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Most gemstones and jewelry have historically been sold on the keystone model. Every exchange doubles the price.

Source to wholesaler x2 source cost; wholesaler to retailer x2 wholesaler cost; retailer to purchaser x2 - total x8 to sometimes x10 of source cost. When selling you get less than what the wholesaler paid their established, trusted source.

That said, for centuries, gemstones/jewelry, especially diamonds, have been used as emergency savings/travel money in case of having to flee. They are small, light, easily secreted about the body/clothes. This is especially effective when escaping to a country/region that is stable and more affluent than the one you are leaving.
 
Labs are growing great diamonds, often way better than the mined type. When you go to trade diamonds for money, you'd need to find someone that can differentiate the difference. So selling diamonds is kind of a crap shoot vs selling precious metals.
 
My grand daughter at the Shane Company...she informed me the big diamond earrings are the better diamond earrings. The service rep agreed with her.
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Most gemstones and jewelry have historically been sold on the keystone model. Every exchange doubles the price.

Source to wholesaler x2 source cost; wholesaler to retailer x2 wholesaler cost; retailer to purchaser x2 - total x8 to sometimes x10 of source cost. When selling you get less than what the wholesaler paid their established, trusted source.

That said, for centuries, gemstones/jewelry, especially diamonds, have been used as emergency savings/travel money in case of having to flee. They are small, light, easily secreted about the body/clothes. This is especially effective when escaping to a country/region that is stable and more affluent than the one you are leaving.
Yup.

In my opinion, the only way using gems as a store of value would be if one is well immersed in the industry. With international contacts, if ones plan was to perhaps become ex-pats.

Far far less so with precious metals. With PM's the "market" is what it is, plus premium.
 
Nope. As a man, you are duped into buying a clear worthless rock at least once in your life, I don't recommend falling for that bubblegum twice.

I highly, highly, like really really doubt, Diamond would be worth Jack diddly in an end of world event. Investing in them and or any precision stone just seems like a poor investment.

Investing in these things in the world we currently live in, maybe it's a worthy thing? Beats me, but I won't be duped into that bubblegum again anytime soon, and the wife wants an infinity ring for our 20th!!!
 
For me it would be a huge waste. During the "great hate" leading up to WWII it was a very different world. Now diamonds are only valuable to retail. Walk into a place that buys them with one and see what they are willing to pay for it. Most will be shocked to find its not even in the same world as what they want when you buy one. If all "falls apart" again they will be all but worthless to most.
 
Having purchased several loose diamonds (for making into jewelry) within the last two years......

Well, I'd advise against it (as a SHTF vehicle).

Why?

Imagine....SHTF......

1) Where do you find a diamond dealer or will you just take whatever someone offers?
2) Or, does the buyer even know how to evaluate a diamond?
3) Sure.....Most everyone is familiar with the 4 Cs.
Carat Weight......you got something to measure that?
Clarity.................I guess the buyer has seen many diamonds to compare?
Color...................Yup, the buyer can tell that too Rrrrrright?
Cut......................Yes, all kinds of different cuts.
Then add......
Cut angles..........Yes, angles can make a big difference to the sparkle.
4) Not to worry, I got the Diamond's GIA papers. BTW.....does the buyer see the numbers?
5) Today is Thursday so my offer is $.
Sure.....I probably missed something else.

_________________________
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BUT, But, but.......
I've never lived through a SHTF situation. And so..........
i-know-nothing-nothing.jpg
I'll admit to that.

_________________________
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Maybe someone could provide that link about the experience of that guy from Bosnia?

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Anyway.....
It's still a game about what someone will be willing to part with to make the TRADE with you.

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Aloha, Mark

PS....IIRC, the Nazis were quite successful at paying nothing....for what they wanted, from certain "undesirables".
 
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Interesting how Platinum is worth less than Gold as a metal. However if you buy a solid 18K gold link for your Rolex, it will cost less than a solid Platinum link. Granted, 18K is about 75% Gold with other metals and Rolex uses .950 Pt, with Ruthenium added to the metal.
Once it is alloyed, Platinum is quite hard to work, while 18K gold is quite easy. But your point still is interesting; I wonder if it comes back from when Platinum was worth quite a bit more than Gold? Platinum watches are still much more expensive than 18K Gold ones.

As an aside, I still kick myself for not buying a Rolex when I was planning to around 2000. It's the only watch I know of that keeps going up in value. Significantly.
 
My ancestors all chipped in and got about 12 of us out of Europe in the late 1870's. Ended up in Virginia. They farmed. Each person got a very small portable stash of diamonds, rubies, emeralds and gold and silver to hide where ever.

