cc garnet from Finewater

[Arkteia]

OK my garnet is here. I think he is cute and feisty, like a young teenager. I like him, but would like go get your opinion since I am so new.
This is incandescent light - I still had no time to establish any decent system for photography, just tried to avoid shadow from my head

 

[Arkteia]

another one...

 

[Arkteia]

And another...too bad you can not see how fiery it is - my pictures are very amateurish

 

[Arkteia]

sparkly...

 

[Arkteia]

This was late daytime blue (taken indoors, close to the window)

 

[Arkteia]

So...what do you think? Personally, I like it. It such such a tiny thing, just 7.1 mm in diameter, but feisty, like a small dog. Opinions welcome, even if they differ from mine

 

[chrono]

Not too tiny at 7.1 mm at all. The colour change looks quite strong and although dark, it shows good flash. If not too expensive, it could well be a keeper.

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

That''s a really fun color changer - I say keep it

 

[Arkteia]

Thank you, Chrono and Brown.Eyed.Girl. I don''t know what expensive is these days - everything seems to be given the fact that I yet have to set it. But I like it, and it does change color. So if you do not see anything wrong with the cut or the color, I''ll keep it. BTW, this stone looks better in daylight. Mine are "nighters", like myself.

I have a green tourmaline that I bought without knowing that it is a daytime stone. Bottom line, though, the setting is very nice, and it is all diamonds. Hopefully, this CCG will fit in. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Oh, and since Gary cuts his stones himself, I assume I don''t need to send it for verification, or do I still need to?

 

[Fly Girl]

Very nice color change. That one was my favorite of the bunch. I like it a lot. I''ve been lusting after a blue to reddish color change garnet for a while now.

 

[chrono]

I wouldn''t worry about lab certification since it''s from Gary.

 

[ma re]

A very nice stone! I see nothing wrong with it at all.

 

[oddoneout]

I really like the colour change. Very interesting.

 

[Lovinggems]

That''s a nice colour change!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I like it, the color change looks great.

 

[RevolutionGems]

I''d be on that stone like stink on...well you know. A definite keeper.

 

[T L]

Date: 1/22/2010 9:47:32 PM
Author: crasru
This was late daytime blue (taken indoors, close to the window)

I don''t think 7.1mm is small at all for such a stone, and I like that it''s daytime color is blue. That''s the rarest color for a garnet.

 

[Arkteia]

Thank you all. For opinions and advices. I pulled it out - yes, the color change is definite and very noticeable. To keep. Unfortunately, I found out that I also liked my tourmaline that I wanted to take out of its setting. (TL won''t even stand close to me if I wore such a stone). So. off to a new setting! This time I want something more traditional, it should be easier. Haven''t yet found a setting for my spinel, it calls for an interesting idea, and I ran out of them.

 

[Kim Bruun]

I hope you guys won''t give me a hard time for saying this, and I''m probably the only one who feels this way: My problem with alexandrites and cc garnets is that the green or greenish blue tends to be a little too much on the grayish side for my taste, while the red or purplish red frequently betrays a hint of brown. I like the idea of a stone changing colour, but the trick is less appealing when it changes between two colours that I don''t find attractive.

Your stone seems rather dark, but your photography does show a dramatic change in colour. If you''re in love with the stone, then keep it and enjoy it. I still think your fried egg spess is gorgeous, though! And hey, I just bought a really inky dark blue spinel, which I showed to the kids at work. "Is that black...?" they said, obviously unimpressed. They liked my new sphene, though.

 

[Arkteia]

Date: 1/23/2010 1:44:36 PM
Author: Kim Bruun
I hope you guys won''t give me a hard time for saying this, and I''m probably the only one who feels this way: My problem with alexandrites and cc garnets is that the green or greenish blue tends to be a little too much on the grayish side for my taste, while the red or purplish red frequently betrays a hint of brown. I like the idea of a stone changing colour, but the trick is less appealing when it changes between two colours that I don''t find attractive.

Your stone seems rather dark, but your photography does show a dramatic change in colour. If you''re in love with the stone, then keep it and enjoy it. I still think your fried egg spess is gorgeous, though! And hey, I just bought a really inky dark blue spinel, which I showed to the kids at work. ''Is that black...?'' they said, obviously unimpressed. They liked my new sphene, though.

Thank you for your honest opinion! I, for one, am not going to give you hard time because there are some people who are fascinated by color changers, and then there are people who see them for what they are: two alternating colors, now let''s see, would I buy each of them separately? My answer is, no, but then I happen to like color changers.
Well, part of it is my photography, but you are right: purple is darkish and brownish, but it has reddish sparkes in it which I could not capture. As to blue, I don''t think it has a grey mask, my camera does not capture green or blue very well (it seems that many cameras are like this! TL and LD seem to have the same problem, or so they said). And there is a very pronounced color change.
I consider kids to be better judges of color. They do not know the market value and "pedigree" is nothing to them, so they either like it or not. In my profession I deal with kids and adults 50/50, and kids always make a better choice when it comes to judging jewelry. If only I could deduct the price of my better stones as office expences...(LOL! One doesn''t joke about taxes but there is so much sadness around...)

 

[T L]

Date: 1/23/2010 1:44:36 PM
Author: Kim Bruun
I hope you guys won''t give me a hard time for saying this, and I''m probably the only one who feels this way: My problem with alexandrites and cc garnets is that the green or greenish blue tends to be a little too much on the grayish side for my taste, while the red or purplish red frequently betrays a hint of brown. I like the idea of a stone changing colour, but the trick is less appealing when it changes between two colours that I don''t find attractive.

