Your favorite gemstone?

[ClownFishFunk]

Hello everyone, neat post! My favorite gemstones tend to be anything blue or red. My top favorites are swiss blue topaz, aquamarine, and blue zircon for the blues, and for the reds generally garnets, red spinel, and rubies, but i'm pretty picky about the latter.

I've begun to notice my tastes change with the season...am I the only one like this? During the colder winter seasons I LOVE garnets (esp in white gold), and when springtime comes around I crave more light blues again. I've been thinking about getting a ring made with one of these various stones, but I can't decide if I should get a garnet because I'm worried once spring times comes I'm going to want a different stone again! Oh, what to do, what to do.

 

[Hest88]

Demantoids, but I also have quite a fondness for moonstones.

 

[mogok]

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On 2/17/2004 12:49:29 PM Hest88 wrote:

Demantoids, but I also have quite a fondness for moonstones. ----------------

Me too... I just love moonstones!

Just to please your eyes, these are moonstones from Mogok, Myanmar (ex-Burma)!
To my knowledge this is currently the only place in which we can find currently the top quality real blue sheen on a colorless bodycolor which was few years ago the mark of fine sri lankan gems... But the Sri Lankan stones are now near impossible to find in the market. So sad!
All the best,

 

[mogok]

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On 2/17/2004 11:44:02 AM Nicrez wrote:


Ooooh! I LOVE colored stones, but don't know SQUAT. Anyone have a good reference site or book to find out more and learn different colors/types? YAY! More jewelry!!!
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Hello, I will never stop to give the advise to anybody who want to learn about gemstone the excellent book from Walter schuman: "Gemstones of the world" which was my pocket book for years before I dicide to serioulsly study gemology. Now if you want to learn more about quality: the following is very good: "consumer guide to colored gemstones" from David federman. More expensive but may be the best ever written is "gemstones quality and value volume 1" from Yasukazu Suwa. He has also written his volume 3 about jewelry which is alse an excellent reference book.
These are my favorites but you have other books...

All the best,

 

[katbadness]

Hmmm.... this is tough...

I was about to say blue colored stones, but then realized that I also like green colored stones, red colored stones, orange colored stones. So the closest answer will be any stones that display a strong color.

On another note...
Mogok,
I was given a set of jewelry from my grandmother, who used to live in Burma for a while. All she knew of the stones were that they were called Mogok stones by locals. My mother thinks they're spinels, but isn't sure. Do local Burmese call spinels Mogok stones?

One stone in particular caught my attention. This is the center stone of the necklace in the set. It changes color from a bluish-green color to a purplish pink in incandescent lighting. Could this still be spinel? Or should I even dare think that this is an alexandrite?

 

[mogok]

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On 2/18/2004 1:43:16 PM katbadness wrote:

Mogok,
I was given a set of jewelry from my grandmother, who used to live in Burma for a while. All she knew of the stones were that they were called Mogok stones by locals. My mother thinks they're spinels, but isn't sure. Do local Burmese call spinels Mogok stones?

One stone in particular caught my attention. This is the center stone of the necklace in the set. It changes color from a bluish-green color to a purplish pink in incandescent lighting. Could this still be spinel? Or should I even dare think that this is an alexandrite?----------------

Hello Katbadness,

Well in Burma most people trying to sell stones to foreigners come to you and say "This is from Mogok" because of the high quality of the stones from Mogok... Some people are really trying to cheat you with overpriced low quality stones, some other just really believe that their stones are coming from Mogok. Exceptionnal stones are probably coming from Mogok for more than 2000 years! So even is Burmese people are possibly one of the most gemstone educated population is the world, there is place there for crooks, misnommers,...
Life in Burma under the military rule is difficult now for many people and many small dealers are fighting for survival with every deal!

About spinels they are found mainly in Mogok but also in some other mining area of secondary importance as Namya or Tanai. 99,99% or the spinel in the burmese markets are from the "Mogok Stone Tract" so spinels and rubies are sometimes called "Mogok stones" as a commercial argument in order to make a deal. Its just a little less subjective than to sell a ruby as "Pigeon blood" to a tourist.

