Demantoid decision

[raddygast]

Sorry I was confusing in my post. When I said I went with Richard, I meant as an appraiser. I thought the stone was worth considering given what Gary Dutton had described, so I had Richard take a look and give me his expert opinion on color (and a great many other factors).

In your case, since you are choosing between two gems, it's a bit harder since paying to appraise every possible candidate is prohibitively expensive. If I were a millionaire, that's what I'd do though...

From your pics, I would absolutely jump on the oval. God, that color is amazing. The cushion seems to have more yellow in it, from the pics. More grass green as opposed to lime jell-o. But the lime jell-o is so insanely vivid. I do have a gut feeling the tone of the oval is more ideal, if not hue position. But then again I know nothing about green gems.

AND IT HAS THE HORSETAIL! But I don't want to influence your decision; I just find the pala oval to be beautiful, and as elmo said, if you've always wanted a demantoid, having the horsetail is part of the dream isn't it?

 

[valeria101]

Sorry m'am... the oval looks way better: color, brightness, size, it just seems to have everything going for it.

Deep green might be nice, but yellowish green doesn't seem to be what makes demantoid fame - quite the opposite.

You may decide for one shape over the other, and you have every right to do so since this is not a cold harted dealer's decision. But there is some substantial trade off for the cute cushion shape between these two. Just my opinion of course, and based on pictures to boot

PS: Velourial, you are right - that cake is unheard off around here. The strange part ? I haven't came across one despite a couple of years spent in the US!

 

[raddygast]

valeria:

It''s not really a cake, just gelatin (flavored and colored) set in a cake mold. You never saw colored gelatin (as a dessert) while in the US? It''s everywhere, though perhaps much less popular now than it was in the 1980''s. And the color of it is pretty much exactly the color of the oval from what we see in the pictures.

But I know, especially now, that judging color through pictures is like pinning the tail on the donkey.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 1/27/2005 12:59:17 PM
Author: raddygast

It''s not really a cake, just gelatin (flavored and colored) set in a cake mold. You never saw colored gelatin (as a dessert) while in the US?

Strange, no ? I guess I never quite found the time to step aside the beaten track (school-office-home-Romanian diaspora & retun) and my own habits brought from home. A couple of years are probably hard to explain - but they''ve been added up months at a time... Good evidence for just how much of a nerd one can get, if you wish

 

[velouriaL]

The oval, to me, is just gorgeous! And it is, I would have to say, more of an "ideal" color, and it has the signature horsetail... and it''s just GORGEOUS.

BUT, if you prefer the cushion, you should go for it. It''s all about what YOU like, after all.

Then again, if you''re in love with a less-than-perfect stone, you should be paying a fair price for it.

Perhaps niether one is the one for you?

 

[velouriaL]

Oh, and how''s the fire?

 

[Hest88]

Date: 1/27/2005 3

7:19 PM
Author: velouriaL
Oh, and how''s the fire?

Oddly enough, the cushion noticably has more fire. Maybe the oval is just too shallow? I don''t know; I''m just guessing here. I''m going to call Palagems today to see if I can get some guidance.

 

[velouriaL]

I read somewhere that often ligther, mroe yellow colors have more fire. It seems that the cushion, with it''s yellow tinge, would be the more firey, even if darker. Maybe?

 

[Hest88]

Velour, I believe lighter colors have more fire simply because the lightness doesn''t mask the fire as much. Partly why a demantoid will never really have the fire of a colorless diamond--simply because the colorlessness of the diamond allows the full range of colors to shine through.

 

[Hest88]

Okay, I talked to Josh at Palagems and...

He told me to send both of them back and he''ll send me others to look at after the Tucson gem show. It was very sweet of him to suggest it, especially since I''ve had the cushion 2 weeks!

 

[pricescope]

GIA: Insider Gemologist: What Are the Identifying Characteristics of Demantoid, Tsavorite Garnet?

http://www.gia.edu/newsroom/issue/2798/2299/insider_newsletter_details.cfm#4

 

[Hest88]

Thanks Leonid. Nice article!

 

[Hest88]

Okay, the hunt continues.

I'm afraid I really have to disappoint all of you. I know, in my heart of hearts, that I will never love Jell-o green--unless it's in Jell-o. I really prefer, and my skin tone looks better with, a deeper green.

Pala sent Wink five stones yesterday from 1.86 to 2.64 cts and when he got them we talked it all over. The largest one of the bunch Wink found too dull, much duller and hazier than it's picture on the Pala site. The only one he thought would work was too light. Luckily, both Wink and I share a similar preference for the deeper green of my avatar stone, so he understood what I was looking for. We found another stone in the Pala database, a 2.46, and today he talked it over with Josh and is bringing it in to inspect. I am definitely going over my allotted budget, but the oval you all liked was already a few hundred over, so what's a bit more?

Anyway, here it is:

8.39 x 7.14 x 4.84 mm

I'm finding that colored stones are so much harder to pick than diamonds. Cut in diamonds is one thing, but gosh choosing between the myriad shades of a gemstone really induces headaches! I'll let you know what Wink says when he calls tomorrow.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 2/25/2005 12:12:51 AM
Author: Hest88

... choosing between the myriad shades of a gemstone really induces headaches!

Some "headache" in that picture !

Good for you!

 

[JUNGLE JIM]

Do I have Demantoids?
I have several pieces of rough green garnets, samples of which have been analized by AIGS as Grossular-Andradite. The strange thing is that all of the stones from this particular area (mining site) have the same inclusions. I have about 5,000 pieces and all have what looks like tiny insects under the microscope. What do you think this is?
see photo

 

[valeria101]

Date: 3/2/2005 8:468 AM
Author: JUNGLE JIM

see photo

Now that you really made me curious, where's the photo !

