Differnt lights different color of red/blue stones

[maxspinel]

I noticed that my red and blue stones look very different in various lights. The tanzanite is a magnificant deep royal blue at day time and turn to dark purplish in incandescent light. Somebody even ask me in a evening party whether it was an Amethyst. The same thing is true for the blue sapphire. It is a nice medium blue in flourescent/sunlight, then it seems to dim to a darker shade with a hint of violet in evening light.

On the contrary, all the pink/red stones look the best in incandescent light. They all exhibit a more vivid and fuller red color in the evening. The color seem to fade or washed out in day light or flourescent lght. The ruby changes from a vivid red to a little duller color with more pinkish hint. One of the pink sapphires flatly goes from medium pink to almost gray

. The best one is a pink sapphire that retains most of the color except it also gets a little more magenda. It seems that the effects are not as pronounced in the green, yellow and orange stones. The emeralds, green tourmalines and spessartites all retain their color very well in all light/environment.

I am not sure what causes this phenomenon and I am always puzzled by it. I heard that Kashmir blue sapphires and Burma rubies retain the colors in all lights and that is one factor why they are more expensive. I am also curious as to why these gems are not affected while others are.

I personally adore red/blue stones; the other colors are also nice (well, the more, the merrier

) but red/blue (especially red) are my favorites. However, they don''t seem to always look their best throughout the entire day. Also, if you examine the stone in the jewelry store under one set of lights, it looks great but when you come out of the store, the stone changes color on you and that can be very frustrating

 

[strmrdr]

Not all lighting has the same range and intensity of colors in it.
Ie it isn''t true white light.

fluorescent has a lot of energy in the blue range and little to none in the red range.

incandescent with a few exceptions has strong yellow tint and more energy in the red range than fluorescent.

sunlight around noon on a clear day is pretty well balanced which is why it was the diamond grading standard.

evening and morning light has more energy in the red range with afternoon tending towards the blue side.
Throw clouds in the picture and all bets are off.

Jewelery store lighting is halogens often filtered for a blue cast which hides yellow in diamonds and brings out blues in gemstones and is very intence. It isnt like any lighting condition you will likely see anyplace else except maybe another store.

 

[widget]

All of my colored gemstones seem to change personality in different lighting. Some are at their best indoors, others outside in daylight....I think this is part of their charm and mystery!

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[MINE!!]

Date: 7/29/2005 9:03:21 AM
Author: widget
All of my colored gemstones seem to change personality in different lighting. Some are at their best indoors, others outside in daylight....I think this is part of their charm and mystery!

widget

I agree!!! My spess is just wonderful under indoor lights. It turns almost a blood red color. But outside... Ohhh yummy it looks like a sunkist orange color!! I think it adds such uniqueness and personality!!

 

[maxspinel]

Date: 7/29/2005 7:17:48 AM
Author: strmrdr

sunlight around noon on a clear day is pretty well balanced which is why it was the diamond grading standard.

If sunlight around noon on a clear day is the diamond grading standard, what is the grading standard for colored stones? When you buy a diamond, you get a cert stating its color, dimension, clarity and flourescence. So if one sticks to the cert, based on all the information, pavillion angles etc, the margin for error is slim. However, with colored stones, the color you see in the store is most likely not what it is under normal lights. Furthermore, even though it comes with a cert, it is graded under some standard light which I haven''t the faintest idea what it is. There is no way to tell how the stone will turn out in all other lights. I understand that it is the personality of the stone but I would like to know all its personalities first before I get stuck with it, just like a husband

.

Buying a diamond is so much easier; everything including the price is standard. You check out the statistics of pricescope and you know where you stand. But for colored gems, the possibilities are unlimited, so exciting and yet so confusing.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 7/29/2005 11:44:46 PM
Author: maxspinel

Date: 7/29/2005 7:17:48 AM
But for colored gems, the possibilities are unlimited, so exciting and yet so confusing.

Thats what makes it so much fun!
If you see something you like and can afford it and the price seems decent then snag it because you may never see another like it.

 

[maxspinel]

Date: 7/30/2005 12:01:28 AM
Author: strmrdr

Thats what makes it so much fun!
If you see something you like and can afford it and the price seems decent then snag it because you may never see another like it.

I totally agree. I read somewhere about the rules of collecting gems: Best color/largest stone you can afford, unheated and seize the opportunity since you would never see a similar stone again.

I once let go of a gorgeous pink sapphire, complaining that it is too small and the ring setting is too old fashioned. Now it is on the finger of my best friend and I kick myself everytime I see it flashing. What is worse than not getting a nice gem is let your best friend buy it.

I saw a "Mint Glossular Garnet" a month ago, unusual color but brilliant. I let it go too, debating if the gem is worth the price and now I am regretting. I served the net and I haven''t found one quite like it.