Alexandrite- cut, window

[clu3s]

I’m new to this jewelry thing and shopping for an engagement stone. The stone in question comes with GIA paperwork but I may still take it to a local jewelry to get it tested to make sure it’s a natural alexandrite due to the purchase being an online purchase.

My question is if this is a good cut and is windowing of concern?

Thanks in advance!

 

[chrono]

The middle is quite see-through and not fully reflecting light and colour back to the eye. Secondly, the stone looks to have weak saturation (mostly gray rather than green).

 

[clu3s]

The middle is quite see-through and not fully reflecting light and colour back to the eye. Secondly, the stone looks to have weak saturation (mostly gray rather than green).

Thanks for the feedback, with my price range it’s kind of hard to find anything amazing. I see other stones out there but the color looks more lighter/diluted than this.

 

[lovedogs]

Thanks for the feedback, with my price range it’s kind of hard to find anything amazing. I see other stones out there but the color looks more lighter/diluted than this.

what is your budget and what size are you looking for?

 

[clu3s]

what is your budget and what size are you looking for?

My budget is below $10k,
Size above .60 ct with good dimensions so it doesn’t look super small,
Emerald cut (I know this cut is hard to find) or pear cut is ideal.

 

[lovedogs]

I think trying to dictate specific shape for an alex is a losing battle since they are so rare and $$$. IMHO the top priority should be the color change and everything else secondary. Multicoulor has a decent number of options under 10k.

Are you 100% sure your future fiance wants an alexandrite?

Here are a few:

Loose gemstones, rare colored stones, pearls and certified diamonds.

Buy loose gemstones and certified diamonds direct. Choose from over 10.000 real time gemstone inventory, including alexandrite, sapphire, ruby, tanzanite, tsavorite, spinel and tourmaline.

www.multicolour.com

Loose gemstones, rare colored stones, pearls and certified diamonds.

Buy loose gemstones and certified diamonds direct. Choose from over 10.000 real time gemstone inventory, including alexandrite, sapphire, ruby, tanzanite, tsavorite, spinel and tourmaline.

www.multicolour.com

Loose gemstones, rare colored stones, pearls and certified diamonds.

Buy loose gemstones and certified diamonds direct. Choose from over 10.000 real time gemstone inventory, including alexandrite, sapphire, ruby, tanzanite, tsavorite, spinel and tourmaline.

www.multicolour.com

 

[clu3s]

Thanks for your assistance lovedogs

Yes we’ve talked about it and she also does understand how much of a challenge this stone will be. The pear is a possibility but the heart shape I’m sure she would not like. However, on the pear I see blemishes is this not something to be of concern?

Here is a video of the color change for the original alexandrite for the first post.

 

[lovedogs]

Thanks for your assistance lovedogs

Yes we’ve talked about it and she also does understand how much of a challenge this stone will be. The pear is a possibility but the heart shape I’m sure she would not like. However, on the pear I see blemishes is this not something to be of concern?

Here is a video of the color change for the original alexandrite for the first post.

The original stone isnt good because the window is massive. Essentially a large part of the stone will be "see through". I would look at other options on multicoulor to see if you can find one with strong color change and a shape that shes ok with

 

[caolsen]

With Alexandrite how important is the color change being true Russian green to purple?

 

[LilAlex]

with my price range it’s kind of hard to find anything amazing

There are almost no amazing alex out there. They are cool but not beautiful, generally, until you get to the almost six-figure range. Even then, I have never seen a knockout alex. I have seen spectacular color change (I have one) but i would not put it in an e-ring. And that's replete with Gubelin "strong color change" report. Unless your soon-to-be fiancee insists on an alex, take him or her to see some in person. Pretty meh, compared to a similarly-priced sapphire.; for that nice budget, you could get an eye-popping vivid blue sapphire of much higher ct-weight.

 

[Bron357]

My 5 cents.
Good Alexandrite is very very expensive and very difficult to find.
Alexandrite is priced primarily on % colour change and the daylight colour being green/blue and the incandescent colour being purple / red.
When the daylight colour is toned towards grey the price goes down, when the incandescent colour tones towards brown the price goes down. If the colours, either light source, are muted / insipid the price goes down. If the colour change is not close to 90% the price goes down.
Alexandrite is fine in theory but to be honest, I have Alexandrites, I rarely get to see the colour change because my house doesn’t have incandescent lights nor do I eat / read etc by candlelight. The point being that your opportunities for witnessing the colour change are limited. Furthermore in “mixed lights” and office lighting the Alexandrite can just look “meh”.
When you are paying $10,000 a carat plus, ”meh” is not what you want to be seeing.
Cut is important as is decent clarity but it’s the quality of colours and strength of change that you are paying most for. You may have to 1. Decide what your compromise areas are and 2. Have to keep looking to find the right Alexandrite, for you, at the price you want to pay.

