so...I bought another mahenge...pics

[katharath]

My last pair I had set as an open ring (4.45 mm each, rounds), pic for anyone who didn't see the thread.




But I think I've caught the mahenge bug bc I saw this one, I had to buy it. It's still on the small side at 5.5 mm and .85 cts, but it's big enough for a sweet little solitaire. The gem was well priced (when compared to similar gems it was the lowest price and looked the best, IMO). I bought it, and I've decided to go with a 6 prong setting bc I don't want to cover this gem up with a bezel. I don't think the color would benefit from the darkening effect of a bezel, and there isn't a window that needs any help from extra coverage in the setting. So I'm going with a prong setting (which is a departure from my usual bezel setting, and will actually be my first prong style, lol).

Pics of the gem, and pics of the setting I chose. The setting shows a larger gem than mine is, it's 7.3 mm vs my 5.5 mm, so imagine it on a smaller scale My jeweler has done this setting with gems smaller than my 5.5 mm, so she says it won't be an issue and should look great. (Jeweler is Yvonne Raley at etsy store CecileRaleyDesigns. She sourced the gem, is making the ring, and also sourced and strung the mahenge beads you'll see if you read further on).

 

[katharath]

For comparison, these are a couple of other gems I looked at. I am perfectly happy with what I chose as it worked for my budget and I think it has a nice cut and color for the price. However, I'd like to post a couple of pics of other gems I considered bc I 'm curious to see what others' opinions are. I'm always looking to learn how to judge gems better, so any comments/critiques will be appreciated, and won't be upsetting to me. I won't have a case of "shoulda/coulda done better", as I really like the gem I purchased, and the others I looked at cost more anyway, lol.


This first is larger at 6.2 mm and just over 1 ct. It was also priced at almost $765 more than the one I purchased! Aside from the much higher price tag, I still like the one I got better, bc I don't like the extinction I see in this one. From what I understand though, extinction in mahenges is going to happen somewhat due to their color, and the cut on these.



This one is very slightly smaller than what I bought, at 5.4 mm round and .7 cts. But I feel the color is better in the one I bought, and this one was also about $45 more than what I spent.



Any thoughts? Would you have chosen differently and why? I appreciate the chance to learn and gain perspective, so all comments are welcome.

 

[katharath]

Last post with pics. Off topic but still mahenges. I bought an 18 inch strand of mahenge beads and had them strung with mint garnets, demantoids, and a few moonstones. I don't typically like color blocked bead necklaces but wanted the pinks to stand out, so had this one done that way. It's about 34 inches long, and a fun way to wear more mahenges!!,

 

[AprilBaby]

You have beautiful taste in jewelry!

 

[velouriaL]

I really like that setting. It is both timeless and little edgey, to me. Your stone will look great in it.

I also really enjoy Yvonne's blog!

Cool necklace! I am really into beads these days, though most of the ones I've been collecting are glass.

 

[katharath]

Oh shoot - I need to give some credit to Gemfever! The pics of the ring I used to show the setting are her ring. I got the pics from Yvonne, but the ring is Gemfever's. Sorry for my faux pas, I don't think I can edit my post at this point.

 

[katharath]

Aprilbaby - thank you so much!

I really like that setting. It is both timeless and little edgey, to me. Your stone will look great in it.

I also really enjoy Yvonne's blog!

Cool necklace! I am really into beads these days, though most of the ones I've been collecting are glass.

Veloria- that is exactly what I thought about the setting! And I love Yvonne's blog too.
That's neat about your bead collecting, have you posted any pics? I love small gemstone beads, especially more unusual ones

 

[chrono]

I would have given the more expensive Mahenge consideration, followed up with a hand shot and possibly negotiated for better pricing. The smaller one posted is too orangish brown and thus priced lower accordingly. I suspect shadowing from the camera is causing the darkness you see in the stones. Yes, sometimes the cut causes this but typically good quality Mahenge do not have much extinction at all. I would purposefully seek out one with strong fluorescence and minimal colour shift, in addition to the rest.

 

[katharath]

I would have given the more expensive Mahenge consideration, followed up with a hand shot and possibly negotiated for better pricing. The smaller one posted is too orangish brown and thus priced lower accordingly. I suspect shadowing from the camera is causing the darkness you see in the stones. Yes, sometimes the cut causes this but typically good quality Mahenge do not have much extinction at all. I would purposefully seek out one with strong fluorescence and minimal colour shift, in addition to the rest.

