Danburite

[Deia]

I have been trying to find colored Danburite but all I have stumbled on so far is colorless... I read somewhere that danburite can be found in yellows, browns and even pinks but I have never seen any with the exception of that neon yellow danburite from Jeff White.

Would anyone have any suggestions on where to look?

Thank you

 

[Kashmira]

I don''t know what site this is but I just found this: http://www.gggems.com/Danburite.htm

 

[pwendyp]

Here are some...


The Gem Trader

Wild Fish Gems

DJ Rare Gems

The last link has just one stone I think - you need to look in 'rare gems' and scroll down a little...there's a nice scissor cut lower down.

Good luck!

 

[mus]

weblorn

 

[chrono]

Danburites are nice for their durability and brilliance, however, they don’t have a lot of dispersion. It is uncommon to find a brightly/strongly coloured danburite. Many are clear with a tinge of colour.

 

[Deia]

Thank you for your replies.

I''m a bit dissapointed really that every "yellow" danburite looks murky brown

Thanks Chrono for the info, I didn''t know about the lack of dispersion

 

[gemguy24]

fwiw, they look pretty good depending on what you want to do with them. got one for my girlfriend that was put in a necklace...looked pretty good

 

[megeve]

This looks like a gemmy! Almost like a yellow sapphire!

 

[mus]

Even you don't find a yellow danburite, you can find some cool colorless ones.
I have bought the following one for just a few dollars:

 

[Deia]

Megeve that''s a very pretty color! DO you know that vendor? That website confused me hehe...

Thank you for the replies everyone.

Is it just me or do Wildfish prices seem a bit high?

 

[megeve]

Date: 9/10/2009 5:39:32 PM
Author: Deia
Megeve that''s a very pretty color! DO you know that vendor? That website confused me hehe...

Thank you for the replies everyone.

Is it just me or do Wildfish prices seem a bit high?

No, I have no experience with this vendor, though its recommended here in the colored gemstone list. That website confuses me too!

 

[Harriet]

I wouldn''t recommend danburite for use as jewellery.

 

[Deia]

Date: 9/10/2009 10:11:50 PM
Author: Harriet
I wouldn''t recommend danburite for use as jewellery.

Why is that Harriet?

 

[Harriet]

It''s too soft.

 

[Richard M.]

Date: 9/11/2009 4:44:28 PM
Author: Harriet
It''s too soft.

I don''t think I agree. It''s Mohs'' 7 - 7.5 and that hardness range encompasses many, many stones used in jewelry: garnets, quartzes (amethyst, citrine), jadeite, tourmaline, chalcedony, peridot and more. The durability of any stone, including diamond, depends to a large extent on care taken by the wearer.

Chrono mentioned lack of dispersion in danburite. That''s true if you go by the charts but I''ve been surprised and pleased when viewing actual colorless danburites by the orange/yellow/blue dispersion colors. It''s very brilliant when well cut too.

Richard M. (Rick Martin)

 

[Harriet]

Date: 9/12/2009 1:36:41 AM
Author: Richard M.

Date: 9/11/2009 4:44:28 PM
Author: Harriet
It''s too soft.

I don''t think I agree. It''s Mohs'' 7 - 7.5 and that hardness range encompasses many, many stones used in jewelry: garnets, quartzes (amethyst, citrine), jadeite, tourmaline, chalcedony, peridot and more. The durability of any stone, including diamond, depends to a large extent on care taken by the wearer.

Chrono mentioned lack of dispersion in danburite. That''s true if you go by the charts but I''ve been surprised and pleased when viewing actual colorless danburites by the orange/yellow/blue dispersion colors. It''s very brilliant when well cut too.

Richard M. (Rick Martin)

Rick,
This chicken stands corrected. Would you mind explaining danburite''s anomalous optical properties? Please don''t throw a book at me.

 

[Gailey]

Date: 9/12/2009 11:10:08 AM
Author: Harriet

Date: 9/12/2009 1:36:41 AM
Author: Richard M.

Date: 9/11/2009 4:44:28 PM
Author: Harriet
It''s too soft.

I don''t think I agree. It''s Mohs'' 7 - 7.5 and that hardness range encompasses many, many stones used in jewelry: garnets, quartzes (amethyst, citrine), jadeite, tourmaline, chalcedony, peridot and more. The durability of any stone, including diamond, depends to a large extent on care taken by the wearer.

Chrono mentioned lack of dispersion in danburite. That''s true if you go by the charts but I''ve been surprised and pleased when viewing actual colorless danburites by the orange/yellow/blue dispersion colors. It''s very brilliant when well cut too.

Richard M. (Rick Martin)

Rick,
This chicken stands corrected. Would you mind explaining danburite''s anomalous optical properties? Please don''t throw a book at me.

Cock-a-doodle-doo H, and Good Morning to everyone else!

I thought you had a danburite Harriet, a JW stone? Or am I thinking about someone else. If it is you that I am thinking of, what do you see in yours? And might you reconsider setting it in light of Rick''s advice?

 

[Richard M.]

Harriet,

Its properties aren''t really anomalous. Colorless/white Danburite''s potential for brilliance is due to its extreme clarity and transparency. But that''s different than dispersion which is a "fixed" gem property, like refractive index or specific gravity. Unleashing it is largely a function of a stone''s cut.

Dispersion is the the ability of a gem mineral to break light into separate spectral colors. Danburite has .016 (medium) dispersion so it''s not surprising to see some dispersion colors in well cut stones.

Brilliance and dispersion are somewhat at war with one another in the technical aspects of gem cutting. Put simply, brilliance usually depends on proper pavilion angles and shallower crown angles. Maximum dispersion requires higher crown angles than those that heighten brilliance. Sometimes there''s an unusually happy combination of the two and it''s not always planned by the cutter.

Richard M. (Rick Martin)

 

[Harriet]

Thanks, Rick.

G, I do have one. It''s the neon yellow one. I''ll check how it performs when we finally get some sunlight.