5ct Alexandrite

[Johndoeva]

I have a family member that recently inherited a 5 ct. Alexandrite. It was taking out of a ring setting and sent for GIA authentication. It came back certified with papers. I understand a stone of this size is rare and can be valuable. Does anyone have any recomendations on how we can get it appraised and what is the market to sell something like this? Where would one even start?

 

[kenny]

Do you have pics?
I'd especially love to see a pair of pics demonstrating its color change in daylight and under incandescent light.

Does GIA report on the country of origin of the stone?

Which PS appraiser was mentioned for colored stones, Richard Sherwood?

It is very valuable so I'd call the big auction houses Christies and Sothbey's.

Question for our colored stone experts: Is a GIA report adequate for such a stone, or would it be easier to sell, or command a higher price, if it also had the Prestige grading report from AGL with origin?
Also does origin affect the value in the marketplace? (I realize you may not care, but I'm asking about the unwashed masses out there in the market.)
If I was selling a sapphire from Kashmir, even a poor one, you bet your bippy I'd get that verified and mention it prominently in my ad and factor it into the price.
Why throw money away just because some people argue origin is not relevant to them?

 

[minousbijoux]

Its quality really depends upon many factors - clarity, degree of color change and saturation of the colorways to name a few. Photos will definitely help - at the very least, posting the GIA report will help as well. If it really is high end, as Kenny suggests, I would get a second report from AGL (keep in mind that GIA has been duped in the past by high end synthetic alex), especially if you are seriously thinking of selling. You might also want to reach out to David W. of Multicolour.com, who is considered one of the preeminent experts on alex.

 

[chrono]

It could be worth a lot; 5 carats is uncommon for alexandrite. Value will depend on actual colours, strength of change and clarity. Origin to some degree. For the masses, GIA is good enough. Is your intent to sell it? If so, an appraiser is the next step. The problem with mailing the stone is that I don't know how much to insure it for. And insurance will not pay for loss or damages without proof of value, leaving you with the catch 22 of how to get valuation on it.

 

[Johndoeva]

All I have is the GIA report, I don't have possession of the stone as it is with a family member. The details of the report are as follows:
Weight: 5.08 carat
10.78x9.61x5.91mm
Shape: Cushion
Cutting Style Crown: Brilliant Cut
Cutting Style Pavilion: Modified Step Cut
Transparency: Transparent
Color: Dark Brownish Green
changing to Dark Grayish Purple

Conclusion:
Species: Natural Chrysoberyl
Variety: Alexandrite
Comments: None
**
Hope this helps.

 

[minousbijoux]

Okay! That's a really good start. So its a cushion (rarer than an oval), dimensions look decent (from my experience, alex are sometimes cut a little shallow due to the rarity of the material), and "transparent" is a good thing (although you cannot tell the degree of clarity it has - whether it is transparent but included, or transparent and eye clean). The not so good news are the color modifiers of "greyish" and "brownish," which mean the stone is not as saturated or intense in color as it could be. It is hard to find an alex that does not have modifiers, but oftentimes they read "slightly greyish" instead.

In general, from what you have provided, it sounds quite promising. Where are you located? That might help us make suggestions on appraisers who specialize in colored stones. They could tell your relative whether sending it off to AGL for another lab report would increase its market value or whether its good to go as is. I would check out multicolour.com to see if you can find some comps.

Also, we have a resident expert on alex - let me see if I can find the thread she wrote about them. Her name is LD.

We are dying to see it!

 

[minousbijoux]

Here is the thread I was referring to: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/have-you-really-got-an-alexandrite-read-this-first.179784/#post-3267495#p3267495']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/have-you-really-got-an-alexandrite-read-this-first.179784/#post-3267495#p3267495[/URL]

But I would also do a search for alexandrite on this page because there have been so many discussions about them, including the pros and cons of alex from various locations.

Another clue about the stone might come from the age and quality of the ring - do you know anything more about that?

Good luck!

 

[Johndoeva]

Thanks for all the useful information. We are located in Virginia. Do not have a lot of information about the ring itself. It was a mens ring set in a Platinum band. We still have the original band. We can trace it 3 generations back, probably was a gift in the 1940's or so, family was living in the Northeast part of the country at the time. Would the best avenue in selling something like this be one of the big auction houses? Thanks for all your help! I will try to get pictures up later in the week of the stone and band.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Not to be a downer but I have a 4 carat plus brownish green to red Alexandrite cushion that is appraised at over 4K but I could not sell it in a heavy 18k WG setting with .20 VS white diamonds for $700 when I tried. It is transparent, very lightly included and has a very good color change. The real question to it's value is how pretty is it in daylight, and how much color change does it have. I am not trying to be negative, but the value is determined by it's beauty, less then it's rarity. I saw an Ebay vendor try to sell a similar size and color Alexandrite for 16k and my thoughts were "good luck". Once again sorry to be negative, but this was a huge learning experience for me on colored stones, rarity, and resale.

 

[minousbijoux]

Thanks for all the useful information. We are located in Virginia. Do not have a lot of information about the ring itself. It was a mens ring set in a Platinum band. We still have the original band. We can trace it 3 generations back, probably was a gift in the 1940's or so, family was living in the Northeast part of the country at the time. Would the best avenue in selling something like this be one of the big auction houses? Thanks for all your help! I will try to get pictures up later in the week of the stone and band.

Again, this depends upon the quality, which has yet to be determined. I tend to doubt the big auction houses would be interested, despite the size. In addition to the somewhat lacking saturation and as yet to be determined clarity that I previously mentioned, I'm afraid to say that I overlooked something critically important in my response earlier. I didn't notice until I reread your post that the GIA listed the tone as "dark." Dark stones are not in great demand, as the hue is obscured by the darkness. I apologize for not catching that earlier.

However, the first step should still be to talk with a reputable appraiser who specializes in colored stones to ascertain the value. They can answer such questions as whether an AGL lab report will be beneficial to a sale, and the best venue in which to sell the stone. You might want to start a new thread asking for vetted colored stone appraisers in your area. Another option might be to contact Richard Sherwood as Kenny suggested and ask him for his recommendations for a good appraiser in your area.

Oh, and I checked Multicolour.com for you and for alex of 5+ carats, the prices range from $4k-$236k - but none of those would be graded as "dark" in tone.

 

[chrono]

There are many factors that will affect its value and pricing which none can be determined online sight unseen. You really should have an experienced, and I note, experienced coloured gemstone appraiser evaluate it. Colour will set most of the value. Being that it is noted as dark and grayish / brownish per GIA is not promising. Clarity is also important and I do not know if it is eye clean. Completeness and strength of change is another factor to consider. All these need to be determined before deciding whether to sell/keep it and which avenue is best for selling it.

 

[Johndoeva]

All good information everyone, Thanks. I am new to this site and not familiar with Richard Sherwood. Who is he and how would I get in touch with him. Also, what other avenues would I be able to find a reputable, experienced coloured gemstone appraiser?

 

[chrono]

I think Mr. Sherwood is no longer in the appraisal business. The following came up in the search function but I do not know how well versed she is with coloured stones:
https://www.pricescope.com/appraisers/virginia