Real Garnet?

[VegasAngel]

Can anyone tell if this is a real garnet? I really like the daintiness of the ring so if it''s not no biggie, but I am curious.







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[C Smith]

No-one can tell you for certain from a picture. A gemologist with access to a few simple tools could tell you pretty quick.

 

[VegasAngel]

I think I will take it to my jeweler tomorrow.

 

[FireGoddess]

It sure is pretty! Please let us know what you find out from your jeweler.

 

[portoar]

Pretty!

 

[innerkitten]

Oooh pretty! It sure looks like a garnet. Can''t wait to find out.

 

[Richard Sherwood]

It definitely has that garnet "look". I''d be surprised if it wasn''t.

 

[movie zombie]

i add my bet for garnet......perhaps wishful thinking on my part?!

movie zombie

 

[VegasAngel]

Yay! I am happy it is a garnet.

it was/is my first ebay purchase; I was little worried. Thanks everyone!

 

[conitta]

Date: 6/22/2006 3:35:35 PM
Author: VegasAngel
Yay! I am happy it is a garnet.

it was/is my first ebay purchase; I was little worried. Thanks everyone!

Yippie...great news!

 

[DiamondExpert]

...very garnetish look, yes indeed!

 

[C Smith]

Date: 6/22/2006 3:35:35 PM
Author: VegasAngel
Yay! I am happy it is a garnet.

it was/is my first ebay purchase; I was little worried. Thanks everyone!

Were you able to watch them test it? How did they determine the ID? Did the jeweler just pick it up and squint at it and say "this is a garnet" as he shined a light through it, or did he check it for dichroism at the least?

It sure does look like garnet in the pic but there's no substitute for a few diagnostic tests. Either way, it's a pretty stone to be sure!

 

[VegasAngel]

Well, she looked at it under it something, walked away with it for a few minutes, & came back & said it''s a garnet. What she did while she was away I have no idea. I was busy discussing the other rings I brought in. For the heck of it: $50 to polish the scratches from my citrine which I am not going to do, & approx $190 to replate? my w/g ring, re do the florentine, replace the head, order & set a pink 3.5 mm tourmaline. I don''t know if the $190 is a good price but I have been taking my jewelery to this place for a while and & I am too afraid to take it anywhere else.

 

[C Smith]

She probably looked at it under a dichroscope to determine whether the stone is single refractive. I''m glad you got a nice one. The ring is a very interesting design. I like it!

 

[Richard M.]

I think identifying stones from digital images is fun! This one is single-refractive. It looks "garnety." Is it?

Richard M.

 

[C Smith]

Spinel or various simulants/synthetics are another possibility. Got a spectroscope or a refractometer handy?

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 6/23/2006 5:30:28 PM
Author: Richard M.
I think identifying stones from digital images is fun! This one is single-refractive. It looks ''garnety.'' Is it?


Richard M.

Spinel is my guess looks is wrong for garnet.

 

[movie zombie]

don''t know but found this interesting: http://www.gemstoneartist.com/GemID.asp

movie zombie

 

[Richard M.]

Date: 6/23/2006 5:39:56 PM
Author: C Smith
Spinel or various simulants/synthetics are another possibility. Got a spectroscope or a refractometer handy?

Both of those instruments and many more. You forgot red diamond as a (remote!) possibility.

It''s a very "garnety"-looking red spinel and that''s why I posted it. I have numerous pyrope-almandine garnets that look exactly like it. So do some of my brownish-red corundums, red plagioclase feldspars, etc. Trying to identify gems from images seems futile to me in most cases although I can never resist trying myself just for fun.

Richard M.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 6/24/2006 2:55:13 AM
Author: Richard M.

Date: 6/23/2006 5:39:56 PM

Author: C Smith

Spinel or various simulants/synthetics are another possibility. Got a spectroscope or a refractometer handy?

Both of those instruments and many more. You forgot red diamond as a (remote!) possibility.


It''s a very ''garnety''-looking red spinel and that''s why I posted it. I have numerous pyrope-almandine garnets that look exactly like it. So do some of my brownish-red corundums, red plagioclase feldspars, etc. Trying to identify gems from images seems futile to me in most cases although I can never resist trying myself just for fun.


Richard M.

Dark garnets tend to show color in streaks like the one at the top of this thread in photos.
The stone you posted is screaming spinel.

 

[conitta]

Doesn''t look like a garnet to me...but what do I know.

 

[C Smith]

Date: 6/24/2006 2:55:13 AM
Author: Richard M.

Date: 6/23/2006 5:39:56 PM
Author: C Smith
Spinel or various simulants/synthetics are another possibility. Got a spectroscope or a refractometer handy?

Both of those instruments and many more. You forgot red diamond as a (remote!) possibility.

It''s a very ''garnety''-looking red spinel and that''s why I posted it. I have numerous pyrope-almandine garnets that look exactly like it. So do some of my brownish-red corundums, red plagioclase feldspars, etc. Trying to identify gems from images seems futile to me in most cases although I can never resist trying myself just for fun.

Richard M.

I didn''t forget diamond per se'' as the image just doesn''t look "diamondy" enough to my eye

. . Spinel immediately jumped to mind when I saw the image. Now, for even more fun, is it natural or synthetic? I''m (wildly and with no real evidence) voting for flame fusion synthetic

 

[strmrdr]

natural or synthetic?

natural and not from Vietnam, guessing Africa origin.

 

[pricescope]

Natural, because Richard always respects rules of this forum.

# 9 Posts related to any diamond simulants, Cubic Zirconia, Moissanite, or any other man-made gemstones are not allowed on this board.

 

[C Smith]

Date: 6/24/2006 3:09:39 PM
Author: Pricescope
Natural, because Richard always respects rules of this forum.

# 9 Posts related to any diamond simulants, Cubic Zirconia, Moissanite, or any other man-made gemstones are not allowed on this board.

I missed number nine and I''m pretty certain I saw an opal simulant pic posted somewhere on the board in the last day or two but now I can''t find the thread. My response to Richard was somewhat in jest.

 

[Richard M.]

Date: 6/24/2006 12:57:50 PM
Author: strmrdr

natural and not from Vietnam, guessing Africa origin.

Good guess Storm. Some of the new African Mahenge red and hot pink spinel is just about as good as spinel gets, but all gems have a quality range wherever they''re found. I''ve seen a lot of Vietnamese red spinel and some is very pretty. But the colors tend to be less saturate and vivid than top Burmese and Mahenge stones IMO. The stone I posted is not from Mahenge.

Digital imaging remains mysterious to me: my image emphasizes the red and doesn''t show the stone''s slightly brownish overtone well. No PhotoShop manipulation, either. Anyone experienced with handling red garnets would probably inspect this stone with a spectroscope for iron lines if told it was spinel. I did. It resembles some of the Maralambo garnet from Madagascar.

Richard M.