Interesting Green ones....

[IslandBB]

Songea produces nice alex like color changing sapphire - often with zoning and color patches. But would be quite large for sapphire...

Check RI...

Yet another possibility! I'm on the edge of my seat! Will be following this thread closely!

 

[voce]

Songea produces nice alex like color changing sapphire - often with zoning and color patches. But would be quite large for sapphire...

Check RI...

These gems of Bron's were acquired from the collection of a jeweler who died in 1996. Highly doubtful these are Songea sapphires based off that time line.

 

[Deathspi]

Very exciting! Yet another person following this with anticipation!
Did I read correctly that you attend GIA classes? If so, then you have a great opportunity to test some more. Are they DR? That would at least narrow it down a bit and you could cross garnet off the list.

 

[Nosean]

These gems of Bron's were acquired from the collection of a jeweler who died in 1996. Highly doubtful these are Songea sapphires based off that time line.

The Songea deposit was discovered in 1992...

Can’t find the info that they are from an old collection of a jeweler who died 1996 - sorry...

But maybe we get the RI and more informations

 

[voce]

The Songea deposit was discovered in 1992...

Can’t find the info that they are from an old collection of a jeweler who died 1996 - sorry...

But maybe we get the RI and more informations

You're right. I confused the place names within Tanzania, thought Songea was a later find. Well, I hope Bron will be able to find the RI too.

 

[Nosean]

Tanzania has so many gems....

Years ago I bought some of these cc sapphire quite cheap - 1ct stone for around 10 EUR pct - so why not larger ones...

We will see....

 

[Bron357]

Tanzania has so many gems....

Years ago I bought some of these cc sapphire quite cheap - 1ct stone for around 10 EUR pct - so why not larger ones...

We will see....

Hi, I don’t have lab at the moment, just theory. I will probably just have to buy my own refractometer!
But yes, the collection of gems came from a house clearance deceased estate auction. The old lady had passed and the family (overseas) who had taken what they wanted left instructions to dispose of the rest. There had been old cardboard boxes inside old wardrobes with various bits and pieces including some loose beads rolling around the bottom (garnet, coral and pearls). There were metal tins, rusted shut, that I thought might contain buttons. I bought two lots of stuff and later realized I had actual gemstones.
When I spoke to the Auction staff (the auction house does multiple weekly auctions and I often attend them) it was revealed to me that the Mr, who died of a heart attack in the mid 1990s, was a jeweller who had had a successful city jeweller business. I didn’t realize that I had actually acquired a considerable amount of gemstones including rubies and sapphires.

 

[Sunstorm]

It was meant to be. Many of us find that a journey of passion begins often with an interesting story or one comes later that further ignites that fire within us true lovers of gems. I still have many interesting stories and great finds, just had one recently that really excites me and the research goes on and on keeping my mind busy and making my heart beat faster. Your story though I must say is not one that one encounters often these days considering the actual quantity of gorgeous gems you have gotten out of it. You really need to go to a lab with your collection or if that is not possible locally send a few specimens in to the GIA or AGL. Very exciting indeed!

 

[Nosean]

A cheap neodym magnet would help to separate CC garnet ( pyrop-spessartine mix) from alexandrite and CC sapphire.

An old linear polarized smartphone or tablet can be used as a dichroscope - stone on the table facet and rotate it. Doesn’t work with the new screens - they are circular polarized.

Check first a known dichroitic/pleochroitic stone like Tanzanite or tourmaline.

 

[yssie]

@Bron357
https://loupetroop.com/listings/other/gia-gem-identification-lab-instruments