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mandarin garnet color

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colormyworld

colormyworld

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Aug 30, 2005
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1,172
Seems as of late a lot of vendors have taken to calling any orange spessartite garnet (reddish orange or yellowish orange) a mandarin. I guess this is so they can sell at a higher price per ct. To me the color of mandarin is differnt than most orange spessarite in that mandarin has a more fluorescent quality to it. It seems to glow even in low light. It is a color like I have seen in no other gem stones. I think I have found a product on the shelves of drug stores ( supermarket) that is a very good match for mandarin garnet color.
Any body care to offer any guesses or was I silly for bringing the subject up?
 
lol I thought i was the only one that did that.

I told a vendor I was looking for a pepsi bottle logo red gemstone.
He said I couldnt afford it :{
 
orange jolly rancher!
 
Storm you may be able to find your pepsi bottle red in the new feldspars coming out of the "congo" "china". If you are still looking.
Belle, I can''t rember what the orange flavor jolly rancher looks like. I actually was looking at a mouthwash by listerine. It is the natural citrus flavor. The color of this stuff is a spot on match for what I consider a mandarine hue.
 
but does that feldspar have the ''sparkle'' factor?

movie zombie
 
MZ the RI is in the same range as beryl.
 
Date: 2/26/2006 7:13:33 PM
Author: movie zombie
but does that feldspar have the ''sparkle'' factor?

movie zombie
Click to expand...
The better grade sunstone does have the sparkle factor. Some are hazy but others are intense. I just picked up a pair of heartshaped ones that are about 95% red and 5% orange that stays color in all lights and does sparkle. They are 4ctw and will make stunning earings. I think these feldspars are going to be very expensive in the future unless they fine alot more of them. Right now you can get some for about $75/ct. Don''t wait too long.

Regards,
Maurice
 
Sounds like you are getting some good prices on your andesine/ labradorite Maurice. One site i've seen is asking much more per ct.
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i''m unable to find anything online for $75/carat. anything that is red, not brown, is listed for $100/c minimum and even then it may have a chip in the girdle and/or have feathers. care to share your source?

movie zombie
 
Date: 2/26/2006 9:14:27 PM
Author: movie zombie
i'm unable to find anything online for $75/carat. anything that is red, not brown, is listed for $100/c minimum and even then it may have a chip in the girdle and/or have feathers. care to share your source?

movie zombie
Click to expand...



This is a picture of the pair of hearts

This source is a freind that is getting the stones from a wholesaler for me. I think she just ordered the last ones he had. I'm still buying all the top ones I can find that are cheap. I can't post this source since it is a freind according to Pricescope rules. I did prior and the post was taken off and I was told it was against policy.





Sorry,
Maurice



 
Sorry, forgot to upload the pictures. They don't show in the pictures as red as they really are.

Maurice

andheart.JPG
 
Speaking of Mandarin Garnets. Has anyone seen the 25ct on the CherryPicked.com site? Looks great color but is priced over $40,000.

Regards,
Maurice
 
Hello,
Just coming for the first time in your forum.
I have seen that you have given some information regarding the andesine.
I have the andesine coming from Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo) since 2002.
I have selected for my inventory only the finest quality. I can say that I have certainly about 90% of the whole stock available in the top quality.
"Top quality" means eye clean, sparkle, top red... and of course well cut.
They are only a few hundred of stones available.
More stones are coming in more orange, yellowish, brownish or green tones.
Some rare green stones have an alexandrite effect turning red. And I had only one changing color from yellow to green.
These feldspar are andesine. If you check only with a refractometer you can thing that some stones are Labradorite. If you check by chemistry they are coming andesine. I have analyses from AGTA, CCIP (France), and laboratories from Japan, Switzerland, and Thailand. My 56 biggest stones have been checked by AIGS in Bangkok. They were all andesine.
So I can talk only for my stones and confirm that they are andesines.
I have begun to promote my stones since 2002. Since, more red feldspar was coming on the market (from China?). They have out the name andesine, after have seen that I have given that name. But I am still waiting for analysis...
But Labradorite or Andesine, they are twice rare stones in that red range of color.
I was informed before the Tucson show that new stones were coming saying from Tibet. I have seen these stones. They are some nice stones, but all a little bit more brownish than my selection. They are also less sparkle, less red... more "sleepy". But, I repeat also rare stones.
You can find these new Chinese andesines with the name of "Tibet sunstone". And some have the same cutting. The owners have confirmed to me that they have copy the cutting on my website.
So, from where are coming the new stones? From Congo and they say China to protect the location? Or from China and no more from Congo? Presently we don't have more information. Perhaps also some stones were mixed regarding only the quality.
But, regarding the analysis made with my 56 biggest stones, the chemist spectrum was all similar, enough to say that these 56 stones was coming from the same location.
The only thing that I can say it is that all my stones at the beginning were coming from Congo. The location, near Goma was confirmed by an independent geologist, not in the gem market.
I know that I have selected all the finest stones and leave the other ones.
I have to prepare a next Congo trip to give to our community more information.


