Keep or Return?

[MaineGemCutter]

The saying goes; "the four C''s of colored gemstones are color, color, color and color." While I think this is more to illustrate a point, as in a blueish, or pale emerald detracts from the value. But with all things being equal, cut, clarity, and weight are all very important. As a cutter I put a lot of weight on cutting (of course lol.) An "ideal" dark, clear emerald (as if!) will be almost totally ruined by a bad cut. Also, as in your case Chrono, a decent but wrong cut for the person can detract seriously. The "ideal" Spessartite color was a darker red with an orange undertone for a long time. With the recent finds in Namibia and especially Nigeria, the lighter "mandarin" colors and subsequent heavy marketing efforts, that color has become the "ideal" to many people. If you were collecting spessartites I would have kept your stone, It was a good example of a nice deeper orange. (At least in the pics.) But when you want an Asscher cut and get something else, it kind of ruins the party. I think you did the right thing returning it, as I am assuming you paid $500 or more for the stone, you should get exactly what you want. Can''t wait to see the spinel!

-MGC

 

[Heileman&Co.]

Both are great collector stones so if you have the funds i would hang onto the both of them!

 

[maymay]

That is a gorgeous color. I''m fairly new to jewelery, but to my way of thinking sometimes what we think we want originally (in your case, the cut) may not end up being what we ultimately fall in love with. It really is pretty!