 

[Bron357]

With Alexandrite how important is the color change being true Russian green to purple?

Very important together with % change. True green (toning to blue) changing to Purple red and 95% plus change = very expensive and hard to find.
Russian Alexandrite is very rare to find, and harder to get certified as Russian. Russianand Brazilian Alexandrite are considered “best”, Indian and African sources are less impressive both with colour and strength of change.

 

[Bron357]

I’m new to this jewelry thing and shopping for an engagement stone. The stone in question comes with GIA paperwork but I may still take it to a local jewelry to get it tested to make sure it’s a natural alexandrite due to the purchase being an online purchase.

My question is if this is a good cut and is windowing of concern?

Thanks in advance!

Your local jeweller is unlikely to have seen an Alexandrite, they are uncommon.
You can rely on the lab report, assuming it matches carat and dimensions to the Alexandrite you receive.

 

[Bron357]

Although over budget, this is a complete, ready to go ring in Platinum and very suitable for an engagement ring. The Alexandrite is just under 1 carat , certified, and with very nice daylight and incandescent colour.
I haven’t bought from this vendor but they do have some very nice pieces,
www.rafjewels.com

 

[T L]

Thanks for the feedback, with my price range it’s kind of hard to find anything amazing. I see other stones out there but the color looks more lighter/diluted than this.

I suggest you skip Alexandrite then. All stones are expensive, and pretty ones are astronomical in price.

 

[caolsen]

Very important together with % change. True green (toning to blue) changing to Purple red and 95% plus change = very expensive and hard to find.
Russian Alexandrite is very rare to find, and harder to get certified as Russian. Russianand Brazilian Alexandrite are considered “best”, Indian and African sources are less impressive both with colour and strength of change.

Yes, very aware that Russian mined stones are prohibitively expensive but the original Russian color change is found in Brazilian stones. I’ve never seen the classic to purple shift in stones outside of those two locations…maybe it’s out there.

I don’t know of the OP is open to a lab stone.

Chatham’s lab alexandrite shows the classic Russian color change with very good saturation. Still the ring of choice but with MUCH less money sunk. Perhaps leaving the door open for a future stone swap to an earth alexandrite or different stone….

 

[clu3s]

Although over budget, this is a complete, ready to go ring in Platinum and very suitable for an engagement ring. The Alexandrite is just under 1 carat , certified, and with very nice daylight and incandescent colour.
I haven’t bought from this vendor but they do have some very nice pieces,
www.rafjewels.com

Thank you for all the information you have provided.

Everyone has provided good valuable knowledge.

I will be reaching out to this vendor.

Has anyone bought from https://jupitergem.com/ or any thoughts on the alexandrites on there?

 

[Bron357]

Thank you for all the information you have provided.

Everyone has provided good valuable knowledge.

I will be reaching out to this vendor.

Has anyone bought from https://jupitergem.com/ or any thoughts on the alexandrites on there?

The vendor is in the US which is best for returns etc.
Some of the Alexandrites are nice. Again, price is affected by quality of colours.
my pick would be the 1.12 carat one. It has great daylight colour. The incandescent colour is rather brownish but ok.

 

[Voodoo Child]

Finding an good Alexandrite is tough but worth it, in my opinion. I spent a little over your budget for my wife’s stone, which is my avatar. It’s a 1.01 carat GIA-certified stone from Tanzania. While Russian and Brazilian Alexandrite get all the love, African Alexandrite can be just as nice.

 

[clu3s]

So I ended up getting a GIA natural alexandrite 1.62 carat untreated for $6.2k. The green is sometimes hard to see but will vary based on angle. Using a lighter the color change was good, to a red-purple.

Hard to capture the colors since I don’t have the proper lighting set up at home.

My next question is setting the stone. I took it to a local jewelry store and they said it was a soft stone and recommended a bezel setting for protection and could be dangerous on using prongs since the heat could change the chemical composition and affect the stone.

Through my research, I thought alexandrite was durable enough for everyday wear. I also see a lot of alexandrites in prong settings, so I’m assuming the heated prongs isn’t harmful enough to the gem?

