Some opinions on Amethyst ...

[haagen_dazs]

Hi folks

I was browsing through some Amethyst

There is quite a big price difference between these trillions.
Similar shape and weight and dimensions.

I suppose the Uruguayan origin is more valuable than from Zambia ?
Uruguayan Amethyst: 5.4 ct.

Amethyst - 3.41 carats

I thought this would make a nice size pendant necklace.
Any opinions?
The photo looks really nice and I have seen some concane stone photos taken my members here.
Very interesting look to them
Amethyst - 19.55 carats

 

[T L]

Date: 10/23/2009 4:00:55 PM
Author:haagen_dazs
Hi folks

I was browsing through some Amethyst

There is quite a big price difference between these trillions.
Similar shape and weight and dimensions.

I suppose the Uruguayan origin is more valuable than from Zambia ?
Uruguayan Amethyst: 5.4 ct.Amethyst - 3.41 carats

I thought this would make a nice size pendant necklace.
Any opinions?
The photo looks really nice and I have seen some concane stone photos taken my members here.
Very interesting look to them
Amethyst - 19.55 carats

I wouldn''t say that Uruguay is better than Zambia or vice versa. They have comparable coloration. I have owned both. You really can''t go wrong with rich color in an African or Uruguayan amethyst, but I would stay away from Brazilian material. It tends to be much more inferior than both those other locales

 

[ma re]

That 5 ct stone is much more expensive not because of locality or larger size, but mostly due to the shade of color which is more rare for amethysts - that 3 ct one has a much more common shade of purple that''s not as deep, hence not as valuable. And eventhough I''d consider the larger one to be a bit too dark, it''s still very pretty and quite unusual shade, which reminds slightly of rhodolite.

 

[haagen_dazs]

hi all
i am interested in buying the 19.55ct amethyst
the link doesnt work and the image is not there because its on hold

for a price of about 280usd, is that reasonable?
its a concave cut fat pear shape

the dimensions are

length x width x depth.
19.20 is the length from the tip to the bottom
19.10 is the width from left to right
11.20 is the depth


do you think that will be difficult to mount/set for a pendant?
is that anywhere near a calibrated size?

 

[Michael_E]

Date: 11/4/2009 4:56:08 PM
Author: haagen_dazs

do you think that will be difficult to mount/set for a pendant?

is that anywhere near a calibrated size?

No, that would not be difficult to set, BUT you will need a custom made setting for it, since there are no stock settings that would easily fit it. You could modify a stock setting, but by the time you were all done you be better off and about the same cost as just having a setting made. This is the type of setting which is much better being made from assembled pieces than being made as a 3D model and cast.

 

[haagen_dazs]

Date: 11/4/2009 5:17:21 PM
Author: Michael_E

This is the type of setting which is much better being made from assembled pieces than being made as a 3D model and cast.

how much do you think such a setting would cost?
assembled pieces means the setter would combine the prongs and base together to eventually have a setting to fit this size stone?

 

[haagen_dazs]

Date: 10/23/2009 4:21:00 PM
Author: tourmaline_lover

but I would stay away from Brazilian material. It tends to be much more inferior than both those other locales

oh could you elaborate why so?
the concave 19ct stone from AJS is from Brazil...

newbie at all this stuff..
thanks

 

[Michael_E]

Date: 11/4/2009 5:44:14 PM
Author: haagen_dazs

how much do you think such a setting would cost?

assembled pieces means the setter would combine the prongs and base together to eventually have a setting to fit this size stone?

Assembled means taking wire and bar stock, cutting forming and soldering all of the parts together into something which will hold your stone properly. Cost ? That quite variable and depends on material used, who does it and where they''re located. I think that some of the folks here are sending stones off to Asia to have work done at very low costs. Some are having things done by folks on Etsy, a little higher, but still fairly low cost. I''d guess anywhere from $200 to about $900 or more depending on how complex you want it. Pretty wide estimate isn''t it ?

 

[haagen_dazs]

Date: 11/4/2009 7:26:33 PM
Author: haagen_dazs

Date: 10/23/2009 4:21:00 PM

Author: tourmaline_lover


but I would stay away from Brazilian material. It tends to be much more inferior than both those other locales

oh could you elaborate why so?

the concave 19ct stone from AJS is from Brazil...


newbie at all this stuff..

thanks

this is how the stone looks like
you think the purple hue is a good colour?

hopefully ppl can advice me on this
thank you!

