Finding the Right Gems - I'm Picky

[KarenFe]

I wish I could see and hold gemstones in person so I could get a better idea of what I like and dislike. I do plan on attending a Gem and Jewelry show in a few months, which should be fun and enlightening.

In the mean time, I have been reading this forum, reading a stack of library books, and visiting numerous recommended sites to narrow down my preferences.

When it's time to buy some stones (probably this summer), I will be looking for:
Color - a green stone (tsavorite) and a red or pink stone (spinel).
Shape - square, cushion, rectangle, and/or round.
Cut - I'm not too sure, but when I see it I know if I like it or not.
Size - I wear a 4.5 ring so my fingers are small and a huge stone would look awkward on me. I have not seen sizes in person, but I'm guessing anything 8x8mm or smaller would be best, but I'm really not sure. I don't want tiny either though.

Price range - I want a good one, yet also one I would feel comfortable wearing. I would rather have two really nice rings than a bunch of less expensive ones. So..... (thinking)...... I would probably not want to pay more than........ (thinking) .......... (cringing at the thought because I could be way off)....... $600 for a stone. Is that bad? Too much? Too little? Actually, I could actually go higher, but I need to be realistic on what I want to wear on my hands - although my wedding rings are more than that, hmmm...... That and I save a few pennies every month for personal fun stuff so a $600 stone would take me a few months to save for. But, if convinced, I could save those pennies for a few extra months. Obviously price is my hang up. I just don't know what my price range for a really good (but not too high end) stone should cost. Do I even need to think that high?

So, given these parameters, I would love some ideas on what I could and should be looking for online. I see so many stones out there and I really can't tell if they are great or not. I love the idea of contacting a vendor to help me find what it is I would want, but I don't think I'm fully ready for that. I could use some online ideas to use as a baseline.

Is anyone willing to link to a particular stone or two and tell me why it fits my requirements?

Here is one I found (but it is sold so I have no idea of it's price)
http://www.whitesgems.com/gems/GAR131.htm
Why I like it: Because the description reads - I found this incredible green beauty at Tucson 2009 and snapped it up immediately on sight. If you've been looking for a well-cut med/dark tsavorite, this might be the one for you!
The description makes me want it.

Any ideas?

Thanks so much if you even just read this lengthy post.

 

[T L]

I also recommend you study up on tone and saturation, as these two parameters are often overlooked for newbies.

Here's a good site to start learning about tone and saturation. If tone is too light or too dark, than saturation (strength of the hue) is compromised.

http://gemologyproject.com/wiki/index.php?title=Color_grading

Also it's easier to start with a color you like and go from there. If you're viewing too many hues, you might get confused on what is a good saturation and tone for a specific gem. I therefore recommend viewing as many of the same hue or hue-family (red family gems, blue family gems, green family gems, etc. . . ) for what you want to see. For example, you claim to like tsavorites, so view as many tsavorites and/or green family gems you can to discern the differences in tone and saturation.

 

[bluegirl123]

hi, I'm somewhat new to stones too.. so no comment on that from me but I want to say that I think 8mm range is the max size I would go for too! I wear size 4.5 as well.

I have a ring just completed, simple setting (no halo, etc) and the stone is 8.12x8.12. It is my biggest stone so far but while it looks great, you do notice it right away because of the size. Not mention the rock itself is so much bigger that I have to pay more attention as it can get caught in my jean pockets etc.

My e-ring is 6.2mm -- I find it somewhat a bit small now. I think the perfect size is around 6.5-7mm.

 

[chrono]

If looking for a tsavorite or hot pink (Mahenge spinel), your $600 budget will get you anywhere from a 4 mm stone to 6 mm stone. We are all limited by price but no matter what, do not sacrifice on colour if you are picky. The JW tsavorite went for around $2K.

Here’s an easy to understand basics about gemstones. If you dig around on the same site, there is more buying advice for specific coloured gemstones.
http://www.palagems.com/quality_4cs.htm

As for size, that’s going to change as you get more involved in gemstones. I started out wanting only 6 mm stones, then it grew to 7 mm, 8 mm, 9 mm and continues to increase. I also wear size a 4.5 ring.

 

[T L]

If looking for a tsavorite or hot pink (Mahenge spinel), your $600 budget will get you anywhere from a 4 mm stone to 6 mm stone. We are all limited by price but no matter what, do not sacrifice on colour if you are picky. The JW tsavorite went for around $2K.

Here’s an easy to understand basics about gemstones. If you dig around on the same site, there is more buying advice for specific coloured gemstones.
http://www.palagems.com/quality_4cs.htm

As for size, that’s going to change as you get more involved in gemstones. I started out wanting only 6 mm stones, then it grew to 7 mm, 8 mm, 9 mm and continues to increase. I also wear size a 4.5 ring.

Sometimes small flaws can make a nice colored stone a bargain, but you need to make sure they don't compromise the strength of the stone. Also, almost all gems are treated in some fashion, so that's something to look out for as well. You don't want to overpay for a gem that has been irradiated, for example.

