Buying a spess garnet.....

[Skippy123]

Date: 5/19/2009 4:01:53 PM
Author: megeve

Date: 5/19/2009 12:08:29 PM
Author: Linda W

Date: 5/19/2009 10:50:59 AM
Author: tourmaline_lover

TL, your information is always very informative. Thank you for taking the time for being helpful.

Yay, TL, thanks for your input. You have been very helpful! Thanks also for the links, great reads!!

All - Thanks so much for chiming in!

I am still indecisive of the choices

and will probably have to read and learn more before making any final decision!

Yay, can''t wait to see what you get; Megeve your dog is soo cute!!!

 

[Harriet]

Date: 5/18/2009 6:04:24 PM
Author: megeve
Ok, another option and is my last one!

What do you think?

Megeve,
That is a beauty, as is this one: http://www.paraibainternational.com/product_info.php?product=2568 I''ve bought from this vendor before and think that his pictures are fairly accurate. I''ll be dropping by to see the pear, and can check out the emerald-cut if you like.

 

[m76steve]

yo harriet!-an early test for fanta orange garnet was just dropping a spessartite stone in a fanta orange soda & if the stone seemed to dissapear that was the fanta orange color-usually the mandarin orange is a little more richer in color & the fanta a lighter orange color-the yellow or brown is there depending on the perticular stone cut from the motherlode rough. your appraiser will b able to differenciate the degree of orange in the perticular stones. from my experience the best spess was found in namibia with the nigerian a close second-the material initially was very clean-very orange & appraised at the top of the scale-usually over $2000.00/ct. this is a good example of mandarin spess per one of my appraisers-my 2cents...

 

[Harriet]

Yo back, Steve. Thanks for the info. My photographer friend and I were mucking around with a few of my stones last week. He took a shot of my spessartite sitting on his orange-coloured business card, and the only difference was saturation.

 

[icekid]

Date: 5/18/2009 10:32:04 PM
Author: Chrono
Harriet,

I think our Loliondos are the exception. Many seem to have a yellow secondary - Richard Wise and Gene (I think he did on his website blog, but am not 100% sure) both posted write ups about Loliondos about how great the colour is, but that they show a yellow secondary unlike the original Namibian mandarins. In meeting with Gene a few months ago, I saw his Loliondo spessartites and they show a good bit of yellow. That said, my Jeff White Loliondo glows one mean orange colour. Therefore, based on my limited observation and reading, there are pure orange Loliondos but those are few and difficult to find.

I agree with you, Chrono. I love my spess from Gene... but it''s not that perfect orange like yours and H''s. But it is a nice stone, with a little yellow

Harriet........ OH how I wish to see your spess ring!

 

[Harriet]

Note:
My friend may have had the pick of the litter, but that doesn't mean all other Loliondos are inferior (e.g. Jeff's). Apparently, it's not unusual for rough to slip through the cracks. For those of you who are interested, hunt away but be prepared to pay top dollar.

Icekid,
I'm back home and will take pics tomorrow.

 

[T L]

Date: 5/19/2009 8:37:12 PM
Author: icekid


I agree with you, Chrono. I love my spess from Gene... but it's not that perfect orange like yours and H's. But it is a nice stone, with a little yellow

Icekid,
Actually, some of the yellowish orange stones are very vibrant, and I do not think yours is overly yellow. Some yellowish orange stones are too desaturated in orange color, but yours is not one of those. It's very beautiful. One not need have a Fanta orange spessartite to have a beautiful spessartite. Some of the yellowish orange and reddish orange spessartites are quite beautiful. Enjoy your stone, it is very special.

 

[icekid]

Date: 5/19/2009 9:06:52 PM
Author: Harriet
Icekid,

I''m back home and will take pics tomorrow.

H- YAY!!

t_l- Thanks! I do think my spess is nice, too. It is definitely a whole lot more orange than yellow. Obviously it is not tip top quality. But I certainly did not pay those sort of prices either.

 

[chrono]

Icekid,
Yours show a good amount of orange. The yellow is muted and only serves to bring out brightness in the spessartite. You did good on it.

 

[chrono]

Harriet,
We expect pictures tomorrow evening.

 

[movie zombie]

she''s home: i expect pictures NOW.

mz

 

[megeve]

Date: 5/19/2009 6:30:37 PM
Author: Harriet

Date: 5/18/2009 6:04:24 PM
Author: megeve
Ok, another option and is my last one!

What do you think?

Megeve,
That is a beauty, as is this one: http://www.paraibainternational.com/product_info.php?product=2568 I've bought from this vendor before and think that his pictures are fairly accurate. I'll be dropping by to see the pear, and can check out the emerald-cut if you like.

That would be great!! Thank you for offering!! I would love to hear your opinion and will trust your eyes!