Thank you for your thoughts and advice. I appreciate it. I am still new to mahenges and not looking to buy any gems that are too spendy yet, I'm kind of working my way up. So I'm trying to learn about them while buying a few smaller but nice examples. From what I understand the larger gems are going to show more neon and bright color than the smaller gems will anyway, so I may not be able to get that top color in the gem sizes I'm currently looking at (below 6 mm). In your experience would you say that this is true with mahenge? Just curious. The larger one was more than I wanted to spend, so I feel like the one I got was nice for the price (nicer color and larger than the other, smallest one I posted a pic of).

But I'm glad to know your thoughts about extinction in mahenges. I think the larger one had the best color of those I looked at, but it was so much more money wise and not that much larger (just over .5 mm?) that I wasn't ready to pay the much higher price. It hit that 1 carat mark, while the one I chose stayed under it at .85. So, that explains my thought process for this particular experience.

I am going to try to attend my first show here in Vegas towards the end of the month (May), and I know that Jaimeen from Prima will be there, so I hope to gain some experience by seeing more of the larger gems in person.

Good to know your advice for future buying and I will certainly remember it!

 

[minousbijoux]

I would have given the more expensive Mahenge consideration, followed up with a hand shot and possibly negotiated for better pricing. The smaller one posted is too orangish brown and thus priced lower accordingly. I suspect shadowing from the camera is causing the darkness you see in the stones. Yes, sometimes the cut causes this but typically good quality Mahenge do not have much extinction at all. I would purposefully seek out one with strong fluorescence and minimal colour shift, in addition to the rest.

Thank you for your thoughts and advice. I appreciate it. I am still new to mahenges and not looking to buy any gems that are too spendy yet, I'm kind of working my way up. So I'm trying to learn about them while buying a few smaller but nice examples. From what I understand the larger gems are going to show more neon and bright color than the smaller gems will anyway, so I may not be able to get that top color in the gem sizes I'm currently looking at (below 6 mm). In your experience would you say that this is true with mahenge? Just curious. The larger one was more than I wanted to spend, so I feel like the one I got was nice for the price (nicer color and larger than the other, smallest one I posted a pic of).

But I'm glad to know your thoughts about extinction in mahenges. I think the larger one had the best color of those I looked at, but it was so much more money wise and not that much larger (just over .5 mm?) that I wasn't ready to pay the much higher price. It hit that 1 carat mark, while the one I chose stayed under it at .85. So, that explains my thought process for this particular experience.

I am going to try to attend my first show here in Vegas towards the end of the month (May), and I know that Jaimeen from Prima will be there, so I hope to gain some experience by seeing more of the larger gems in person.

Good to know your advice for future buying and I will certainly remember it!

Fwiw, I have not heard this before, and do not agree with it for Mahenges. Some other materials, yes, but not Mahenges.

 

[katharath]

Fwiw, I have not heard this before, and do not agree with it for Mahenges. Some other materials, yes, but not Mahenges.

Hmm. Well that is also good to know. I've heard that the better neon colors may have already been mined and that what we're seeing now isn't as good as previous material. Would you agree or disagree? Just curious. Makes me wonder if I'll even be able to find the super neon color in small sizes (less than a carat).

 

[katharath]

I guess I should add that I truly am happy with the material I've already bought. Getting a top color mahenge isn't what I'm really going for at this point, I'm more looking to enjoy the gem and get to "know" it, if that makes sense. But I'm curious about learning more all the time

 

[minousbijoux]

Yes, unfortunately, most of us have missed the boat on the original, truly vivid, saturated stones. While I have some that are vivid, I missed the boat on the vivid red, like TL, Chrono, and others have (just look at Chrono's avatar). But it sure seems like if someone has some tucked away, it just might be Jaimeen, so you may be in luck!

ETA: spelling

 

[katharath]

That's what I'd been told

Ah well, the material coming out now is still beautiful, so better late to the party than never Thanks for the reply!

 

[chrono]

I purchased 2 pairs of sub-carat pairs from Jaimeen that are eye popping almost vivid pink. Mahenges are different in that even small stones can be highly saturated and this is why they took the gem world by storm when they were first discovered. In the past, I could easily find top reds under 2 carats but it is difficult to find a top red under 5 carats today. Even if you do, the price is well into 5 figures. Not only that, once you've seen the "old" material, there's no comparison to what's coming out of the ground today.

 

[katharath]

Chrono -
It's kind of depressing just reading that. It's unlikely I'll ever get to own any of the really amazing material. But that's probably true for me of many gemstones, lol! And I do like what I've been able to buy of mahenge. Since I don't have any older material to compare to, mine seem very nice and bright. I've owned some commercial grade pink sapphires in the past, and I think other than tourmaline that's probably the only other pink gems I've had. So for me, even the newer material is stunning

Thanks for your reply. And your avatar pic is stunning!