Mastercut sale

[distracts]

Who bought this spinel cabochon? This was on my list of wants - https://www.mastercutgems.com/Products-250-Spinel/8704-Mahenge_Natural_Pink_Spinel_2_75_ct-Gem.php?FromPage=6

The topaz and nephrite I ordered arrived today (or yesterday now, I guess). They're really pretty. The topaz is a glowing gold color. I've taken some pictures of it but it keeps looking kind of green in the pictures - I don't know if it was reflecting the blue I was wearing or what but it was not coming out remotely like what I was seeing with my eyes.

Keellamira - of the ones you linked I like the cushion the most. I'd also consider this one - https://www.mastercutgems.com/Products-265-Topaz_and_Zircon/7181-Natural_Fine_Blue_Cambodia_Zircon_3_89_carat-Gem.php?FromPage=1

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Sorry, Distracts, that was me. I had my eye on it for ages.

 

[distracts]

Haha no worries - I just wanted to know who got it and if it was going to a good home. I guess it might be against the rules for you to share pics but it looks like such a little fun plop of red.

 

[Keeliamira]

Thanks distracts. I went with the cushion. I was already leaning that way but your help tipped the scales! I loved the one you linked, but I wanted something that wasn't a clear oval. Can't wait to get it!

 

[chroman]

Not that it matters now that you've ordered, but I like the cushion too

 

[Sungura]

This was my first purchase from Mastercut. I like everything I bought. Here are my two favorites

Unheated step cut tanzanite cut by Dana. I always wanted a step cut I love it. Bonus is all the pleochroism. All the shots below were just taken in our 3pm north east US light under a tree. Inside it can look gray from many angles but I love gray so it's good all around. I can't remember the dimensions off hand but the ct weight is 1.7ct



I had been eyeing this set of Gahnites from Brazil for some time now. I have never seen them anywhere. Apparently they are similar in structure to spinel but have color change characteristics of alexandrite. I just love them. They don't seem to have a bad color even in mixed light. My husband even enjoys carrying the gem box around the house to see the color change. Please note that some of these little guys are upside down in the box The sizes are 2mm to 3.5 mm



I also bought some tanzanian native cut tourmaline that contain chromium and a couple of little sapphires and spinel from Tamzania as well

I'm enjoying seeing everyone's' purchases. Thanks for starting this thread Fel

 

[fel]

Hello fellow gem enablers,

I received my stones. Up front, let me say I am terrible at photographing gems since I don't have a marco lens, and in fact only have my iPhone to use for photographs. But it was sunny today so I did get to take some picts. I'll start the show with one that was not on my initial list that started this thread. The spinel ended up being unavailable, and I got instead a 1 carat color change sapphire. Purple inside, blue and/or green outside. It really has a rather dramatic shift. The first picture (which is dreadful -- low light without flash is not great on an iphone ) is inside. The rest are all outside, with various levels of shade/sunlight.

 

[chroman]

Sungura - which tourmaline did you get?

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Great purchases! I am especially digging the color change gems. Sungura- I need to research Gahnites. Those are lovely. Fel- You are fortunate to have such a nice color change sapphire.

 

[fel]

And here is the chrysoberyl...just the shade of green I was seeking. It also seems to have orange flashes.

 

[Keeliamira]

Thanks chroman (go cushion!)

Sungura, your tanzanite is lovely. As is that killer color change on your sapphire, Fel. Thanks for sharing!

 

[distracts]

Sungura - that step cut tanzanite always caught my eye on the site! It looks so fun. I hadn't even ever noticed that parcel you have though - what a great color change!

Fel - great stones! I love the color of the sapphire outside when it's so green/teal.

Here is the topaz pair - they're a lovely glowing gold. They seem to keep picking up green tinges and dark spots in my pictures that I don't see in real life - maybe I'm blocking them with my camera/phone case? I'm going to make earrings out of them.

 

[fel]

Distracts -- I didn't realize natural topaz was so beautiful! Nice.

 

[distracts]

Distracts -- I didn't realize natural topaz was so beautiful! Nice.

Honestly me neither! I usually only see mall store topaz so thought topaz was always kind of fugly. But this is really gorgeous.

I have no self control and went back for two more...

1.55 ct heated yellow sapphire, 7.7 X 5.8 mm

Ever since I saw this one I have wanted to put it in a cluster ring to look like a daisy. I started by thinking "oh, that would be nice, but I'm not really a fan of yellow" but now it is ALL I THINK ABOUT so I had to buy it.

1.53 ct spinel, 7.5 X 6.4 mm

I held out on this one because I have sooooo many spinels and was trying to give some other stones a chance. But fine. FINE! It wants to be owned by me. I think it will be a similar color to another I have that I quite like.

Dana - your sale is a real problem for my wallet!

 

[lilmosun]

So glad to see so many beautiful stones coming from the sale So many great scores!