It is interesting that more andesines (red feldspar...) are coming on the market. The name is better known and more people are asking for these stones. They are also some stones in the low quality available on a TV channel. Good.
Of course, as any kind of stones, you have to pay the price for the top quality.
Presently my Andesine price (in top quality) is similar than Tanzanite. I compare because it is the same hardness (6.5). But Andesine is so rarer. And Andesine is without any enhancement, Tanzanite is heated. So, the present andesine price is under what it will be in a next future.
The promotion of Tanzanite was made by Tiffany with Liz Taylor's help. Her eyes are in the same range of color than Tanzanite. I have perhaps to find white albinos rabbit with red eyes to promote my stones...


Regarding the price of stones, it is not possible to put the correct high price regarding the rarity, at the beginning. The correct price is also regarding the asking. Look at the diamond price. So high for a not rare stone; but so high asking!
When a stone is new on the market, many people are waiting before buying, even if the price is very low.
I can tell you my story with Paraiba tourmalines. 19 years ago, I have received in memo about 200 pieces of Paraiba Tourmaline, directly from a Brazilian friend. I have exhibit these stones at a Paris gem show. Nobody has seen these stones before. These stones were all top quality, clean, between 1 to 3ct. Many people were looking at those ones. "What a strange color, impossible to use this color in jewellery, it looks synthetic"... and more bad comments. For many people my prices were crazy for tourmaline. My price was only... $100/ct. And at this "crazy price" I sold nothing. So I return the entire memo!!! You certainly know the price for a top 1ct, about $4000/ct and perhaps about $10000/ct for a 3ct...
So, don't think that he andesine price is too high actually. Don't wait too much... you could be sad...
Of course we never know if more stones could come or not. But as I am geologist, I knew that it was a great opportunity for me to invest on this stone. As a scientist I know that a so red and so clean feldspar, in so large sizes is very rare.



And one more things regarding the name of Mandarine Garnet. That name is only for the orange garnet coming from the north west of Namibia. These stones are 75% spessartite and 15% pyrope with Tremolite inclusions. These inclusions give a nice silky effect. Many people give the same name for Spessartite from Nigeria or from Madagascar. I am not agreeing with that. The Nigerian Spessartite is sometimes very clean, with a "fanta color". Usually the Madagascar stones have some brownish tone, compare to the Nigerian.


And I hope that my Engilsh is not so bad…



 
lovely!

movie zombie
 
Date: 3/8/2006 1:24:36 AM
Author: gemfrance

It is interesting that more andesines (red feldspar...) are coming on the market. The name is better known and more people are asking for these stones. They are also some stones in the low quality available on a TV channel. Good.
Of course, as any kind of stones, you have to pay the price for the top quality.
Presently my Andesine price (in top quality) is similar than Tanzanite. I compare because it is the same hardness (6.5). But Andesine is so rarer. And Andesine is without any enhancement, Tanzanite is heated. So, the present andesine price is under what it will be in a next future.
The promotion of Tanzanite was made by Tiffany with Liz Taylor''s help. Her eyes are in the same range of color than Tanzanite. I have perhaps to find white albinos rabbit with red eyes to promote my stones...
Click to expand...
Hello Gemfrance,

I have been admiring red laboradite since before the Congo stones came out. My experiance has been with Oregon Sunstone. Only a handfull of Oregon stones match the reds of the Finer Congo and Tibetan laboradite. They are truely beautiful. Tiffany did have take out an ad in the Wall Street Journal last November or December that featured a Red Sunstone for $30,000 so hopefully tiffany will help promote this wonderful stone also.

Regards,
Maurice
 
Hi Maurice-I just received two SA quality Andesines from Gemfrance. Very nice color very well cut and more brilliant than my other red feldsbar. The picture in my avatar is one of my Gemfrance stones. I was very impressed with the hardcase packaging and easy Paypal transaction. I saw Tiffany''s ad in the Wall Street Journal. It seems like a good time to jump on a couple more of these high quality stones.
 
