how much should this sapphire be approx?

[trishy]

ok, so again, in my search i found yet another stone in the color i really like. its a purple spinel in a princess cut, and i like the color. so, i asked for more photos and they sent some right away. only, it seems much darker than what was posted on the web. is this normal? it was different lighting, so what can i expect the color to look more like? the flourescent lighting? incadescent lighting? will it look the the original picture anywhere?
im confused...i will post the photos here in hopes someone can help me know better what to look for.

I LOVE TL''s lavender spinel in the rose gold... the one in the thread titled overcast days. i dont suppose tl has a vendor photo of that one still? TL? what did your vendor photo look like in order to get that shade inr?

ok, here is the photo that drew me in online

 

[trishy]

here is the emailed photo in fluorescent lighting... darker than original

 

[trishy]

and the other photo emailed to me... this is in incandescent lighting... again darker.... this is a gemrite stone... i want the shade/color/saturation etc of TL's lovely spinel

 

[movie zombie]

the short and simple answer is, yes, it is usual and normal for the actual stone to be darker, perhaps even much Much MUCH darker than the picture. hence, the problem in buying color stones online and needing to make sure the return policy is a good one.

the return policy is not bad; however, and this is a big HOWEVER, the cost of returning a stone can sometimes approach the cost for an inexpensive stone....so many of us, myself included, have kept said stone/s and chalked it up to a learning lesson.

mz

 

[chrono]

This is exactly why you want additional pictures – to see how it reacts to different lighting. Sapphires will sort of colour shift a little, sometimes a little darker under indoor lighting and a purer hue outdoors. John is very honest in letting you "see" the different sides that that the stone shows. This is also the reason for the often recommended "play around with the stone under various lighting". Spinels are even more notorious colour shifters. The very finest stones have the least colour shift.

Many gemstones "darken" somewhat indoors. Some get muddy. What you are seeing is normal. It is a matter of the degree of darkening and your level of acceptance.

Buying online with only photographs to judge by is still risky but helps a lot to eliminate any surprises, and in return, the hassle and cost of shipping back and forth.

 

[T L]

Date: 11/3/2009 12:33:06 AM
Author: trishy
ok, so again, in my search i found yet another stone in the color i really like. its a purple spinel in a princess cut, and i like the color. so, i asked for more photos and they sent some right away. only, it seems much darker than what was posted on the web. is this normal? it was different lighting, so what can i expect the color to look more like? the flourescent lighting? incadescent lighting? will it look the the original picture anywhere?
im confused...i will post the photos here in hopes someone can help me know better what to look for.

I LOVE TL's lavender spinel in the rose gold... the one in the thread titled overcast days. i dont suppose tl has a vendor photo of that one still? TL? what did your vendor photo look like in order to get that shade inr?

ok, here is the photo that drew me in online

If you want a lavender spinel, I have a few I purchased from ebay. They do have grey in them, but the stones you are picking out all have a grey cast, and some people really like the coolness that grey imparts on these violet colors (it also helps keep the price down). I don't have any vendor pics of my round spinel in the rose gold ring, but truth be told, I have one lavender spinel that I love even more, but I haven't set yet. It's a 1.5 carat cushion and more included than the round, but the color has less grey and I really like it more. It is a very bright stone and not extinct in the least bit as some spinels tend to get. It color shifts from pink to lavender. Here's several pictures of it. It was $25 on ebay, and that included shipping. It was from store Srilankamall, but I haven't seen much lately from them in lavender spinels that I like, but they're worth keeping an eye on.