Please help me choose perfect gemstone for custom RHR

[Bling it on]

Hi everyone,

This is my first time posting on PS but definitely not the first time I've visited here for valuable diamond/coloured gemstone information.
I was hoping I would be able to get some help here on choosing the perfect gemstone for my first custom made ring. It will most likely end up being a RHR as i already have 2 wedding sets and DH will not be impressed if I make this my 3rd engagement ring!!

Anyway, I am in love with green coloured gemstones. Emerald is my birthstone and I started off my search for gemstones looking at natural emeralds only but i soon discovered that emeralds with the colour I am after and VS clarity are WAY out of my price range. I did briefly look into lab emeralds, but found the colour to be lacking and too obviously synthetic. I've now moved onto considering blue/green tourmalines as I am fascinated by the colour and the obviously the price is much more agreeable than looking at emeralds of the same size.

I have visited the websites on almost all of the precision gem cutters/gem dealers listed on the pinned thread for Respected CS vendors and have come up with a shortlist of tourmalines that would fit the ring settings I have in mind.

Here are my shortlisted tourmalines narrowed down from a selection of at least 20. Can you help me decide why i should eliminate some from the list? This is all a bit new to me and i would really love to hear some expert opinions, especially regarding the cut of these stones and anything I should be looking out for like windowing, blacking out etc

Here are 4 of my shortlisted options below:

Option 1# - Green tourmaline - Precision gems (3.18cts)


Option 2# - Blue/green tourmaline - Rough 2 Refined gems (1.69cts)


Option 3# - Blue/green tourmaline - AC stones Barry Bridgestock (2.18cts)


Option 4# - Blue/green tourmaline - Gemart services (2.10cts)

 

[dk168]

Colour is very subjective, however, personally I like Option 2 the best.

DK

 

[Bling it on]

Another 3 options I'm considering:

Option 5# - Blue/green tourmaline - DJ Rare gems (1.94 cts)


Option 6# - Blue/green tourmaline - DJ Rare Gems (2.30 cts)


Option 7# - Green tourmaline - Gem Line inc (4.26cts)

 

[Bling it on]

dk168 - I like the colour of option 2 the best aswell, however its also the smallest gem and therefore less finger coverage!

 

[Bling it on]

Does anyone have an opinion on of the cut of the stones above and if any of these exhibit windowing or is likely to black out etc?
Anyone??
(I was told Pricescope was the place to come with questions about natural mined gemstones!!)

 

[Starzin]

Yes but it's the weekend when the forum is typically slower... sorry.

 

[dk168]

Of the 3 new ones, I prefer Option 6.

Re: Option 2, finger coverage can be increased by the setting IMHO, e.g. a double halo, split shank etc...

What kind of setting are you aiming for?

DK

 

[Starzin]

Sorry I didn't have time to post more yesterday but here is my 2cents worth

#1 - Gene has a reputation for very accurate gem photos, if you like the way this looks you are sure to be delighted with the stone.

#2 - I have a fondness for some of the teal colours as well and this does look lovely (and different!), My concern would be that it may be a little dark in hand but would be worth getting to have a look at in real life. I note you're disappointed in it's smaller size bonuses are 1) it's got matching earrings 2) if it has the colour punch you'll see it across a crowded room no matter what size it is and this can be enhanced by the setting. I've attached a bigger photo.

#3 - Barry calls this medium dark though vivid and I would believe him. This is greener than most of the blue-green candidates.

#4 - Jerry's photos are fairly realistic too and I personally think this would be quite the stunner. He calls it a lighter green and you can see that not many facets are "off" (as against on). So not a lot of shadowing (dark patches) and not flooded with light to get that.

#5 - This one looks (to me) as though it's going to show the dichroic nature of tourmaline quite strongly in the ends as a yellowy green. This mix is probably one of personal preference and may best be judged in hand if it appeals to you above others.

#6 and #7 - these look very dark in comparison to the others.

Good selection, you've done well! Now reserve the one you want before lurkers snatch it

Hope that helps.

 

[marymm]

#1 - Gene Flanagan is the cutter, and I do love the cut - per his description though, this is a green Tourmaline with a touch of blue down one axis - I don't think this will give you the blue-green you say you want - to me this is medium-dark green but I think the shape and cut will make it lively.

#2. I believe Jim Rentfrow is the cutter on this one - to me this is greenish-Blue - and I really like the cut - but I would like to see a pic of it on the hand to get a better sense of color/tone/saturation. Also, sometimes oval stones can have that half-half thing, where one end is lighting up and the other end is dark/black, so to speak - this is an artifact of an oval (except perhaps barion ovals? not sure) and does not mean the stone isn't well-cut/precision-cut. [I have an oval green Tourmaline set east-west in a bezel, and though it does the half-half thing a bit, it doesn't take away my enjoyment of the color and performance.]

