Color-change diaspore

[alene]

Was browsing ebay a couple of weeks ago and discovered color-change diaspore. The pictures and videos looked really cool and it was inexpensive so I bid on it and won. The stones arrived today and appear to look nothing like the ebay videos. First, the stones were described as VVS-VS. One of them has a glaring inclusion. It''s a dark line that almost bisects the stone, very much visible without any magnification. Anyone knows what it may be? The second stone is almost eye clean but has a bigger window. More importantly, I can''t get any color change to speak of. I''ve looked under bright lights, low lights, candle light and I see maybe a color shift from pale green to almost colorless but certainly nothing as dramatic as I expected. Am I just not using the right lighting conditions or is it pretty much all there''s to it? The stones were only $30 including shipping and I''ll get maybe $20 back if I return them. Is it even worth it? Should I just keep them as another example of what not to buy?

 

[alene]

Here''s one of the stones. What on earth is that inclusion?

 

[alene]

Here it is again

 

[alene]

Here''s the other stone, please excuse the fingerprints. This one just look like it has scratches on it, is it what they are?

 

[Arkteia]

Looks weird...Would you mind my asking who did you buy it from?

 

[colorluvr]

I have no idea if that really is a diapore, but here is a picture of one of mine - top two are vendor photos, bottom is my photo. This one is 10.6 x 8.1 and is my nicest one, but I have two others. My smallest one is a 6.57 round and it still shows the color change in different types of lighting.

 

[chrono]

Is that really the colour?

 

[alene]

To be fair, the color looks particularly bad in the pictures. It looks more green in daylight/bright light. Here''s the link to the ebay listing and what it''s supposed to look like:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300429450271&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSA:US:1123
Any way I can get it to look half as attractive?

 

[colorluvr]

This is the description from the seller which is pretty close for mine:

"Greenish-Gold under daylight changes to Greenish under early evening light than changes to Pink-Reddish with Golden Green flashes under candle light".

It is light green (kind of light mint color) under pure florescent lighting and kind of golden with pink flashes under a "reveal" light globe. It only shows the two tone (like the top left photo) when you play with light and try to get it to do that. I was trying to get my photo to look like the vendor photo.

Most of the time it is just a light honey color.

 

[colorluvr]

Date: 6/16/2010 9:02:37 PM
Author: alene
To be fair, the color looks particularly bad in the pictures. It looks more green in daylight/bright light. Here''s the link to the ebay listing and what it''s supposed to look like:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300429450271&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSA:US:1123
Any way I can get it to look half as attractive?

I have never seen one that turns that salmon color in the vendor''s photos... they usually go from golden to green with some occasional pink flashes (at least the ones that I have and the pictures that I have seen).

 

[Arcadian]

Date: 6/16/2010 9:08:49 PM
Author: colorluvr

Date: 6/16/2010 9:02:37 PM

Author: alene

To be fair, the color looks particularly bad in the pictures. It looks more green in daylight/bright light. Here''s the link to the ebay listing and what it''s supposed to look like:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300429450271&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSA:US:1123

Any way I can get it to look half as attractive?

I have never seen one that turns that salmon color in the vendor''s photos... they usually go from golden to green with some occasional pink flashes (at least the ones that I have and the pictures that I have seen).

Mine goes from gold to green, though color change isn''t all that strong. I''ve never seen any pink ones either.

-A

 

[T L]

Date: 6/16/2010 9:02:37 PM
Author: alene
To be fair, the color looks particularly bad in the pictures. It looks more green in daylight/bright light. Here''s the link to the ebay listing and what it''s supposed to look like:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300429450271&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSA:US:1123

Any way I can get it to look half as attractive?

And that''s a top rated seller too!

Those inclusions look like needles. I actually think they''re the best part of the gem, and interesting to look at in your photos.

 

[Arkteia]

Date: 6/16/2010 9:31:34 PM
Author: tourmaline_lover

Date: 6/16/2010 9:02:37 PM
Author: alene
To be fair, the color looks particularly bad in the pictures. It looks more green in daylight/bright light. Here''s the link to the ebay listing and what it''s supposed to look like:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300429450271&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSA:US:1123

Any way I can get it to look half as attractive?

