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THE PENNY PINCHER’S GUIDE TO FINE GEMS:
Bargain beauties you can’t say no to.

If Tucson 2009 taught attendees anything, it was this: Spending less doesn’t have to mean you’re getting less. To the contrary, it can mean you’re getting more—much more. But you might have to shift your spending away from the old staples to what are quickly becoming the new staples: garnet, tourmaline and zircon. With fine deep-pink and red spinel now running as high as $10,000 per carat—as much as fine ruby—many jewelers are staking their survival on ultra-affordable new alternative species whose abundance is exceeded only by their affordability. Without downgrading or downsizing, one can give tightwad consumers bargain-priced beauties for the first magnitude. We asked two major players in color—Stuller, Lafayette, Louisiana and Color First, Tampa, Florida—for best-buy gems in their inventory that would retail for no more than $450.

Garnet

Imperial (Malaya) Garnet, 6.0mm trillion cut, natural, 1.01cts, from Color First. Suggested retail price: $155.	Mozambique Garnet, barrel, Fantasy cut, 10mm x 8mm. From Stuller. Suggested retail price: $155.

Umbalite Garnet pair, natural, 5.5mm rounds, 1.57cts total weight, from Color First. Suggested retail price: $120.

Rose Malaya Garnet pair 8mm x 6mm, opposed bar emerald cut, natural, 3.95cts total weight, from Color First. Suggested retail price: $250.

Rhodolite Garnet, antique square, 8mm x 8mm, AA. From Stuller. Suggested retail price: $239.	Spessartite Garnet, oval, 6mm x 4mm, AA. From Stuller. Suggested retail price: $98.

Orange Grossular Garnet pair 7mm x 5mm checkerboard ovals, 1.73cts, from Color First. Suggested retail price: $150.

Tourmaline

Pink Tourmaline, oval, 6mm x 4mm, AA. From Stuller. Suggested retail price: $115.

Green Tourmaline, oval, 7mm x 5mm, AA. From Stuller. Suggested retail price: $141.

Zircon

Orange Zircon pair, 6.0mm rose cuts, natural, 2.71cts from Color First. Suggested retail price: $195.

Champagne Zircon, 7.5mm round, natural, 2.49cts, from Color First. Suggested retail price: $260.	Mocha Zircon, 7.0mm round, natural, 1.96cts, from Color First. Suggested retail price: $265.

Blue Zircon pair 5.0mm rounds, treated, 1.46cts total weight, from Color First. Suggested retail price: $150.

Imperial Zircon pair, 6.0mm rounds, heated, 2.52cts total weight, from Color First. Suggested retail price: $417.

Other Gems

Tourmalinated Quartz, Oval, 14mm x 10mm, AA. From Stuller. Suggested retail price: $135.	Moonstone - Gem quality with blue sheen, 13.1mm x 9.1mm pear-shape cabochon, natural, 3.21cts. From Color First. Suggested retail price: $350.

Tsavorite pair, 4.5mm rounds, natural, 0.82cts total weight, from Color First. Suggested retail price: $369.

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