Some of the diamonds remain in the family to this day. Worth more now.
 
Once it is alloyed, Platinum is quite hard to work, while 18K gold is quite easy. But your point still is interesting; I wonder if it comes back from when Platinum was worth quite a bit more than Gold? Platinum watches are still much more expensive than 18K Gold ones.

As an aside, I still kick myself for not buying a Rolex when I was planning to around 2000. It's the only watch I know of that keeps going up in value. Significantly.
I got my first one after I left Germany upon honorably separating from the USAF, a Non Date Submariner and then last October, I got my two tone yellow gold 36 mil Datejust. They are incredibly hard to get now, it's stupid.
 
I got my first one after I left Germany upon honorably separating from the USAF, a Non Date Submariner and then last October, I got my two tone yellow gold 36 mil Datejust. They are incredibly hard to get now, it's stupid.
As I've gotten older I have come to love non-date watches. I only have a few microbrands, but a non-date Omega Seamaster 300, or a non-date Submariner are very high on my list if a wad of cash lands in my pocket.
 
As I've gotten older I have come to love non-date watches. I only have a few microbrands, but a non-date Omega Seamaster 300, or a non-date Submariner are very high on my list if a wad of cash lands in my pocket.
I like the clean look on the dials and functionality. One of these eons, I'd like a perpetual calendar piece where the mechanism knows 30 and 31 day months as well as leap years.
 
RE : Post #34

Yeah....my $30 Casio can't do that.

WAIT a minute. (Pun intended)

If Obama Phones are so necessary.....then.....
Why shouldn't I get a FREE WATCH from the Govt?

YEAH.....I'm time-challenged. It's preventing me from getting to work on time. I'll take one of those OMEGAs or a ROLEX.

Hummmm.....
I remember that time, when I could have gotten that ROLLEX from a guy in Thailand for $100. LOL.

Aloha, Mark
 
As a one-time, emergency Get Out of Jail Free card, diamonds are of undoubted value. Probably not advised for any large scale store of value for the uninitiated. Too difficult to evaluate for the average Joe. As many others have said, gold is more easily understood. But surely not as easy to conceal.

I'm not a jewelry guy for myself. Mrs. Merkt likes it, and I've never discouraged her from having it. I've given her a lot myself. I've given her many gifts of gold jewelry. Which in itself isn't a good buy for SHTF or pure wealth preservation purposes. But there is residual value even in jewelry alloys. Some jewelry becomes collectible over time. It's hard to predict what pieces will experience this. Yes, I'm all for my girl having gold.

Unused jewelry assets can give a wealth boost to following generations. When my mother died several years ago, she left behind quite a bit of valuable jewelry. My sister and I sat and split it up one piece at a time, without regard to valuation. I had some advice from Mrs. Merkt as to some pieces she particularly admired. After I had my pile, I let the women in my family pick what they wanted. There was still a bunch left over, some of which I sold and some I kept simply for the value of the metal.

When I was about 20 years old, I had a girlfriend who liked gold. I was one of her contributors, including some 18k stuff that I bought in the Saigon gold market when it was trading around $35 to $40 the oz. I caught up with her a few decades later and she showed me her leather bag full of gold. Which she'd collected from many various men over the time since I'd last known her. It was very impressive; that was her emergency stash. Not many chains, but more nugget-like things, rings, and etc., some 18k. She still has the things I bought her 1969-70.
 
RE : Post #36

Yup....when my mother died she had NOT placed the jewelry into separate envelopes with names on it (as I had suggested).

My sister and sister in law.......split it among themselves. Leaving me with what the both of them, didn't want. Whatever. I really had no real problems, with that arrangement. As I was (and continue to be) single.

My GF wonders why I was so generous. Anyway....my mother gave her some jewelry, while she was still alive.

As for the Money. YES, I got my share from the estate and that was good enough for me.

I can only hope that someone reading this might get THE HINT.

Aloha, Mark
 
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IMHO, this should answer the question for alternative stores of value.

As of 11/24/22 we can verify the relative value of the following:
Silver trades at a spot price of $23.77 troy oz.
Gold spot price $1801.40 Troy oz.
Platinum $1008.00 Troy oz.
Bitcoin trades at $57,520 (as long as the lights stay on)
Diamond value per carot is……..um….well… hmmmm…….???

Yes, precious stones have value, but even diamond traders refer to it as "illusion".
Coooool.....a time traveler from the future.
 
Gold Silver Gems Bit coin etc. Only have value in a functional developed society. If thing go completely to crap. What would I want with some diamond ring or Gold slug in trade for Food Ammo Drugs Booze Feminine products Medicine etc. I can't make my life better with a shinny bobble.

YMMV
 

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