Uh-Oh what about these stones?

[hoofbeats95]

Date: 1/22/2009 10:19:15 PM
Author: tourmaline_lover

Date: 1/22/2009 10:08:49 PM
Author: hoofbeats95
TL - no I don''t see any grey or brown in that stone. It''s a very nice color, though I''d like to see it in person. Because in all honesty for some reason that stone doesn''t look as ''clear'' to me as it should be. It''s definitely not murky, but the only word I can think of is not clear. Does that make any sense? Overall the color is gorgeous though.

Now in my example - the tourmaline at the bottom of this page: http://www.finewatergems.com/tourmaline.html What''s wrong with it? I don''t see any grey. I don''t ''think'' I see any brown, but I haven''t seen any samples of brown and I have seen many comments about grey on this board. Can you analyze this one for me? Thanks a ton. I have learned a lot from you in the short time I''ve been on PS.

The issue with that stone is that it''s lightly saturated. Saturation, extinction, cut, as well as hues (primary and secondary) and their proportions, reflect the important variables when buying a stone. It''s a very rare thing to get all of these variables lined up to perfection, and if you do, well . . .

. Therefore, it''s best to look at those variables in a range that you can afford. The stone on finewatergems site is a bright stone, and pleasing to the eye in the photograph. At least there''s no extinction, and my guess is it won''t go murky in various light sources. If I were to get that stone, I would set it in a bezel or a heavy gallery to help give it a bit more color. It also has yellow as a secondary hue, and while some people might like that, some people prefer a seconary hue of blue in their mint green tourmalines (see the third stone down on that page). It''s subjective.

The stone you''re looking at in the above photo is clean, it''s just well cut so all the light coming in is reflected back out in that amazing color. If you saw a big window in that stone, then it would probably look clean to you. It''s really difficult to discern a nice stone in a two dimensional representation. The finest neon blue/green tourmalines in the world are reminsicent of the blue waters of the tropics like the Carribean. Compre the color of that stone to the water in the picture.

Wow - ok. So I also have a hard time understanding saturation because I think it''s opposite of what I thought it was. I would prefer blue as a secondary hue and I don''t really see yellow in the stone that I pointed out. Hmm? He also doesn''t say anything about yellow either. I definitely see how the one you posted compares to the carribean waters! Pretty cool. I should just hire you to find me a tourmaline. I also should know that any that are remaining on all these sites are not worth looking at. It''s going to have to be one that I snap up right when it''s put on one of the sites. Everything currently up seems to be "PS leftovers" so to speak and are not worthy. . . . well unless the price tag is really really high.

 

[T L]

Date: 1/23/2009 9:44:41 AM
Author: hoofbeats95

Wow - ok. So I also have a hard time understanding saturation because I think it's opposite of what I thought it was. I would prefer blue as a secondary hue and I don't really see yellow in the stone that I pointed out. Hmm? He also doesn't say anything about yellow either. I definitely see how the one you posted compares to the carribean waters! Pretty cool. I should just hire you to find me a tourmaline. I also should know that any that are remaining on all these sites are not worth looking at. It's going to have to be one that I snap up right when it's put on one of the sites. Everything currently up seems to be 'PS leftovers' so to speak and are not worthy. . . . well unless the price tag is really really high.

If you look at that stone in comparison to the third one down on that page, the yellow secondary hue might be a bit more evident. He doesn't say anything about yellow, but in the third one down with the checkerboard faceting, he does mention that it has a bit more blue in it. The bottom one also has blue in it, but not as much as the third one down. Since blue and yellow are really two components of green, I tend to think it has a bit more yellow in the mix than the blue. JMO. Others are welcome to disagree. It's a pretty stone.

Your second comment I highligted made me LOL!! Thanks for the funny remark.

 

[hoofbeats95]

Well don''t you think there is some truth in that comment?

I''ve searched several sites and feel like it''s all leftovers.

That with the fact that I''m just too slow like yesterday with the pink spinel.

 

[T L]

If you're interested in a particular stone, then your best bet would be to email the cutters to see if they have a similar stone or piece of rough in stock, or if they can obtain a piece of rough for you. If they do obtain rough for you though, they might get a bit upset if you don't commit to buying it after it is cut. They don't always list their full inventory, so it's good to ask. However, that being said, I do think there is a bit of truth to your statement, but I have also seen beautiful stones sit on a website forever without moving because it's not the "cut, color, or flavor of the month" or the photography was bad. Since the LOGR craze, I also think people are buying a lot more since it's more affordable to get a nice setting for them.

Here's a nice and semi-affordable pink spinel that hasn't sold yet. However, I'm not an expert on spinels. I suspect it didn't sell because of the odd shape (difficult to set) and it has some inclusions, but he said it's eyeclean. I do like the color and saturation on the stone though, and it's Burmese.

http://www.acstones.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=9&idproduct=2597

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Tourmaline Lover - I have been oggling that spinel as well. The other, adularescent stone as well.

 

[hoofbeats95]

Thanks TL. I have looked at that one. But any triangular shape is my least favorite cut of them all. Especially not what I want for my first gemstone purchase. The two trillion rings that I currently have I never wear.

 

[hoofbeats95]

While we are analyzing the leftovers, what is wrong with the pink one at the bottom of this page? http://www.precisiongem.com/html/html/Spinel.html

Is it just the funky cut. Cause I think that''s kind of cool actually. It''s caught my eye several times. I''d like to see a video clip of it though. Not sure what it looks like IRL. It would be cool though cause I could set it in a round setting but it would have a squarish look going on too.

 

[T L]

Date: 1/23/2009 2:53:46 PM
Author: hoofbeats95
While we are analyzing the leftovers, what is wrong with the pink one at the bottom of this page? http://www.precisiongem.com/html/html/Spinel.html

Is it just the funky cut. Cause I think that's kind of cool actually. It's caught my eye several times. I'd like to see a video clip of it though. Not sure what it looks like IRL. It would be cool though cause I could set it in a round setting but it would have a squarish look going on too.

Email Gene about it. He's very nice to deal with. I would ask him if it has grey or brownish undertones.
That round is similar to the many of the cushions he has cut with a checkerboard crown.

 

[T L]

I just wanted to say that the "leftovers" we''re analyzing are probably better than 99% of the gems you see at your average B&M store.

 

[hoofbeats95]

Date: 1/23/2009 4:37:04 PM
Author: tourmaline_lover
I just wanted to say that the ''leftovers'' we''re analyzing are probably better than 99% of the gems you see at your average B&M store.

Agreed! But I''m kind of a perfectionist.

Plus I can be indecisive. I like to be educated before making a decision. So that''s what I''m trying to do - get educated. I''m learning a lot. Probably faster than I can absorb it. You all are so patient! I appreciate that.