9 color change garnets

[MakingTheGrade]

Very cool photos

 

[Pandora II]

That blue is out of this world! I''d love to see it IRL...

I am extremely envious of your amazing collection - I hope it''s perhaps destined one day for public view somewhere.

Re the new Garnet book - Very interesting read. I hadn''t seen the info on heat-treated demantoid before (Bill Larson of Palagems fame is saying that around 50% of what is coming out of Russia is now heat-treated...).

Quick review: It''s more aimed at mineral collectors than gem collectors and is defiinitely a techy guide rather than a gem-buyers guide. 80% of the photos are of uncut stones, but my god are some of them incredible! Definitely a good addition if you are interested in what makes a particular garnet a particular variety as regards chemical make-up.

 

[Gailey]

Beautiful collection Mr Z, and thank you so much for sharing them with us.

Did you cut the shield? Is it a public domain pattern/design?

 

[D&T]

oh my look at all your candies.... I love them all.. so many beautiful ones!

 

[zeolite]

Date: 4/21/2009 5:46:32 PM
Author: cushioncutnut
My jeweler showed me a gorgeous color change garnet today! I have to say, your collection takes the cake!!

My grouping of 9 garnets together makes CC garnets appear common, when in fact they are extremely rare. You can''t walk into your neighborhood jewelers and expect to see fine quality CC gems.

 

[zeolite]

Date: 4/22/2009 6:40:18 PM
Author: Pandora II
That blue is out of this world! I''d love to see it IRL...

I am extremely envious of your amazing collection - I hope it''s perhaps destined one day for public view somewhere.

Re the new Garnet book - Very interesting read. I hadn''t seen the info on heat-treated demantoid before (Bill Larson of Palagems fame is saying that around 50% of what is coming out of Russia is now heat-treated...).

Quick review: It''s more aimed at mineral collectors than gem collectors and is defiinitely a techy guide rather than a gem-buyers guide. 80% of the photos are of uncut stones, but my god are some of them incredible! Definitely a good addition if you are interested in what makes a particular garnet a particular variety as regards chemical make-up.

I expect that in the future, they will be on permanent public view. There is a saying "no one owns fine gems, you just rent them for your lifetime".

The blue in the picture is completely acurate under daylight fluorescent. But in diffuse sunlight, it shows some purple, not such a pure blue.

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 4/23/2009 12:29:25 PM
Author: zeolite

Date: 4/22/2009 6:40:18 PM
Author: Pandora II
That blue is out of this world! I''d love to see it IRL...

I am extremely envious of your amazing collection - I hope it''s perhaps destined one day for public view somewhere.

Re the new Garnet book - Very interesting read. I hadn''t seen the info on heat-treated demantoid before (Bill Larson of Palagems fame is saying that around 50% of what is coming out of Russia is now heat-treated...).

Quick review: It''s more aimed at mineral collectors than gem collectors and is defiinitely a techy guide rather than a gem-buyers guide. 80% of the photos are of uncut stones, but my god are some of them incredible! Definitely a good addition if you are interested in what makes a particular garnet a particular variety as regards chemical make-up.

I expect that in the future, they will be on permanent public view. There is a saying ''no one owns fine gems, you just rent them for your lifetime''.

The blue in the picture is completely acurate under daylight fluorescent. But in diffuse sunlight, it shows some purple, not such a pure blue.

I am so glad to hear that - they deserve to be shown off to the world, and my goodness what an exhibition guide they would make...

Can I put in a bid for the Natural History Museum in London - they are sorely in need of a really good garnet collection!

 

[zeolite]

Date: 4/23/2009 11:12:55 AM
Author: Gailey
Beautiful collection Mr Z, and thank you so much for sharing them with us.

Did you cut the shield? Is it a public domain pattern/design?

More explanation of this CC collection: I met a man in a Tucson show, who was an avid gem collector and he loved CC garnets. We had so much in common, that weeks after the show, we corresponded and sent (in groups) our garnet collection back and forth. He would send me 5 gems, I''d enjoy them for a week, and then send back his 5 and include 5 from me. This went on until each saw the other''s entire collection. He told me he had terminal cancer and he passed away 8 months later.

I bought a number of fine gems from his estate, including two colorless grossulars and the 4 CC garnets shown here: the round gem, front center; the oval, extreme back; the shield; extreme right and the small round behind the shield. So I combined his CC garnet collection with mine. It is not possible to know what gems exist in private collections, but if these 9 are not the world''s finest CC garnet collection, it can''t be too far behind. They are that rare.

No, I did not cut that shield. I cut the 5 remaining CC garnets that were not part of his estate. I don''t know if that pattern is published, but it is easy. Below is my finest of my padparadscha sapphire collection, which I cut. I invented that design; just did it off the top of my head. It looks identical in outline to the CC shield.

 

[VRBeauty]

Oh my goodness -- what a beautiful collection of CCGs, and what beautiful photos! Thank you for sharing these with us!

 

[Gailey]

Date: 4/23/2009 1:03:42 PM
Author: zeolite

Date: 4/23/2009 11:12:55 AM
Author: Gailey
Beautiful collection Mr Z, and thank you so much for sharing them with us.

Did you cut the shield? Is it a public domain pattern/design?

More explanation of this CC collection: I met a man in a Tucson show, who was an avid gem collector and he loved CC garnets. We had so much in common, that weeks after the show, we corresponded and sent (in groups) our garnet collection back and forth. He would send me 5 gems, I''d enjoy them for a week, and then send back his 5 and include 5 from me. This went on until each saw the other''s entire collection. He told me he had terminal cancer and he passed away 8 months later.

I bought a number of fine gems from his estate, including two colorless grossulars and the 4 CC garnets shown here: the round gem, front center; the oval, extreme back; the shield; extreme right and the small round behind the shield. So I combined his CC garnet collection with mine. It is not possible to know what gems exist in private collections, but if these 9 are not the world''s finest CC garnet collection, it can''t be too far behind. They are that rare.

No, I did not cut that shield. I cut the 5 remaining CC garnets that were not part of his estate. I don''t know if that pattern is published, but it is easy. Below is my finest of my padparadscha sapphire collection, which I cut. I invented that design; just did it off the top of my head. It looks identical in outline to the CC shield.

Oh what perfection. Your sapphire is really beautiful. The pad lovers are just going to keel over when they see this.

 

[chrono]

Zeolite,
You have a beautiful and enviable collection.

 

[zeolite]

Thank you Pandora, Gailey, D&T, VRBeauty, Chrono, and everyone for your kind comments.