And that''s a top rated seller too!

Those inclusions look like needles. I actually think they''re the best part of the gem, and interesting to look at in your photos.

I checked him at toolhaus. I bought a few small stones from him and wanted to see who he was. Apparently, some of his stones are fakes (I haven''t checked mine, though).

 

[dzop]

Given the shape and color of those inclusions and the fact that the stone is (purportedly) a diaspore, the odds are very strong that those are rutile needles.

Date: 6/16/2010 8:22:47 PM
Author: alene
Here''s one of the stones. What on earth is that inclusion?

 

[alene]

Thanks guys! I actually do think the inclusions are kind of interesting. Sadily, it''s pretty much the only thing the stones have going for them. So, is it safe to assume the ebay images have been tampered with? I don''t know why I thought buying from a top-rated selller would be relatively safe. I need to stay away from ebay.

 

[iLander]

On ebay, I check the background color pretty closely. It looks like they took the entire green stone photo and turned it red in Photoshop. See how the gray background is now reddish? That''s a give away for me.

In photoshop, you can change a black and white zebra into a red and white zebra and have it look perfect. It takes about 2 minutes . . .

 

[LD]

I own a number of diaspore (also now being sold as Zultanite). A good piece should go from apple green in daylight and in incandescent light it will take on a peach/rose colour with flashes of pink/red. Diaspore is not really like other colour change gemstones eg garnet, sapphire, alexandrite who hold their colour permanently in incandescent light. Diaspore tends to be much more reactive to light and so can appear to be just green with pink flashes at night also.

Unfortunately because it''s a colour changer, it''s also incredibly difficult to photograph. Actually it''s impossible to capture the colour!

Here''s one of mine. It''s 4.65ct and shows the stone as loose in daylight and then set and in incandescent lighting.

 

[T L]

Date: 6/17/2010 9:09:31 AM
Author: alene
Thanks guys! I actually do think the inclusions are kind of interesting. Sadily, it''s pretty much the only thing the stones have going for them. So, is it safe to assume the ebay images have been tampered with? I don''t know why I thought buying from a top-rated selller would be relatively safe. I need to stay away from ebay.

I always start out with cheapie stones to ascertain if a vendor''s photos look like the real thing, and if they''re honest, and then I may buy more expensive gems. It''s important, with ebay, to build up a list of trusted vendors, and I continue to shop on there because I find the value for some of the goods to be exceptional. I have shared various trusted ebay vendors on Pricescope, and I hope my recommendations are helpful to people.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

If you scroll down you will find a disclaimer. He says his photos may not represent the stone you will receive. Those are perfect stones he is showing. If i read that i would stay away from him.


I just received an e-mail from my new friend at Thaigemstore . Recently I had looked at his web site and found the stones looked more representative of the actual. This means I could see windows andcolor differences that were imperfect now. He told me that there are many e-bay sellers now that are selling fakes. He forwarded me a list and asked if I could not get my group to help stop these people. He says they are making it much more difficult to sell. They are ruining the reputation of Thai sellers. This must account for the new lab reports that he is giving or getting for his clients. There is a big selection of lab reports that he is offering. At the moment I am still cumputer illiterat so I don''t know how to get at his list. I will find out how to get them later.

He also called me to ask if I would be interested in a 7 ct demantoid garnet. He told me it has a window and thought if cut it would probably lose a carat at least. It has an inclusion on top of the table but other than that it is clean. He also told me what he would charge me, his American friend.

I looked on his website and hoped I wouldn''t be tempted. It is a pear shaped yellow green that does look pretty clean. I thought his honesty was an improvement over my first experience. He does come across as a nice person/
And in conclusion, TL, maybe you were right he did listen to my semi lectures and may be reading PS/

I hope this wasnot a bad hi-jack. I was going to post this later, after I could download the list. I think it should be interesting.

Thanks,

Annette