Tanzanite

[valeria101]

... and the trully worst

! Anythink scarier would make me run for my life

!

 

[AGBF]

Ok, AnA...why are the stones of which you posted photos bad? I am serious. They all appear to have beautiful color. Would you go over them one by one and tell me what your objections are to each?

Deb

 

[valeria101]

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On 12/5/2003 9:34:52 AM AGBF wrote:

Ok, AnA...why are the stones of which you posted photos bad? I am serious. They all appear to have beautiful color. Would you go over them one by one and tell me what your objections are to each?

Deb----------------

That was ajoke! I just gathered all the BEST looking tanzanites and sapphires (most are sapphires) with blue-violet color I could scoop in 15 minutes and posted them. All those have medium to dark tone and better than average saturation. they are top stones in the 1.5-2ct range, as far as I can tell. Joting down details will make a NOVEL! Cutting quality and model sets these apart: the material is quite nice in all.

 

[revargo99]

just wanted to share this 3.89ct tanzanite i picked up in bangkok. i keep hearing about tanzanite becoming scarce, i haven't heard anything like that in asia and there seems to be plenty and believe me the prices aren't that high there. why so expensive in the states??? in the carribean where there are tons of american tourists is where this scarcity rumor is coming from?? do ya think it is just a sales ploy?? if you want it you'd better but it now because they aren't going to be able to mine any more??? i am returning to asia to buy gems in january so i hope to find out more from my suppliers...but if anyone has been to tanzania lately and have contacts there what did you observe????

 

[valeria101]

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On 12/11/2003 4:14:48 PM revargo99 wrote:



Why so expensive in the states???
Because people can pay them! Oh and one charges less, the first customer reaction tends to be "why are these so cheap? There must be something wrong..." rather than more buying.

Do ya think it is just a sales ploy??
Yes

If anyone has been to tanzania lately and have contacts there what did you observe????
From my dear colleagues' notes: current production fluctuations are not unusual, and alternative sources have opened producing large, good color, but rather fractured rough. Also, more 'new' stones heat to green or greenish-blue than in the old deposit.

Well, tanzanite is not my passion, but do you have an online shop?

 

[elmo]

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On 12/12/2003 5:58:39 AM valeria101 wrote:
Why so expensive in the states???

Because people can pay them! Oh and one charges less, the first customer reaction tends to be 'why are these so cheap? There must be something wrong...' rather than more buying.
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This is a good point but let me argue the other side of this, in favor of the gem dealer here in the states. The dealer has to make a living here where it costs much more to live. He also uses his expertise to bring back the best stones possible and to decide what's natural not synthetic. A typical internet 10% diamond margin won't even pay for the trip to/from Asia in many cases I expect. I don't see a problem.

 

[coldfusion]

I don't know how standard it is, but you can try this scale:
http://www.tanzanitefoundation.com/grading3.htm

 

[AGBF]

I bought an oval tanzanite stone today. I don't have a photo, but I think the color looks good.

 

[Kamuelamom]

AGBF, I saw a tanzanite in the local jewelers a few weeks ago. It was the size and shape you wanted but I didn't think the color was what you wanted. It was more on the light side. But it was pretty and very expensive. It was about 10mm x dunno, 7mm (not sure) and was $974.

Glad you got something you like. Hope we can see a picture soon.

I really miss you posting often here. Come back soon.

 

[AGBF]

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On 1/21/2004 3:18:54 AM Kamuelamom wrote:


I really miss you posting often here.----------------

That is because you are such a sweetheart. What you write says far more about you than it does about me!

Kisses and hugs,
Deb

 

[valeria101]

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On 1/21/2004 12:34:19 AM AGBF wrote:


I bought an oval tanzanite stone today.
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Hei! Love the news! I am happy to hear that you found what you were looking for despite this long PS thread

.

