Garnet addiction

[Gem Lover]

Last week I posted about a Dan Stair spess I ordered. As I was browsing acstones newest inventory, I spotted a gorgeous looking "tanga" garnet cut by Barry Bridgestock(?) and it was just too tempting for me not to order. Well, they are both here and they are both amazing. They have such incredible brilliance which I attribute to the fantastic cutting. Unfortunatly I''ve been unable to take pics because my 5 yr. old son loves cords. I think he somehow got a hold of and misplaced the charger cord for our digital camera. I want to take pictures of my new sparklies and I can''t!

As soon as I can find it, I''ll charge it up and take some- I really want to share with people who care. Hubby doesn''t have much interest. Anyway, here''s a photo of the tanga from the website. It''s really gorgeous in person. I''ve been thinking of maybe getting a pendant made using both garnets.

Jess

 

[Selkie]

Aha, so you are the culprit who got that stone!

It didn''t last long on the site, and I was wondering. Congratulations, it''s a beauty (and so was that spess), and would be an amazing pendant. There was another deep red round garnet on acstones, but it sold recently too

so I''ve got my feelers out for something in a similar shade.

 

[Pandora II]

Yummy! That is incredibly beautiful - please post loads of photos.

You and me both on the addiction, garnets are hands down my favourite group of stones. It''s amazing just how many variations you can get. They also excite me in a way that sapphires don''t.

I think you could spend a lifetime collecting and still never get bored.

I''ve been thinking about my gem purchases over the weekend and have decided to concentrate on garnets in the main for the meantime.

I have a Royal Rhodolite in the pipeline and I''m looking for a potential ''Demise of the Venue Witch'' rock that I will be doubly disappointed about if I don''t earn the right to it!

Does anyone out there have a copy of Rouse? If so, how good is it - the only ones I''ve seen are crazy prices

. I saw there was a garnet symposium recently and I am sick with jealousy - is there a way of getting any copies of the lectures/materials/booklet?

Recommendations on anything substantial in the way of reading matter on garnets also gratefully received!

 

[FrekeChild]

Barry Bridgestock is amazing, but I''m sure you know that already.

I can''t wait to see pics!

 

[movie zombie]

ah, garnet addiction.......be ware: one is never enough!

movie zombie

 

[innerkitten]

Oooooooh! What a lovely garnet. I''m really starting to love the red ones too and I''m hoping to own one myself one of these days. Can''t wait to see some more photos.

 

[marcy]

What a lovely garnet. I used to dislike garnets - that was before I really started looking at them and discovering how pretty they can be. I agree, one is not enough. I can''t wait to see your photos.

 

[simplysplendid]

I have a garnet addiction too.. and tourmaline addiction. I have a few spess myself and I am still buying! Congrats, love your tanga garnet..

 

[violet3]

Gorgeous! Love that website!

 

[COT]

That is a beautiful stone, and amazingly cut as well. I have a major garnet addiction as well....(Hello, my name is COT and...). I just had one of my sources come back from Africa with a major parcel of the new spessartite find from Tanzania. I had to work at it, but I had my pick of the parcel and was able to get 8 pieces (38 cts) and was able to find some that I would say are easily VVS1 and awesome color...no brown at all. But I have to say, it can be very messy material. Lots of small mineral and bubble type inclusions. He had lots of rough, but my success at that has not been very good, and the cut price was very close to what my net price on the rough (after cutting) was so close, it wasn''t worth it.

Enjoy that beautiful stone!!!

 

[Gem Lover]

Okay, so this Umbalite looks pretty nice too. I seriously need help. Thanks for all of the responses. At least I know I''m not alone!

Jess

 

[Pandora II]

Threadjack:

COT what''s that gorgeous stone in your avatar!

 

[COT]

Gemlover...Umbalite is an awesome garnet. Thats a Dan Stair stone and he does great work with garnets (everything really). He has a 3.2 round that is very nice as well that is available. I have a number of umbalites and am partial to the lighter, less saturated material. Early in my collecting, I bought some umbalite rough that I hand selected. I picked what, in my ignorance, I thought would cut gorgeous gems, that turned out to be much darker than I would have thought. The gems are nice, beautiful in the sun, but the lighter ones are, imho, much nicer in ALL lighting conditions.

Pandora...TYVM, its a 25ct Tanzanian ''honey'' zircon cut from a 62 ct rough. I took that picture outside using reflected sunlight into the tent. Its a beautiful stone, but like I mentioned above, a bit dark (partially because of its size) and if I had to do it again, I would have selected lighter colored material. The person who faceted that one was able to cut a 2 ct RB from a shard and it is a beautiful stone in all lighting conditions. I have shown both stones to some that are familiar with zircon and they are amazed that the two came from the same piece of rough. I have been toying with some mild heat treating to see if it will lighten it a bit. Funny material as it is photo sensetive. Left in the sun all day, it changes color, returning to its original color after sitting in the drawer for a day.

 

[Harriet]

I guess I count as a garnet addict too. Five tsavorites and more to come. Plus one giant spessartite. Garnet''s Annonymous?

 

[Love in Bloom]

Please do post pictures Gem Lover. I love that garnet color and Barry''s cuts are amazing!

 

[Kim Bruun]

Is umbalite ever a more blue shade of purple than the one above? Are there true purple garnets, or just purplish shades of red, like most rhodolites?

Hopefully some of the garnet addicts can enlighten me here!

 

[historychick]

I love garnet too and it''s probably good for my husband''s nerves that we don''t have the extra pocket change to indulge my gem collecting right now, everything just looks too tempting. Excuse the newbie question but I noticed that lot''s of people''s purchases from acstones were cut by Barry Bridgestock, does he have a connection with the site/do you have to purchase from this site to have something cut by him/ is all of the material on acstones cut by Barry? Just wondering because his work looks amazing!

 

[Kismet]

Date: 5/19/2008 10:15:37 AM
Author: historychick
I love garnet too and it''s probably good for my husband''s nerves that we don''t have the extra pocket change to indulge my gem collecting right now, everything just looks too tempting. Excuse the newbie question but I noticed that lot''s of people''s purchases from acstones were cut by Barry Bridgestock, does he have a connection with the site/do you have to purchase from this site to have something cut by him/ is all of the material on acstones cut by Barry? Just wondering because his work looks amazing!

I don''t know if Barry deals directly with the public. If you want something in particular cut by him, your best bet is to ask Barbara Smigel at ACS. Not all of her stock is cut by him. Look for BB in the description for stones cut by Barry Bridgestock.

 

[simplysplendid]

Date: 5/7/2008 12:21:02 AM
Author: Harriet
I guess I count as a garnet addict too. Five tsavorites and more to come. Plus one giant spessartite. Garnet''s Annonymous?

First member signing up..

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

And speaking of garnets can we include the very expensive, very beautiful and most addicting color change variety as well? I have been drooling over some and feel my resistance crumbling.

Lisa

 

[movie zombie]

hello, my name is movie zombie and i''m a garnet addict. it all began while i was researching diamonds for my e-ring.......i found i could resist the marketing lure of a diamond but dropped into an abyss called ....the rest is history. how to break this addiction?! well, truth be told, i don''t want to..........

movie zombie

 

[icekid]

I think I am developing an addiction and I don''t even OWN one yet (though not for lack of trying!! soon... my precious

)

 

[Gypsy]

Sign me up. I''ve bought two since I''ve been on PS and love them. Had one set into my original e-ring setting when I took the diamond out and re-set it. Bought a dark concave red (looks better in certain lighting conditions than others) as well. They are just wonderful.