Your stone seems rather dark, but your photography does show a dramatic change in colour. If you''re in love with the stone, then keep it and enjoy it. I still think your fried egg spess is gorgeous, though! And hey, I just bought a really inky dark blue spinel, which I showed to the kids at work. ''Is that black...?'' they said, obviously unimpressed. They liked my new sphene, though.

I actually agree with you 100% Kim, but I think color changers hold a different fascination for some who collect them. There are more saturated color change stones, but they are extremely difficult to find, and when you do, they are very very expensive, such as some very fine alexandrites. I''m strictly talking blue/green to red/pink/purple color changes, not the kind that are brown to yellow, or color shifters.

 

[D&T]

I actually love it! That color change is very distinct. The size is quite nice too! but depends on how you like your gem. I''m starting to love larger and larger size gems now a days and anything over 6mm is large for me

 

[colormyworld]

Date: 1/23/2010 3:57:13 PM
Author: tourmaline_lover

Date: 1/23/2010 1:44:36 PM
Author: Kim Bruun
I hope you guys won''t give me a hard time for saying this, and I''m probably the only one who feels this way: My problem with alexandrites and cc garnets is that the green or greenish blue tends to be a little too much on the grayish side for my taste, while the red or purplish red frequently betrays a hint of brown. I like the idea of a stone changing colour, but the trick is less appealing when it changes between two colours that I don''t find attractive.

Your stone seems rather dark, but your photography does show a dramatic change in colour. If you''re in love with the stone, then keep it and enjoy it. I still think your fried egg spess is gorgeous, though! And hey, I just bought a really inky dark blue spinel, which I showed to the kids at work. ''Is that black...?'' they said, obviously unimpressed. They liked my new sphene, though.

I actually agree with you 100% Kim, but I think color changers hold a different fascination for some who collect them. There are more saturated color change stones, but they are extremely difficult to find, and when you do, they are very very expensive, such as some very fine alexandrites. I''m strictly talking blue/green to red/pink/purple color changes, not the kind that are brown to yellow, or color shifters.

I am pretty sure that alex and cc garnets arer never strongly saturated. To use a phrase from GSN, A three saturation would be top gem world class material. I am affraid You can not get away from the gray or browns that these stones have.

 

[Arkteia]

Date: 1/23/2010 4:06:45 PM
Author: colormyworld

Date: 1/23/2010 3:57:13 PM
Author: tourmaline_lover

Date: 1/23/2010 1:44:36 PM
Author: Kim Bruun
I hope you guys won''t give me a hard time for saying this, and I''m probably the only one who feels this way: My problem with alexandrites and cc garnets is that the green or greenish blue tends to be a little too much on the grayish side for my taste, while the red or purplish red frequently betrays a hint of brown. I like the idea of a stone changing colour, but the trick is less appealing when it changes between two colours that I don''t find attractive.

Your stone seems rather dark, but your photography does show a dramatic change in colour. If you''re in love with the stone, then keep it and enjoy it. I still think your fried egg spess is gorgeous, though! And hey, I just bought a really inky dark blue spinel, which I showed to the kids at work. ''Is that black...?'' they said, obviously unimpressed. They liked my new sphene, though.

I actually agree with you 100% Kim, but I think color changers hold a different fascination for some who collect them. There are more saturated color change stones, but they are extremely difficult to find, and when you do, they are very very expensive, such as some very fine alexandrites. I''m strictly talking blue/green to red/pink/purple color changes, not the kind that are brown to yellow, or color shifters.

I am pretty sure that alex and cc garnets arer never strongly saturated. To use a phrase from GSN, A three saturation would be top gem world class material. I am affraid You can not get away from the gray or browns that these stones have.

LD had mentioned it, and I also read in in Richard Wise''s book: alexandrites are not beautiful stones. I love the evening color of my alex, I think purple/red is very pronounced, and daycolor is washed out and greyish, but maybe it is the cut. But there are people who are captivated by the shift, that is all. I find this garnet unusual, the shift being much stronger than in any other stone I saw IRL, except for my alex. So I, for one, am very happy with it, because I got what I always wanted: a strong color changer. It looks nice close to my alex: the nighttime of my alex makes the brownish of the garnet go away (why? unclear), and daytime blue of the garnet makes alex''s daytime look nicer. I have no clue why it happens, it should be the opposite, maybe it is all in my mind. Also, this one has a round cut, and a very nice for a change, compliments to Gary, he seems to value his work and seems to adhere to "price per quality", not "price per carat" principle. I think it will look perfect size-wise in a proper setting. I just have to look for the setting since it is a garnet, it has to be protective but also not cover the stone too much to draw attention to the color change.

 

[Arkteia]

And BTW, my photography is exactly like the substance to which Jeff's stink would stick (see above), so in life the stone is much better.

Jeff, still have not found an empty milk carton to make a better "photography room"! They seem to dissapear to soon, probably have to rummage through garbage bins for the sake of high art...

 

[Arkteia]

I asked Gary if he had better pictures of the stone. I showed mine to my son and he liked it. He said it was "purple" and "blue", hence they are purple and blue!

 

[yssie]

I''m a newbie, but it looks very pretty

the blue and purple colours are very distinct!

 

[Luckyeshe]

Beautiful! Love how the color changed!

 

[Arkteia]

Thank you all for being so supportive. Frankly, I decided to keep the stone as soon as I saw it, it was such an amazing effect. But it is always nice to hear that other people like it, too.

 

[rosetta]

i liked this one out of all of gary''s latest drop.

i say keep it too!