Fancy Colored Diamond Collection

[acebruin]

i seriously doubt that's leibish official ebay account... might be some 3rd party scraping their content and listing them on ebay for more... a little profit... must alert itzik...

 

[acebruin]

kenny, congrats on your new additions to the family... that intense blue EC is gorgeous!

 

[acebruin]

For pinks, what do you think of this stone? http://www.fancydiamonds.net/view_diamonds/5183.htm

If it were round, it would be on its way to a new home... I really wish it were round...

A round that size and that color would likely be double the price. Have you taken a look at their smaller argyle round pinks?

 

[TristanC]

If only it were double... Itzik told me that it would likely be 3.5-4 times that price!

I'll keep looking for now, too early to be making broad compromises. The hunt must surely be part of the joy of this hobby.

I really love Kenny's red... I keep going back to stare at it. Can't afford the asking price, but if it is one of the 100 or so reds that GIA has graded, that this is really a rarity beyond almost anything I can think of (which still has demand).

Yeah Kenny, there is an intense pink with Leibish and it looks orangy not pure pink although GIA graded it as an intense pink round. Its here: http://www.fancydiamonds.net/view_diamonds/5095.htm

I keep coming back to it, it is graded intense pink but to my eye it seems orange modified. Itzik highlighted the very same too.

I'm wishing that a stone will come along with a more pure pink coloration, but less saturation so it is just good fancy, not intense.

Kenny, I'm guessing then you would hold this stone in high regard? http://www.fancydiamonds.net/view_diamonds/5083.htm

Really looking forward to the green diamond photography from you - after reds, they are my second favorite colour. I also appreciate all your efforts answering my questions!

 

[T L]

i seriously doubt that's leibish official ebay account... might be some 3rd party scraping their content and listing them on ebay for more... a little profit... must alert itzik...

You can ask Itzik to make sure, but it's not unusual for many reputable vendors to use ebay as another way to market their material.

 

[kenny]

I bought two new FCDs in Vegas last weekend; Leibish brought many of them to the show.
Seeing so many fantastic FCDs in person was absolutely astonishing, moving actually.
My eyeballs almost popped out of my head.
This was one of the coolest things I've done in years!

I learned so much talking to Leibish's knowledgeable and gracious GG for almost 2 hours.
He selected every FCD that I own and seeing them again brought back memories for him.
He went on and on about how unusual my Fancy Intense Orangy pink heart is.
He says color like that just never comes along.
I wanted to buy so many that I just about ripped out my kidneys to sell

Live is SOOOOOOO much better for selecting FCDs than pictures especially since I brought my set and am trying to complete a rainbow!!!!!!!!!!
I'd even compare it to deciding whom to marry by looking at pictures vs. meeting him/her.
I did not really care for this FCD in the pics I've been looking at since last Dec. but it just jumped out and grabbed me by the neck.

This 0.28 ct. Fancy Intense Blue SI2 is 12 points larger than the 0.16 Fancy Vivid Blue that I returned.
Side by side there was no comparison.
Even though the blue saturation itself is not as strong I find it to be a MUCH more beautiful diamond.
Also being larger there is more blue area there which seems to more than compensate for the softer color when it is in the rainbow collection.

She, yes it's a girl, was shy about saying Hello to you all so she's hiding in a Phalaenopsis orchid and of course it picked up the orchid's colors.

 

[TristanC]

I've tried selling my kidneys before - nobody would take them.

The gem looks exquisite. Especially nursed in the little orchid. Very very nice collection.

You're actually starting to sway me towards the emeralds and asschers.

Shy as she is, the green is still not showing her/his face. Will we see some soon?

 

[chrono]

A lighter blue in a step cut; it hits all my drool bucket buttons.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

She is a stunner, Kenny. Your photos are amazing, I literally want to print them, frame them, and hang them somewhere secret like my closet to so I can admire them without being judged

So glad you got to go to Vegas and see so many FCD in person--it sounds like you had a great time talking with the GG. I'm sure he has a good time as well!

