Newbie...aqua, tourmaline, Montana sapphire....help!!

[Quennoo]

Hi I was wondering if anyone can recommend me to a gemstone cutter who has an excellent reputation for cutting and quality .
I am looking for a blue/ green coloured stone, with lots of sparkle, light to med colour , no windows, up to 3 carats, budget 1.5k. To have made into an everyday ring. I am happy to have it set with a full bezel and I have been trying to steer towards a higher MOHS value.

I LOVE the colour of paraiba.....however my budget doesn't stretch that far!! Some aquamarines that are cut beautifully seem great but the lighter ones are very watery?

What do you think of this...aqua top left
http://www.gemfix.com/aquamarine.html

Or

I have looked in gemfix recently and there seem to be some beautiful stones.

Can anyone recommend some people or places to me to look.


Thankyou I have been reading many helpful posts today and hope someone can point me in the right direction!!

 

[michellechan2211]

Aqua, even when well cut, will not sparkle (although it would glow prettily) so I guess that'd be something you have to take into consideration. Do check out the sticky at the top of the page called "Can we start a new thread with recommended PS Vendors?" for a list of recommended vendors. If I'm not wrong, Litnon has some rather lovely tourmalines, although I think it'd not be too durable as an everyday ring stone. 2 cents worth from a newbie. XD;

 

[cm366]

Hi Quennoo,

Sounds like you've been doing a lot of reading and have already covered most of the questions helpers would ask - great job! If you don't mind sharing, though, it'd be helpful to know approximately what size in mm and shape you're hoping to find. If you're dead set on rounds, Montana sapphires are much more likely to pop up, whereas longer rectangle shapes like baguettes or cushions will suit aquas or tourmalines. Then too, the stones have different densities - 3cts will look much larger in aqua than sapphire. As far as sparkle goes, none of these three options are likely to blow your socks off if you're used to diamonds, but sapphires will come the closest, and are most likely to be found as sparkly brilliant or concave cuts.

There are lots of good vendors in the recommended list, and I know that people have been very happy with Jim Rentfrow's custom work (he's got some new and very nice Montana sapphires available for custom orders, but I don't know that he keeps any on hand) as well as gemfix and others. Dana at Mastercut Gems is likely to have some fine aquas and strongly bluish light green emeralds if you drop him a line (don't expect a 24 hr turnaround, his prices are extremely reasonable and he's very helpful but he's a one man operation, so you won't get instant response from the customer service rep!).

If you can find some pics of the colour you're looking for, maybe from old threads here or even paint swatches, it'd help other posters narrow their search a bit too Good luck!

 

[0-0-0]

In my experience the quality of the cut makes a huge difference in how sparkly aquas appear, and in minimizing the tilt windows that aquas are prone to. But as cm366 suggests, there is no way that anyone will mistake a stone with lower refractive indices like aqua/tourmaline/sapphire for a diamond even in the most well cut examples.

I still have difficulty reading gemfix's photos even after visiting the store and viewing the stones in person, but I find Andrew's descriptions to be accurate if you ask specific questions.

If you have something specific in mind, I suggest contacting Gene at precisiongem and Jeff at whitegems. They both offer precision cuts and accurate descriptions and photos of their stones.

I bought my aqua from Jeff and I have a video showing how it performs next to a diamond. The aqua has a step cut pavilion. A precison cut with a briliant or concave cut pavilion will likely be sparklier. Hope it's helpful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_UZy93f_qA

 

[Quennoo]

Hi thanks so much to everyone for all their recommendations! There are some talented gemstone cutters out there!

What are your opinions on this aqua on the flawless facets website cut by John Dyer?


Thanks again!

 

[chrono]

Superb cutting if you like your aqua more green than blue. The tone is very light as is the saturation. Nice stone but not a typical aqua colour in the US.

 

[Quennoo]

Thanks would it look 'watery'? I have emailed and asked for a photo in natural light on a hand...fingers crossed it looks good!

 

[chrono]

What is your definition of watery?

 

[Quennoo]

Hi to my eye watery is a stone that looks clear at times when you look through it so you can see the hand underneath.

