, and rose quartz

Rainbow moonstones and blue mystic quartz

Hessonite garnet and smokey quartz drops

Beer quartz and black rutilated quartz

Mystic pearl quartz, rose quartz, black spinel, rhodolite garnet, green amethyst, blue topaz, and hessonite garnet

Now even though I had them in less than a week and all of my order seemed to have shipped perfectly, I was still on guard.  I checked each gem extremely close to find any imperfections.  The only problem I found was that one of the crystal quartz was faceted more than the other and since I am using these on two separate projects it really didn't matter to me anyway.

In fact, this order was better than I had hoped for.  It's hard to portray the real sparkle and flair for a stone through the lens of a camera unless you are a professional.  Each and every one of them is just stunning in the sunlight.

And now I have to do these beauties justice with some stellar creations although I kinda want to hoard them.  I just keep gazing at them like new found love.  I'm sure my hubby is laughing at me when I'm not looking. 

So, if you are facing the dilemma of ordering from out of the USA please give it a try.  If you are worried just try placing a smaller order at first.  Although, the way to really save money is on bulk since the shipping fees can be pretty expensive.

Well, that's it for me this week.  I'm off to BeadFest Wire tomorrow to meet with some blogging buddies and have fun!  Don't forget there are two giveaways for Bei Mondi pieces that are ending on April 12th.  Here is the one on the Bei Mondi blog and here's the one on Indie Pretty's blog.  Have a great weekend!!!

22 comments:

  1. Good to know! Early on I took a chance and ordered direct from India... it took FOREVER to ship! I recently purchased from an Etsy seller in Israel. It took some time, but it was well worth the wait and now I need time to do those art beads justice. I think that the key is to track their feedback, see what other buyers are saying and my secret weapon is to start a convo with them and see how they present themselves. These are GREAT! I am drooling (but on a sort of diet). Enjoy the day! Erin

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  2. ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh woooooooooooooooooooooow!!! never see black rutilated quatz.. so strange!! enjoy !!

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  3. I have a small order of porn, er beads from India right now and it took them two weeks to convo me to ask for an address that wasn't a P.O. box!!! I guess my package came back to them?! I'm still waiting for my turmaline beads and hoping they are spectacular. Price was awesome even with the shipping! Who did you end up buying from? I purchased from http://www.etsy.com/shop/Gemtonebeads

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  4. WOW! stunning collection of gems!! You scored!! I noticed that a lot of the tumbled gemstones I typically buy from places like Fire Mountain are from India. I've also had good luck with sellers on Ebay from Hong Kong--great prices and flawless stones. I only buy from sellers with excellent rankings, and they are clearly well deserved. I've also known a lot of Indian people and I would buy such things from them without hesitation. Can't wait to see what you do with your new gems!

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  5. lovely porn! i have yet to purchase from India for the very same reason...would you mind giving us the company you purchased from? thank you!

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  6. BEAUTIFUL! Thanks for taking the plunge and letting us know how it went. Have tons of fun at Bead Fest wire and then playing (oh, I mean "working") with your new beads.

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  7. Oh, this is how it all starts...look out everyone. I'm a total gem addict, and admit it. Lovely choices Leslie, I'm drooling already. I haven't ordered from India on line, mostly buy at gem shows, but I'd order from these guys. Will you share who they are? Thanks for posting. Hugs, Riki

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  8. WOW. That's all I can say because I have been rendered speechless by the sparkly!

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  9. Ohhhh *slurp* nothing like a gem package !!

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  10. Thank you for sharing this! I am also a gem addict and I am always looking for good places to buy them!! =)
    Thanks, Challene
    http://www.etsy.com/shop/BlueMooseCreations

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  11. I have been contemplating on buying some findings from China and like you am very cautious but like you I am also watching their feedback before taking the plunge.

    Thanks for sharing.

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  12. OOOoooo! Those look gorgeous! Thanks for sharing where you purchased...I'll definately check out the shop...After BeadFest Wire, of course.

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  13. OOOOhhhhLaaaaLaaa! Good move girl! Gorgeous, stunning gems! Wow, the things you will make! I am in love with the smoky quartz drops.

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  14. I have been avoiding buying gems online - not because of shipping times (do you know it takes up to two weeks to get a letter from the US to Europe?) - but because I prefer to see what I am buying. I know that gems are unique, so they can differ from what is presented in the photo.

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  15. It really is your fault that I am drooling on my keyboard. The gems are lovely and have me wanting to spend money that I don't have.

    Thanks so much for sharing the information about this company. Can't wait to see what you make with these pretties!

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  16. i've seen that shop on Etsy, thanks for letting us know your ordered from them. the beads are gorgeous!

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  17. Just curious, What is "Mystic Pearl Quartz"? Is this a quartz with a pearl finish, similar to how an AB finish is done? Do they look very pearly?

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