Found my Alexandrite

[LD]

Thanks for all the replies!

Regarding Pala, I've been working with Carl (apparently the owner's son). He has told me he has a few stones and will be getting nice photos, but they just don't come. I've followed up on several occasions, and he has said he will check on the photographer. I sent a "time's running out" email last night, but based on my experience I'm not banking on anything. In any event, I'll post the iphone photos he sent me weeks ago. He also told me that they picked up some nice stones from New York and will probably have a few others to consider. I'm posting his description of the original photos he sent. Is it a faux pas to post prices? If others feel it's inappropriate, I will gladly remove them:

First we have an Emerald cut at 85 points. (0.85ctw) This stone shows fine color change with an exceptional reddish-purple.
This stone is $3000.00 pct totaling at $2,550.00
Second is a 45 point (0.45ctw) Oval which also has a very fine color change and nice luster. This stone has minor inclusions. but is very pretty.
This stone is $3400.00 pct totaling at $1530.00
Last we have a 52 point Oval with exceptional color change and high luster. This stone has larger amount of inclusions but they are hard to see without a loup.
This stone is $4000.00 pct totaling at $2,160.00

Sizes:
.85 5.5XYZ
.45 5.5x3.7x2.56
.52 5.4x4.5x3.3

Rimshotsnap can you ask for better (more close up) photos of the Emerald cut please? That one looks like it could be promising. Can you see how the stone is struggling to keep the green colour in the daylight photo and is merging more to the red/purple? That indicates that it has a stronger colour change than the other two and of the three stones, that'd be my favourite. The price indicates that it's the best of the three as well. Please ask for more (detailed) photos.

Lastly, have you thought about buying a ring from David Weinberg (of Multicolour)? I'm very sorry if you've said you're not open to this idea above but there's too much to read through but a ready made ring might mean you'll get more for your budget. I believe David only uses very good stones in his jewellery so that could be an option?

 

[LD]

Congrats on wanting something other than common carbon for an e-ring

I looked at the certificate and also the ebay auction, VVS1 is not any grade issued by GIA for a CG, and no one that deals in major CG stones would say any CG was VVS1. So that's more dealer hype than anything in reality. But Alexandrite is usually much cleaner than other CG.

Blah blah blah.

apologize for my reply before. you definitely have more knowledge than the rest of us. Please guide us. We eager to learn more from you.

Perhaps Dr Ruby should re-read his gemstone manuals again, before giving us the benefit of his "wisdom" and look up what a Type II gemstone actually means

 

[Cognition]

Congrats on wanting something other than common carbon for an e-ring

I looked at the certificate and also the ebay auction, VVS1 is not any grade issued by GIA for a CG, and no one that deals in major CG stones would say any CG was VVS1. So that's more dealer hype than anything in reality. But Alexandrite is usually much cleaner than other CG.

Blah blah blah.

apologize for my reply before. you definitely have more knowledge than the rest of us. Please guide us. We eager to learn more from you.

Perhaps Dr Ruby should re-read his gemstone manuals again, before giving us the benefit of his "wisdom" and look up what a Type II gemstone actually means

Hi LD, I know you are an alex expert. I made a reply on these thread:
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/please-help-with-alexandrite-e-ring.215379/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/please-help-with-alexandrite-e-ring.215379/[/URL]

what do you think? can alex daylight color can get more blue than that one? the stone definitely not mine, coz the price tag was ridiculous

 

[LD]

Congrats on wanting something other than common carbon for an e-ring

I looked at the certificate and also the ebay auction, VVS1 is not any grade issued by GIA for a CG, and no one that deals in major CG stones would say any CG was VVS1. So that's more dealer hype than anything in reality. But Alexandrite is usually much cleaner than other CG.

Blah blah blah.

apologize for my reply before. you definitely have more knowledge than the rest of us. Please guide us. We eager to learn more from you.