 

[megeve]

Date: 5/19/2009 6:30:37 PM
Author: Harriet

Megeve,
That is a beauty, as is this one: http://www.paraibainternational.com/product_info.php?product=2568 I''ve bought from this vendor before and think that his pictures are fairly accurate. I''ll be dropping by to see the pear, and can check out the emerald-cut if you like.

Yay, thats a beauty! I have seen it on the website already but alas, I have size 4 finger and doubt I can carry that size well!!

 

[chrono]

Date: 5/20/2009 3:02:05 AM
Author: megeve

Yay, thats a beauty! I have seen it on the website already but alas, I have size 4 finger and doubt I can carry that size well!!

You are talking to the wrong crowd. Both Harriet and I have size 4-ish fingers and we both wear 5 ct plus spessartites.

 

[megeve]

Date: 5/20/2009 7:54:58 AM
Author: Chrono

Date: 5/20/2009 3:02:05 AM
Author: megeve

Yay, thats a beauty! I have seen it on the website already but alas, I have size 4 finger and doubt I can carry that size well!!

You are talking to the wrong crowd. Both Harriet and I have size 4-ish fingers and we both wear 5 ct plus spessartites.

HeHe!!! Chrono, good for you!

However, you are talking about 5ct+, the beauty above is almost 7ct and with length of 14.5 + setting, I can''t bent the finger anymore, it will reach my knuckles!

 

[Harriet]

Date: 5/19/2009 8:37:12 PM
Author: icekid

I agree with you, Chrono. I love my spess from Gene... but it''s not that perfect orange like yours and H''s. But it is a nice stone, with a little yellow

Harriet........ OH how I wish to see your spess ring!

Bah. It doesn''t matter as long as you like it.

 

[Harriet]

Date: 5/20/2009 3:02:05 AM
Author: megeve
Yay, thats a beauty! I have seen it on the website already but alas, I have size 4 finger and doubt I can carry that size well!!

It''d make a lovely pendant.

I''m waiting to hear back from ParaibaI about visiting.

 

[Nomsdeplume]

http://www.rwwise.com/products/id%7C1476

What does everyone think of this one?

 

[movie zombie]

what do you think? if you like it but have doubts, call richard and talk with him. he''s open and honest regarding the stones he sells. he''s high end but then so are the stones he sells.

mz

ps i''m prejudiced as my spess came from richard.......

 

[T L]

Date: 5/21/2009 1:41:39 PM
Author: movie zombie
what do you think? if you like it but have doubts, call richard and talk with him. he''s open and honest regarding the stones he sells. he''s high end but then so are the stones he sells.

mz

ps i''m prejudiced as my spess came from richard.......

MZ,
I love your honesty!!

I do think it''s a nice color, but make sure it has no brown in it. The stones from Nigeria tend to be more on the brown side than either the Tanzanian or the Namibian stones,

 

[chrono]

I think that spessartite shows a lot of promise - worth taking a look at it in person.

 

[Nomsdeplume]

I really like it and I love the way some of them look like glowing embers, but I have reservations about them in general. Orange doesn''t really go nicely with my skin tone. Neither does yellow. I don''t know why.
Maybe someone else will take it home.

 

[Cind11]

I talked to Richard about that stone. He said it has a bit of a window. My guess is that it is a beautiful stone though.

 

[T L]

Date: 5/21/2009 3:13:45 PM
Author: kribbie
I really like it and I love the way some of them look like glowing embers, but I have reservations about them in general. Orange doesn''t really go nicely with my skin tone. Neither does yellow. I don''t know why.
Maybe someone else will take it home.

The very fine mandarin spessartites (if that''s what you''re looking for) are a neon orange, so whether your tan or fair, I think they''re gorgeous. I actually prefer neon stones on tan skin. It makes them light up even more!!

 

[movie zombie]

a bit of window in a spess would be too much for me..........something about the orange color makes it more obvious to my eye.
however, depending on how its going to be set, it might not bother you.

mz

 

[innerkitten]

I''ve been admiring the color on this one for a while.
http://www.forevergemstones.com/proddetail.php?ProdID=1997

 

[T L]

Date: 5/21/2009 5:51:33 PM
Author: innerkitten
I''ve been admiring the color on this one for a while.
http://www.forevergemstones.com/proddetail.php?ProdID=1997

I''ve heard time and time again that you cannot trust his photos. I''ve had first hand experience with this dealer myself, and I agree.

 

[innerkitten]

Interesting. What did you get from them?

 

[innerkitten]

Oh yeah Harriet, how about some pics

 

[T L]

I don't want to hijack the thread, but I bought a cuprian. In the picture, it was a lovely shade of bright pure greenish blue. When I got it, there was barely any color in it. It reminded me of a washed out aquamarine. It was $1600 and around 2 carats. I sent it back the very next day. It took over a week to get my refund because he said he was traveling. I have read of similar experiences.