New Gemstone Listing Policy

[Principia Trading 10]

Please take note of bidorbuy listing policy changes which pertain to gemstones:

 

1. Gemstones must be described clearly (ie no abbreviations) as either natural, enhanced or synthetic. Failure to do so will result in the item being removed and a warning being levied against your account.

 

2. Diamond retail values must be no higher than 100% of the current rappaport diamond pricing.

 

3. No market values may be advertised for any coloured gemstones - Market values may not appear in the market value section, the listing title, the description, the listing warranties or the shipping section.

 

4. Finally no Gemological Evaluation Certificates may have any retail currency values displayed for a stone.

 

These changes came into effect from the 7th of March 2016. Please effect changes in your current listings.

 

Please note listings with values that were generated before the 7th of March may run their course - but please remove automatic relisting for these items.

 

Please see section 1.19 of the bidorbuy listing policy for a full details.

 

Edited March 17, 2016 by Principia Trading
gemstones, listing policy, bidorbuy

[Miss Jewels 10]

A tanzanite is classified as a coloured gemstone - even though its natural. I have genuine tanzanites set in 18ct white gold with a valuation certificate. May I list this with the true value?

[Cali Craft and Gems 10]

A potential buyer brought this entry to my attention. What if the certificate is supplied by the laboratory with the valuation on it? One surely cannot alter this information!?

 

Also, although I am certified to issue identification certificates with my items to state whether they are natural or not, for as long as I have been trading on BoB I have not stated "natural" in the listing as some individuals simply do not understand the treatments that some gems undergo (treatments are mentioned in the listing). Many years back I was shot down for putting the word "natural" in my listing if a gem had been treated and was advised by BoB at the time to remove the word from ALL my listings and to rather highlight only those gems that have been created.

 

But most importantly, will these policies also apply to the jewellery category? I had a buyer enquiring about an item over the weekend and I looked at some of the items she had recently purchased as "natural" only to see that the items were NOT natural! Sorry, but there are some crooks out there and although I had reported them in the past, they are still doing the same thing by misleading the public - some rather seriously too! (ie. sterling silver where the item is obviously plated, natural gems by name where the "stone" is obviously not the relevant gem)

[Principia Trading 10]

A tanzanite is classified as a coloured gemstone - even though its natural. I have genuine tanzanites set in 18ct white gold with a valuation certificate. May I list this with the true value?

 

 

Unfortunately we are only allowing values to be listed for diamonds. No values may be listed for coloured gemstones on the bob platform. However you may still offer certificates with valuations.

[Principia Trading 10]

A potential buyer brought this entry to my attention. What if the certificate is supplied by the laboratory with the valuation on it? One surely cannot alter this information!?

 

Also, although I am certified to issue identification certificates with my items to state whether they are natural or not, for as long as I have been trading on BoB I have not stated "natural" in the listing as some individuals simply do not understand the treatments that some gems undergo (treatments are mentioned in the listing). Many years back I was shot down for putting the word "natural" in my listing if a gem had been treated and was advised by BoB at the time to remove the word from ALL my listings and to rather highlight only those gems that have been created.

 

But most importantly, will these policies also apply to the jewellery category? I had a buyer enquiring about an item over the weekend and I looked at some of the items she had recently purchased as "natural" only to see that the items were NOT natural! Sorry, but there are some crooks out there and although I had reported them in the past, they are still doing the same thing by misleading the public - some rather seriously too! (ie. sterling silver where the item is obviously plated, natural gems by name where the "stone" is obviously not the relevant gem)

 

 

The changes only apply to the gemstones category at present.

 

No market pricing be advertised on any coloured gemstone listings even if an appraisal has been provided in a certification. You may still offer these certifications with your products but no prices may be advertised.

[Cali Craft and Gems 10]

 

 

The changes only apply to the gemstones category at present.

 

No market pricing be advertised on any coloured gemstone listings even if an appraisal has been provided in a certification. You may still offer these certifications with your products but no prices may be advertised.