Thanks for everyone’s help.

 

[LilAlex]

I took it to a local jewelry store and they said it was a soft stone

Find a new jeweler; you are correct that it is not a soft stone. It is the hardest after diamond and corundum -- harder than emerald, topaz, spinel, and certainly quartz.

 

[Voodoo Child]

So I ended up getting a GIA natural alexandrite 1.62 carat untreated for $6.2k. The green is sometimes hard to see but will vary based on angle. Using a lighter the color change was good, to a red-purple.

Hard to capture the colors since I don’t have the proper lighting set up at home.

My next question is setting the stone. I took it to a local jewelry store and they said it was a soft stone and recommended a bezel setting for protection and could be dangerous on using prongs since the heat could change the chemical composition and affect the stone.

Through my research, I thought alexandrite was durable enough for everyday wear. I also see a lot of alexandrites in prong settings, so I’m assuming the heated prongs isn’t harmful enough to the gem?

Thanks for everyone’s help.

Congratulation on your purchase! You picked a wonderful stone. Alexandrite is very durable and perfect for everyday wear. I think a lot of jewelers will give you a similar warning about any stone because they want to hedge in case they accidentally break something. That way, if they do, they can say, “see, we told you so!” My wife’s Alexandrite is prong set and she has never had any issues.

Don’t worry about getting a specific type of of lighting. You’ll be amazed at how small changes in environmental factors can affect the color of your Alexandrite. Walk around your house and see how it looks not only in different lighting conditions but also at different angles. Here are some random pics I took with my iPhone and no filters:

 

[Nick_G]

Although over budget, this is a complete, ready to go ring in Platinum and very suitable for an engagement ring. The Alexandrite is just under 1 carat , certified, and with very nice daylight and incandescent colour.
I haven’t bought from this vendor but they do have some very nice pieces,
www.rafjewels.com

Wow. This is one expensive alexandrite!


It's from the same vendor.

 

[Voodoo Child]

Wow. This is one expensive alexandrite!


It's from the same vendor.

Wanna go halfsies?

 

[deco1]

After seeing the range of pricing in this thread, this one seems like a bargain:

1.10 Brazil Alexandrite No Treatment :: National Gemstone

A super rare Brazilian alexandrite back from a collector. These stones have not been mined for years in a manner similar to Brazilian Paraiba. The red side is similar to a Rhodolite Garnet or a pleasing raspberry pink. The blue side is similar to a bluish teal sapphire. The AGL grades the color...

www.preciousgemstones.com

 

[minousbijoux]

After seeing the range of pricing in this thread, this one seems like a bargain:

1.10 Brazil Alexandrite No Treatment :: National Gemstone

A super rare Brazilian alexandrite back from a collector. These stones have not been mined for years in a manner similar to Brazilian Paraiba. The red side is similar to a Rhodolite Garnet or a pleasing raspberry pink. The blue side is similar to a bluish teal sapphire. The AGL grades the color...

www.preciousgemstones.com

If those photos are accurate, then that is a great looking alex! If you are seriously interested in it, I would put it on hold to prevent any lurkers here from jumping on it.

 

[LilAlex]

If those photos are accurate, then that is a great looking alex! If you are seriously interested in it, I would put it on hold to prevent any lurkers here from jumping on it.

Nothing else there is a bargain, that's for sure. I think I have looked at that site every few years (prompted by some post here) and I swear the AGL reports are from the turn of the century and I don't think I have ever seen anything sell. It is also the only place where I have seen full-on AGL quality reports with all the misc. numbers. It almost feels like an abandoned "ghost ship" of e-commerce...

 

[VividRed]

After seeing the range of pricing in this thread, this one seems like a bargain:

1.10 Brazil Alexandrite No Treatment :: National Gemstone

A super rare Brazilian alexandrite back from a collector. These stones have not been mined for years in a manner similar to Brazilian Paraiba. The red side is similar to a Rhodolite Garnet or a pleasing raspberry pink. The blue side is similar to a bluish teal sapphire. The AGL grades the color...

www.preciousgemstones.com

I deal with Robert Genis at National Gemstone. Can only highly recommend

 

[LilAlex]

I deal with Robert Genis at National Gemstone. Can only highly recommend

^ Good to know that I am off-base up above -- thanks for posting.

 

[VividRed]

^ Good to know that I am off-base up above -- thanks for posting.

My best ruby comes from him. Not all his dealings are online