 

[T L]

Kenny,
I officially hate you!!



Isn't one of the Ten Commandments, "Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's FCD's?"

 

[kenny]

Thanks all.
Here's a side view sneak preview of the new green.
It's a close up of those all-import radiation stains on the girdle that GIA uses to determine natural color origin.

Macro pics reveal it's not the greatest cut but in person at normal viewing distances it's a very pretty, fresh and clean Fancy green which Selkie suggested I needed more of, and I agree.
Finding pretty pure greens large enough to see that are not too expensive is not easy, and Leibish refused to take my kidneys.

TL, don't hate me cause I'm beautiful, I mean because my FCDs are.
Yes the PS Holy book, verse 4:28 states, 'Thou shalt not covet they neighbors FCDs".
But you are forgiven.
Now go say ten Hail Andreys and sin no more.

New England Lady, I'd love it if people could get prints or maybe I could publish an FCD calendar to sell via PS.
I doubt enough would sell to cover the printing/shipping cost.

It is Soooooooo disappointing to see what PS software does to my pics.
It shrinks them down tiny, and kills the resolution.
Compared to the originals they look very blurry and washed out on PS.
When seen full screen the originals have eye-popping resolution that almost seems 3D on my new 27" iMac.
It's like the difference between watching an old tube TV and seeing a huge IMAX theater screen.

Many more pics to come.
Sorry I'm so slow.
I have to work for a living and these frigging artsy-fartsy macro pics take forever to get right
That blue rock fell of the orchid like 50 times. which means it had to be cleaned again 50 times.
Often after several hour's work I'll notice a diamond was dirty in all the pics I took, so I'll just delete them all.

 

[acebruin]

once again that intense blue ec is a killer! i've been eyeing that one... what's the stats on your green kenny?

the ebay store is leibish... itzik confirmed...

 

[justginger]

Absolutely beautiful blue addition, Kenny - I, like you, really love the clean look of stepcuts in FCDs. There's just something remarkable about them and I agree that the new blue is even prettier than your previous one.

I'm *dying* to see that new green in its entirety. I am hoping that a green will soon come along to keep my baby pink company - if you kick that one out of bed, I've definitely got a home for it.

 

[kenny]

Okay, finally here is the latest family portrait.

The newborn green pear is on the left.
He is a 0.19 Fancy Green SI1.
The new green pear does have patches of color visible near the bottom and is rather shallow with windowing but I really like the color, and the price was great.

Surprisingly, the new 0.28 Fancy Intense Blue Emerald Cut looks larger than the 0.33 Fancy Vivid Yellow Asscher behind it.
The Fancy Deep Purplish Pink EC is 0.27 ct. but is a lot deeper than the 0.28 Blue.



Spec Update:

 

[sphenequeen]

drooling. right now. as we speak.

 

[sphenequeen]

you know, Kenny, you should work out a deal with Leibish to provide photography for his website and get paid in FCD's!

 

[acebruin]

kenny did you check for phosphorescence on your collection? just curious...

 

[kenny]

Thanks Sphenequeen.

Acebruin, is that the thing where they glow after you turn the lights off?
No, I didn't check.
Do some diamonds do that?
BTW the two new guys do not have any fluorescence. Darn.

 

[kenny]

I read here that all blue diamonds fluoresce red. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080104145404.htm
Not mine.
It is the emerald cut on the right end of the middle row.

And that yellow asscher in the back row, second from the right . . . whassup with that guy?
The GIA report says it has no fluorescence, but look at it compared to all the ones in the front with no fluorescence?
There is something odd going on with that one.
Leibish's GG said it was extraordinarily fine rough.

 

[T L]

Okay, finally here is the latest family portrait.

The newborn green pear is on the left.
He is a 0.19 Fancy Green SI1.
The new green pear does have patches of color visible near the bottom and is rather shallow with windowing but I really like the color, and the price was great.