 

[movie zombie]

i don''t think you can evaluate this stone based on the picture. most pictures of stones are photoshopped and will look different in person....usually darker. also, the stone appears to be concave cut which is going to look very different from the other faceted stones. its all a matter of taste.

mz

 

[Arcadian]

a 19ct stone is going to look....big. That stone in particular is a lovely color but will look...big. (trust me, thats not a bad thing!) If you go with a complete custom setting, you're going to find that there are some differences in cost depending on what metal is used and how much detail is needed for the setting. I would contact a few custom designers to see what their lead time would be, and if you know whats in your budget you could clue them on that too.

I haven't received my AJS stone yet, but I don't think that they photoshop. They have a good reputation and many have said that their stones are close to matching of the photos on the site. I do think that the stone has light on it like many gem sellers do, so that you can see the detail. I'm pretty sure they also shot this in macro which will also show lots of detail up close. But yes, there are those that will photoshop their stones to a more ideal or pleasing color, or even photoshop out inclusions.

That said, a stone in hand can sometimes look different from the website considering it may not be seen in the same light all the time, and concave cuts do look VERY different from a more traditionally faceted stone in person because of how they reflect light. I liken it to more of a flash rather than a sparkle. A concave cut that executed well is a true thing of beauty

Mark, you may want to go in for a test spend with something less expensive if there's a concern. You would have to mail it back to Thailand if you don't like it which can sometimes be a bit of a hassle.

An easier way would be to just purchase from someone in the US. That way if its not to your liking you don't have to mail it to the seller overseas.

It can be a gamble sometimes when you're buying a stone unseen, no matter whom it comes from.


-A

 

[chrono]

Uruguayan amethyst is well known for their red flash, hence a higher price for them. That said, I always buy based on the stone itself, not its origin. Looking at both pictures, the 5 ct stone has a deeper richer colour (hence a more expensive price). However, it is too dark for my taste though. The smaller one has a more common commercial purple amethyst colour, hence the lower pricetag. The AJS amethyst looks decent but I try to not judge on just one picture. Did you ask for additional pictures? A pavilion view? A picture on the back of the hand? I agree with the others that concave cutting is an acquired taste. Not everyone likes them. With such a large size, you may not be able to find a stock setting for the stone. The process of setting is no different so it will not be any more difficult than any other gemstone.

MZ,
I’m not sure how AJS does their picture taking but for the most part, I find their pictures to be accurate, especially the extra pictures I requested. They are a reputable outfit that I will not hesitate to purchase from them again.

Arcadian,
AJS has a US office, so a return is easy; no need to mail it back to Thailand. I made sure of this before I purchased my red spinel from them.

 

[Arcadian]

Date: 11/5/2009 8:06:28 AM
Author: Chrono

Uruguayan amethyst is well known for their red flash, hence a higher price for them. That said, I always buy based on the stone itself, not its origin. Looking at both pictures, the 5 ct stone has a deeper richer colour (hence a more expensive price). However, it is too dark for my taste though. The smaller one has a more common commercial purple amethyst colour, hence the lower pricetag. The AJS amethyst looks decent but I try to not judge on just one picture. Did you ask for additional pictures? A pavilion view? A picture on the back of the hand? I agree with the others that concave cutting is an acquired taste. Not everyone likes them. With such a large size, you may not be able to find a stock setting for the stone. The process of setting is no different so it will not be any more difficult than any other gemstone.

MZ,
I’m not sure how AJS does their picture taking but for the most part, I find their pictures to be accurate, especially the extra pictures I requested. They are a reputable outfit that I will not hesitate to purchase from them again.

Arcadian,
AJS has a US office, so a return is easy; no need to mail it back to Thailand. I made sure of this before I purchased my red spinel from them.

This is REALLY good to know!

-A

 

[haagen_dazs]

HI guys

Thanks for your replies

Yeah I have been bitten by the coloued gemstone bug!!
Argh Blame this forum.

I wanted to see what a concave cut is.
Perhaps this is indeed a gamble which I am inclined to take.

I asked for photos but I think Jung just said the photos are representative of their actual stones and in his words

"It is a beautiful concave cut gem with a beautiful medium purple color and it looks the same in all light. ''

I have read enough reviews to know AJS photos represent their stones quite well so i dont believe they are photoshoped.



Chrono : this is fantastic to know that they have an office in the USA. that makes me all the more less worried about shipping things back to thailand!


guys do you think the price is right?
the 19ct comes out to be about 15usd/ct

thats just a normal price right?
is the stone a bargain because its concave or is it just fairly priced?