Perhaps Dr Ruby should re-read his gemstone manuals again, before giving us the benefit of his "wisdom" and look up what a Type II gemstone actually means

Hi LD, I know you are an alex expert. I made a reply on these thread:
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/please-help-with-alexandrite-e-ring.215379/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/please-help-with-alexandrite-e-ring.215379/[/URL]

what do you think? can alex daylight color can get more blue than that one? the stone definitely not mine, coz the price tag was ridiculous

No it can't (get more blue than that). You don't often see "blue" in Alex. It may be a secondary hue but definitely not the primary one. If you look in that thread I had replied to explain what the OP had missed in the information he'd read. The problem is that people sometimes can't identify (or verbalise) a colour correctly and often don't "see" the colour correctly either! A few years ago, somebody posted a quiz type thing where you reordered coloured bars from one colour to another and it graded your colour perception. Interestingly, quite a few of the "old" posters on here had a near perfect score - and I can only think that comes from years of staring at gemstones lol!

 

[Cognition]

cool.

btw, what quiz are you talking about? would you happen to remember the name of the quiz?

 

[chrono]

http://www.xrite.com/online-color-test-challenge
http://kuku-kube.com/

 

[Cognition]

http://www.xrite.com/online-color-test-challenge
http://kuku-kube.com/

I am too tired for the 1st game. However I got 35 on the second game. is it a good score? My guess, it is average

 

[rimshotsnap]

Hi All,

Thank you for your continued discussion! Given my strict timeline, unfortunately I had to give up alexandrite as the center stone. Instead, I'm going with a blue sapphire, and hiding a small alex in the ring (have another thread about that topic). I came to the conclusion that alex is just too hard to find, especially a nice looking stone within my budget (I opened my wallet as much as I could, and stone was still "meh"). Also, I incurred nearly $1000 in shipping costs to/from in the process! It still sort of smarts when I think about it, but I'm trying to consider it paying for an education.

I know I'm a picky consumer, so there was a learning curve with the sapphires too, but it was a whole lot easier than alex. There are many more options (including local ones, to cut down on shipping), and obviously the prices are a lot more reasonable generally.

 

[minousbijoux]

Hi All,

Thank you for your continued discussion! Given my strict timeline, unfortunately I had to give up alexandrite as the center stone. Instead, I'm going with a blue sapphire, and hiding a small alex in the ring (have another thread about that topic). I came to the conclusion that alex is just too hard to find, especially a nice looking stone within my budget (I opened my wallet as much as I could, and stone was still "meh"). Also, I incurred nearly $1000 in shipping costs to/from in the process! It still sort of smarts when I think about it, but I'm trying to consider it paying for an education.

I know I'm a picky consumer, so there was a learning curve with the sapphires too, but it was a whole lot easier than alex. There are many more options (including local ones, to cut down on shipping), and obviously the prices are a lot more reasonable generally.

Its a great way to think about it, and one many of us have held as well. Weren't you going to have a chance to go to a local gem show as well? Forgive my memory lapse if it was someone else.

 

[rimshotsnap]

Hi All,

Thank you for your continued discussion! Given my strict timeline, unfortunately I had to give up alexandrite as the center stone. Instead, I'm going with a blue sapphire, and hiding a small alex in the ring (have another thread about that topic). I came to the conclusion that alex is just too hard to find, especially a nice looking stone within my budget (I opened my wallet as much as I could, and stone was still "meh"). Also, I incurred nearly $1000 in shipping costs to/from in the process! It still sort of smarts when I think about it, but I'm trying to consider it paying for an education.

I know I'm a picky consumer, so there was a learning curve with the sapphires too, but it was a whole lot easier than alex. There are many more options (including local ones, to cut down on shipping), and obviously the prices are a lot more reasonable generally.

Its a great way to think about it, and one many of us have held as well. Weren't you going to have a chance to go to a local gem show as well? Forgive my memory lapse if it was someone else.

That was me, but after getting some advice, the SF Gem show I was going to attend seemed on the small side and didn't offer a whole lot in the way of faceted stones.

I do plan to go to Tucson next year, though!