Surprisingly, the new 0.28 Fancy Intense Blue Emerald Cut looks larger than the 0.33 Fancy Vivid Yellow Asscher behind it.
The Fancy Deep Purplish Pink EC is 0.27 ct. but is a lot deeper than the 0.28 Blue.



Spec Update:

You do realize that these are some of the most rare and precious gems ever posted on PS, especially that red guy at the bottom. Very impressive collection, and I rarely say this here, but a great investment.

 

[kenny]

Kenny, I'm guessing then you would hold this stone in high regard? http://www.fancydiamonds.net/view_diamonds/5083.htm

Yes I LOOOOOVE that one!!!



It's sold!
Not to me.

 

[kenny]

Here's the set up for the last shot.
The main light comes from two cheapo CFL bulbs pointing at a light tent to give soft even directionless light.
The shutter is tripped with a wireless remote control since the exposure are seconds long and I don't want to blur the pics by touching the camera.



The stones are resting on the bottom of an old sterling silver tray I polished up.
Sliver has the highest light reflectance of all metals and the finish texture on it looked cool up close when the light was just right.
It looked like sunlight shimmering on water, and moonlight in the fluorescence pic.



Here is a cool cheap trick.
Cut a hole in white Styrofoam and push it onto your lens.
It reduces much of the ugly black reflection of the camera/tripod/room you often see in pics of gems.



Below is a LED bulb that puts sparkle into the FCDs.
I hand hold it while looking at the live LED screen on the back of the camera to get pleasing sparkles but no glare on any of the 11 tables.

 

[acebruin]

very cool kenny... thanks for sharing some tips on taking photos of diamonds...

Acebruin, is that the thing where they glow after you turn the lights off?
No, I didn't check.
Do some diamonds do that?
BTW the two new guys do not have any fluorescence. Darn.

yes phosphorescence is glowing after the black light is turned off... some diamonds do that... it turns out the yellow ec i got has yellow phosphorescence as well... kind of cool... but i have no idea on how to capture it with a camera!

your yellow asscher looks like it has brown fluo?

 

[brandy_z28]

*sigh* Your collection is...words evade me. Phenomenal is the closest I can come up with.

 

[poshpepper]

I have no words, just:

 

[Deia]

I've been lurking mostly lately but have to stop by here and say you are a very lucky man to be able to collect such beauties. Congrats on the collection, it is beyond gorgeous. Your pics flawless as usual.

 

[DiamondColors]

Hello Kenny

The pictures look great. It takes time to achieve this level of diamonds photography.

 

[LD]

Kenny

Love your new addition but are you sure it's a him and not a her? It looks a little bit to much like a girl to me!

BTW does the purplish pink emerald cut have fluor? I'm pretty sure, looking at your fluor picture, that it does.

 

[kenny]

Thanks all.
Actually, I'm not really sure of the gender till I get to know them.

Yeah that EC does look like something is going on with the fluorescence.
I have to learn more about this.
Perhaps it's that dreaded milkiness, but it shows no oiliness or cloudiness in sunlight, plus I thought that was only on diamonds with strong or very strong fluorescence and the GIA report says this one has faint fluor.

Maybe it's got something to do with the internal pink graining lines that this diamond has.

 

[LD]

Thanks all.
Actually, I'm not really sure of the gender till I get to know them.

Yeah that EC does look like something is going on with the fluorescence.
I have to learn more about this.
Perhaps it's that dreaded milkiness, but it shows no oiliness in sunlight, plus I thought that was only on diamonds with strong or very strong fluorescence and the GIA report says this one has faint fluor.

No it's not Kenny. What you're seeing is "normal" blue fluor. It can look like a milky blue rather than a clean blue fluor like some of your others but it's just how some fluor looks. I don't know if you've ever seen my pear (white) diamond with strong blue fluor but that is milky also (although radioactive)!