Pictures of my spessartite

[Cind11]

Here are some photos of my Richard Homer spess. It's 2.34 cts. As it turns out, I am going to send it back. I think the cutting is excellent but I feel that the concave cuts give it a brilliant appearance but it doesn't sparkle like I think it should. (compared to the flat faceted spessartites I've seen in real life) I also think it is too close in color to my citrine pictured on my hand. I think I may try another concave cut stone but perhaps something that isn't that refractive to begin with.

 

[Cind11]

Here is another. I think the concave facets give it more of a shimmery appearance as opposed to sparkliness.

 

[Cind11]

Another...

 

[Magenta]

Erk, I see what you mean. I was looking at a orange concave cut spess, which looked more interesting, and seemed to sparkle in the pictures. Did you have a vendor picture for that stone?

I''d wonder if it''s just an issue with yellow stones (with no other colour), or the concave cut not making it sparkly.

Either way, Dan''s got some lovely spess'' out at the moment (although I personally think I just bought the most attractive, stunning one), so you might keep an eye out in that direction, if you''re still looking for a spess.

Just my 2c, as a newbie...

 

[BWise]

Cind11, sorry this orange spess didn't work out for you. But please don't be discouraged by this experience. Rich Homer is a master cutter and I personally think every gem collector should at least get one of his pieces. Concave cutting may not be for everyone, but it is worth of checking out.

Allow me to share the only concave cutting gem I have, an eBay found recut by Richard some years ago. Coincidentally it is also a mandarin spess. Honestly it took me some time to get used to it. The way concave cutting handles lights are very different than traditional faceting. The more I look at my spess, the more fascinated I became. However, my hubby could never get it!

I hope you will find a stone you love!

 

[T L]

That RH mandarin looks very sleepy, and I think it''s due to microscopic inclusions rather than cutting, but I could be wrong. Yingh''s mandarin is much more crystal in appearance, so I don''t think this has to do with his cutting, but rather internal inclusions.

 

[chrono]

I'm sorry it's not the right cut for you. Maybe you can ask Richard for another mandarin of the same colour but with traditional faceting which he does as well. I find that concave cutting has a very different look to it. Very beautiful but it does take some getting used to it. The effect is different where the stone appears more static.

TL,
I was presuming the stone has some smudges hence the sleepy look but I could be wrong.

ETA
Cind,
Have you louped the stone? Does it have little crystal bubbles aka sugars?

 

[Stone Hunter]

It''s an interesting looking stone. But I too can see that it looks very similar to your Citrine. I understand your need to find something different, but I''m sure it''s disappointing.

Hope you find a Spess you love quickly.

 

[mochi]

I agree, spess is usually such a bright stone with a regular cut. I''m sorry it didn''t work out for you.

 

[Cind11]

Date: 5/4/2009 10:45:31 PM
Author: Magenta
Erk, I see what you mean. I was looking at a orange concave cut spess, which looked more interesting, and seemed to sparkle in the pictures. Did you have a vendor picture for that stone?

I''d wonder if it''s just an issue with yellow stones (with no other colour), or the concave cut not making it sparkly.

Either way, Dan''s got some lovely spess'' out at the moment (although I personally think I just bought the most attractive, stunning one), so you might keep an eye out in that direction, if you''re still looking for a spess.

Just my 2c, as a newbie...

I don''t have the vendor picture. Richard took it off his website right after I bought it. Actually, this stone is orange not yellow.

 

[Cind11]

Date: 5/4/2009 11:12:23 PM
Author: yingh
Cind11, sorry this orange spess didn''t work out for you. But please don''t be discouraged by this experience. Rich Homer is a master cutter and I personally think every gem collector should at least get one of his pieces. Concave cutting may not be for everyone, but it is worth of checking out.

Allow me to share the only concave cutting gem I have, an eBay found recut by Richard some years ago. Coincidentally it is also a mandarin spess. Honestly it took me some time to get used to it. The way concave cutting handles lights are very different than traditional faceting. The more I look at my spess, the more fascinated I became. However, my hubby could never get it!

I hope you will find a stone you love!

Yingh, your spess looks awesome! I would like to try another concave cut Richard Homer stone st some point. I am very happy with the flat faceted sapphire he cut for me.

 

[Cind11]

Date: 5/4/2009 11:15:41 PM
Author: tourmaline_lover
That RH mandarin looks very sleepy, and I think it''s due to microscopic inclusions rather than cutting, but I could be wrong. Yingh''s mandarin is much more crystal in appearance, so I don''t think this has to do with his cutting, but rather internal inclusions.

I think you are right!