#3. from AC Stones but not cut by Barry Bridgestock - I am not enamored with the cut of this Tourmaline, somehow it seems a bit flat (for lack of a better word) - and though it is blue-green I think maybe the tone is a bit dark, and coupled with the cut it may not perform as well as you might like. If it is high on your list, it is worth emailing Barry and asking him his candid opinion of color and performance.

#4. Jerry / Gemart Services - beautifully cut, and I do think this green Tourmaline has a large dollop of blue - I think this is a real beauty. Jerry's cut a couple of stones for me, and I think his stones are usually even better in real life, and his cutting is superb.

#5. D&J Rare Gems - cut by John Rhoades (I'm assuming, not sure if Donna cuts stones) - very well-cut Afghan tourmaline - I've bought a few from D&J and their descriptions have always been right-on - this maybe has a bit less blue than #4 above, but hard to say just based on single pics.

#6. Also D&J - and likely cut by John Rhoades - this one seems dark to me and I don't care as much for the cut compared to others on your list - but your mileage may vary as they say.

#7. Gemline/Litnon - this is a Nigerian Tourmaline - "rich" usually means dark and this does look like a dark green, no blue - and for me this is not well-cut step-cut rectangle. I think a tilt window is showing in the pic (not a true window; a tilt window only shows if you tilt the stone a certain way - a true window is always there, at the bottom of the stone, such that you could read print through it if set on a newspaper).

Of all the ones you listed, I like #4 with no reservations, and #2 and #5 are the first runner-ups. Hope this helps!

 

[Bling it on]

Starzin and marymm - thanks so much for your detailed and insightful comments on each of the stones I have shortlisted.

After doing some more thinking about the stones on my list, i think i have it narrowed it down to just 3 choices.

Option #1 is my favourite in terms of cut - so interesting!! and ive heard wonderful things about the gemstones from Gene at Precision Cut gems.

Option #4 and option #2 are my favourites in terms of colour - i just love the blue green combination. I have posted some more images that Jerry sent me of the 2.01 Afghan tourmaline from GemArt services. I can see hues of yellow in these pics also, as well as the blue/green colour.






Maybe its time to enlist the help of my dear husband to decide which of the 3 we are going to go with!
Thanks again

 

[Bling it on]

Hi dk168 - i have 2 settings in mind but none have halos, so the centrestone would need to be big enough on its own.

I did get a quote for a reproduction of a ring in a split shank halo design with diamonds and it was beyond my budget. I am opting to go with a ring design similar to the rings below (the one i choose will be based on the shape of the gemstone I end up purchasing)

 

[Starzin]

Good for you! Excellent choices
I tried to stay objective so as not to lead you about colour preferences.

Which picture did Jerry say the stone most resembled? From where I sit I would say the last picture - I think it would be a gorgeous saturated medium "seafoam" colour. As to the yellow in this one, while it may be a result of the same dichroic qualities I mentioned before, Jerry is such a brilliant cutter - PSers send stones to him for recutting to bring out their beauty - that you are seeing sparkles all over the stone as it is moved. Compare the last two photos. You won't see a patch of yellow on this stone but it is obviously a real sparkler!

MC2 Flora rings!!!!!!! Oh be still my heart!!
But even if it's the second ring, this colour stone will be complemented more by 18k yellow gold... as TL says, JMO

ETA: Emotion allowed at this point I definitely do NOT envy you your decision between these three stones!

 

[Bling it on]

Hi fellow PSers,

So I enlisted my husband to help with the final decision on choosing one out of the final 3 shortlisted gemstones.

In the end we decided on option #4 - Afghan blue/green tourmaline from Gemart Services (cut by Jerry):


to be set into this ring that I am going to have reproduced by David Klass:


I did have one question for Jerry about why the gem was so competitively priced. Out of all the gems on my shortlist, this gemstone has my favourite colour and good cut, but was the cheapest of the lot and also way under my budget. However I am still curious about seeing the gemstone, it looks too nice to pass up!!