 

[AGBF]

You last heard from me when I received two Tanzanites from Pala Gems and took them in to my local jeweler to discuss whether either would work well with the pear shaped diamond accent stones I had. While I was there I saw a gorgeous piece of Tanzanite saturated with color. It might have been a fine sapphire. It was too large for my purposes, but it made me sure that I didn't want to keep the stones from Pala. My friend Mona, who works there ("there" being Grunberger's Jewelers in Stamford, Connecticut), said she would ask the man who buys their Tanzanite to get some for me. Then I never heard back from her.

Yesterday I got a call from Mona who said that the store was going to send back the Tanzanite on Thursday. It sounded as if I was supposed to have known Tanzanite had *BEEN* here. Sure enough, Mona had called here three times previously but I had never gotten the message. I went in and saw five pieces of Tanzanite in the size range I wanted (one of the five was a bit big). Out of the five pieces, this one leaped out at me. I bought it on the spot. It is a 2.85 carat oval that measures 10.2 mm x 7.9 mm. The cost, before tax, was $2,075.00.

Gerard (who also works at Grunberger's) took this digital picture, but I do not feel it does the stone justice. The stone really just looks deep blue all over, although I am sure it has flashes of purple.

I am going to set this between two pear shaped diamond accent stones I bought from Jan and Brad (Diamond Brokers of Florida). Mona and I discussed the setting today. It will be in the style I like: classic and delicate. The band will be 18k yellow gold and the head will be platinum. each pear will have a V-prong at its tip. The prongs on all the stones will be as close to invisible as possible. The center stone will not be set too high. I think it will be beautiful.

 

[valeria101]

You've got a winner AGBF! If a picture taken under halogen light (is it?) looks like this, the stone should be a stunner in person! from this side of the screen I can surely admire a rare combination of dark tone and medium-strong saturation (if not an understatemnt) I wold not expect in tanzanite at all. This could have been a royal sapphire in a previous life! I surely hope your pear-shape diamonds will love their companion

Congratulations for a great stone (and the great deal on it to boot).

 

[AGBF]

Thanks, AnA. You have been a midwife to this birth . If you hadn't commented when the color was less than it could be I might not have looked farther. I do not know whether the picture was taken under halogen lamps, though. Gerard took it when I wasn't there. I assume he tried to find the place in which it would photograph *BEST*. I have seen it, though, and it *is* beautiful...even if this picture was not taken under halogen. Thank you for all your help in picking a stone.

Deborah

 

[Kamuelamom]

Deb, I love the depth of that blue. It will be gorgeous with those pears.

I can't wait to see the pics.

 

[AGBF]

My Tanzanite Ring

My tanzanite ring is finished. I took some photographs of it and also took down some information about the two men who executed it. (They have very interesting backgrounds and incredible education in bench jewelry making.)

I am going to start a new thread so that my ring doesn't get lost at the end of this thread. I am not sure whether it should be in this area or "Show Me The Ring", but since the readers of this forum are the ones who have followed its making, I think it is better kept here.

I thank you all so much for your help. I can honestly say that the stone would not be the one now set in my ring if it hadn't been for your input. AnA, you were just incredible, so a special thank you to you!

 

[AGBF]

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On 2/3/2004 10:37:41 AM Sagebrush wrote:

There is a great article on Tanzanite by Richard Wise in this month's issue of Colored Stone Magazine. The article is available on the web at http://www.colored-stone.com/stories/books/tanzanite.cfm. Really tells all about quality in this gemstone. Great photos of the best quality stones.

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Thank you, Dick!!! I am going to try to get that website right now!

Deb

 

[AGBF]

That article is *wonderful* and has made me want to study my new tanzanite both by day and under a lightbulb at night!!! I thoroughly understood the notion that a gem quality tanzanite would be more valuable when *small* since whenever I went looking for a tanzanite stone with good saturation I was told that the larger stones had it!!!! Thank you so much for sharing that knowledge, Sagebrush!

Colored Stones has become a really lively forum!!!