27 CT DEMANTOID. RUSSIAN. DEEP GREEN. UNCUT

[Oleg]

Guys, can you please help me out. I have this stone and I have no Idea what it is worth...

 

[Oleg]

here is another picture....

 

[chrono]

Are you absolutely sure it is a demantoid? How sure are you that it is of Russian origin?

 

[Jim Rentfrow]

The look of that piece is kind of suspect to me. I have never seen a piece of rough garnet with structure like that. It almost looks like a cut piece of synthetic boule to me. If it was demantoid garnet that would be worth several thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars.

 

[chrono]

Date: 3/15/2010 2:12:49 PM
Author: Jim Rentfrow
The look of that piece is kind of suspect to me. I have never seen a piece of rough garnet with structure like that. It almost looks like a cut piece of synthetic boule to me. If it was demantoid garnet that would be worth several thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars.

Ditto that. I''ve never seen demantoid rough look like that.

 

[baby nurse]

Wow! I can''t wait to hear more about this!

 

[RockHugger]

Ditto...demantoid rough is cubic. I dont see any cubic structure at all in that...

Also looks included...

I am not trying to be mean at all, just giving my honest opinion. I would have a small corner of it polished and RI test it.

 

[Oleg]

Well, the Russian origin is for sure. 100%. Whether it is a demantoid or not is questionable, but someone who already has seen it said it is. I thought it looks like one too.. look at these

 

[Oleg]

And also these...I mean the color is unmistakable.....and another thing, it definitely came from the ground. Also 100%

 

[T L]

Date: 3/15/2010 4:32:06 PM
Author: Oleg
And also these...I mean the color is unmistakable.....and another thing, it definitely came from the ground. Also 100%

No one can tell anything from a photo, so if you want to know for sure, send it to a reputable gemological laboratory like AGL or GIA. BTW, I don''t think your stone looks like those pieces of alluvial demantoid rough. Russian origin is not always definite because horsetail inclusions can be found in demantoids from other locations as well. Just because it''s a similar color means nothing as well.

 

[StonieGrl]

The third pic of your post looks like a Pala pic to me.

I thought this thread was an early April fool.

 

[Oleg]

I got some more pictures if you want...someone gimme an email address..they are not great quality pics though.... but it looks more cubic on some of them. Well anyway, I will be glad to hear any and all opinions on this.

 

[T L]

Date: 3/15/2010 4:36:31 PM
Author: Oleg
I got some more pictures if you want...someone gimme an email address..they are not great quality pics though.... but it looks more cubic on some of them. Well anyway, I will be glad to hear any and all opinions on this.

Oleg,
You're really wasting your time here because no one can tell you how much that is worth, or if it's even a real piece of demantoid, from a photograph. You're not doing yourself any favors by asking people to give definitive answers on a photograph of a very questionable piece of demantoid rough. I highly suggest that you send it to a lab if you think it's worth a great deal. AIGS is in Asia if you want to send it over there, or GIA and AGL in the United States, or GRS in Europe. All of these are highly reputable labs, and if it were me, and I thought I had a very valuable stone (a 27 carat clean demantoid is very valuable), I would send it there. Based on the lab report, you can then get an appraisal by someone that specializes in this color stone species. Good luck.

ETA: We're not allowed to give out personal information such as email addresses in this forum.

 

[Oleg]

It''s Russian. It was dug out by my friend in Russia, for sure. I know that to know what it is for sure i have to test it, but lets say it is what i think it is. How much are we talking about here?

 

[Oleg]

Thank you guys, I just wanted an opinion, definitely not a sure answer.... And I know I have to test it anyway through GIA. Just wanted to ask first..

 

[T L]

Date: 3/15/2010 4:55:45 PM
Author: Oleg
It's Russian. It was dug out by my friend in Russia, for sure. I know that to know what it is for sure i have to test it, but lets say it is what i think it is. How much are we talking about here?

I don't think anyone would dare to give a price on a 27 carat piece of demantoid rough in this forum. If it were real, you can tell nothing about color/clarity on the photographs. Even if it's huge, maybe only 3% of it might be facetable, we just do not know enough about it, and a photograph, or someone telling you something word of mouth, isn't good enough. There are other green stones that can be dug up in Eurasia, demantoid is not the only one. The issue is that it NEEDS TO BE EXAMINED IN PERSON.