Here is Jerry's response:

"Hi Rebecca,
I’ll be very candid . If you look carefully at both Afghan tourmalines on my site you might notice that perhaps the “crispness” of the flashes from the larger SOLD one on the left might possibly be a little sharper. That larger one does have some slight flaws that are visible. It is not eye clean. The smaller one, 2.01 ct, does have some microscopic specs not visible to the naked eye. So, while it is eye clean, I suspect perhaps some crispness might be lacking compared to a truly flawless gem. Whether it is substantial enough to be a significant distraction, or even noticeable, is in the eye of the beholder.
I think it is a very attractive stone.
If you feel it is not worthy of your ownership, no problem. If you would not even want to see it in person , that’s OK. I won’t send it. But as stated earlier, you certainly can return it if, after seeing it, you find it unacceptable. I want you to be satisfied.
Jerry"

I am still keen on seeing the gemstone in person - what does everyone else think? Should i pass up on this stone because it is not as crisp as a truly flawless gem?? Keep in mind, all i want is an attractive lively stone for my custom wedding anniversary ring.

 

[Bling it on]

So is it worth the shipping to see what this stone looks like? Opinions please

 

[chrono]

I think it is worth seeing the tourmaline in person; it has promise and worse case, you can always return it for a full refund.

 

[minousbijoux]

So is it worth the shipping to see what this stone looks like? Opinions please

Absolutely! What a great response he gave you. You will read about the trade off between glow (often from microscopic inclusions) and sparkle/scintillation. It sounds like with his stone, you may be getting the best of both worlds, though you may find in hand that it lacks too much sparkle. Frankly, it is impossible to judge stones (and develop your eye) without seeing them in hand, so either way you are doing the right thing. Jerry's stones are just amazing IMO. Your choice of setting is excellent for that stone.

Would you mind taking photos for us when your stone arrives?

 

[Bling it on]

So I've received the blue-green Afghan tourmaline from Jerry at Gemart Services and I'm sad to say that although I like the cut of the gem, its colour is too light in tone for me and /i think I will need to return it. I'm also a bit surprised as the colour of the gem is different to how I perceive the colour of the gem in the image on the Gemart Services website. Which was surprising to me as many PSers have told me that the images on Jerry's site are fairly true representations of what you can expect IRL.

Anyway, I will post photos of the tourmaline tomorrow when the sun comes out and you can let me know what you think also.

In the meantime, I'm on the hunt for more green gems. I've seen this green tourmaline on the Custom Gemstones ebay store.

Here are the specs and comments:
STONE: Tourmaline
WEIGHT: 2.97 Cts.

CUT: Fancy Brilliant Emerald
DIMENSIONS: 9.30 x 6.75mm

ORIGIN: Namibia
TREATMENT: None

COLOR: Blue Green and Emerald Green
CLARITY: Very Good (Slightly Included)

CUT BY: Daniel Stair



Does anyone have any comments about the cut of this stone or any comments about past business with Custom Gemstones and Dan Stair? I've heard his name before but have never purchased from him as I'm a newbie to the coloured gems

 

[Bling it on]

To those in the know, for the green tourmaline posted above that I;m now considering (cut by Dan Stair from Custom Gemstones) - are those small dark areas what is considered extinction? I'm not 100% sure

Anyone?? I'm really needing some guidance before I go ahead and purchase another stone. (I've already received one that I dont like as much as expected)

 

[Tekate]

Oooh I love number 4!

EDIT: READ WHOLE THREAD first.

I loved number 4.. the stones all make me want one.. I hope you find your stone and I love the setting!

 

[endless_summer]

Jerry's cutting is absolutely amazing - I'm sorry it wasn't quite the color that you were looking for. Did you end up getting the precision gem tourmaline from Gene? It's gone - maybe not super bluish-green but a really pretty stone. If you didn't get it, I'd love to know who did and see pics - it was one of my favorites, even before having just seen your thread.

 

[FrekeChild]

Looking forward to pictures today!

 

[endless_summer]

Ohhhh - did you get it FrekeChild?!?! I inquired about it not having seen this thread, but Gene hadn't marked it as out of stock yet - please post lots of pictures if it's yours!

 

[Starzin]

To those in the know, for the green tourmaline posted above that I;m now considering (cut by Dan Stair from Custom Gemstones) - are those small dark areas what is considered extinction? I'm not 100% sure

Anyone?? I'm really needing some guidance before I go ahead and purchase another stone. (I've already received one that I don't like as much as expected)

I think it may be a dark stone in hand rather than extinction but very well cut.
Every stone has facets that are "on" or "off" as it is moved, the "off" ones are dark as the others sparkle. This normal and what is desired. It is different from patches of "black" that move around the stone and typically put half the stone in shadow - ovals are particularly prone to this.

I think this is one of those stones that is worth asking for more pictures and if you like those, pursue it.

So sorry that the Gemart one turned out too pale for you - it looked to be a lovely stone. Did you take any photos you can post for us?

 

[Starzin]

Freke - have you been a naughty girl?