What I am about to cover is another thing that I do without really realizing it. Thank god for addons, they make the dumb dumber (yeah, me...ahee, ahee). Actually, addons really save ALOT of time. I used to go around and search different websites to find out what is the best tanking, healing, dps, and caster cuts to get, but since Auctionator, they do that for me (kinda). Now you do have to take into consideration how many cuts are available per gem (if you just go off the screen, there might still be cuts that people don't have on your server yet, so take note...). I.E. If they are not all listed, I recommend purchasing the cut as there is no supply in the AH, so you will need to take advantage of that...
Lets cover the different "blue" gems in Cata (and how many "bought" recipies they have):
Amberjewel - 5
Demonseye - 11
Dream Emerald - 10
Ember Topaz - 12
Inferno Ruby - 5
Ocean Sapphire - 4
Alright. Screenie time:
So what do you see? All the cuts are available. This is probably comparable to your server as well. Three out of the five cuts available are BELOW the mats cost. Go figure. And there are a ton of them out there (supply). Now glance down further, and you will see the Mystic Amberjewel cut. Jackpot. Two available, over 100g above mats cost. This is the cut to get. Are you feeling me here? Yeah, it's basic. Nice and easy. Next.....
Basically the same deal here. 34.9g for the mats, but there are much better prices with these cuts. So what we are seeing once again, is that, pending sales, there is up to a 160g profit per gem (if you go with Retaliating Demonseye). You also want to keep in mind that the quantity is low on the Veiled Demonseye, so that would be an option as well. See where I am going with this?
Ok. So what did you see here? If you just said "basic supply and demand", ding! You are correct! This mindset is something as an AH player is probably instilled in your brain. Maybe you have umpteen level 85's, you know who gets what cut, what the best ones are, etc. But once again, this post isn't for everyone. It is meant to help those new to the gem game, or those that don't utilize Auctionator.
Feel free to toss some comments on things that factor how you buy gems, what you base your decisions on, or just what you had for dinner tonight. You choose....
By the way, did you happen to catch my Guest Post over at JMTC? If you didn't, the time is now to go over and view it! Farming Spots At Hyjal