 

[Oleg]

And another thing, some of you are experts so you know other experts. May be you could show it to them too. Thanks

 

[Jim Rentfrow]

Without a cert it is worthless because no one in their right mind would buy it unless it was from a highly reputable seller, even then, it would be certified by one of those labs mentioned. With a cert saying it is russian, and had good clarity I would not be surprised if it was worth more than 1,000 a carat or more for rough that size.

 

[LD]

Oleg - it may well be Russian but you might be better investigating Diopside or Quartz. In your first few photos it honestly looks like a synthetic BUT if not, I highly doubt it''s Demantoid. For a piece of rough that size, if it were Demantoid, it''s museum worthy not to mention mega $$$$$s.

 

[VapidLapid]

It may well be Russian and still be synthetic. It may even have come out of the ground, after someone put it there. It really does look like a pulled boule and has none of the signature garnet structure that would be expected in a natural stone.

 

[Pandora II]

Looks like a flame-fusion boule that someone stuck some mud on to me...

Let us know what the lab comes back with.

 

[Arkteia]

I just wonder...if he is sitting on 27 ct demantoid in Russia he may be unable or afraid to send it to any lab outside the country. If he is here and brought a real demantoid he should have it certified...although 27-ct sounds like Alladin's lamp.

 

[Michael_E]

Date: 3/15/2010 4:55:45 PM
Author: Oleg
It''s Russian. It was dug out by my friend in Russia, for sure. I know that to know what it is for sure i have to test it, but lets say it is what i think it is. How much are we talking about here?

If it''s a legitimate demantoid of that color and decent clarity then it''s worth a LOT. How much just depends on where you are willing and able to go to sell it. As for the outward appearance... it really doesn''t mean anything. Most really good gems are alluvial and have been river tumbled for thousands of years. This process destroys the stones which are weak and rounds off the exteriors of the rest. There are really good gemologists all over Russia and Europe. Finding one who can identify this and, if it''s valuable, put you in touch with the right people to sell it should be fairly easy.

 

[RevolutionGems]

Just to reiterate what others have said, the stone is suspicious at best because of its size alone.

Lets assume that it is what you think it is and is clean, 100% facetable. This would be an unspeakably rare stone, Smithsonian worthy that would be worth far more than "avarage" size demantoid on a per carat basis, perhaps 10''s of thousands per carat. Once cut, it would be worth perhaps twice that amount per carat.

I certainly hope it turns out to be what you think. Chances are though that it is a synthetic of some sort and could even just be a chunck of glass.

In any case, keep us posted.

 

[PrecisionGem]

How much did you pay for it? That''s a good indication of how much it''s worth.

 

[Nacre]

I can only comment on what i see here in the photo...

The material has no defining rhombic or cubic type faces. Most alluvial gems show some indication of at least one crystal face or growth shape if the material is hard enough. They are evident in the photos of the ''real'' crystals.

The colour green of the gem is very even for such a large specimen.

There outside of the material is very clean of any other rock material and there appears to be some curved etch markings on the surface of the material as if it has been worked into that shape.

What is the white powder substance on the stone and the fingers? Garnets are formed at the same temperature and pressure as diamonds ...not in a chalky powdery earth. If it came directly from an alluvial deposit the earth would still be darker than that at the catchment of the river bend trapped with lots of other junk. Opal miners hands have white chalk embedded into them..but these fingers are not from miners hands anyway...too soft...

Why is only one facet polished/cleaved? Boules cleave down the c-axis when they are synth corrundum, I am not sure if they would for a cubic structure. Could it be flux?? This specimen looks very man made to me.... from the photos provided.

 

[Barrett]

Looks like a boule to me..you can see the intermitent growth lines down the side in that second pic

 

[Oleg]

Everyone is so helpful and enthusiastic about this issue! I am very surprised, thank you. I have to get it to GIA somehow to know anything for sure... I will definitely let you know how everything turns out.