 

[Cind11]

Date: 5/4/2009 11:16:06 PM
Author: Chrono
I''m sorry it''s not the right cut for you. Maybe you can ask Richard for another mandarin of the same colour but with traditional faceting which he does as well. I find that concave cutting has a very different look to it. Very beautiful but it does take some getting used to it. The effect is different where the stone appears more static.

TL,
I was presuming the stone has some smudges hence the sleepy look but I could be wrong.

ETA
Cind,
Have you louped the stone? Does it have little crystal bubbles aka sugars?

The stone may have been a little smudged but not much. I louped it just now. Yes, it does seem to have lots of little bubbles! I also noticed some facet edges that look a little abraded. I bought the stone from Wink. Wow, I hope he doesn''t think I did that to the stone. I have not dropped it or anything. I have been SO careful since I thought I might send it back.

 

[Cind11]

Date: 5/4/2009 11:17:12 PM
Author: Stone Hunter

It''s an interesting looking stone. But I too can see that it looks very similar to your Citrine. I understand your need to find something different, but I''m sure it''s disappointing.

Hope you find a Spess you love quickly.

Thanks!

 

[Cind11]

Date: 5/4/2009 11:21:45 PM
Author: mochi
I agree, spess is usually such a bright stone with a regular cut. I''m sorry it didn''t work out for you.

Thanks. I''m sure I will find something else I like.

 

[chrono]

Date: 5/4/2009 11:34:01 PM
Author: Cind11
The stone may have been a little smudged but not much. I louped it just now. Yes, it does seem to have lots of little bubbles! I also noticed some facet edges that look a little abraded. I bought the stone from Wink. Wow, I hope he doesn't think I did that to the stone. I have not dropped it or anything. I have been SO careful since I thought I might send it back.

Sounds like TL's suspicion is correct. If there are a lot of microscopic bubbles scattered throughout the stone, it blocks out the natural brilliance and you end up with a sleepy stone. A small amout of sleepiness is fine but too much and it no longer becomes attractive. You can see that Yingh's spessartite still shows a lot of bright brilliance and sparkle.

 

[ma re]

Concave cutting gives off more of a shimmery glow, while traditional faceting displays scintillation (which is not even possible with this cutting style). It can show brilliance and (of course) return light, it can also minimize windows and extinction, in lighter materials it intensifies color, but lively scintillation is one thing it can not display, the way flat faceting can. I think it''s great for slightly translucent materials as it can really make them glow.

 

[movie zombie]

too bad. i agree the stone looks sleepy. the stone i saw at the vault in scruz wasn''t sleepy at all. in fact, it was the only concave cut i''ve ever liked and it was a richard homer spess.
however, i still preferred my spess purchased from richard wise.......check with him to see what he''s got for a faceted stone.

mz

 

[icekid]

Hmm, sounds like our bright crew have gotten to the bottom of this not so sparkly spess. It does seem sleepy to me, too! Oh well, not to worry Cind- you will find your spess!

 

[BWise]

Sounds like all the experts have found out the cause of the sleepiness!

Cind11, I forgot to mention that my spess does have some needle like inclusions right under the table and the center of the stone looked a little sleepy before recutting. I am attaching the ''before'' picture to give you the idea. That''s the primary reason I decided to go concave. Concave cutting took care of the inclusion and sleepy center completely. I hope this information will help you in your future stone search. Good luck!

Date: 5/4/2009 11:44:42 PM
Author: Chrono

Date: 5/4/2009 11:34:01 PM

Author: Cind11

The stone may have been a little smudged but not much. I louped it just now. Yes, it does seem to have lots of little bubbles! I also noticed some facet edges that look a little abraded. I bought the stone from Wink. Wow, I hope he doesn''t think I did that to the stone. I have not dropped it or anything. I have been SO careful since I thought I might send it back.

Sounds like TL''s suspicion is correct. If there are a lot of microscopic bubbles scattered throughout the stone, it blocks out the natural brilliance and you end up with a sleepy stone. A small amout of sleepiness is fine but too much and it no longer becomes attractive. You can see that Yingh''s spessartite still shows a lot of bright brilliance and sparkle.

 

[chrono]

Yingh,
The re-cut brought new life to your spessartite. It''s amazing how different and better it looks.

 

[icekid]

Seriously yingh, great recut. Hard to believe it is the same stone.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Hey I just saw you other thread, and came back to this one. The stone does look kind of sleepy, I would not use that word to describe mine. But i know one of the things that Richard liked about my stone was the higher clarity. So maybe the inclusions do take away the effect of the cutting.

Sorry this didn''t work out, but I know you have are already looking at another stone.