(Sungura - I need to add Gahnites my watch list...just when I thought I had everything I wanted )

 

[Sungura]

I love everyone's hand shots. distracts you crack me up going back for seconds and thirds lol. I love those topaz. Funny story is I was in France (long ago) and decided to get my hair highlighted. My French skills were ok and I thought I was communicating well until the colorist said he would put in topaz colored highlights. I imagined blue and freaked out and caused quite a stir lol. ( though blue hair is cool and I have since had some gem colored highlights -but they were tanzanite colored, not blue topaz)

Sorry To digress I love that chryso fel and keeliamira's zircon (pictures please!!). Looking forward to seeing if chroman's tourmaline is a keeper

Btw chroman I got these chrome tourmalines. I knew going in they would be dark. And they are. No good pic yet. But I like that they are chock full of chromium and sometimes I like shy stones that only give a flash here and there. I'm thinking dangly earrings paired with something sparkly like a champagne zircon


Finally, lisarn and lilmosun I have not seen anymore gahnites. (I've been looking but not yet asking). I love them so much I hope I can halo a small diamond with them. Need to measure my stash

 

[ilovegemstones]

I love the tanzanite, Sungura!

 

[fel]

Here's the other sapphire I purchased, from the first post on this thread. I call it a "donut" sapphire since it has a large culet mandated by shallow rough. Given the symmetry of the stone, this presents as sort of a planned window. The color on this one is a bit shifty, sort of like most Montana's (although it is from Tanzania, not Montana). I think it is fun, and a very sweet color. Inside, at times it looks green.

 

[chroman]

FWIW, I noticed that their main page now says the sale is running through this coming tuesday..

 

[chroman]

Sungura - good luck with a project for those chromes! I do love the chrome tourmaline colors, but I'm always wary of the darkness.

As for the tourmaline I got; I've been sneaking looks at it over the course of the day. I forgot to post that its 9.6 x 7.4 and 4ct and destined for a pendent if it sticks around. Its super clean, and hue is very close to the line between green-blue and blue-green. Most of the time its green-blue and every once and a while it shows its bluer side.

We havent had great sun today, and man is it hard to get a good photo of this. Here's my best yet (in morning overcast)


And another that looks darker than it actually was, but teasing with some blue:


Its definatly a darker tone stone, but it seems very lively when there is some light around and surprises me how well it holds some color even inside (though our place is pretty dark, and I need to look at it in more indoor conditions.. I guess tomarrow is take your gems to work day!)

At the moment, when its out and I'm looking at it, it looks awesome. When its put away in the drawer, I get all paranoid about how dark it is. But when I pull it out it surprises me! I guess its riding a line of dark-but-in-a-good-way and too dark..

 

[distracts]

Chroman - that is beautiful Christmassy green! I have a tourmaline that is a dark green and I always think it is too dark until I wear it - I get a lot of compliments on it, which I wouldn't necessarily have thought I would. But people seem to really like it! Yours looks like a much prettier color than mine. Get it set before Christmas and you can wear it over a red sweater and be festive!

 

[chroman]

Oops - forgot to come back with an update given the crazy of the week.

My tourmaline really seems to hold its color well, even inside around the office during the day, or during the evenings with just lamp light.
Verdict? Its a keeper!

Plus, interactions with Dana and Rachelle lived up to all the wonderful praise they have gotten here in the past. So.. Eye candy!

 

[Keeliamira]

Oh Fel, such a beautiful green! I forgot to update too. My zircon arrived yesterday and though it's darker than I thought, I adore it. I took a hand shot under florescent lighting last night and didn't have a spare moment for an outdoor photo today. Not the best photography but you get the idea.

 

[Arialle]

I've never bought anything from mastercut...are their photos accurate in terms of colour~?

 

[mtsapphirelovingannie]

I bought two gems during the sale. This was my first time buying from this vendor. I returned a sapphire because the color in person was greener than I wanted. The return process went flawlessly.

I kept a 7mm chrysoberyl. I feel the pictures and description on the website were pretty close to what I see. I do find the stone a bit shifty in different light. Here are two the pictures.

 

[fel]

I found the pictures to be representative of the colors of the gems in real life. One exception -- my color shifting sapphire was hard to capture, and in fact they didn't even attempt the purple shade on the website. I corresponded with them about the gem before-hand because i didn't really feel like I "understood" the color from the pictures. In the end, it was true to the description. I did return one pink tourmaline, but that was owing to an incompatibility with my skin tone. It was not the first time I purchased a salmon or peach stone and returned it. I think I have to swear off of that color gem. The other factor that comes into play here is that returns are simple and fast. I was able to return my tourmaline via regular mail to save shipping fees, and the funds were credited back just about instantaneously on arrival.

 

[distracts]

I've never bought anything from mastercut...are their photos accurate in terms of colour~?

I find it easier to interpret Mastercut's pictures than most vendors here - they're always taken outside in indirect sunlight (I think usually on overcast days?), on a white gem tray and on a hand, so if you know what stones look like in that particular lighting and can translate to other lighting environments, you're good. They DO look a lot cooler/bluer in Mastercut's photos than they may be irl, because of the lighting environment, but you can usually tell that looking at the gem tray and hand colors. For me, I've never gotten anything totally unexpected colorwise from MCG. The only stones I've returned to them have been spessartite garnets but I'm beyond picky with those and see brown in every one I've ever seen except a cabochon, so I'm not blaming them or their photography at all. Agree with Fel that returns were super easy, and Dana and Rachelle are always incredibly nice if you have any questions.

Oh Fel, such a beautiful green! I forgot to update too. My zircon arrived yesterday and though it's darker than I thought, I adore it. I took a hand shot under florescent lighting last night and didn't have a spare moment for an outdoor photo today. Not the best photography but you get the idea.

Keeliamira - I found that kind of lighting to be the absolute worst for my zircons. Hopefully it looks more like what you want in other lighting. I personally think it's a very pretty color in your pictures!