Date: 3/8/2006 7:31:30 PM
Author: nicky newark
Hi Maurice-I just received two SA quality Andesines from Gemfrance. Very nice color very well cut and more brilliant than my other red feldsbar. The picture in my avatar is one of my Gemfrance stones. I was very impressed with the hardcase packaging and easy Paypal transaction. I saw Tiffany''s ad in the Wall Street Journal. It seems like a good time to jump on a couple more of these high quality stones.
Click to expand...
Hi Nicky,

I think you''re right. I have been buying them for years.

Regards,
Maurice
 
Hello Again Gemfrance,

Can I ask you a few more questions that are floating around about your Congo sunstone? Did you buy it as rough or cut stones? According to what I''ve read it was only sold as cut stones. Second what are the 10 Largest stones? I know you have one 32cts but what are the 10 next largest down the list?

Regards,
Maurice
 
Date: 3/9/2006 1:10:54 AM
Author: gemfrance
Hello,

I have some rough only to show to my customers. It is like tumbled small pebbles, usual in alluvial deposit.
I buy all my stones yet cut. I can say that I am an expert in cut stones, but not in rough. It is an other job.
My biggest stones are and were: (in red = sold) 33.42ct / 28.46 / 26.45 / 16.34 /15.25 /14.53 /14.13/ 13.22 / 12.16 / 12.10....
You can see the 33.42ct on my website: http://www.gemfrance.com/article.php?id_article=135#135
The picture is from Jeff Scovil. As you certainly know he is one of the best to take stones pictures. So it is exactly the quality of the stone.
My 28.46ct was a cushion and the 26.45ct a Pear shape. These 2 are more sparkle and a red not so dark even saturated.
When I have bought my stones, I have always taken all the top quality and leave the other ones. As I have put on my website, near 'GEMFRANCE': 'Only the finest'. It is what I work harder to do.
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Not always easy to do when some customers are first asking to the carat price, before looking at the quality. People have not the same attitude with diamonds than in color gemstones.

Nicky, thanks to give me more information about 'Tiffany's ad in the Wall Street Journal.'
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And thanks for your comment about the order made on gemfrance.
And I can add that, as in the French law, when you order you have the '7 full days no question return policy' http://www.gemfrance.com/article.php?id_article=52#satisfait

And regarding my last post, I talked also about Mandarine Garnet. Iwell know all the story of the Namibian Mandarine Garnet. I was last year reay to buy the mine... But something wrong happened...
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Click to expand...
Hello Gemfrance,

Interesting about the Andesine rough. I know that none of the Oregon Material is found this way. Most are sharp edged and fractured.

Can I ask what happened with regards to buying the Mandarin Garnet mine?

Maurice
 
Date: 3/8/2006 4:16:54 AM
Author: movie zombie
lovely!

movie zombie
Click to expand...
MZ,

Did you get the Red Laboradites yet?

Maurice
 
regarding the Mandarine Garnet mine in Namibia, I was ready to buy it and one of my sons was ready to leave France to go to Namibia to work there.
Sorry, but I don''t want to work bad against somebody who have kild this project.
Almost 2 years ago. Old story. I want only to think about future.
But I can inform that there is a lot of rough available in that place after several months of investment in a very hard place....
 
Date: 3/9/2006 10:07:07 AM
Author: gemfrance
regarding the Mandarine Garnet mine in Namibia, I was ready to buy it and one of my sons was ready to leave France to go to Namibia to work there.
Sorry, but I don''t want to work bad against somebody who have kild this project.
Almost 2 years ago. Old story. I want only to think about future.
But I can inform that there is a lot of rough available in that place after several months of investment in a very hard place....
Click to expand...
Hello Dr. SIKIRDJI,

Does this mean that Mandarin Garnet is not as rare as people think it is? From what I have heard the remaining garnet is not easy to get and is blasted out of the rock leaving alot chattered with only small stones facetable. Do you know if this is so?

Regards,
Maurice
 
Wall Street Journal- 9/10/05
 
Wall Street Journal
 
The Namibian Mandarine Garnet is a very rare stone in the top quality. Only about 250 kg of rough came out from that location.
Less than demantoïde garnets...
 
i think they [andesines] will be shipped today or beginning of next week.....

movie zombie
 
Date: 3/10/2006 1:12:51 AM
Author: gemfrance
The Namibian Mandarine Garnet is a very rare stone in the top quality. Only about 250 kg of rough came out from that location.
Less than demantoïde garnets...
Click to expand...
What I meant is when the mining resumes will there be alot on the market and what quality and sizes do you think will be found?

Maurice
 
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