 

[haagen_dazs]

Date: 11/5/2009 2:06:41 AM
Author: Arcadian
I haven''t received my AJS stone yet,
-A

hi arcadian
what did you buy?
how long has it been since its shipped?
i wonder how long it takes to get stuff from ajs to the usa

 

[chrono]

I will continue to ask for a side view and a view of the stone on the hand. Explain that you want to see the body colour and the cutting better, and that you don’t want to waste time and $ shipping it back and forth. I think the asking price is fair.

 

[haagen_dazs]

Date: 11/5/2009 8:06:28 AM
Author: Chrono
before I purchased my red spinel from them.

did you keep your red spinel?
how did you like it?

 

[chrono]

Yes, I did and I love it. The colour is just right; I asked for stoplight red and it is as represented. Mine has an internal feather that can be seen from the pavilion view (doesn’t reach the surface) but I expected that since I could see it if I stared hard at the extra picture I requested. If not for the extra pictures, I would be caught by surprise. That said, stones are graded face up so AJS didn’t do anything wrong. The stone is clean in the face up position. It’s just that I prefer to know as much as I can about the stone before forking my money over. The 1.5 ct red spinel is the replacement stone for a heirloom ring with a fractured reddish purple sapphire.

 

[haagen_dazs]

Date: 11/5/2009 11:14:04 AM
Author: Chrono
I asked for stoplight red and it is as represented.

a fractured reddish purple sapphire.

did your sapphire broke in half?

do you have photos of your spinel to share? (and that feather too! )

thanks

i love deep saturated vivid reds
yum!

 

[chrono]

It was a very old stone and setting passed down from my great grandfather. 1/3 of the pavilion cleaved off and there are numerous fracture lines visible from the back. Face up, the stone looks fine.

 

[chrono]

You can see the feather in this picture.

 

[chrono]

A poor picture of the stone and heirloom setting, but it''ll have to do.

 

[haagen_dazs]

woowwwwwwwww

for sapphires and ruby
they are very hard (almost like diamonds)
however are the sapphires similar to diamonds in that sapphires chip and are brittle even though they are very hard too?

 

[movie zombie]

Date: 11/5/2009 10:50:14 AM
Author: Chrono
I will continue to ask for a side view and a view of the stone on the hand. Explain that you want to see the body colour and the cutting better, and that you don’t want to waste time and $ shipping it back and forth. I think the asking price is fair.

this is excellent advice and will allow you to see the stone in perhaps different lighting as well.

not attempting to slam the vendor....the picture posted just didn''t look real. vendor has a good reputation and reasonable stones for reasonable prices. $15/carat is not unreasonable for that amethyst!

mz

 

[chrono]

Thanks, Mark. Sapphire and diamonds aren’t brittle but by the same token, they aren’t indestructible. They are both tough and hard, resistant to scratching but a knock in the right place...

 

[Arcadian]

Date: 11/5/2009 10:42:41 AM
Author: haagen_dazs

Date: 11/5/2009 2:06:41 AM
Author: Arcadian
I haven't received my AJS stone yet,
-A

hi arcadian
what did you buy?
how long has it been since its shipped?
i wonder how long it takes to get stuff from ajs to the usa

Mark I ordered a hot pink spinel. Mine is on the very slow boat so could take anywhere from 10 to 30 days. No biggie, I'm not in a hurry. If you do need it fast, you would do best to choose the 2-4 day shipping.

-A

 

[LD]

I would think twice about having that size Amethyst (or anything that size) in a pendant. If you search on my name you''ll see a trilliant cut Amethyst of around the same size that I own. I don''t wear it. Why? Because it''s so deep that it twists and also stands so far away from my body that it''s a bit too much bling! It''s definitely not an everyday piece.

 

[haagen_dazs]

Date: 11/5/2009 1:21:22 PM
Mark I ordered a hot pink spinel. Mine is on the very slow boat so could take anywhere from 10 to 30 days. No biggie, I''m not in a hurry. If you do need it fast, you would do best to choose the 2-4 day shipping.


-A

hi A
What kind of shipping option did you choose?
I was given an option of Fedex or Registered mail
I dont really know the difference for both types coming from Thailand....

 

[chrono]

I choose Fedex - fast and safe.

 

[haagen_dazs]

Date: 11/5/2009 1:46:22 PM
Author: LovingDiamonds
I don''t wear it. Why? Because it''s so deep that it twists and also stands so far away from my body that it''s a bit too much bling! It''s definitely not an everyday piece.

oh shucks , you are freaking me out..
ahh decisions decisions,...
i saw your pendant
it has a beautiful colour
i encourage you to wear it more often!