 

 

So basically if the certificate that is photographed for the listing has the value inserted by the independant lab, this must be blacked out? This would surely result in specific information not being made visible to the potential buyer? Example, on an auction where numerous buyers can drive up a price - certificate states ERV at R5000 but this information is erased from the photograph and the buyer pays R8000 - if I was that buyer I would be seriously ticked off!

 

The buyer has the right to know what he / she is getting and withholding this very important bit of information could result in trouble down the line. (obviously only applicable to certificates that have the values inserted and not for listings where the seller has come up with their own ERV).

 

As for the jewellery category - this section should be tackled with urgency as buyers are being mislead and ripped of daily - I can give you details of several sellers who are being dishonest with their items.

[Principia Trading 10]

 

 

So basically if the certificate that is photographed for the listing has the value inserted by the independant lab, this must be blacked out? This would surely result in specific information not being made visible to the potential buyer? Example, on an auction where numerous buyers can drive up a price - certificate states ERV at R5000 but this information is erased from the photograph and the buyer pays R8000 - if I was that buyer I would be seriously ticked off!

 

The buyer has the right to know what he / she is getting and withholding this very important bit of information could result in trouble down the line. (obviously only applicable to certificates that have the values inserted and not for listings where the seller has come up with their own ERV).

 

As for the jewellery category - this section should be tackled with urgency as buyers are being mislead and ripped of daily - I can give you details of several sellers who are being dishonest with their items.

 

We have instituted this ruling because the market price of coloured gemstones is a complicated affair. Whereas buyers have the resources to research market/retail pricing on most products (ie Electronics etc), this is not the case with coloured gemstones. This means that sellers essentially have a greater understanding of market prices and that they are capable of inflating prices without buyers being aware of this inflation.

 

Bidorbuy has been mulling over this issue for over a year. During that time we have discussed the matter with various experts in the field and have also audited market prices on bidorbuy for a variety of stones - comparing the aforementioned with pricing from the most comprehensive gemstone pricing software available. The vast majority of stones (> 95%) had market prices which were grossly inflated on bidorbuy (even taking into account a 100% commission).

 

 

[Cali Craft and Gems 10]

The only reliable source for accurate gemstone pricing is from the Gemological Institute of America. There is a booklet / reference guide to which one subscribes (and pays dearly for) which is not available to the general public. All other "gemstone pricing software" (eg. online valuations) are invalid. Legitimate gemstone laboratories (where the tester is a certified gemologist) obtain their pricing from said guide and do not thumbsuck values. We have done the identification courses ourselves, but as we are not gemologists (have not done the international course over 3 years), we are not allowed to give an item a value (or a guess thereof) as it is considered unethical - only the gemologist from a lab or jeweller may place values on items (be it retail or insurance values). Therefore, if a certificate from a laboratory shows a value, this should be allowed (and not a fly-by-night lab either! Recognised labs - GIA, EGL, GISA, etc). Only those items that do not have a legitimate lab certificate should not be allowed to have a value. Although pricey, this option should encourage sellers to get the higher value items certified for clarity and peace of mind.

[Cali Craft and Gems 10]

Sadly it seems like the rules are only applied to some sellers. Not to stick my head in a hornet's nest, but there is a seller who regularly lists created items as natural with huge values, and is not being rapped over the knuckles for it. Example: diffused sapphire, 7.1 cts, no treatment, perfect dimensions, with a wonderful value of R32k! (not to mention that it is rare!)

[Cali Craft and Gems 10]

@Principia Trading

And the loophole has been discovered by many sellers - they no longer put the "value" of the item in the listing, but rather a "buy now" value. Sadly many sellers are intentionally misleading unsuspecting buyers now by over-inflating "value" and items which are generally cheap (a specific seller who lists both in the gemstone and jewellery category) are valued at crazy prices! This seller in particular is listing EP (electroplated) imitation items under Fine Jewellery with "real stones" (blue Topaz, multicolour Tourmaline, Tanzanite, etc - all coloured glass by the way) with "values" between R7k to R9k! It is sickening... and yet he / she is allowed to continue week after week.

[Pierre_Henri 29]

Good grief!