 

[Arcadian]

Karen, Pricescope can do a pretty good job of educating, but as far as picking what YOU like, thats up to you.

You're going to have to decide WHAT you're picky about. Is it color, is it cut? do they both have to be perfect or are you ok with one higher than the other. These are the hard questions YOU have to answer for yourself.

You're saying you want a tsavorite. Tsavorites are amongst the most expensive garnets. If you have no idea what your eye likes, use that gem show as an opportunity to see some in person.

I will recommend that you keep a log of what you see. I use excel especially when I'm looking at a lot of stones. I record dimensions, price per ct, who its from, inclusions, color, saturation, tone.

I also recommend reading here: http://www.palagems.com/tsavorite_bancroft.htm#buying_guide

And its perfectly fine to be picky. Just know as much as you can before purchasing and do NOT make a snap decision. You're getting excellent advice as what you should know before you pull the trigger, but you really have to follow up on it.

-A

 

[Pandora II]

I think 8mm might not be possible in that price-range if you are after a premium colour.

My tsavorite was bought 4 years ago and is 7.25 x 5.75mm and 1.42ct and was around the $2k mark then and prices have gone up a fair bit in the last few years.

For spinel prices, I would have a look at Swala's website - they have some fabulous Mahenges.

 

[KarenFe]

Everyone is so kind and helpful here.

Tourmaline Lover - The tone and saturation link is great. I already have a decent understanding of tone and saturation, but this is good to read. I know I will need to learn to apply it to gems though which means looking at a lot of different stones. I'm looking forward to that.

You are right, looking at too many colors *has* confused me. I narrowed it down to green and red/pink, but I think I better concentrate on just green for now. Seeing that the price of the green ones I like is fairly high, I doubt I'd be able to get more than one stone this summer. But I know it will be worth the wait!

bluegirl - I'm glad to know I guessed about right on the diameter of a stone that would look best on me. It's hard to visualize with a ruler. Do you have a hand shot of your ring on your hand for me to get an idea of what an 8mm stone looks like on a 4.5 sized finger?

Chrono - Oooooo..... maybe I will save longer then. I do like that stone. Wow.... $2K. Maybe a 6mm ring will be nice, but I would like something bigger than 4mm. I will save until I can afford what it is I really want. Does someone here have it and is it set yet? I'd love to see a picture.

You don't happen to have different shots of you (since you wear a 4.5 sized ring) wearing your various sized stones, do you?

Another great link! Thank you.

Arcadian - A log is a good idea. I already have a notebook with lots of information in it. Now I will add gem details and prices.

I'm trying to get all set up to be ready to buy later this year, but I know if I saw anything in person right now I'd be dazzled and make quick decisions, so it's probably better the gem show isn't for another few months.

Color is definitely important to me. I don't like pale stones and I don't like them really dark, so I need to train my eyes to see what it is I like in the middle ground, keeping saturation in mind too.

Pandora - 8mm is the max I think would look right on my finger. I can go smaller, but don't want to go tiny either. Thanks for the info on what you got and paid for a few years ago. It helps as a reference.

I'm tempted to wait longer than this summer and get the tsavorite I want. Maybe next year at this time I will finally have something to show.

So much to learn! I homeschool my kids - they don't really need me, do they? Off to read links!

Thanks everyone!

 

[bluegirl123]

Sorry, my camera is not working, and my laptop cam is horrible.

Here are 2 rings:
my e-ring. it's size 4.5 with 6.27mm spinel
my other "e-ring", size 4.75 with 8.12mm citrine.

 

[bluegirl123]

here's a pic of both combined for size reference

 

[LD]

Karen

You've obviously got a good eye for gems (the Jeff White one) however, with that unfortunately, usually comes a high price tag. The Jeff White one is most likely to exceed your budget by a long way.

What it might be an idea to do is start looking at prices for well cut gems - that gives you an indication of what you'll be able to buy in your price range. So start with Jeff White and look at some of our other respected Vendors sites. Each time you see something you like, make a note of what it is, size and price range. Don't forget, colour is very very very individual and even though the best colour for a certain gem may be X, you may not like it and may prefer Y. That may help in bringing the cost down for you!

Hope that helps.

 

[KarenFe]

bluegirl, those pictures are really helpful! It's amazing the size difference between the two stones are. I never would have guessed a few mm would make that much of a difference. Thanks for the pictures.

Loving Diamonds, Your idea is prefect because I've started doing just that. I have a nice list going of stones that attracted me and their weight, dimensions, price, and other pertinent info. When the time comes, it will be very useful.

Thanks!

EDIT: bluegirl, could I ask where you got your spinel set? It's very pretty.

 

[Fly Girl]

TheGemTrader has a couple of pretty tsavorites that are in budget, or very close to it. He has a long emerald cut, 8.3 x 4.3 mm for $632.

 

[purplemelody]

This might be something you will like? A new 1.65 Tsav garnet by Finewater at $750. Less saturated but still very beautiful.

http://www.finewatergems.com/new-gemstones.html