Thank you for my new addiction

[jbkhere]

So I started off here on PS looking for ideas for my WF pear mount. NOW I have a LIST of stones I want - how did this happen??

Any-whoo one of the many on the list is Jackson's Crossroad amethyst. So here are a few - can I get some opinions please?

9mm round 2.62ct

12x10 oval 4.72ct

14x10 pear 4.83ct (WHY can't this be 11x7? )

10mm radiant 4.88ct

Thanks all!

 

[minousbijoux]

They are all really pretty!

Love the intensity of the oval, but oval is my least favorite shape due to the hard to avoid half and half extinction. I would ask for more pics of that one. After that, from the photos it looks like the pear might have good color as well, but as you know it looks like there will be different intensity of color near the tip.

 

[minousbijoux]

Oh, and congratulations on graduating to full fledged addiction. Bwah hah hah hah!

 

[jbkhere]

Thanks Minous! Do you think all of these seem sort of pale in color?

 

[minousbijoux]

Unfortunately, I am not an expert on amethyst. I know from what I've read on this board that the really good amethyst, whether its from Uruguay or Jackson X, that it should be saturated purple and have the sparks of blue and red. If you search here, you should be able to find some really good examples.

 

[chrono]

My top choices arre the oval and pear.
Round - looks a bit pale
Oval - request more pictures or ask more quesitons
Pear - ditto
Princess - don't like the large blackish areas and somewhat not intense colouration.

With JXR material, they are well known for the blue flash and I'm barely making them out in both the oval and pear. Best to ask Brad if they are easily seen IRL or if the pictures are accurate. With the oval, I'd be cautions with the half/half extinction which seems to be common to the shape but certain oval designs escape this trait. Pears tend to concentrate colour at the tip, so this one needs more evaluation.

 

[jbkhere]

Can you please explain half/half extinction? Does it only happen in ovals?
At the moment I am least interested in oval shaped stones. Not to say I wouldn't have one - but it would have to be a WOW for me and this one isn't. If the pear were the size I was looking for for my mounting - I'd be all over it. But since its not - I don't think I want to have 2 pears at the moment -well not yet anyway.
I still have trouble determining if what I see is the stone - or a result of the lighting used to photograph the stone. I wondered about those black areas on the princess and the areas where it seems to have no color at all.

OK - back on the hunt for me! AND back to waiting for the FedEx man to arrive!! I have a tiny package coming from Canada today!!

Thank you all again ladies!!

 

[chrono]

This half/half is commonly seen in ovals and long rectangular cushions. It appears as though half the stone is dark, while the other half is lit. This delineating line happens exactly in the center, "cutting" the stone in half (width-wise).

You will see various shades of the same hue in a stone called contrast brilliance where there will be a few dark and light areas. This is normal and a good thing because the contrast brilliance gives the stone liveliness. Extinction is when the dark areas is prevalent and covers a good portion of the stone.

 

[ChrisA222]

I may be interested in one of those stones...can I ask where they are for sale? When Chrono mentioned Brad, I figured you meant the gem trader...but I dont see those on his website. Can someone please clue me in? Thanks!

 

[jbkhere]

Yep, they are Brad at the gem trader. I emailed him to ask if he had any JXR and these are the four he has. I'm so happy someone may get some! Please let me know if you so and include pics too please

 

[chrono]

I may be interested in one of those stones...can I ask where they are for sale? When Chrono mentioned Brad, I figured you meant the gem trader...but I dont see those on his website. Can someone please clue me in? Thanks!

My apologies - it could be someone else's but the pictures just look like his. He also does not always list everything on his website, like other vendors.

ETA
Lucky guess, I suppose, that it IS TGT's after all.

 

[erinl]

I purchased a 3.79 round and an 5.36 oval JXR from Brad last year. The color on mine is very nice. I am a bit of a fanatic about crown height, and the two I purchased have crowns that are a bit shallow imo. If this is an aesthetic concern for you I would ask him if you can get some side shots as well. Here are vendor shots of the two stones I purchased:

 

[ChrisA222]

I've never really paid attention to things like crown height...If I like the way the stone performs...the color and cut/ brilliance are almost equally important to me...then I'll want the gem, or at least like it. I have some awesome gems with almost no crown that still grab my attention..

I wish I could see your pics...I am just getting blank boxes with red x's ....lol.

If you don't love yours, you should list them on the bistro, I know someone who may be interested in purchasing. But I can't see the pics..haha