Any chance to post it ?

What source is this ? So many questions...

Welcome to Pricescope, of course

 

[belle]

so hest, what did you decide? i think the new stone really has more of the color you are looking for.......very rich and deep..not jello-y at all.

 

[Hest88]

We have a winner! Thanks for checking in Belle and Ana. Wink didn''t get the 2.46 in until yesterday so I just got it today and just got off the phone with him and Josh at Pala. It''s just perfect AND has a really precious eye visible horsetail. Also, unlike the Jell-o oval, this one is unheated, which gives it a psychological edge for me. I''ll try to take some pictures of it tonight.

The scary thing is that Josh was telling us that they went into the Russian demantoid mine last summer and came up with nada. They''re going to try again when the ground warms up. So, there''s a very real possibility that this may be it for fine Russian demantoids in the forseeable future. If any of you out there fell in love with the Jell-O demantoid or any of the others, I suggest you get on the phone to your jeweler asap and have them get in touch with Pala!

 

[belle]

oh hest this is sooo exciting!! you got color AND a horsetail!!? congratulations!! i can''t wait to see the pics

 

[WinkHPD]

Date: 3/2/2005 11

7:52 AM
Author: valeria101

Date: 3/2/2005 8:468 AM
Author: JUNGLE JIM

see photo

Now that you really made me curious, where''s the photo !

Any chance to post it ?

What source is this ? So many questions...

Welcome to Pricescope, of course

Gosh, this is aweful, I just want to see this thread but Valeria, I have been trying to quote just a piece of a post as you did above with the See Photo quote. How do you do this? I used to be able to, but now I can not get into the purple box to change anything. Teach me please...

Wink

 

[widget]

Teach me, too!!

widget

 

[belle]

I have been trying to quote just a piece of a post as you did above with the See Photo quote.

hey wink!

i just learned this little trick myself! (thanks you

)
just copy the part of the quote you want to use, and then paste it into the reply box...then add ["QUOTE"] in front of the quote and [/"QUOTE"] at the end. (take the quotation marks off the word quote though...i just added them so it wouldn't actually highlight the quote!!) hope this works for you!!

 

[Hest88]

Also, if you reply to a quote and want to edit it, you can double-click within the box and then you''ll be allowed to edit it.

I do find using the QUOTE tags easier for most cases, though.

 

[WinkHPD]

Date: 3/2/2005 4:48:35 PM
Author: Hest88
We have a winner! Thanks for checking in Belle and Ana. Wink didn''t get the 2.46 in until yesterday so I just got it today and just got off the phone with him and Josh at Pala. It''s just perfect AND has a really precious eye visible horsetail. Also, unlike the Jell-o oval, this one is unheated, which gives it a psychological edge for me. I''ll try to take some pictures of it tonight.

The scary thing is that Josh was telling us that they went into the Russian demantoid mine last summer and came up with nada. They''re going to try again when the ground warms up. So, there''s a very real possibility that this may be it for fine Russian demantoids in the forseeable future. If any of you out there fell in love with the Jell-O demantoid or any of the others, I suggest you get on the phone to your jeweler asap and have them get in touch with Pala!

Yes, and flashes of red and yellow dispersion in incandescent lighting! The horsetail is eye visible, but with a loupe it becomes a REAL horsetail. It is small enough that it does not affect the brilliance of the stone, but it is a classic horsetail when seen in a loupe. I was so excited when I got the stone yesterday, but did not have time to take photo''s through the scope and still get it to Hest today. I know she would LOVE it, and the joy in her voice really made my day! This is every thing you could want in a green garnet, great dispersion, great color and just all around real beauty!

Wink

 

[WinkHPD]

Date: 3/2/2005 6:27

6 PM
Author: belle

I have been trying to quote just a piece of a post as you did above with the See Photo quote.

hey wink!

i just learned this little trick myself! (thanks you

)
just copy the part of the quote you want to use, and then paste it into the reply box...then add [''QUOTE''] in front of the quote and [/''QUOTE''] at the end. (take the quotation marks off the word quote though...i just added them so it wouldn''t actually highlight the quote!!) hope this works for you!!

Well, that is entirely too simple! Thank you!

Wink

 

[WinkHPD]

Date: 3/2/2005 6:29:38 PM
Author: Hest88
Also, if you reply to a quote and want to edit it, you can double-click within the box and then you''ll be allowed to edit it.

Hey, the double click worked too! Wow! I may learn to use this darn computer one of these days, sort of like Smith Barney, one trick at a time...

Also, I am a little embarrassed that three people teach me the trick all while I am replying to the original intent of the thread, that was supposed to be a quick aside, but the phone rang and the land lord returned from a three week absence and voila, multiple responses to an off topic question including the lovely Hest who probably wonders why I am more interested in computer tricks than her fantastic new gem...

Wink

 

[widget]

..... the lovely Hest who probably wonders why I am more interested in computer tricks than her fantastic new gem...

I bet she doesn''t mind!

(Thanks, everybody!

)

widget

 

[Hest88]

including the lovely Hest who probably wonders why I am more interested in computer tricks than her fantastic new gem...

Hey...come to think of it, yeah that''s right!!!! What gives, Wink?!?

 

[Hest88]

Okay, I tried to take some pictures. Unfortunately, it''s night and I have no good lighting so these don''t even begin to capture how the stone gives off lovely red and yellow flashes, and how bright and complex it looks in person--and under sunlight!

 

[Hest88]

But, here''s a fuzzy close-up of the horsetail. It really needs to be backlit to do it justice but I have no idea how to do that!