About you center stone color change is possible in some spinels, it is also possible in mogok sapphires mainly from grey blue to pink purple. Alexandrite chrysoberyl is also known from Mogok. The thing is generally that if a stone shows some color change it does not mean that it is alexandrite: It can be garnet, sapphire, spinel, chrysoberyl... The best solution for you it to try to identify properly the stone in your grand mother necklace.

I join you a photo of a stone that was presented 2 years ago during an emporium sale in Yangon. This was a spinel (but I had first strong doubts about it because of the natural coated like surface) and it show as you can see in the photograph a strong difference of color from normal day light to transmited incandescent light. I dont have currently any clear photo of spinel with color change under 2 day light and incandescent reflected light so I cannot show you a real fine example now... But give me some time: I will get you a stone and take some pictures.

All the best,

 

[mogok]

Well to complete the photos I've send previously:
A selection of 4 fine red spinels from Burma: The 2 first one are Mogok red spinels: You can see some orange on the photo (I guess if you have similar screen setting as mine) but depending of the light used to see the stone: There is orange or no. The thrird one is a lovely Mogok hot pink and the last one an exceptional 5 carats Namya spinel!

I just get these stones...

Color, cut...

Well spinel is really nice and of course: No treatment of any kind!

I just love spinels!

All the best,

 

[elmo]

I got the light and exposure right on these for a change so I couldn't resist posting along with Mogok's spinel pics.

p.s. It is a *very widespread misconception* that spinel can't be treated...in response I'd be happy to upload a scan of a report for one showing "moderate indication of clarity enhancement" with the substance identified (I believe using Raman spectroscopy) as an oil. That one was a really beautiful spinel otherwise, but the Asian supplier couldn't resist the temptation to apply oil to a surface breaking fracture...it went back

.

 

[AGBF]

Is that your stone, elmo? What type is it? I saw that the ruby was your favorite stone, but didn't see (in this thread) that you owned one. Do you? Is this picture of it? Where did it come from? Where did you get it?

Now I see it's a spinel. Did you just edit your posting above to explain that or did I miss it the first time!!??

 

[elmo]

AGBF, yes I added that later, it is my spinel...elmo has Burma ruby taste but a Burma spinel budget

. I'll do credits later when it's set.

There was some discussion a few days ago about "flame" spinel vs. straight red spinel. I'm curious what folks would call this.

 

[AGBF]

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On 2/21/2004 2:33:49 PM elmo wrote:

"AGBF, yes I added that later, it is my spinel...elmo has Burma ruby taste but a Burma spinel budget

."


So does AGBF.


"There was some discussion a few days ago about 'flame' spinel vs. straight red spinel. I'm curious what folks would call this."


I don't know, but it is beautiful!

 

[Colored Gemstone Nut]

'There was some discussion a few days ago about 'flame' spinel vs. straight red spinel. I'm curious what folks would call this.'


I don't know, but it is beautiful!
----------------[/quote]


Just some added info on flame spinels..Spinels, because they are singly refractive CAN sometimes appear a little more sparkly than rubies. Red spinels have very strong red fluorescence which is similar to fine ruby. They have strong emission lines “orange pipe” in the red part of the spectrum. When Spinel is deep yellow orangy to light red-orange, it is called Flame Spinel.. Distinguishing characteristics of flame spinels are its brilliance & fire. All Spinels can have an orangy overtone, this overtone may vary from one color grade to another. modifying colors of each stone is "typically" different, but they can also cross sometimes looking very close especially rubies and spinels.

I have Burma Ruby taste too AGBF.. Unfortunately I have a tight budget to work with..

 

[mogok]

Hello,
Like that on my screen your stone is red with a little bit of pink. Not enough yellow to go to flame spinel cathegory. This looks to be a very pretty stone!
Congratulation: good taste!

 

[Trinity]

I love aquamarine and
Blue zircon

 

[Mara]

Diamonds of course...white and yellow.

Second would be aquamarines...loved that Tiffany diamond pave aquamarine they had for a while on the homepage..yummy blue.




I adore most blues and greens.




I really like the look of some of the olive octagon tourmalines as well.




And some of the octagon pale pink tourms are charming as well. Not a huge fan of reds.

 

[titania]

My first post... ever! Had to chime in on this one... i love tourmalines - any color.