 

[chrono]

The cut looks busy enough that you should not get a tilt window as easily or often. It is the colouration that isn't in my sweet spot.

 

[pregcurious]

It sounds like you want a window or tilt window in your stone? You can ask cutters if they have any aquas that have this feature. In general, precision cutters will avoid windows, but aquamarines are a low RI stone that often have tilt windows.

 

[LD]

By watery do you mean pale? If so, the one from John Dyer will BUT it will perform beautifully I would think. The thing is, if you're looking for something more Paraiba like then you're looking at vivid stones and vivid + Aquamarine do not go hand in hand.

 

[Quennoo]

Thanks everyone! What I meant by watery in my novice understanding is actually tilt windows!
I don't mind the pale colour, I am hoping the stone will sparkle?

How about a tourmaline for everyday use ina ring if it is protected with a bezel?
Thanks

 

[chrono]

Tourmaline risks chipping as an everyday stone. A bezel only protects the girdle. The crown facets are still exposed. A tourmaline doesn't have high RI either. The aquamarine should be flashier than most aquas due to the busier cut design. Its colouration is far from a Paraiba though.

 

[Quennoo]

Hi again how about this Montana sapphire? Perhaps more suitable for everyday wear? Would it look darker in a bezel setting?
Thanks I love all the advice

 

[chrono]

Sapphires are great for everyday wear. Do have hand shots of this stone? I am concerned that it is quite gray.

 

[LD]

Sapphires are great for everyday wear. Do have hand shots of this stone? I am concerned that it is quite gray.

Ditto and its not vivid or Paraiba like.

Quennoo, I'm a little confused as to what you want. Obviously you want a blue stone and a well cut one but your descriptors of colour are really throwing me off what you want.

If you want a bright vivid stone, then anything with gray won't (normally) fulfil that criteria.

Do you perhaps want a paler coloured blue - like a pastel blue but one with a good cut - that glitters? If so, then the John Dyer hits the mark and the Montana Sapphire doesn't (in my opinion).

Can you post photos of the colour you're looking for (just for colour comparison)?

 

[Quennoo]

Hi LD thanks for your thoughts, you are right I do prefer the lighter blue colours and the sapphire above is a little too GRAY for my...no hand shots yet. I did receive a hand shot of the JD aqua above and I was underwhelmed by it....too light for me!!


I have started another thread today with some options I do like the colour of I would appreciate you thoughts

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/opinions-on-these-aquamarines-please.186303/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/opinions-on-these-aquamarines-please.186303/[/URL]


Thanks everyone...I have been bitten by the coloured gemstone bug!!

 

[Quennoo]

Montana sapphire opinions please !

Hi here is a daylight shot of the Montana sapphire above.

Here is the blurb..


Montana Sapphire Cushion "Radiante" Cut
Weight: 2.00 cts
Measurements: 7.9x6.5mm, height 4.7mm
Clarity: VVS
Origin: Montana, USA
Enhancements: Heat only

Description: Medium teal-blue Montana sapphire. Sparkly and brilliant. Beautifully cut and clean.

Any thoughts welcomed!!

 

[chrono]

I am pointing this out that you might not have noticed prior. You might like it or maybe you don't. Perhaps it might be acceptable to you or it might not. It's not a bright or strongly coloured sapphire but I know there are people who like this colour, so this colour is also a preference.

The sapphire, without a doubt is well cut. However, you can view the zoning as something fun and funky or completely not acceptable. There is a distinct green strip across the center, with the outer sides blue. From afar, one might not see it as green but the eye can tell the colour isn't uniform. The gray component is fairly strong and if bezeled, I expect the gray tone to be more pronounced.

 

[sapphirecats]

I really like this stone, I would live a sapphire this color! May I ask where you got it if online? I would love one.

 

[chrono]

Which gemstone are you referring to? There are two in this thread.

This one below is an aquamarine faceted by John Dyer. The first picture is JD's picture. The second is the OP's picture.

 

[chrono]

This Montana sapphire is from Gemfix. Both pictures are by Andrew of Gemfix.