Help - About to Pull the Trigger on a Tsav

[tara3056]

Hi all

I used to be a fairly prolific poster on DT, then left, and life got in the way and I gave up on my love for gems for a number of years. Now I'm looking for a RHR and could use some advice.

First the setting: I have a Ritani Endless Love e-ring with matching band and in general mostly love vintage or vintage-inspired pieces. I'm going to try to attach a pic of a vintage setting I'd like to have replicated. I want another halo but not one that's uber-similar to my Ritani. Daniel M has given me a quote to make this ring to fit the stone I choose, and it's a reasonable price, so I will likely go with them.

Now, the stone: I want a tsavorite cushion, around 6mm. I've spoken to some of the best cutters and am still waiting to hear back from some of them with some more information. For instance, I'm looking forward to seeing if Jaimeen from Prima Gems has anything interesting, after seeing some of the beautiful tsav studs that PS'ers have gotten from him. Gary has a nice-looking tsav, but I think I've just decided it's a bit smaller than I'd like, at 5.5 mm. So until I hear back from Jaimeen, my top 2 choices come from Swala... my head is spinning with all the beautiful tsavs PSers have posted, but I know of at least 2 PSers that got some really STUNNING rings made that feature Swala tsavs.

I'm looking for that ever-elusive medium to medium-dark tsav with no yellowish tones, and ideally, the barest hint of blue (I know... isn't everyone... and it's rare).

Here's the 2 I'm looking at:
http://www.swalagemtraders.com/search-gems/detail.php?pid=2275
http://www.swalagemtraders.com/search-gems/detail.php?pid=2176

The 2nd one is obviously more expensive for not much more face-up size. However, from the pic alone, it looks like it may have that elusive color I'm looking for. I've contacted Swala to ask for additional pics, but that was a few days ago and I've yet to hear back, so I don't know any more specifics about how the stones look at this time. I'm really hesitant to preview both because of their prohibitive shipping/return policy.

Which one would you choose, and why?
Which one is better cut?
Since the setting I've chosen is currently set up to bezel the stone (though the bezel would not enclose the bottom half of the stone, which would still get light, just like my Ritani), do you think it could darken these tsavs to the point where I should consider going for a lighter stone color to accomodate that?

Here's one that seems to be from the same parcel as some of the gorgeous ones I've seen here (Chrono's? + forgive me for not remembering the other one): http://www.swalagemtraders.com/search-gems/detail.php?pid=2180?cPage=1&pid=2180 However, it's more expensive and it's not the square cushion shape I'd prefer. I'm struggling to imagine how this one would look in the setting I've chosen.

I could use any input/advice you guys can offer!

 

[tara3056]

Also have been looking at this one on ebay but would love to hear your opinions:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PRECISION-CUSHION-CUT-1-49CT-NEON-GREEN-TSAVORITE-WATCH-VIDEO-/370623147865?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item564adc6f59#ht_1076wt_1094

 

[pregcurious]

For the ebay stone, it looks better in the video than the photo. The photo makes it look like it has little/no blue. The video makes it look like it has a little blue, but the background is also blue, which would make the stone look artificially more blue than it is. I would email the vendor and ask how much, if any blue it has.

I've never bought from Swala, and don't know how accurate their pics are, so I'll let others comment about that.

 

[FrekeChild]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg-KYlbybb8&feature=plcp

That's the ebay stone. It looks to be rather deeply cut, so you're sacrificing some of that face up size, which means I'd probably let that one go, but the cut is nice and the color looks pretty nice as well.

Never bought from Swala, but I've heard a buzzing about enhancing pics around here....

 

[chrono]

While the eBay stone is very brilliant, I also question the background colour possibly having an impact on the colour you might see in person under a different environment. It looks well cut but quite deep so it faces up smaller.

The Swala stones are priced according to quality as well. The first one isn't as saturated and shows a bit more yellow hence the least expensive of your choices. The second one would not be too dark to be bezeled and seems to have that hint of blue but is also cut quite deep and so faces up smaller. With Swala, I would ask for handshots of the stones you are interested in (all together in one picture). Also, please familiarize yourself with their payment and shipping / return policy.

 

[tara3056]

Thanks guys! I will pass on the ebay stone. I'm still waiting to hear back from Swala - I've used their internal messaging + sent an email directly to Eric, but nothing yet. I did ask for hand shots/side by side pics.

Chrono: I know about their return policies and that's why I haven't just committed and ordered one yet. I'm trying to wait to hear back from Eric or someone at Swala. $100 is pretty prohibitive.

When you guys are judging stones to be deeply cut, what do you look for? I know much more about ideal diamond cuts than I do about gemstones and particularly cushions. How can I learn to spot a too-deep cut?

What about the 3rd one I posted (the most expensive) in terms of its cut? http://www.swalagemtraders.com/search-gems/detail.php?pid=2180?cPage=1&pid=2180

Chrono, are you the one who has a tsavorite that seems to be from the same parcel based on the wording in the listing?

 

[FrekeChild]

When you guys are judging stones to be deeply cut, what do you look for? I know much more about ideal diamond cuts than I do about gemstones and particularly cushions. How can I learn to spot a too-deep cut?

I based it on my own tsavorite. It's 6.5mm and it's 1.23cts.

But the ebay stone faces up at 6.65 x 4.58 and is 1.49ct.

So it faces up smaller, but weighs a significant amount more. It's a cushion, so that plays into face up size for the weight, but I still think it's kind of small looking!

 

[chrono]

I calculate the depth percentage; I try to stay around 65% to 70% but sometimes, if the stone is simply too beautiful, I'll forgive a 75% depth. As for the parcel, I have no idea which parcel that one is nor which parcel mine came out of.

 

[tara3056]

Update: Bruce Bridges is sending me some tsavs to preview. I'm so excited! His first set of pics weren't that great, but I'm certain that's due to the limitations of photography. His follow-up pics were much better

 

[wordie89]

the first tsav looks as if it has the most brilliance and from the setting you've shown might compete well with the sparkle of diamonds. On my screen they ask look as if they have a touch of yellow. Looking forward to seeing the Bruce bridges stones.